US Patent 8208830 Process cartridge and space maintaining member

A process cartridge is detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus. The process cartridge includes a photosensitive member unit having a photosensitive drum, a developer carrying member for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with a developer, and a toner accommodating unit having a developer accommodating portion accommodating the developer to be used for development of the electrostatic latent image. A movable frame supports the developer carrying member, and an urging member is provided for urging the movable frame in a direction in which the developer carrying member approaches the photosensitive drum. A space maintaining member, is also provided for maintaining a state in which a distance between the photosensitive drum and the developer carrying member is larger than that in an image formation.