Patent ID: 8260171

Claim:
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, said electrophotographic image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of drum cartridges each including an electrophotographic photosensitive member drum; a plurality of developing cartridges each including a developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on said electrophotographic photosensitive drum using a developer; and a supporting member movable between an inside position and a retracted position in a state such that said supporting member supports said drum cartridges and said developing cartridges, wherein the inside position is inside a main assembly of said apparatus, and the retracted position is retracted outwardly from said main assembly of said apparatus, wherein said supporting member supports pairs of cartridges including one of said drum cartridges and one of said developing cartridges in such a manner such that said pairs are arranged in a movement direction of said supporting member, wherein said supporting member supports said drum cartridges and said developing cartridges independently demountably therefrom, wherein mounting and demounting directions of said drum cartridges relative to said supporting member and mounting and demounting directions of said developing cartridges are different from each other, and wherein said drum cartridges are larger than a maximum gap between adjacent ones of said developing cartridges in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said drum cartridges, and said drum cartridges are supported by said supporting member in a state that a part of said drum cartridges are below said developing cartridges.