Toner cartridge and image forming apparatus including the same

摘要

There are provided a toner cartridge capable of suppressing generation of an aggregation or a lump of toner which may occur near a toner discharging port depending on toner keeping situation as well as capable of discharging a stable quantity of toner from the toner discharging port, and an image forming apparatus including the same. In a toner cartridge, a cover member is disposed so as to cover a part of an outer circumferential part of a spiral blade in an auger screw disposed inside a toner container. This cover member is able to move between a first position around the spiral blade and a second position, which is separated from the first position, on the opposite side to a toner discharging port across the spiral blade.

主权项

1. A toner cartridge which is detachably attached to a main body of an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a toner container having a cylindrical container main body for containing toner, in the toner container a toner discharging port for discharging the toner to an outside being formed in a bottom wall at one longitudinal end thereof, and end walls for shutting opening ends of the container main body, respectively, the toner container being provided with a shutter for opening and closing the toner discharging port; a toner conveyance member disposed inside the container main body of the toner container, the toner conveyance member extending along a longitudinal direction of the container main body, having a rotation shaft rotatably supported on the end walls and a spiral blade that encircles the rotation shaft and is fixed by the rotation shaft, and conveying the toner contained inside the container main body toward the toner discharging port by rotation of the spiral blade associated with rotation of the rotation shaft; and a cover member which is disposed inside the container main body and to be in contact with an outer circumferential part of the spiral blade so as to cover a part of the outer circumferential part of the spiral blade and which is able to move between a first position around the spiral blade at which the cover member opposes the bottom wall, and a second position, which is separated from the first position, at which the cover member opposes the toner discharging port, when the toner cartridge is not attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, the cover member being arranged at the first position, and after the toner cartridge is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus, the cover member moving from the first position to the second position by rotation of the spiral blade.