MXPA01010598A - Image-forming apparatus cartridge. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses an image-forming apparatus having an image-forming body with an opening along at least one of its sides. The guide rails are assembled to the image-forming body on top of the opening, and a pair of support members placed within the image-forming body under the guide rails. The apparatus also includes a cartridge having support arms which extend outwardly to make contact with the guide rails during the image-forming body insertion and removal. The cartridge includes moreover, a photoconductor drum placed in a lower portion of the cartridge, and when inserted inside the image-forming body, the cartridge is supported reinforcing the photoconductor cylinder over said support members.

Description

CARTRIDGE FOR AN IMAGE FORMAT DEVICE Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a side loading cartridge that is removably mounted within the image forming apparatus and includes support arms mounted at an upper end. of the cartridge to support it while charging.

Description of the Prior Art Image forming apparatuses include, copiers, laser printers, fax machines and the like, and often include removable cartridges that can be easily removed and replaced. Each of the cartridges generally includes a photoconductive drum, a developer housing, and a cleaner housing. The photoconducting drum has a rigid cylindrical surface that is charged to a uniform electrical potential and then selectively exposed to the light of a laser image forming apparatus in a pattern corresponding to an original image. Those areas of the photoconductive surface exposed to light are recharged thereby forming a latent electrostatic image on the photoconductive surface. The developer housing contains toner that comes into contact with the photoconductor drum. The toner is selectively attracted to the latent electrostatic image on the photoconductive surface and transferred to an intermediate transfer medium or to a final output sheet. The residual toner that is not transferred to the output sheet is removed from the photoconductor drum and introduced into the cleaner housing. The life of a cartridge is usually set by the amount of toner stored inside the developer housing. Once all of the toner has been delivered to the photoconductor drum, the user simply removes the cartridge from the body of the image forming apparatus and inserts a new replacement cartridge. The removal should make it possible for the user to simply grasp an exposed end and pull the cartridge of the image forming apparatus. In a similar way, the replacement should be straight and preferably provide an indication that the cartridge is properly seated within the body of the image forming apparatus. Additionally, for color devices that have multiple cartridges, each cartridge must have the ability to be removed and replaced without affecting the remaining cartridges. A disadvantage of the designs of the above image forming apparatuses is that the laser image forming apparatus must often be moved during the installation and removal of. a cartridge. Laser movement and repositioning can affect the laser reference positions resulting in printing errors when the laser does not reorient correctly. It is preferable that the laser image forming apparatus remains stationary and that the cartridges are installed and removed without affecting their placement. Another disadvantage of the above image forming apparatuses is their large overall size. Many users want a device that has the smallest possible dimensions, because they are easier to manipulate and move, and they occupy a minimum amount of desk space in a work base where the available space is often a privilege. Some previous designs have provided binary cartridge support means that result in a larger cartridge size. This at the same time, results in a larger overall printer size. This problem is multiplied in the designs of the apparatus that have more than one cartridge. Therefore, a need remains for exact placement of the cartridge within an image forming apparatus without requiring a large amount of space.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides an image forming apparatus with a removable cartridge. The cartridge is installed and removed from the body of the apparatus by means of the support arms placed along an upper section of the cartridge that slides along with the guide rails placed inside the apparatus. Once the cartridge is fully installed inside the apparatus, the guide rails and support arms are disengaged and the cartridge is supported by placing a photoconductor drum along a lower section of the cartridge on the support arms mounted inside the apparatus. The cartridge includes a photoconductive drum, a developer housing positioned adjacent the photoconductor drum for supplying toner. The support arms extend from the developer housing to support the cartridge during installation and removal of the image forming apparatus. The support arms are placed in the cartridge vertically above the photoconductive drum when mounted on the image forming apparatus. Another embodiment includes an image forming apparatus having an image forming body with at least one laser image forming apparatus positioned in an upper section. An opening extends along at least one side of the body below the laser image forming apparatus. The body also includes guide rails mounted adjacent the opening and support members positioned adjacent the opening in front of the guide rails. At least one cartridge is mounted removably inside the body. The cartridge includes a developer housing with support arms for removably mounting them on the guide rails, and a photoconducting drum adjacent the developer housing to receive the toner. When fully inserted, the cartridge is supported within the image forming body by the photoconductive drum positioned against the support members. Another embodiment includes, a body having support members positioned along a lower body section and guide