Toner supplying device, method and image forming apparatus using the same toner supplying device or method

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a developing device;
• a toner supplying device for supplying toner contained in a toner container to the developing device, the toner supplying device including:
• a toner container insertion part configured to receive at least two toner containers from a front side of the toner supplying device;
• a toner container holder that detachably holds the toner containers inserted into the toner container insertion part;
• a toner container selection control device that selects an arbitrary toner container from among the at least two toner containers held by the toner container holder and causes the selected toner container to discharge toner from an opening thereof while stopping a discharge of toner from an opening of the other toner containers;
• a toner conveying path to which said discharged toner is exhausted;
• and
• a toner/air mixture delivery device that delivers said exhausted toner to the developing device of the image forming apparatus by mixing the toner with air.

A method of supplying toner contained in a toner container of a toner supplying device to a developing device of an image forming apparatus, the method comprising steps of:

• attaching at least two toner containers to the toner supplying device;
• selecting an arbitrary toner container from among the at least two toner containers and causing the selected toner container to discharge toner from an opening thereof while stopping a discharge of toner from an opening of the other toner containers;
• and
• delivering the discharged toner to the developing device of the image forming apparatus by mixing the toner with air.

A method of forming an image in an image forming apparatus, comprising the steps of:

• attaching at least two toner containers to a toner supplying device;
• forming a latent image on a photoconductor;
• selecting an arbitrary toner container from at least two toner containers attached to a toner supplying device and causing the selected toner container to discharge toner from an opening thereof while stopping a discharge of toner from an opening of the other toner containers;
• delivering the discharged toner to a developing device by mixing the toner with air;
• and
• developing the latent image with the delivered toner to form a toner image.