Patent Publication Number: US-9834357-B2

Title: Packing device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority based on 35 USC 119 from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-083793 filed on Apr. 12, 2013, entitled “PACKING DEVICE”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This disclosure relates to a packing device suitable for application to protect a toner cartridge stored in a cardboard box from external impact during storage and transportation of the toner cartridge, for example. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     There has heretofore been proposed a technique to store a toner cartridge, as a packing target object (content), in a packing box with cushioning materials fitted at both ends of the toner cartridge in a longitudinal direction, thereby reducing the impact applied on the toner cartridge when the packing box is dropped (see, for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 11-301741). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     However, the conventional technique may fail to sufficiently hold the packing target object. 
     It is an objective of an embodiment of the invention to improve content-holding performance. 
     One aspect of the invention is a packing device that includes: a packing box with an internal space capable of storing a packing target object with a protection target part, and with a packing box inner surface that is at least one inner surface positioned to face the protection target part of the packing target object; and a holding material that, when stored in the internal space together with the packing target object, is configured to maintain a space between the protection target part and the packing box inner surface by coming into contact with the packing box inner surface and a contact surface of the packing target object facing the packing box inner surface, while keeping out of contact with the protection target part of the packing target object. 
     According to the above aspect, the content-holding performance is improved. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of a color printer according to a first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of an image formation unit. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration (1) of a toner cartridge. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration (2) of a toner cartridge. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a package according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a packing box. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a toner cartridge with a cushioning material according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 8A  is a left side view and  FIG. 8B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line indicated by the arrows A-A in  FIG. 5 , illustrating the configuration of the package according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view illustrating a step (1) of packing according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view illustrating a step (2) of packing according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view illustrating a step (3) of packing according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view illustrating a step (4) of packing according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view illustrating a step (5) of packing according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view illustrating a step (6) of packing according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view illustrating a step (7) of packing according to the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view illustrating a toner cartridge with a cushioning material of a comparative example. 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view illustrating the cushioning material of the comparative example. 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a package according to a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a toner cartridge with a cushioning material according to the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 20A  is a left side view and  FIG. 20B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line indicated by the arrows A-A in  FIG. 18 , illustrating the configuration of the package according to the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 21  is a perspective view illustrating a step (1) of packing according to the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 22  is a perspective view illustrating a step (2) of packing according to the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 23  is a perspective view illustrating a step (3) of packing according to the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 24  is a perspective view illustrating a step (4) of packing according to the second embodiment. 
         FIG. 25  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a package according to a third embodiment. 
         FIG. 26  is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a toner cartridge with a cushioning material according to the third embodiment. 
         FIG. 27A  is a left side view and  FIG. 27B  is a cross-sectional view taken along the line indicated by the arrows A-A in  FIG. 25 , illustrating the configuration of the package according to the third embodiment. 
         FIG. 28  is a perspective view illustrating a step (1) of packing according to a third embodiment. 
         FIG. 29  is a perspective view illustrating a step (2) of packing according to the third embodiment. 
         FIG. 30  is a perspective view illustrating a step (3) of packing according to the third embodiment. 
         FIG. 31  is a perspective view illustrating a step (4) of packing according to the third embodiment. 
         FIG. 32A  is a left side view and  FIG. 32B  is a cross-sectional view, illustrating a configuration of a package according to a fourth embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Descriptions are provided hereinbelow for embodiments based on the drawings. In the respective drawings referenced herein, the same constituents are designated by the same reference numerals and duplicate explanation concerning the same constituents is omitted. All of the drawings are provided to illustrate the respective examples only. 
     With reference to the drawings, embodiments of the invention are described below. 
     1. First Embodiment 
     [1-1. Internal Configuration of a Color Printer] 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , color printer  1  has an approximately box-shaped printer housing  2 . In the following description of color printer  1  and image formation unit  10 , one of the sides of color printer  1  where a user faces the front of printer housing  2  is the front side. The opposite side thereto is the rear side, and left and right in relation to the user facing the front side are the left and right sides, respectively. Furthermore, the top and bottom are accordingly defined. 
     Printer housing  2  includes four image formation units  10  ( 10 A to  10 D) configured to form toner images by using toners to develop electrostatic latent images representing different color components of a print image. 
     In this case, four image formation units  10 A to  10 D have the same configuration except that toners of different colors are used to develop the electrostatic latent images. The image formation units are detachably mounted in order from front to rear in an upper end portion inside printer housing  2 . 
     Image formation units  10 A to  10 D carry the electrostatic latent images, respectively. Also, photosensitive drums  40 A to  40 D are configured to carry toner images obtained by developing the electrostatic latent images with the toners and are rotatably provided in the image formation units. 
     Moreover, in image formation units  10 A to  10 D, LED (Light Emitting Diode) heads  42 A to  42 D are provided. LED heads  42 A to  42 D form electrostatic latent images on surfaces of photosensitive drums  40 A to  40 D by exposing the surfaces thereof. 
