A developer storage container includes a container body and a shape forming member. The developer storage container is attached to and detached from any one of three or more mounting portions provided to an image forming apparatus forming an image using a developer. The container body has a side wall portion formed in a mounting direction to the image forming apparatus. The shape forming member is attached to the side wall portion in a mode to correspond to any one of three mounting portions, forming a first non-compatible shape corresponding to this mounting portion.

An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge including a portion-to-be-engaged; a main assembly to which the cartridge is detachably mountable; and an operating portion configured to be operated when the cartridge is disengaged from the main assembly. The main assembly includes a cartridge disengagement restricting mechanism configured to restrict disengagement of the cartridge, the cartridge disengagement restricting mechanism comprises an engaging portion for engaging with the portion-to-be-engaged of the cartridge so as to restrict movement of the cartridge in a disengaging direction in which the cartridge is disengaged from the main assembly; a restricting portion movable between a first position where a releasing operation of the operating portion for releasing engagement between the portion-to-be-engaged and the engaging portion and a second position where the releasing operation is permitted; and an actuator configured to move the restricting portion between the first position and the second position.

There is provided a consumable supply method for supplying a refill consumable stored in a refill consumable container to a consumable container installable in an equipment body. The consumable supply method includes removing a refill information storage device storing information on the refill consumable from the refill consumable container; removing an information storage device storing information on a consumable contained in the consumable container, the information being for exchange with the equipment body, from the consumable container; and attaching the refill information storage device removed from the refill consumable container as an information storage device to the consumable container in place of the information storage device removed from the consumable container.

A carrier is provided that includes a core particle and a coating layer coating the core particle. The coating layer includes a resin and chargeable inorganic fine particles, and has voids. The resin has an average film thickness of 0.10 μm or larger and smaller than 0.45 μm. The coating layer has a porosity of 0.1% or higher and lower than 2.8%, when the porosity expressed by the following equation:

Porosity [%]=S1/S2×100

where, on a cross section of the coating layer, S1 represents a cross sectional area of the voids and S2 represents a cross sectional area of the resin.

An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge storage portion that is installed in an image forming apparatus main body, and a toner cartridge that is configured so as to be able to be inserted into and removed from the cartridge storage portion. The cartridge storage portion has a storage opening that receives the toner cartridge, and has a gap between an end part of the toner cartridge and the storage opening, through which the end part of the toner cartridge is not able to be held, when the toner cartridge is stored in the cartridge storage portion.

An example image forming apparatus includes a frame, a first shaft supported by the frame, and a first coupler. The first coupler includes a body coupled to one end of the first shaft and a first protrusion protruding from the body in an axial direction of the first shaft, the first protrusion having a first surface and a second protrusion protruding from the first surface. The second protrusion is to lock with a groove to mount a cartridge on the frame, the first shaft is to provide a rotational force in a first rotational direction to rotate the second protrusion of the first coupler and to insert the second protrusion into the groove to lock with the cartridge, and the first surface of the first protrusion of the first coupler is to contact a second surface to transmit the rotational force to the second coupler in the first rotational direction.

A toner container includes a first rotation member rotatably provided in a container main body, a stirring member rotatably provided in such a way as to be parallel to the first rotation member, a lid member closing an opening portion of the container main body, a first bearing portion provided on an inner surface of the lid member and rotatably supporting a first end portion of a first rotation shaft of the first rotation member, a stirring bearing portion provided on the inner surface of the lid member and rotatably supporting a lid-side end portion of a stirring rotation shaft of the stirring member, a storage concave portion formed on the lid member and recessed from an outer surface of the lid member inward, and a transmission mechanism provided in the storage concave portion to transmit a rotation of the first rotation shaft to the stirring rotation shaft.

A toner container includes a container main body, a first toner storage portion, a second toner storage portion, and a gripping portion. The container main body is elongated. The first toner storage portion stores toner in its inside and is provided in one side in a longitudinal direction of the container main body. The second toner storage portion stores toner in its inside and is provided in the other side in the longitudinal direction. The gripping portion is provided between the first toner storage portion and the second toner storage portion, and includes a concave portion which is formed in a side portion of the container main body on one side in a width direction of the container main body, the width direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

A toner container is elongated. A first rotating member is rotatably provided in a first toner storage portion and extends in a depth direction of a container main body. A first drive input portion is provided at an end of a first rotation shaft included in the first rotating member and configured to receive a driving force. A second rotating member rotatably provided in a second toner storage portion and extends in the depth direction. A second drive input portion is provided at an end of a second rotation shaft included in the second rotating member and configured to receive a driving force. The container main body includes a plate-like coupling member coupling a first housing of the first toner storage portion with a second housing of the second toner storage portion.

An image forming device includes a toner cartridge, and the toner cartridge includes a CRUM chip. The CRUM chip stores specific information about whether an ejection action by an ejection mechanism for the toner cartridge is permitted. In accordance with an instruction by a control portion of the image forming device, the ejection action is permitted in a case of a permitting cartridge for which the ejection action is permitted, and the ejection action is inhibited in a case of an inhibiting cartridge for which the ejection action is inhibited.