Patent ID: 8818234

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a process cartridge detachably installable in a main body of the image forming apparatus, the process cartridge including an image carrier and at least one processing unit provided adjacent to the image carrier; a main reference portion receiver to receive a main reference portion provided to the process cartridge; a sub-reference portion receiver to receive a sub-reference portion provided to the process cartridge; and a pressing mechanism to press the process cartridge to cause the main reference portion to contact the main reference portion receiver upon installation of the process cartridge in the main body of the image forming apparatus, wherein the pressing mechanism presses the process cartridge in a direction angled with respect to a line connecting a center of the main reference portion with a contact position where the pressing mechanism contacts the process cartridge, wherein the pressing mechanism is disposed on the image forming apparatus and includes: a contact member to contact the process cartridge, having a tapered surface; an elastic member to press the contact member against the process cartridge; and a holding case to hold both the contact member and the elastic member, wherein a first end of the elastic member is fixed to a concave receiver provided on an upper surface of the contact member and a second end opposite the first end is fixed to an upper surface of the holding case, and a cutout is provided on a lower surface of the contact member so that a bottom of the cutout contacts a receiver provided to the holding case when the process cartridge is not installed in the image forming apparatus.