     With this configuration, image formation units  10 A to  10 D form electrostatic latent images representing predetermined color components by exposing the surfaces of photosensitive drums  40 A to  40 D with LED heads  42 A to  42 D while rotating photosensitive drums  40 A to  40 D during formation of the print image. Also, image formation units  10 A to  10 D form toner images by developing the electrostatic latent images with the toners. 
     Moreover, in the center of printer housing  2 , transfer unit  12  is disposed below image formation units  10 A to  10 D. Transfer unit  12  transfers the toner images formed by image formation units  10 A to  10 D onto a surface of recording paper P. 
     Transfer unit  12  includes drive roller  4  and tension roller  6 . Drive roller  4  is rotatably provided obliquely behind and below image formation unit  10 D. Tension roller  6  is rotatably provided below image formation unit  10 A. 
     Transfer unit  12  also includes transfer belt  8  stretched over drive roller  4  and tension roller  6 . Transfer belt  8  conveys recording paper P by electrostatic adsorption for transfer of the toner images. 
     In addition, inside transfer belt  8  in transfer unit  12 , four transfer rollers  14 A to  14 D corresponding to four photosensitive drums  40 A to  40 D are rotatably provided in order from front to rear. 
     With this configuration, transfer unit  12  transfers the toner images on the surfaces of four photosensitive drums  40 A to  40 D onto the surface of recording paper P. This transfer is performed by application of a direct-current voltage to transfer rollers  14 A to  14 D by sequentially tucking recording paper P, conveyed by transfer belt  8 , through feed path  16  between upper side portions of the surfaces of transfer rollers  14 A to  14 D and lower side portions of the surfaces of four photosensitive drums  40 A to  40 D corresponding thereto, during formation of the print image. 
     In this way, transfer unit  12  transfers toner images of four colors onto the surface of recording paper P. Then, transfer unit  12  hands over recording paper P having the toner images transferred thereon to fixing unit  18 . 
     In printer housing  2 , fixing unit  18  configured to fix the toner images on the surface of recording paper P is disposed behind transfer unit  12 . 
     Fixing unit  18  has a recording paper passage formed in the center for recording paper P to pass therethrough. Above and below the recording paper passage, heating roller  20  and pressure roller  22  are rotatably provided. 
     With this configuration, during formation of the print image, fixing unit  18  takes recording paper P, having the toner images transferred thereon, into the recording paper passage from transfer unit  12  and tucks recording paper P between heating roller  20  and pressure roller  22 , which are rotated in opposite directions to each other. 
     Accordingly, fixing unit  18  fixes the toner images on the surface of recording paper P by heating and pressurizing recording paper P between heating roller  20  and pressure roller  22 , which are rotated in opposite directions to each other. Thereafter, fixing unit  18  hands over recording paper P to discharge path  24  positioned on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. 
     In this way, fixing unit  18  fixes the toner images of four colors on the surface of recording paper P to form the print image, and then conveys recording paper P having the print image formed thereon through discharge path  24  and discharges recording paper P to recording paper delivery unit  26 . 
     [1-2. Configuration of Image Formation Unit] 
     Image formation units  10 A to  10 D have the same configuration except for the difference in colors of the toners used to develop the electrostatic latent images. Therefore, in the following description, image formation units  10 A to  10 D are collectively referred to as image formation unit  10 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , image formation unit  10  includes developing device  30  and toner cartridge  32 . 
     Developing device  30  has an approximately J-shaped main body case  34 , in which feed roller  36 , developing roller  38 , photosensitive drum  40 , LED head  42 , charging roller  44  and cleaning unit  46  are provided. 
     Feed roller  36  feeds a toner in toner storage chamber  48  toward developing roller  38 . Developing roller  38  charges the toner to electrostatically adhere to the electrostatic latent image formed on photosensitive drum  40 , thereby forming a toner image having a certain thickness. Charging roller  44  uniformly charges the surface of photosensitive drum  40 . LED head  42  exposes the charged surface of photosensitive drum  40  based on print data to form an electrostatic latent image. Cleaning unit  46  removes the toner remaining on the surface of photosensitive drum  40  after the transfer. 
     Attachment part  50  is formed above developing device  30 . Toner cartridge  32  is mounted on attachment part  50 . Toner supply port  52  is provided in attachment part  50 . The toner is supplied from toner cartridge  32  into toner storage chamber  48  through toner supply port  52 . 
     On the front and rear sides of an upper end face of developing device  30 , developing device contact surface  56  (developing device front contact surface  56 F and developing device back contact surface  56 B) is provided so as to extend along a horizontal direction. Developing device contact surface  56  is a flat surface which comes into contact with cartridge contact surface  54  (cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B) to be described later, which is formed in toner cartridge  32 . 
     Toner cartridge  32  includes outer cartridge  58  made of resin and formed in an approximately thin rectangular parallelepiped shape. In an upper part of the inside of outer cartridge  58 , toner container  60  configured to contain the toner therein is provided. 
     Outer cartridge  58  has planar container-side surface  58 A, slightly curved planar cartridge front surface  58 B, planar cartridge rear surface  58 C and partial arc-shaped supply port-side surface  58 D on the upper, front, rear and lower sides thereof. 
