PROCESS CARTRIDGE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

摘要

A process cartridge for an image forming apparatus includes a drum unit supporting a photosensitive drum; a developing roller; a driving roller for driving the roller; a drive receiving portion; a developing unit supporting the developing roller and the driving roller; and a connecting portion connecting the drum unit and the developing unit, the connecting portion being disposed below the driving roller. The developing unit is movable relative to the drum unit by rotating about the connecting portion between a contacting position in which the drum and the developing roller contact each other and a spacing position in which the drum and the developing roller are spaced from each other. A direction of the receiving portion is opposite to that of the developing roller, and is the same as the developing unit rotation from the spacing position toward the contacting position.

主权项

1. A process cartridge detachably mountable to an image forming apparatus, said process cartridge comprising:
a photosensitive drum; a photosensitive unit rotatably supporting said photosensitive drum; a rotatable developing roller for developing an electrostatic latent image on said photosensitive drum; a driving roller for driving said developing roller; a drive receiving portion, provided below one end portion side of a shaft of said driving roller, for receiving a driving force from the image forming apparatus; a developing unit supporting said developing roller and said driving roller; and a connecting portion connecting said photosensitive unit and said developing unit, said connecting portion being disposed below said driving roller with respect to the direction of gravity in a state that said process cartridge is mounted to the image forming apparatus, wherein said developing unit is movable relative to said photosensitive unit by rotating about said connecting portion between a contacting position in which said photosensitive drum and said developing roller contact each other and a spacing position in which said photosensitive drum and said developing roller are spaced from each other, wherein a rotational moving direction of said drive receiving portion is opposite to that of said developing roller, and is the same as a direction of rotation of said developing unit from the spacing position toward the contacting position.