Patent ID: 8428491

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image bearing member; a developing device for forming a toner image on said image bearing member while carrying a developer on a developer carrying member, wherein said developing device is mountable and demountable relative to a main assembly of said apparatus in a direction substantially parallel with a radial direction of said image bearing member; an urging mechanism for urging said developing device toward the surface of said image bearing member; and a moving mechanism, movable in a movement path of said developing device, for moving said developing device between a developing position in which development can be effected and a retracted position retracted from the developing position in a state in which said developing device is urged by said urging mechanism, wherein said moving mechanism is temporarily retracted from an inside of the movement path of said developing device to an outside of the movement path of said developing device by a mounting and demounting operation of said developing device.