Toner cartridge having a planar discharging member

A developer unit, including:

• a container defining a chamber for storing a supply of particles therein, said container having a discharge port connected to the chamber from which the particles exit the chamber, and a member having a planar surface wherein the planar surface area is substantially equal to the discharge port surface area, said member being mounted moveably in the chamber so that in a position remote from the discharge port the planar surface receives particles and in a position in engagement with the discharge port particles are discharged from the planar surface through the discharge port;
• and
• a developer roll, operatively associated with said member to receive particles being discharged from the discharge port.

A printing machine of the type in which an electrostatic latent image recorded on a photoconductive member is developed with toner to form a developed image on the photoconductive member as transferred and fused to a sheet, wherein the improvement includes:

• a container defining a chamber for storing a supply of toner therein, said container having a discharge port connected to the chamber from which the toner exits the chamber, and a member having a planar surface wherein the planar surface area is substantially equal to the discharge port surface area, said member being mounted moveable in the chamber so that, in a position remote from the discharge port, the planar surface receives toner, and, in a position in engagement with the discharge port, toner is discharged from the planar surface through the discharge port;
• and
• a developer roll, operatively associated with said member, to receive toner being discharged from the discharge port, said developer roll being positioned adjacent the photoconductive member so that the electrostatic latent image recorded thereon attracts toner thereto to form the developed image on the photoconductive member.