An image forming apparatus includes: a photosensitive drum; a toner cartridge having a toner supply port; and a developing unit including: a developing roller; a developing frame; and a conveyance portion capable of conveying toner contained in the toner cartridge to the developing frame. The conveyance portion including: a coupling tube capable of being coupled to the toner cartridge and having a toner receiving port that faces the toner supply port in a state where the coupling tube is coupled to the toner cartridge; a conveyance tube fixed to the developing frame, the conveyance tube being movable with respect to the coupling tube, in a state where the coupling tube is coupled to the toner cartridge and the toner receiving port faces the toner supply port; and a shutter movable between an open position and a closed position.

A toner container installed in an image forming apparatus includes a toner container main body having a predetermined length and in which toner is accommodated, a discharge port through which the toner is discharged from the toner container main body, a shutter which opens and closes the discharge port, a handle provided on the toner container main body, and a pressed portion provided on the toner container main body and which is pressed by the image forming apparatus to project the handle out from the image forming apparatus.

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.

Disclosed is a developer storage container including a container body and a shutter. The container body has a developer discharge port and is capable of being changed in posture. The shutter is configured to sealingly close or open the developer discharge port, and includes a shutter body, a swingable member and a shaft displacement restriction portion. The shutter body has a sealing surface for sealingly closing the developer discharge port, and a pair of bearing portions. The swingable member has a pair of shaft portions each pivotally supported by a respective one of the pair of bearing portions. The swingable member is swingable between a restriction position where it restricts a sliding movement of the shutter, and a permission position where it permits the sliding movement of the shutter. The shaft displacement restriction portion is configured to restrict an axial movement of the pair of shaft portions.

An electrophotographic image forming device includes a replaceable unit having a body with a toner reservoir. A drive element on a rear end of the body is unobstructed to mesh with a corresponding drive element in the image forming device. A toner outlet port is positioned on a bottom of the body near the rear end of the body. A latch catch is positioned on a first side of the body to receive a corresponding latch when the replaceable unit is installed in the image forming device. A latch actuator at the front end of the body is movable between a home position and a releasing position. A release handle at the front end of the body is operatively connected to the latch actuator such that actuation of the release handle causes the latch actuator to move from the home position to the releasing position to unlatch the body.

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 developing device mountable in a main body of an image forming device includes: a frame, a developer cartridge attachable to the frame, and a maintaining member. The developer cartridge includes: a casing having an opening; and a shutter movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close the opening. The developer cartridge is movable between a first position to be attached to the frame and mountable in the main body and a second position to be partially detached from the frame and incapable of being mounted in the main body. The shutter moves from the closed position to the open position while the developer cartridge moves from the second position to the first position. The maintaining member maintains the shutter at the closed position when the developer cartridge moves from the second position to the first position.

An image forming apparatus includes a toner container and a shutter mechanism. The toner container is attached to or detached from an apparatus main body along an attachment/detachment direction. The toner container has a passing port. The shutter mechanism has a container mount, a shutter plate and an opening/closing hook. The container mount is attached to the toner container. The shutter plate is supported on the container mount so as to be slidable along the attachment/detachment direction. The opening/closing hook is supported on the apparatus main body on one side in a direction crossing the attachment/detachment direction. The opening/closing hook disengages the shutter plate with the container mount.

A toner container includes a storage portion configured to store toner and a communicating member including a receiving port, a discharge port, and a passage. The passage includes a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface connecting the first inclined surface and the discharge port to each other. When viewed in a third direction perpendicularly intersecting with both of a first direction and a second direction, the first inclined surface is inclined with respect to the second direction such that a more downstream portion of the first inclined surface in the first direction is closer to the discharge port in the second direction, and the second inclined surface is inclined with respect to the second direction such that a more downstream portion of the second inclined surface in the first direction is closer to the discharge port in the second direction.

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.