Patent ID: 8358954

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising: a cartridge including at least one of an image bearing member on which a latent image is to be formed and developing means for developing with a developer the latent image formed on the image bearing member; a main assembly including an opening; an openable member movable between a closed position in which the opening is covered and an open position in which the opening is exposed; a movable member for supporting said cartridge, said movable member being movable between an inside position in which said cartridge is located inside said main assembly and a pulled-out position in which said movable member having passed through the opening is outwardly pulled-out from said main assembly and said cartridge is mountable to and demountable from said movable member outside said main assembly; and a slidable member, releasably connectable to said movable member, connected to said openable member through a connecting member, wherein said movable member is movable in a movement direction from the inside position toward the pulled-out position by movement of said openable member from the closed position to the open position, so that said movable member is located at an exposed position in which a part of said movable member having passed through the opening is exposed outside said main assembly, wherein said openable member is prevented from moving from the open position to the closed position in a state in which said movable member is located outside the exposed position but is movable from the open position to the closed position in a state in which said movable member is located at the exposed position, wherein in a state in which said slidable member is connected to said movable member, said slidable member is moved in a direction toward the pulled-out position by movement of said openable member from the closed position to the open position and is moved in a direction toward the inside position by movement of said openable member from the open position to the closed position, wherein by the movement of said openable member from the closed position to the open position, said movable member is located at the exposed position in a state in which said movable member is connected to said slidable member, and wherein in a state in which said movable member is not connected to said slidable member, said openable member is configured so as not to move from the open position to the closed position.