Toner container, image forming apparatus, and shutter unit

A toner container to be detachably attached to an image forming apparatus, the toner container comprising:

• a shutter to:
• be pushed by a nozzle of image forming apparatus in conjunction with a movement of the toner container in an installation direction to the image forming apparatus;
• cause the nozzle to insert into a through-hole of the toner container;
• and
• communicate the nozzle with the toner container via an opening of the nozzle on a circumferential surface of the nozzle;
• and
• a seal, including an elastic material, disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the through-hole to:
• cover a circumferential surface of the shutter in a closed state in which the shutter is not pushed by the nozzle;
• and
• slidingly contact the circumferential surface of the shutter and the circumferential surface of the nozzle during an opening operation in which the shutter is pushed by the nozzle, and
• wherein a length of the seal in the installation direction is longer than a length of the opening of the nozzle in the installation direction.

A shutter unit to be disposed in a toner container detachably attached to an image forming apparatus, the shutter unit comprising:

• a shutter to:
• be pushed by a nozzle of the image forming apparatus in conjunction with a movement of the toner container in an installation direction to the image forming apparatus;
• cause the nozzle to insert into a through-hole of the toner container;
• and
• communicate the nozzle with the toner container via an opening of the nozzle on a circumferential surface of the nozzle;
• and
• a seal, including an elastic material, disposed at an inner circumferential surface of the through-hole to:
• cover a circumferential surface of the shutter in a closed state in which the shutter is not pushed by the nozzle;
• and
• slidingly contact the circumferential surface of the shutter and the circumferential surface of the nozzle during an opening operation in which the shutter is pushed by the nozzle, and
• wherein a length of the seal in the installation direction is longer than a length of the opening of the nozzle in the installation direction.