Toner cartridge including a protrusion protruding from a center of a conveyance drive gear

#Embodiments of the present invention relate to a developer container that contains developer, a developing device, a process unit, and an image forming apparatus that include the developer container.

#For an image forming apparatus, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, and a compound machine thereof, a scheme has been known such that, for example, a developing device, a charging device, and a photoconductor are integrally formed as an image forming unit, and the image forming unit is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus. Such a scheme has been adopted for many products because of its advantage that maintenance of the apparatus can be easily performed by replacing the unit with another one by a user. Types of such an image forming unit include an image forming unit where a developer container for containing developer, such as toner, is integrally formed with the image forming unit, and an image forming unit where a developer container is separately formed from the image forming unit.

#For the case of the former, when the stored developer runs out, the image forming unit is replaced with a new unit. This case is advantageous in that the developing device and the photoconductor can be replaced together with the used developer container, and thereby easing the replacement tasks.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a developing device and a toner cartridge;

#FIG. 3 is an external view of the toner cartridge;

#1Y, 1M, 1C, 1Bk Process units 2 Photoconductor (latent image supporting body) 4 Developing device 22 Internal shutter 23 Inner opening 24 Return opening 26 Tension spring (biasing member) 27 Internal shutter protrusion 40 Developer housing 41 Developing roller (developer supporting body) 49 Supply opening 50 Toner cartridge (developer container) 52 Discharge opening 53 Conveyance screw (conveyor) 54 Agitator 60 External shutter 62 Conveyance drive gear (driving force transmitter) 63 Agitating drive gear (second driving force transmitter) 65 Roof portion 66 Toner conveyance passage (developer conveyance passage) 67 Second return opening 70 Container body 71b Gear holder protrusion (pushed portion) 100 Image forming apparatus main body 101 Protrusion or horizontal protrusion (main body side guiding portion) 102 Apparatus main body protrusion (a main body side pushing portion) 109 Upper cover (first cover) 113 Moving member 116 Internal cover (second cover) 120 Container mounting portion 130 Unit mounting portion 200 Agitation region K1 Width of inner opening K2 Width of discharge opening K3 Width of supply opening

#Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are explained based on the accompanying figures. In the figures for illustrating the embodiments, the same reference numerals are attached to members or components having the same functions or the same shapes, as long as they can be identified. By attaching the same reference numerals, once the member or the component is explained, duplicated explanations for the members or the components having the same reference numerals are omitted.

#Hereinafter, an overall configuration and operations of a color laser printer according to a first embodiment of the present invention are explained by referring to FIG. 1. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. The configuration according to the embodiment may be applied to a monochrome printer, other printers, a copier, a facsimile machine, and an image forming apparatus that is a combined machine thereof.