In a toner cartridge configured such that, by rotating a toner housing portion relative to a shutter in a state in which a first portion-to-be-engaged is engaged to a first engaging portion of a developing unit, relative positions of a cover and the shutter are displaced from first relative position, in which a closing portion opposes a second opening, to second relative position, in which the interior of the toner housing portion communicates with the developing unit through a first opening and the second opening, and a second portion-to-be-engaged is engaged to a second engaging portion of the developing unit, thereby being attached to the developing unit, a biasing member is provided in order to exert a biasing force for generating relative rotation between the cover and the shutter in a direction for displacing the relative positions thereof from the second relative position to the first relative position.

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a cartridge attachable to and detachable from the apparatus body, a replenishment restriction portion configured to switch between a restricting state in which toner replenishment through a replenishment port is restricted and an allowing state in which toner replenishment through the replenishment port is allowed, a toner remainder amount detection portion, and a controller. The controller is configured to, when the replenishment container is attached to the replenishment port, maintain the replenishment restriction portion in the restricting state in a case where a second printable sheet number is larger than a first printable sheet number, with the first printable sheet number being obtained from a lifetime of the cartridge, and the second printable sheet number being obtained from a sum of the amount of toner accommodated in the developer container and an amount of toner accommodated in the replenishment container.

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit that forms an image, a developer accommodation part that supplies a developer, a developer supply duct that is disposed between the image forming unit and the developer accommodation part, a shutter member that reciprocates between an open position and a closed position wherein the developer is allowed to pass through the shutter member when the shutter member is at the open position, and the developer is blocked with the shutter member when the shutter member is at the closed position, a first operation part that comprises an engaging part, which engages with the image forming unit, and moves the shutter member either to the open position or to the closed position, wherein the first operation part causes the engaging part to disengage from the image forming unit when the shutter member exists at the closed position.

In an image forming apparatus, a drum cartridge includes a photosensitive drum, a developing device, a drum cleaner, a waste toner tube, and a flange. The waste toner tube includes a first end portion communicating with the drum cleaner and a second end portion connected to the flange. The developing device includes a protruding portion facing the flange. The cushion member is located between the flange and the protruding portion. The cushion member allows a cartridge mounting part of the developing device to move with respect to the flange in a case where the developing device moves with respect to the photosensitive drum.

In a developing device in which initial developer is sealed in and a developer discharge mechanism (a trickle mechanism, or an ACR mechanism) is provided, the driving-torque load generated in the developing device is suppressed, regardless of the state of distribution of the developer that is sealed in the developing device. The order of releasing seals provided over openings is defined as follows. First, a seal provided on the downstream side of a stirring chamber starts to be released. Then, a seal provided over a discharge port is released. Lastly, a seal provided on the upstream side of the stirring chamber starts to be released.

A first contact portion provided on a first shutter member that opens and closes a receiving port for receiving a developer from a cartridge and a second contact portion provided on the cartridge are configured to contact each other in an attachment and detachment direction of the cartridge so that the first shutter member is in a position at which the receiving port is opened. The first shutter member is urged by a first urging member so that a contacting state between the first contact portion and the second contact portion is maintained until a second shutter member that opens and closes a supplying port of the cartridge closes the supplying port when the cartridge is discharged from the apparatus body.

An example toner refill cartridge includes a body to accommodate toner and having a toner discharge hole, a shutter being rotatable between a first position at which the toner discharge hole is closed and a second position at which the toner discharge hole is opened, a coupler to rotate by receiving an external rotational force, an agitation member to rotate and agitate the toner by receiving a rotational force from the coupler, and a connection member to selectively transmit a rotational force of the coupler to the shutter.

A developer container includes a casing having a developer accommodating chamber and a waste-developer accommodating chamber, conveying member, a conveying-member accommodating unit, and a supporting member. The conveying member conveys waste developer in a longitudinal direction of the waste-developer accommodating chamber. The conveying-member accommodating unit accommodates the conveying member therein and has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is provided in an upstream end portion and allows the waste developer to move from outside of the conveying-member accommodating unit to the inside of the conveying-member accommodating unit. The second opening allows the waste-developer to move from the inside of the conveying-member accommodating unit to the waste-developer accommodating chamber. The supporting member is provided on the casing. The supporting member supports the conveying-member accommodating unit such that the conveying-member accommodating unit is movable in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction relative to the casing.

A toner cartridge according to one embodiment includes an outlet port positioned on the front of a housing for exiting toner from the toner cartridge. The toner cartridge includes an engagement member having a first engagement surface and a second engagement surface. The first engagement surface is positioned proximate the rear of the housing to receive an actuation force in a frontward direction of the housing at the rear of the housing. The second engagement surface is positioned proximate the front of the housing below the outlet port. The engagement member is movable from a first position to a second position upon receiving the actuation force. As the engagement member moves from the first position to the second position, the second engagement surface moves in the frontward direction and protrudes from the front of the housing with at least a portion of the front of the second engagement surface unobstructed.

An image forming apparatus has a developing portion; a toner storing container; and a supply path capable of supplying toner to the developing portion from the toner storing container, where the toner storing container is attachably and detachably provided to the supply path, and the toner storing container has a screw-like conveying member configured to convey the toner; a discharge portion configured to discharge the toner toward the supply path; and a first cleaning member arranged at an end portion of the conveying member and configured to clean the discharge portion by scraping the toner on the discharge portion based on a rotation of the conveying member.