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).

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.

The present disclosure features an image forming apparatus having a first developing unit having a first developing roller; and a first toner supply unit configured to supply toner to the first developing unit, the first toner supply unit having: a first container configured to accommodate the toner therein, the first container having a first inlet opening through which the toner is received in the first container and a first outlet opening through which the toner in the first container is discharged; a first lid configured to close the first inlet opening; and a first shutter configured to open the first outlet opening when the first lid closes the first inlet opening, and to close the first outlet opening when the first lid opens the first inlet opening.

A device is to supply printing material to a printing material container in a printing apparatus. The device includes a first container to contain printing material, a first piston movable in the first container to exert first pressure to discharge the printing material contained in the first container from the first container, a second container having an opening to the first container, and a second piston movable in the second container to exert second pressure higher than the first pressure to form a pressure gradient based on the first pressure and the second pressure through the opening. The pressure gradient is to disperse the printing material in the first container.

Provided is a method for removing a first holder member from a second holder member in a cartridge. The cartridge includes: a housing; the first holder member holding an electrical contact surface; and the second holder member supported by the housing. The first holder member includes a pawl, and the second holder member includes a corner part engageable with the pawl of the first holder member. The electrical contact surface is held at one end surface of the first holder member in a first direction crossing the electrical contact surface. The method includes: disengaging the pawl from the corner part; and separating the housing and the second holder member from the first holder member in the first direction away from the one end surface of the first holder member.

An image forming apparatus configured to perform image formation using a component unit configured to be attachable to and detachable from a main body of the image forming apparatus is provided. The image forming apparatus includes: an access unit configured to access a storage device included in the component unit attached to the main body; and a control unit configured to control the access unit to read and update information stored in the storage device. The storage device includes a first area and a second area configured to store use information indicating a use state of the component unit, and updating of the use information stored in the first area by the control unit is configured such that updating only within a predetermined limit is permitted, and no limit is provided on updating of the use information stored in the second area.

Discloses herein is a storage component disassembly tooling, for disassembling a storage component on a process cartridge. The process cartridge has a housing and a storage component mounting bracket on the housing for supporting the storage component. The storage component disassembly tooling has a drilling portion and a positioning portion. The positioning portion positions the storage component disassembly tooling on the housing of the process cartridge. The drilling portion moves relative to the positioning portion to destroy at least a part of the storage component mounting bracket.

A method of remanufacturing an imaging cartridge comprising a toner hopper having a toner bag and not having a seal port, the method comprising forming a seal port in the toner hopper; disposing a replacement toner container in the toner hopper, the replacement toner container including a removable seal having a seal tail; and inserting a portion of the seal tail through the seal port. A method of remanufacturing an imaging cartridge comprising a toner hopper having a toner bag and not having a seal port, the method comprising providing a replacement toner hopper having a seal port; removing the toner hopper not having the seal port from the imaging cartridge; and attaching the replacement toner hopper having a seal port to the imaging cartridge.