A developer storage container includes a container wall, a substrate member having first and second surfaces, and a storage portion provided on the container wall and storing the substrate member. The storage portion includes an outer surrounding wall provided on the container wall, a first support portion disposed inside the outer surrounding wall and supporting the first surface of the substrate member, and a second support portion disposed inside the outer surrounding wall and connected to the container wall. The second support portion supports the first surface of the substrate member. A lid portion is fixed to the outer surrounding wall and has an opening through which the substrate member is exposed. The lid portion contacts the second surface of the substrate member. The lid portion includes first and second protrusions protruding in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction from the substrate member to the container wall. A distance between the first and second protrusions in the second direction is shorter than a length of the substrate member in the second direction. The outer surrounding wall has a through-hole disposed so as to face the second support portion.

The engagement between a fixing member and a resin member is released and the resin member is separated from a frame thereby separating a bearing member from the frame. Parts to be used in a developing device are replaced or the developing device is replenished with a developer. The resin member is connected to the frame to connect the bearing member to the frame. The fixing member is inserted into a through hole to engage with the resin member and fix the resin member to the frame, thereby fixing the bearing member to the frame.

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.

The present invention relates to an apparatus (100) for extracting toner from a toner cartridge comprising an inlet opening (1), a first outlet opening (2) for discharging toner, and a second outlet opening (3) for discharging toner cartridges. The apparatus (100) also comprises: a toner cartridge opening device (10) configured to break a toner cartridge so that the toner may be removed from inside said toner cartridge; a separating device (20) connected to said opening device (10) for receiving broken toner cartridges from said opening device, and configured to separate toner from a respective toner cartridge broken by said opening device (10), said separating device (20) being further configured to separately convey the broken toner cartridge to said second outlet opening (3) and toner separated from said broken toner cartridge to said first outlet opening (2).

An image forming apparatus and method for determining whether a toner refill apparatus is available are provided. The image forming apparatus includes a print engine to carry out a print job using a toner from a toner cartridge, a communication apparatus to communicate with a memory chip attached to a toner refill apparatus for refilling a toner in the toner cartridge, and a processor to identify whether the toner refill apparatus is available based on information stored in the memory chip of the toner refill apparatus.

A printing system to hold printing material comprises a sealing interface to seal a container with respect to a printing chamber volume of the printing system, the container to hold the printing material. The printing system comprises a lifting system to move the container between a first position in which the container is to be lifted and a second position at which the container is lifted and contacts the seal so as to seal the container. The lifting system is to non-hyperstatically constrain the container.

A cartridge includes: a housing; a storage medium; and a holder. The storage medium has an electrical contact surface. The holder is movable relative to the housing. The holder includes: a first holder member; and a second holder member. The first holder member has a pawl portion and is configured to hold the electrical contact surface. The second holder member includes a corner portion. The pawl portion is engageable with the corner portion. The second holder member has a through-hole. An engagement part of the pawl portion engaging with the corner portion is accessible from outside the second holder member through the through-hole in a state where the pawl portion engages with the corner portion.

A method of converting a CMYW toner printer to a CMYK printer that prints with black toner, comprising the steps: providing a CMYW toner printer; wherein the CMYW toner printer has four starting toner printing cartridges; wherein the four starting toner printing cartridges comprise a white toner printing cartridge, a cyan toner printing cartridge, a magenta toner printing cartridge, and a yellow toner printing cartridge; removing one or more of the four starting toner printing cartridges from the CMYW toner printer, such that there are one or more empty toner cartridge slots; providing a black toner printing cartridge that are each filled with black toner; and installing the black toner printing cartridge into the one or more empty toner cartridge slots.

According to examples, a toner refill apparatus may include a chamber to house a toner, in which the chamber may include an insertion section, the insertion section to be inserted into a refill port of a toner cartridge and including a discharge opening, the refill port including an electrical circuit component. The apparatus may also include a valve mechanism positioned at the discharge opening to control output of the toner from the chamber through the discharge opening, in which an actuator may engage the valve mechanism and may controllably open the valve mechanism. The apparatus may further include an electronic chip to be in electrical communication the electrical circuit component, in which a controller may activate the actuator based on a detection that the electronic chip is in contact with the electrical circuit component.

In some examples, an apparatus can include a print material cartridge, a reciprocating pump, a first valve, where the first valve is a one-way valve, and a second valve, where the second valve is a float valve, where the reciprocating pump is to cause print material to be supplied to the print material cartridge via the second valve.