rails positioned along an upper section. A cartridge includes a support arm configured to slide along the guide rails during insertion of the cartridge into the body to raise the cartridge above the support members and lower the cartridge onto the support members when the cartridge is fully inserted into the body . When the cartridge is fully inserted, the support arms are uncoupled from said guide rails. Preferably, the support arm is inclined downward on a main end and the guide rails are raised at the rear end. During the insertion of the cartridge into the body, the main end of the support arm slides along a front end of the guide rail to lower the end front of the cartridge and the rear end of the cartridge travels over the raised rear end to lower the rear end of the cartridge. The present invention also provides a method for removably mounting a cartridge within an image forming apparatus. The first step is the alignment of the cartridge support arms within the guide rails mounted to the image forming apparatus. The next step is to drive the cartridge into the image forming apparatus, sliding the support arms along the guide rails, and uncoupling the arms from the guide rail support. Finally, support the cartridge inside the image forming apparatus by placing the cartridge in a support member within the image forming apparatus. Another method includes slipping the cartridge into the image forming apparatus, urging the support arms along the guide rails. The next step is to lower the first end of the cartridge into the image forming apparatus by sliding a ramp surface onto the arms of the support on an inner end of the guide rails. The final step is to lower the second end of the cartridge inside the device Imager, sliding the support arms over an upper end of the guide rails.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side view illustrating the elements constructing an image forming apparatus according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating a cartridge having support arms; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the guided guide rails of the image forming apparatus; Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of a cartridge partially inserted into the guide rails; Figure 5 is a rear perspective view of the cartridge mounted inside the image forming apparatus and seated on the support members; Figure 6A is a schematic side view illustrating the cartridge being inserted into the image forming apparatus; Figure 6B is a schematic side view illustrating the cartridge being inserted into the image forming apparatus; Figure 6C is a schematic side view illustrating the cartridge being inserted into the image forming apparatus; Figure 6D is a schematic side view illustrating the cartridge being inserted into the image forming apparatus; Figure 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a guide rail removed from the image forming apparatus; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a cartridge having an alternative embodiment of support arms and being inserted into the guide rails inside the image forming apparatus; and Figure 9 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the support arms having outwardly extending teeth.

Detailed Description of the Invention Figure 1 illustrates the basic elements of an image forming apparatus and is incorporated for an understanding of the general electrophotographic image forming process. A color laser printer is illustrated with the number 100, however an expert in The art will understand that the present invention can be applied to other types of image forming apparatus that use toner for printing through a photoconductive roller. The image forming apparatus, generally designated 100, includes a plurality of similar toner cartridges, 110, 210, 310 and 410. Each of the toner cartridges has a similar construction but are distinguished by the color of the toner they contain. In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a black cartridge 110, a magenta cartridge 210, a blue cartridge (cyan) 310, and a yellow cartridge 410. The toners of different color form individual images of a single color which are combined in an embodiment of layers to create a final image of multiple colors. Each of the toner cartridges is substantially identical and includes a developer housing, a drum and a cleaning housing. Since the cartridges are respectively identical, except for the color of the toner, the cartridge and the black image elements will be described, the other cartridges being omitted for the purpose of simplification. Drum 114, generally has a cylindrical shape with at least one end having a gear or spokes 80 for coupling with the cartridge operator module of the image forming apparatus to provide a rotational force. A coupler and other connecting means extend outward from the image forming apparatus, and engage with the cartridge upon insertion to transfer a rotational movement to the drum 114. The drum 114 has a smooth surface to receive an electrostatic charge on the surface as the drum rotates beyond the loading roller 116. The drum rotates in a continuous and uniform manner through the laser image forming apparatus 120 which directs a laser on a selected portion of the surface of the drum, forming an electrostatically latent image throughout the drum width representative of the produced image. This process continues as an image pattern as a complete image pattern is formed on the surface of the drum. Preferably, the laser image forming apparatus 120 is placed on top of the removable cartridges, and is not altered during the removal and insertion of the cartridge. After receiving the latent image, the drum rotates through a developer housing 122 having a toner deposit to house the toner, and a developer roll 124 for transferring the toner into the drum in a uniform manner. The toner is a fine powder generally constructed of plastic granules which are electrostatically driven to the areas of the drum that have been discharged by the laser image