In a developing apparatus, a housing has a first opening. A shutter is movable between an open position and a closed position. A locking member is movable between a lock position and a release position. The locking member is located between the housing and the shutter in a cartridge-attachment direction. The locking member is located at the lock position in a case where the toner cartridge is detached from the developing apparatus. The locking member is in contact with the toner cartridge, thereby moving from the lock position to the release position in a case where the toner cartridge is attached to the developing apparatus. A cover having a second opening that is in communication with the first opening in a state where the shutter is at the open position is located at an opposite side of the locking member with respect to the shutter in the cartridge-attachment direction.

A system with a container including a protrusion, and a receiver to receive the container. The receiver includes a slide block that is movable relative to a body of the receiver, the slide block including two surfaces, a first surface, initially contacted by the protrusion of the container during insertion of the container into the receiver, having a first slope to resist movement of the container towards the receiver, and a second surface, subsequently contacted by the protrusion of the container during the insertion of the container into the receiver, having a second slope to interact with the protrusion of the container to assist movement of the container towards the receiver. This construction provides the user with a changing insertion force to indicate proper mounting of the container.

A toner container attachable to and detachable from a main body of an image forming device and including: a first chamber containing toner; a second chamber adjacent to the first chamber through a partition wall and downstream of the first chamber in a toner supply direction; and a switching member in the second chamber that is movable or rotatable and has a shell structure. The partition wall has a first aperture. A bottom wall of the second chamber opposing the partition wall has a second aperture and sits on the main body. The shell has third and fourth apertures. The fourth aperture coincides with the second aperture when the third aperture coincides with the first aperture, and the first aperture is closed by the shell when the third aperture faces an inner wall surface of the second chamber.

A cartridge includes a shutter that opens and closes when the cartridge is attached and detached to a developing unit or image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a casing having a chamber with a first opening at one end portion allowing toner to flow out of the casing. The cartridge includes a cover that covers the first opening, movable with the casing and having a second opening allowing toner to flow out of the cover. The shutter is located at the one end portion and has a protrusion further from the one end portion than the cover. The developing unit supports the protrusion when the cartridge is mounted thereon, and the casing pivots with the cover relative to the developing unit between a first position where the shutter closes the second opening and a second position where a third opening of the shutter overlaps the second opening.

An image forming apparatus including a first unit having an image bearing member, a second unit having a development member, an apparatus main body which includes an opening portion, an opening-closing member to open or close the opening portion, a first portion contacting with a part of the first unit to position the first unit to the apparatus main body, and a second portion arranged on an opposite side of the first portion with respect to the image bearing member, and a sandwiched unit movable between a first position at which the sandwiched unit is sandwiched between the first unit and the second portion and a second position at which the sandwiched unit is not sandwiched, wherein when the sandwiched unit is located at the first position, a part of the first unit is urged against the first portion by the sandwiched unit.

An image forming system includes a toner container and an image forming apparatus to which the toner container is mountable. The toner container includes a projection that includes an inner peripheral surface centered on a central axis of the toner container. When the toner container is oriented in a predetermined direction, the projection has a downward guide surface facing downward and an upward guide surface facing upward. When the toner container is moved downward in a direction of the central axis toward a mounting portion of the image forming apparatus, (i) the downward guide surface is configured to guide a guided member of the image forming apparatus so that the guided member is rotated in a rotational direction about the central axis, and (ii) the upward guide surface is configured to guide the guided member so that the guided member is moved up after the guided member is rotated in the rotational direction by the downward guide surface.

The present disclosure features an image forming apparatus having a first developing unit having a first developing roller; and a first toner supply unit configured to supply toner to the first developing unit, the first toner supply unit having: a first container configured to accommodate the toner therein, the first container having a first inlet opening through which the toner is received in the first container and a first outlet opening through which the toner in the first container is discharged; a first lid configured to close the first inlet opening; and a first shutter configured to open the first outlet opening when the first lid closes the first inlet opening, and to close the first outlet opening when the first lid opens the first inlet opening.

A developing device includes: a storage portion that stores a developer and has an exit for the developer and a hole portion, the hole portion including a limiting portion; a sealing member with which the exit of the storage portion is sealed; a loosening member that is disposed in the storage portion so as to be pulled out through the hole portion of the storage portion and loosens the developer by being pulled out of the storage portion; and a closing member that is disposed in the hole portion of the storage portion, cleans the loosening member that is pulled out of the hole portion by being in contact with the loosening member, and closes the hole portion of which the loosening member has been pulled out, the closing member including a caught portion. The limiting portion of the hole portion of the storage portion limits a movement of the closing member in a pull-out direction of the loosening member by catching the caught portion.

A cartridge includes a shutter that opens and closes when the cartridge is attached and detached to a developing unit or image forming apparatus. The cartridge includes a casing having a chamber with a first opening at one end portion allowing toner to flow out of the casing. The cartridge includes a cover that covers the first opening, movable with the casing and having a second opening allowing toner to flow out of the cover. The shutter is located at the one end portion and has a protrusion further from the one end portion than the cover. The developing unit supports the protrusion when the cartridge is mounted thereon, and the casing pivots with the cover relative to the developing unit between a first position where the shutter closes the second opening and a second position where a third opening of the shutter overlaps the second opening.

An example developing device includes a developing case, a developer supply portion connected to the developing case and including a supply port, a shutter to open or close the supply port, and a sealing member attached to an outer circumferential portion of the developer supply portion to prevent leakage of a developer through the developer supply portion and the shutter. The developer supply portion includes a slit portion adjacent to the supply port. The sealing member includes a film member having an opening in communication with the supply port, a fixing portion inserted into the slit portion, and an elastic sealing member. An upper surface of the film member contacts an inner circumferential portion of the shutter, and the elastic sealing member is attached onto a lower surface of the film member along an edge of the opening and surrounds the supply port.