An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a first release processing portion, and a second release processing portion. The image forming portion includes a storage portion storing developer and forms an image by using the developer stored in the storage portion. The first release processing portion releases regulation on removal of a developer storage portion when a storage amount of the developer stored in the storage portion is equal to or smaller than a second threshold smaller than a first threshold. The second release processing portion releases the regulation on the removal of the developer storage portion based on the remaining amount of the developer that is acquired when the storage amount of the developer stored in the storage portion is larger than the second threshold.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier configured to carry an image; a developing unit configured to develop the image carried by the image carrier with a developer; and a developer replenishing unit configured to supply the developer to the developing unit, the developer replenishing unit being configured to predict, in advance, an amount of developer consumed by the image carrier at a start or an end of image formation apart from developer consumed in the image formation, to replenish the predicted amount of the developer.

An image forming apparatus includes a release processing portion, a regulation processing portion, and a second restriction processing portion. The release processing portion releases regulation on removal of a developer storage portion when a storage amount of developer stored in an image forming portion is equal to or smaller than a second threshold smaller than a first threshold. The regulation processing portion regulates removal of the developer storage portion when the storage amount of the developer stored in the image forming portion is larger than the second threshold and removal of the developer storage portion has not been regulated. The second restriction processing portion imposes restriction on processing of the regulation processing portion when the regulation on the removal of the developer storage portion is released and a restriction condition is satisfied.

A system for an electrophotographic image forming device includes a toner container having a reservoir for storing toner and an impact member configured to selectively impart an impulse force on the toner container to cause vibration of the toner container. A sensor is configured to sense the vibration of the toner container upon the impact member imparting the impulse force on the toner container. Processing circuitry in communication with the sensor is configured to determine an estimate of an amount of toner in the reservoir based on the sensed vibration of the toner container.

An electrostatic charge image developing toner contains negatively charged toner particles and silica particles added to an exterior of the toner particles, in which in a case where the silica particles are sorted into silica particles (S1) having a circularity of 0.91 or more and silica particles (S2) having a circularity less than 0.91, a mass ratio N/Si of a nitrogen element to a silicon element in a group of the silica particles (S1) is 0.005 or more and 0.50 or less, a mass ratio N/Si of a nitrogen element to a silicon element in a group of the silica particles (S2) is less than 0.005, and an average circularity of the silica particles (S2) is 0.84 or more and less than 0.91.

An image forming apparatus includes a main body housing, a first cartridge to store first developer, a second cartridge to store second developer, a first temperature sensor to detect an inside temperature as a temperature inside the main body housing, and a controller configured to calculate a first control temperature corresponding to the first cartridge, using the detected inside temperature and a first coefficient to be multiplied by the inside temperature, calculate a second control temperature corresponding to the second cartridge, using the detected inside temperature and a second coefficient to be multiplied by the inside temperature, the second coefficient being different from the first coefficient, and perform cooling control to cool an inside of the main body housing when at least one selected from the first control temperature and the second control temperature is higher than a particular threshold.

A developer storage container includes a storage portion, a communication portion, a scooping portion, and a guide portion. The storage portion conveys developer stored therein in a conveying direction along a rotation axis by being rotated around the rotation axis in a specific direction. The communication portion connects the storage portion to an opening portion facing the conveying direction. The scooping portion includes a scooping surface facing the specific direction at an end of the storage portion on a downstream side in the conveying direction and radially outside the communication portion to scoop up the developer in contact with the scooping surface as the storage portion rotates. The guide portion lies radially inside the scooping portion to be contiguous with the scooping surface and an inner peripheral surface of the communication portion, and guides the developer scooped up by the scooping portion to the communication portion.

A toner outlet structure includes: an outlet front cover communicating with a toner bottle containing toner, wherein the outlet front cover has a toner outlet; a toner lever rotatably arranged in the outlet front cover, wherein a plurality of blades are provided on the toner lever; and a toner outlet elastic sheet having a fixed end and a free end opposite to the fixed end, wherein the fixed end is fixed in the outlet front cover; the toner outlet elastic sheet extends in a circumferential direction of the toner lever, and extends into a circular track formed by rotation of the blades; wherein the blades rotate together with the toner lever to scrape the toner sent from the toner bottle to one side of the toner outlet elastic sheet; as the blades rotate, the blades contact and press the toner outlet elastic sheet.

A developing device includes a developer cartridge and a developing unit. The developer cartridge, in some instances, may include a shutter. This shutter may have a wall for closing a developer supply hole, and be movable, with respect to a developer cartridge casing, between an open position where the supply hole is opened by the wall and a closed position where the supply hole is closed by the wall. The shutter may further include a protrusion that is movable with respect to the wall of the shutter between a first position and a second position in an axial direction. The protrusion, in the first position, is engageable with a developing unit and, in the second position, would be disengaged from the developing unit.

According to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a storage portion, a first electrode, a second electrode, a measuring unit, a detected portion, an image forming unit, and a controller. The storage portion stores a recording material. The measuring unit measures a change of capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode. The detected portion is located inside the storage portion and is capable of moving so that at least one of a distance to the first electrode and a distance to the second electrode changes. The image forming unit forms an image with the recording material. The controller controls supplying of the recording material to the storage portion in response to the change of the capacitance measured by the measuring unit.