forming apparatus 120 in a process of developing the discharge area (DAD). The toner particles adhere to the latent electrostatic image in these areas. You can also use a charged area development (CAD) process. Later, the drum rotates until passing and is positioned adjacent an intermediate band of medium transfer 500, (hereinafter, ITM band) where the toner is transferred from the drum 114. As illustrated in Figure 1, the band ITM 500 is an endless band and extends around a series of rollers adjacent to the drum. The ITM 500 band image on each drum 114, 214, 314, 414 and each laser scanning unit 120, 220, 320, 420, are synchronized by providing the toner of each drum to precisely align it on the ITM band during a single step. As an example, as illustrated in Figure 1, the yellow toner (Y) will be placed on the ITM band, followed by the blue (cyan) toner (C), the magenta (M) and the black (K). After depositing the toner on the ITM band, the drum rotates through a cleaning housing where the residual toner is removed from the surface by means of a brush or scraper 126 and transferred to a toner waste container 125. As the drum is being loaded and collecting toner, a recording sheet, such as a blank sheet of paper, is being directed to cross the ITM 500 band. The paper can be placed in one of the inner trays 510 or inserted into the apparatus imager through a side track tray 520. A series of rollers and bands convey the paper to point Z where the sheet contacts the ITM band, and receives the toner. Preferably, voltage is applied to one of the rollers that pushes the sheet of paper against the ITM band at point Z, to pull the loaded toner away from the web and onto the paper. The bonded sheet and toner travels through a melter 530 having a pair of rollers and one or more heating elements to heat and melt the toner to the sheet. The paper with the image melted is then transported out of the image forming apparatus. Each of the toner cartridges can be removed and replaced within the image forming apparatus. Replacement is generally necessary when there is no longer any remaining toner inside the developer housing 150. In a preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the cartridges are loaded into the image forming apparatus from one side. This causes the laser to remain undisturbed, which results in fewer printing errors than if the laser were moved during the movement of the cartridge. Figure 2 illustrates the cartridge 110 having a developer housing 150, which contains a supply of toner to be fed to the photoconductive drum 114. Preferably, the developer housing 150 is positioned vertically above the photoconductive drum 114. The support arms 50 are placed in an upper portion of the developer housing 150 to support the cartridge during insertion and removal thereof from the image forming apparatus 100. The support arms 50, have a substantially "T" shape and include a superior support linear 54, and a ramp support 52 at the front end of the cartridge. A base 53 extends upwardly of the housing of the developer 150. Preferably, the support arms 50 include a pair of upper supports 54 for supporting the cartridge 110, although other embodiments of singular or plural supports are also feasible. This positioning of the support arms 50 uses the space created by the required focal distance between the laser image forming apparatus 120, and the photoconductive drum 114. Using this space already required for the support arms 50, the overall size of the cartridge 110 , it can be kept as small as possible. The guide rails 20 are mounted to the image forming apparatus to engage the support arms 50. Figure 3 illustrates a pair of track rails 20 removed from the image forming apparatus for reasons of clarity. Each of the guide rails 20 includes a front guide section 22 extending in the interior for a limited distance to support the cartridge during insertion and removal. When we refer to the components of the cartridge 110, the guide rails 20, and the support arms 50, are used the term "front" to define the area closest to the user when the cartridge is inserted into the image forming apparatus 110, and the word "posterior" to the opposite end. An upper guide section 26, and a lower guide section 24, extend substantially parallel along the guide rail 20. Preferably, the upper guide section 26 is positioned vertically above the front guide section 22. This makes the upper support of the cartridge 54 does not contact the upper guide section 26 during the insertion and removal of the cartridge. Nevertheless, if the cartridge 110 is only partially inserted with the center of gravity of the cartridge away from the image forming apparatus, as illustrated in Figure 4, the upper support 54 will make contact with the front guide section 22, and the section upper guide 26. Preferably, the distance "A" illustrated in Figure 3, between the front guide section 22, and the lower guide section 24 is approximately equal to the distance "B" illustrated in Figure 2, between the upper support 54, and the bottom of the ramp surface 55. These distances make the cartridge 110 remains substantially level during insertion and removal because the bottom of the ramp surface 54 moves against the lower guide section 24 as the upper support 54 moves against the rear guide section 22. When the cartridge 110 is inserted completely into the image forming apparatus, the support arm 50 is decoupled from the guide rails 20. Preferably, the cartridge 110 is supported by the photoconductive drum 114 resting on the support members 90A, 90B extending through the apparatus. imager as illustrated in Figure 5. However, once they are uncoupled, the cartridge 110 can also be supported by other components within the cartridge and the image forming apparatus 100. The placement of the photoconductive drum 114 on the support arms 90A, 90B provides accurate and precise positioning of the cartridge 110. Preferably, the photoconductive drum 114 is placed inside the notches V 32 within the support members 90A, 90B.

