TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a toner cartridge and a toner supplying mechanism to be used for forming an electrophotographic image.

BACKGROUND ART

In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, there has been known a structure in which elements such as a photosensitive drum and a developing roller as a rotatable member to be used for image formation are integrated into a cartridge mountable to and dismountable from an image forming apparatus main assembly (hereinafter, main assembly of the image forming apparatus).

In a structure in which a cartridge is dismountably mounted in an image forming apparatus, there is also known a structure in which a toner cartridge containing toner (developer) to be consumed with the image formation can be replaced separately from the photosensitive drum and developing roller.

With such a structure, the toner (developer) contained in the toner cartridge is supplied into a developing device including a developing roller and the like through a discharge port. In addition, in order to prevent the toner from leaking to the outside from the discharge port, an opening and closing member such as a shutter for opening and closing the discharge opening is provided.

For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H07-199623 discloses a structure in which a shutter is opened by rotating a toner cartridge when a cylindrical toner cartridge (developer supply container) is mounted in the image forming apparatus main assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by Invention

The object of the present invention is to develop the aforementioned prior art.

Means to Solve the Problem

A representative structure according to the present application is a toner cartridge detachably mountable to a receiving apparatus, the receiving apparatus including a toner receiving opening and a receiving apparatus side guide, said toner cartridge comprising a container including an accommodating portion for accommodating toner, a discharge opening for discharging the toner from said accommodating portion toward said receiving opening, and a cartridge side guide configured to be guided by the receiving apparatus side guide; and an open/close member including a closing portion for closing said discharge opening, an engaging portion engageable with the receiving apparatus side guide, wherein said open/close member being movable relative to said container between a closing position for causing said closing portion to close said discharge opening and an opening position for causing said closing portion to open said discharge opening, wherein when said toner cartridge is dismounted from said receiving apparatus, said engaging portion receives, by engagement with the receiving apparatus side guide, a force for moving said open/close member from the opening position to the closing position.

Effect of the Invention

The above-mentioned conventional technique can be developed.

