A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a housing having a reservoir for holding toner. An electrical connector is positioned on a first side of the housing. The electrical connector includes an electrical contact for contacting a corresponding electrical contact in the image forming device and a magnetic sensor electrically connected to the electrical contact. The electrical connector is movable between a first position and a second position. When the electrical connector moves from the first position to the second position, the electrical contact of the replaceable unit moves from a retracted position to an operative position. When the electrical connector moves from the first position to the second position, the magnetic sensor moves from a misaligned position to an aligned position with a point in a path of movement of a magnet for sensing a magnetic field of the magnet.

An assembly for an image forming device includes a first replaceable unit and a second replaceable unit matable with the first replaceable unit. One of the first and second replaceable units includes a reservoir for storing toner and the other of the first and second replaceable units is configured to receive toner from the one of the first and second replaceable units. An electrical connector on the first replaceable unit is movable between a retracted position and an operative position. The electrical connector on the first replaceable unit includes an electrical contact for contacting a corresponding electrical contact in the image forming device when the electrical connector is in the operative position. A cam on the second replaceable unit is positioned to engage the electrical connector and to cause the electrical connector to move from the retracted position to the operative position when the first and second replaceable units mate.

There is provided a fixing device, in which an operation delay of a safety element is unlikely to occur even if a heater tilts. The fixing device includes a spacer disposed between the heater and the safety element, wherein an area of the spacer in contact with the safety element is smaller than an area of the spacer in contact with the heater, and the spacer is tiltable relative to the safety element.

A fixing apparatus will be described for fixing a toner image on a recording medium. The apparatus includes a heater that is in contact with an inner surface of a film, a restricting member that restricts movement of the film in a longitudinal direction of the film, a connector that is connected electrically to the heater for supplying electric power to the heater, and a lock member that maintains a position of the restricting member and a position of the connector relative to each other.

An image forming apparatus has a body frame and a slide frame. The slide frame is configured to be pulled out from the body frame along a sliding direction. A plurality of image forming cartridges is detachably mounted on the slide frame. A plurality of electrode members is mounted on the slide frame and aligned along the sliding direction so as to correspond to the image forming cartridges. A body-side contact portion of each of the electrode members is electrically connected to the body frame. A cartridge-side contact portion of the electrode member is electrically connected to the image forming cartridge. The image forming cartridge is connected to the body via the corresponding electrode member when the slide frame mounting the image forming cartridges is inserted to the body frame.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body, endless belt, photosensitive drums, setting unit, contacting/separating mechanism, transmitting mechanism, and coupling members. The photosensitive drums are disposed in confrontation with the endless belt and are arranged in a first direction. Each photosensitive drum has an axis extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The setting unit sets the image forming apparatus to a monochrome mode or color mode. The contacting/separating mechanism controls at least one photosensitive drum to contact or separate from the endless in accordance with the set mode. The transmitting mechanism selectively transmits drive power to photosensitive drums. Each coupling member is selectively coupled to the corresponding photosensitive drum and has a coupling axis extending in the second direction. Each coupling member is uncoupled from the corresponding photosensitive drum when the contacting/separating mechanism controls the corresponding photosensitive drum to separate from the endless belt.

A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes an electrical contact positioned on a first side of a housing of the replaceable unit for contacting an electrical contact in the image forming device. A guide on the first side of the housing is positioned closer to a front of the housing than the electrical contact and leads rearward toward the electrical contact. The guide includes an inside surface that faces inward sideways toward a second side of the housing. At least a portion of the inside surface is angled inward sideways from front to rear permitting contact between the inside surface and an electrical connector in the image forming device to draw the electrical connector in the image forming device inward sideways relative to the replaceable unit during insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device.

Power receiving unit, rotating component, process cartridge, and assembly and disassembly methods thereof are provided. The process cartridge is detachably mounted in an image formation apparatus configured with a swingable power output unit, an outer circumference of the power output unit contains a recessed portion, and the power receiving unit is engaged with the power output unit to receive a driving force. The power receiving unit comprises a wheel hub, a power receiving part, and a bias part. The wheel hub is disposed on an end of a rotating component in the process cartridge. The power receiving part includes a fixing protrusion and a notch that are oppositely disposed, the fixing protrusion is inserted into the recessed portion, and the notch provides a swinging space for the power output unit. The bias part provides a bias force toward the fixing protrusion for the power output unit.

An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive drum, an optical print head that exposes the photosensitive drum and is insertable and removable through a front side of the apparatus body by an operator, a front plate that forms a part of a housing of the apparatus body and that includes an opening through which the optical print head passes when inserted and removed, a cable having one end connected to the optical print head and running along the optical print head toward the front side of the apparatus body when the optical print head is mounted to the apparatus body, and a connector which is arranged so as to have at least a part located on an outer side of the opening and to which another end of the cable is connected to be detachably attachable in order to transmit a drive signal to the optical print head.

A toner container includes a container body, an opening, a cover, a toner discharge port, a shutter, a cylindrical structure, protrusions, and an identifier. The shutter is attached to the cover and includes a main shutter covering the toner discharge port. The main shutter moves between a closed position to close the toner discharge port and an open position to open the toner discharge port. The protrusions are on both sides of the cover and protrude in a direction orthogonal to a toner container mounting direction. The identifier is on the cover to indicate a toner color. The cylindrical structure's leading end is downstream of leading ends of the protrusions in the mounting direction. The main shutter's leading end is downstream of the protrusions' leading ends in the mounting direction when the main shutter is in the closed position. The protrusions are downstream of the identifier in the mounting direction.