Attaching the cartridge 110 of the guide rails provides accurate positioning within the image forming apparatus 100, and easier use for the client. The user can easily load the cartridge 110 into the guide rails 20 which are easily visible from the outside of the image forming apparatus. Additionally, uncoupling the support arms 50 once the cartridge 110 is fully installed locates the cartridge based on the most functionally important elements of the drum 114 and the support members 90A, 90B. While the cartridge 110 is being inserted or removed from the image forming apparatus 100, the guide rails 20 and the support arms 50 keep the photoconductive drum 114 above the support members 90A, 90B to prevent scratching or damage to the photoconductive surface . The cartridge 110 is also supported above the band ITM 500, which is positioned between the support arms 50, as illustrated in the figures from 6A to 6D. The ITM 500 band has been removed from figure 5 for reasons of clarity. Once the cartridge 110 is installed within the image forming apparatus, downward movement places the photoconductive drum 114 on the support members 90A, 90B adjacent to the ITM band 500.

Figures 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D illustrate the insertion of a cartridge 110 into the image forming apparatus 100. Figure 6A shows the cartridge 110 partially inserted into the image forming apparatus 100 as the support arms 50 slide against the guide rail 20. The cartridge 110 is maintained substantially released as the ramp support 52 slides across the width of the lower guide section 24 and the upper support 54 slides across the width of the front guide section 22. The end of the The bottom of the cartridge is held above the support members 90A, 90B and the ITM 500 band to avoid any possible damage. Figure 6B illustrates the cartridge 110 inserted into a position so that the ramp support 52 makes contact with the rear end of the lower guide surface 24, while the upper support 54 remains in contact with the front guide section 22 A rear locator 60 makes contact with the upper end of the support arm 90A. It is important that the rear locator 60 not fall in front of the support arm 90A thereby blocking the insertion of a cartridge 110. As the rear end of the cartridge is being lowered, the front end remains lifted upwards as the fin 54 remains in contact with the front guide section 22. This causes the bottom end of the cartridge to be maintained above the ITM 500 band. As the ramp support 52 is inclined between approximately 30 and 60 ° , pushing the cartridge 110 into the image forming apparatus results in the rear end of the inserted cartridge having both vertical and horizontal movements. This makes it possible for the ray coupling 80 and electrical connectors (not shown) positioned at the rear end of the cartridge to be coupled to corresponding members within the image forming apparatus. If the cartridge was inserted so that it did not have a diagonal movement, but rather only a horizontal movement followed by a vertical fall on the support members 50, the ray couplings 80 and the electrical connectors may not be coupled with the image forming apparatus. Figure 6 illustrates the cartridge 110, inserted into a position in which the upper support 54 has slid past the front guide section 22. This falls on the front end of the cartridge on the front support member 90B. A front locator 62 makes contact with the upper end of the support member 90B. The rear locator 60 continues to slide along the upper end of the rear support member 90A. Preferably, the rear locator 60 and the front locator 62 include inclined surfaces to facilitate movement. Figure 6D illustrates the cartridge 110 fully inserted into the image forming apparatus 100. The upper support 54 is positioned substantially parallel with the lower guide section 24, and the ramp support 52 has cleared the inner guide section 24. The rails guide 20 and support arms 50, are decoupled as cartridge 110 is supported by photoconductive drum 114, placed on support members 90A, 90B. The rear locator 60 has slid past the support member 90A and the front locator 62 has slid past the support member 90B. The positioning of the photoconductive drum 114 against the support members 90A, 90B is an exact way to place the cartridge 110 inside the image forming apparatus. Preferably, the ends of the photoconductive drum 114A, 114B have a diameter smaller than the center section and the support arms 90A, 90B contact the drum at the small end positions. As illustrated in Figure 6D, the cartridge 110 is preferably mounted within the image forming apparatus 100 by the photoconductive drum 114 mounted on the support members 90A, 90B. However, the cartridge 110 can also be supported within the image forming apparatus by other components of the cartridge. One skilled in the art will observe that other components can provide support for the cartridge 110, once the support arms 50 are decoupled, and it should be understood that this is included within the present invention. Figure 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the guide rail 220. The guide rail 220 includes a front support section 200, and a guide channel 201. The guide channel 201 includes a middle area of the guide channel 202, a ramp guide 204. , and an exit area of the channel 206. The guide channel 201 extends a distance inside a vertical base of the guide rail to support the cartridge support arms. Preferably, the front support section of the guide 200 extends into the vertical base at a distance greater than the middle guide channel to more fully support the weight of the cartridge during insertion and removal. The exit area of the channel 206 includes an inclined end 212, which makes an interior angle towards the vertical base. A stop 210 can be placed on the front end of the front guide section 200 to prevent the cartridge 110 from slipping off the guide rails 220. Figure 8 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the support arms 250. The arms of Support 250 includes upper supports 254 attached to the upper portion of the cartridge 110. The upper