Patent ID: 8233820

Claim:
A process unit comprising: a photoconductor drum; a drum frame supporting the photoconductor drum; a development roller having a roller shaft, an outer peripheral surface of the development roller being disposed in contact with an outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor drum; a development frame supporting the development roller at first and second end portions of the roller shaft, the development frame comprising a coupling joint provided at a first side of the development frame where the first end portion of the roller shaft is supported and a support portion provided at a second side of the development frame, opposite to the first side, where the second end portion of the roller shaft is supported, the coupling joint being disengageably engageable with an external driving force input element to transmit a rotational force inputted therefrom to the development roller, and the support portion being coaxial with the coupling joint, whereby the development frame is swingably supported at the coupling joint and the support portion by the drum frame; and a connecting member having a first end connected with the coupling joint and a second end rotatably supported by the support portion, such that the connecting member is rotatable together with the coupling joint, wherein a center of rotation of the development roller is located in a position shifted from a line segment connecting a center of rotation of the coupling joint and a center of rotation of the photoconductor drum to an upstream side with respect to a direction of rotation of the coupling joint as viewed in an axial direction of the development roller, such that the development roller is pressed against the photoconductor drum by the action of the rotational force received by the development frame through the coupling joint and the connecting member that are rotated together.