An operation method of an image forming apparatus including determining a state of a toner refill operation of injecting toner from a toner reload kit (TRK) to a cartridge in the image forming apparatus; when determined the injecting of the toner into the cartridge is completed, controlling the TRK to store information indicating a toner refill completion in a memory of the TRK; and updating information of an amount of remaining toner of the cartridge, based on an amount of the toner injected into the cartridge from the TRK.

Provided is a toner cartridge. The toner cartridge includes a body, a plunger, a memory unit, and a holder. The body is to accommodate toner and includes a toner discharge portion. The plunger is provided in the body and to push the toner outside of the body via the toner discharge portion. The memory unit includes an electrical contact portion including at least one electrical contact point. The holder facilities loading of the memory unit therein and being rotatable relative to the body between a home position and a rotated position.

A printer includes a main body including a communicating portion, a development cartridge attachable to and detachable from the main body, the development cartridge to supply toner contained in a toner container to an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductor, to form a visible toner image, and a toner refilling portion connected to the toner container. The toner refilling portion includes a mounting portion into which a toner cartridge insertable from outside the main body through the communicating portion to be mountable, a toner inlet portion provided in the mounting portion to receive toner from the toner cartridge when the toner cartridge is mounted to the mounting portion, and an inlet shutter switchable between a blocking position where the toner inlet portion is blocked from receiving toner, and an inlet position where the toner inlet portion is open to receive toner. The printer includes a first latch member switchable between a first position where the inlet shutter is locked from switching between the blocking position and the inlet position and a second position where switching of the inlet shutter is allowed to switch between the blocking position and the inlet position, and a switching unit to switch between the first latch member between the first position and the second position.

An image forming apparatus includes a storage container in which toner is stored, a replenishment port configured to allow replenishment of toner from a replenishment container outside the image forming apparatus to the storage container therethrough, a replenishment restriction portion, and a drive source configured to supply a driving force A drive transmission portion is configured to take a first operation state, in which the drive transmission portion transmits the driving force of the drive source to the replenishment restriction portion to switch the replenishment restriction portion between a restricting state and an allowing state, and a second operation state, in which the drive transmission portion transmits the driving force of the drive source to a toner conveyance portion to cause the toner conveyance portion to convey toner.

A toner cartridge includes a hollow body having an inner space in which toner is received and a toner discharge portion through which the toner is discharged, a plunger accommodated in the inner space to be movable in a longitudinal direction along the inner space and configured to push the toner through the toner discharge portion to outside of the body, a first hook provided on the body, and a second hook. The second hook has a shape complementary to a shape of the first hook, is provided on the plunger, and is elastically coupled to the first hook when the plunger reaches a bottom dead position.

An attached portion of an image forming apparatus includes: a rotating member of which at least a part is exposed outside the image forming apparatus when the developer container is attached; and a rotation restricting mechanism that is movable between a restricting position to restrict rotation of the rotating member and an allowable position to allow rotation of the rotating member, and includes a restricting member that is at the restricting position when the developer container is not attached. The developer container is attached to the attached portion so that the discharging portion engaging portion and the shutter engaging portions are engaged with the frame engaged portions and the rotating member engaged portions respectively when the container shutter is in the close state, and the restricting member moves from the restricting position to the allowable position when the developer container is attached to the attached portion.

A printer may include a main body and a development cartridge attachable to and detachable from the main body. The development cartridge may comprise a developing portion in which a photoconductive drum and a developing roller are provided, a waste toner container to receive waste toner removed from the photoconductive drum, a toner container connected to the developing portion and to receive toner, and a toner refilling portion connected to the toner container and to refill toner through the toner refilling portion into the toner container. The printer may include a communicating portion provided in the main body to be connected to the toner refilling portion to provide an access the toner refilling portion from outside of the main body when the development cartridge is attached to the main body.

An example toner refill cartridge includes a body including a toner accommodating portion to accommodate toner and a toner discharge port provided at an end portion of the body in a longitudinal direction to be in communication with the toner accommodating portion, a first member rotatably supported by the body and having a spiral portion extending in the longitudinal direction, a second member located inside the first member and having a guide groove extending in the longitudinal direction, and a plunger having a guide protrusion which passes through the guide groove to engage the spiral portion, to push the toner inside a toner accommodating portion toward a toner discharge port while being moved in the longitudinal direction as the first member is rotated.

A device to supply printing material to a printing material container of a printing apparatus includes a container including a plunger and to contain the printing material, a portal couplable to a refill port to the printing material container. The portal includes a discharge port through which the printing material is transferrable from the container, and a connector to receive power to move the plunger, to cause a transfer of the printing material contained in the container to the printing material container through the discharge port.

A toner supply container includes a memory portion, a container portion, a discharging portion, and a shutter. The memory portion includes a memory for storing information and an electrode having an exposed surface. The discharging portion is disposed on one end side of the container portion with respect to a first direction. The shutter is configured to rotate around an axis extending in the first direction. As viewed along the first direction, the exposed surface is disposed inside of an imaginary circle that passes through an outer end of the shutter with the axis as a center of the imaginary circle.