supports 254 are substantially linear and do not include any ramp surfaces, as in the previous design. As best illustrated in Figure 9, the rear end of the top supports 254 includes the teeth 253. The teeth 253 extend outwardly by a distance X beyond the top supports 254. Preferably, the top supports 254 with the ends teeth 253 fit with the guide rails 220. The upper supports 254 slide along the length of the front guide section 200. Teeth 253 slide inside the guide channel 251 through the middle area of the guide channel 202, the ramp channel 204, and the exit area of the channel 206. Preferably, the top supports 254 do not contact with the guide channel 201, except for the front guide section 200. As the teeth 253 slide through the ramp channel 204, the rear part of the cartridge tilts downward inside the image forming apparatus. At the time of insertion, the top surfaces 254 have moved past the front guide sections 200, and the inclined end 212 causes the teeth 253 to disengage from the guide channel 201. Therefore, the cartridge 110 is mounted within the image forming apparatus, and the guide rails 220 are decoupled from the support arms 250. In the above description, similar reference characters designate similar or corresponding parts through the different drawings. Also in the following description, it should be understood that terms such as "forward", "backward", "left", "right", "up", "down" and the like, are words of convenience and they should not be interpreted as limiting terms. Those skilled in the art will come up with certain modifications and better by reading the above description. A photoconductive drum is described and illustrated in the figures, although the present invention can also be used with an image-forming apparatus having other types of photoconductors, such as a photoconductive strip instead of a drum. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been omitted for reasons of ease and to make the present description clearer, but all are correctly within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (38)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as novelty and, therefore, the content of the following is claimed as property: CLAIMS 1. A cartridge mounted removably inside an image forming apparatus, which comprises : a photoconducting drum; a developer housing affixed to said photoconductive drum for supplying toner to said photoconducting drum; and support arms extending from said developer housing for supporting the cartridge during installation and removal of the image forming apparatus, said support arms being placed on the cartridge vertically above said photoconductive drum, when mounted on the forming apparatus of image. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said developer housing is positioned above said photoconductive drum when the cartridge is mounted within the image forming apparatus. 3. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said pair of support arms have a substantially "T" shape having a base centered in said developer housing and upper supports extending outwardly from said base. 4. The cartridge in accordance with the claim 3, which further includes ramp support surfaces at the rear end of said top supports and are inclined in relation to said top supports. 5. The cartridge in accordance with the claim 4, wherein said ramp support surfaces are inclined between about 30 and 60 ° relative to said top supports. The cartridge according to claim 1, wherein said support arms are substantially linear and extend the width of the upper area of said developer housing. The cartridge according to claim 6, which further includes a pair of teeth extending outwardly from the rear end of said support arms. 8. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming body having at least one laser image forming apparatus positioned in an upper section, and an opening along at least one side of said body positioned under said apparatus laser image former, further including the image forming body, guide rails mounted adjacent said aperture and support members positioned adjacent the aperture opposite said guide rails; at least one cartridge having a developer housing with support arms for removably mounting on said guide rails inside the image forming body, said cartridge further including a photoconductive drum adjacent said developer housing for receiving toner; wherein said cartridge is supported within the image forming body when it is fully inserted by said photoconductive drum positioned against said support members. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the guide rails include a pair of opposed rails, each mounted on said image forming body to fit said support arms. 10. The cartridge in accordance with the claim 9, wherein said pair of support arms have a substantially "T" shape having a base centered on said developer housing and upper supports extending out from said base. 11. The cartridge in accordance with the claim 10, which further includes ramp support surfaces at the rear end of said upper members and which are inclined relative to said upper supports. 12. The cartridge in accordance with the claim 11, wherein said ramp support surfaces are inclined between about 30 and 60 ° relative to the upper supports. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the guide rails include a front guide section, and a lower guide section, wherein during the installation and removal of the cartridge of said image forming body, the cartridge is maintained substantially level, as the ramp support moves along said lower guide section, and the upper support moves along said front guide section. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the guide rails include a guide channel extending along said guide rails. 15. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 14, wherein said support arms include a pair of teeth extending outwardly to move over said guide channel during the insertion and removal of the cartridge. 16. The apparatus in accordance with the claim 15, wherein said guide channel includes an inclined end provided for said teeth to be decoupled from said guide rail when said cartridge is inserted into said image forming body. 17. