Patent ID: 8565642

Claim:
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, said electrophotogaphic image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of drum cartridges each including an electrophotographic photosensitive 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 image forming position and a retracted position in a state such that said supporting member supports said drum cartridges and said developing cartridges, wherein the image forming 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 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 wherein the maximum gap is a region between two parallel lines which extend in a direction crossing the movement direction of said supporting member and which provides a maximum distance therebetween.