An image forming apparatus is capable of being attached with a toner supply container. The toner supply container stores a toner that is to be supplied to a developing portion. An attachment location of the toner supply container isbelow a light scanning portion in a vertical direction.

An image forming apparatus is capable of being attached with a toner supply container. The toner supply container stores a toner that is to be supplied to a developing portion. An attachment location of the toner supply container is below a light scanning portion in a vertical direction.

A toner cartridge includes a first chamber configured to accommodate toner and a second chamber provided with an opening that is configured to discharge the toner. A feeding portion is configured to feed the toner from the first chamber toward the second chamber. An air flow generating portion is configured to generate an air flow and blow the air flow into the second chamber to thereby discharge the toner to outside of the cartridge through the opening. A rotatable coupling including a projection is configured to receive a rotational force from outside of the cartridge, the rotatable coupling being operatively connected to the feeding portion and the air flow generating portion so as to drive the feeding portion and the air flow generating portion with rotation of the rotatable coupling.

A toner container includes an elongated container main body, a toner discharge port, a first rotation member configured to convey the toner toward the toner discharge port, a support plate provided in the container main body and disposed in such a way as to face the wall surface, and an opening and closing member provided between the wall surface and the support plate and supported by the support plate in such a way as to be able to move between a closing position and an opening position. The support plate includes a first opening portion formed at a position corresponding to the toner discharge port and larger than the toner discharge port in size, and a film member attached to the support plate in such a way as to cover the first opening portion and including a second opening portion formed at a position corresponding to the toner discharge port.

In the case that a developer supply container is provided with a feeding portion for feeding a developer by receiving a rotational force and a pump portion for discharging the developer by reciprocation, and the rotational force and a reciprocating force are received from a main assembly side of an image forming apparatus, there is a liability that a driving connection is not properly established between a portion of the developer supply container for receiving the reciprocating force and a portion of the main assembly side for applying the reciprocating force.

The developer supply container is provided with a drive converting mechanism for converting the rotational force received from the main assembly side to a force for operating a volume changing type pump.

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.

In the case that a developer supply container is provided with a feeding portion for feeding a developer by receiving a rotational force and a pump portion for discharging the developer by reciprocation, and the rotational force and a reciprocating force are received from a main assembly side of an image forming apparatus, there is a liability that a driving connection is not properly established between a portion of the developer supply container for receiving the reciprocating force and a portion of the main assembly side for applying the reciprocating force.

The developer supply container is provided with a drive converting mechanism for converting the rotational force received from the main assembly side to a force for operating a volume changing type pump.

A toner cartridge includes a container containing toner and including an opening configured to discharge the toner. The toner cartridge also includes a feeding portion configured to feed the toner toward the opening and a pump that is configured to move the toner from the opening of the container to outside of the cartridge by generating an air flow. The toner cartridge further includes a rotatable coupling including a projection configured to receive a rotational force from outside of the cartridge, with the coupling being operatively connected to the feeding portion and the pump so as to drive the feeding portion and the pump with rotation of the coupling.

An example image forming apparatus includes a printing engine to perform a printing work by using toner filled in a toner cartridge, a communication device to communicate with a circuit board attached to a toner refill apparatus that refills toner in the toner cartridge by using a plurality of terminals, and a processor to identify a connection state of the toner refill apparatus based on a voltage value of at least one of the plurality of terminals.

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.