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the guide rails include a stop. 18. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said opening is sized to contain four of said cartridges. 19. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said support arms and said guide rails they are separated when the cartridge is inserted into said image forming body. 20. An image forming apparatus, which comprises: an image forming body having an opening along at least one side; a plurality of guide rails mounted on said image forming body above said opening; a pair of support members placed inside said image forming body, below said guide rails; and a cartridge having support arms extending outwardly to contact said guide rails during insertion and removal from said image forming body, the cartridge further including a photoconductive drum positioned in a lower portion of said cartridge; wherein when inserting said cartridge in said image forming body, said cartridge is supported resting said conductive drum on said support members. The apparatus according to claim 20, which further includes a front locator and a rear locator, mounted on said cartridge adjacent said photoconductive drum for positioning said photoconductive drum on said support members. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said front and rear locators include a ramp surface for sliding along said support members during insertion and removal of the cartridge from the image forming body. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the guide rails are mounted inside said image forming body so that the guide rails and the arms of the support are decoupled and the cartridge is supported by said photoconductive drum resting on said support members when said cartridge is fully inserted into said image forming body. 24. An image forming apparatus, which comprises: a body having support members positioned along a lower section of said body and guide rails positioned along an upper section of the body; a cartridge having a support arm configured to slide along said guide rails during the insertion of said cartridge into said body to raise the cartridge above the support members and lower the cartridge onto the support members when the cartridge is inserted completely inside the body; the support arms are uncoupled from the guide rails when the cartridge is fully inserted into the body. 25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the support arm is inclined downward on a main end and the guide rails are raised at the front end so that during the insertion of the cartridge into the body, the main end of the support arm slides along the rear end of the guide rail to lower the rear end of the cartridge and the rear end of the cartridge travels over the raised front end to lower the front end of the cartridge. 26. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the support arm and the guide rails are separated when the cartridge is inserted completely inside the body. 27. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the support arms are positioned along an upper section of the cartridge. 28. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the guide rails include teeth that extend outwardly at the main end of the cartridge, the teeth slide along the guide rails to insert the cartridge into the body. 29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the guide rails include a ramp section along the rear end that angles down to seat the upper end of the cartridge on the support members. 30. A method for removably mounting a cartridge within an image forming apparatus, which comprises the steps of: aligning the support arms positioned on the cartridge within the guide rails mounted to the image forming apparatus; driving the cartridge into the image forming apparatus by sliding the support arms along the guide rails; uncouple the guide rails from the support arms; and supporting the cartridge within the image forming apparatus by placing the cartridge on a support member within the image forming apparatus. 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the cartridge is inserted into the image forming apparatus from one side and one face. 32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the cartridge is supported within the image forming apparatus by placing a photoconductive drum mounted inside the cartridge on a pair of support arms positioned within the image forming apparatus. 33. A method for inserting a cartridge into an image forming apparatus, which comprises the steps of: placing the arms of the holder at an upper end of the cartridge with the guide rails inside the image forming apparatus; sliding the cartridge into the image forming apparatus by driving the support arms along the guide rails; lowering a first end of the cartridge into the image forming apparatus by sliding a ramp surface onto the support arms on an inner end of the guide rails; and lowering a second end of the cartridge into the image forming apparatus by sliding the arms of the holder onto an upper end of the guide rails. 34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the cartridge is inserted into the image forming apparatus at an angle relative to the image forming apparatus to align the components positioned at a rear end of the cartridge with the components within the image forming apparatus. 35. The method according to claim 34, which further includes aligning the electrical connectors in the cartridge with the corresponding connectors in the image forming apparatus. 36. The method according to claim 34, which includes aligning the gears in the cartridge with a coupler in the image forming apparatus. 37. The method according to claim 33, which further includes lowering a front locator positioned at one end of the cartridge bottom on the support members within the image forming apparatus. 38. The method according to claim 37, which further includes lowering a rear locator placed on the bottom end of the cartridge in the support members within the image forming apparatus.