     Hereinafter, the direction of toner cartridge  32  along the horizontal direction is also referred to as a cartridge width direction, the direction of toner cartridge  32  along the vertical direction is also referred to as a cartridge height direction, and the direction approximately perpendicular to cartridge front surface  58 B and cartridge rear surface  58 C along the longitudinal direction is also referred to as a cartridge depth direction. 
     Outer cartridge  58  has its lower end portion formed into convex part  64 . Convex part  64  is shorter than toner container  60  in the longitudinal direction and protrudes in an arc shape when viewed from the side with convex part central axis  62  as the center. Also, slit-like toner supply port  66  is provided in outer cartridge  58 . Toner supply port  66  connects to toner container  60  and extends parallel to the cartridge width direction from supply port-side end  59  that is a tip of convex part  64  toward the back. 
     Inside convex part  64 , stir bar (not illustrated), which is long in the cartridge width direction, is provided so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the cartridge width direction. 
     Since convex part  64  is formed in the arc shape, toner cartridge  32  can supply the toner in convex part  64  to developing device  30  from toner supply port  66  by using the stir bar while leaving almost no toner in convex part  64 . 
     On the front and rear sides of convex part  64 , cartridge front contact surface  54 F as a first contact surface and cartridge back contact surface  54 B as a second contact surface (hereinafter also collectively referred to as cartridge contact surface  54 ), both of which are planar steps, are provided so as to extend along the horizontal direction between convex part  64  and toner container  60 . Cartridge contact surface  54  comes into contact with developing device contact surface  56 . 
     Cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B are formed at the same distance from container-side surface  58 A along the vertical direction (cartridge height direction). 
     Moreover, from a rear end of cartridge front contact surface  54 F, cartridge front locking part  55 F is provided upright toward supply port-side end  59 . Cartridge front locking part  55 F comes into contact with an inner wall surface of attachment part  50  of developing device  30 . 
     With this configuration, toner cartridge  32  is positioned relative to developing device  30  when fitted into developing device  30 , and is fixed by an unillustrated fixing mechanism. 
     In outer cartridge  58 , shutter  68  is configured to open and close toner supply port  66  and is provided inside convex part  64 . Shutter  68  is formed to have an arc surface centered at convex part central axis  62  along the arc shape of convex part  64 , and has opening  70 . Operation lever  72  illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4  is connected to shutter  68  and is turned in response to an operation by operation lever  72 . 
     More specifically, in the state of operation lever  72  illustrated in  FIG. 3 , shutter  68  closes toner supply port  66 . When operation lever  72  is operated as illustrated in  FIG. 4  from this state, shutter  68  is turned and opening  70  coincides with toner supply port  66 . Thus, toner supply port  66  is opened. Accordingly, the toner is supplied to developing device  30  from toner cartridge  32 . 
     In the above configuration, image formation unit  10  supplies the toner into toner storage chamber  48  in developing device  30  from toner container  60  through opening  70  of shutter  68  in convex part  64 , toner supply port  66  and toner supply port  52 . 
     Then, image formation unit  10  uses LED head  42  to expose the surface of photosensitive drum  40 , which is uniformly charged by charging roller  44 , based on print data, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image. 
     Thereafter, image formation unit  10  uses developing roller  38  to make the toner electrostatically adhere to the electrostatic latent image formed on photosensitive drum  40 , with the toner being supplied from toner storage chamber  48  by feed roller  36 . Thus, image formation unit  10  forms a toner image. 
     Furthermore, image formation unit  10  tucks recording paper P conveyed by transfer belt  8  between transfer roller  14  and photosensitive drum  40 , and transfers the toner image on the surface of photosensitive drum  40  onto the surface of recording paper P. 
     [1-3. Configuration of Package] 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , toner cartridge  32  is stored and transported while being stored in packing box  76  in a state of being packed with cushioning material  74  as a holding material. Cushioning material  74  absorbs vibration and shock during transportation and protects toner cartridge  32  from breakage. Hereinafter, toner cartridge  32  packed with cushioning material  74  and stored in packing box  76  is referred to as package  78 . Cushioning material  74  and packing box  76  are collectively referred to as packing device  77  or packing device  77 . 
     In the following description, the direction in which cartridge front surface  58 B ( FIG. 2 ) faces in storage body  78  is the front side. The direction in which cartridge rear surface  58 C faces is the back side. The protruding direction of operation lever  72  is the left side, the opposite side thereto is the right side, the direction in which supply port-side surface  58 D faces is the top side, and the direction in which container-side surface  58 A faces is the bottom side. 
     [1-4. Configuration of Packing Box] 
     Packing box  76  is made of cardboard and has a rectangular parallelepiped box shape with an internal space formed inside. Packing box  76  has plate-like box top panel  76 U, box bottom panel  76 D, box front panel  76 F, box back panel  76 B, left-side lid  76 L and right-side lid  76 R on the top, bottom, front, back, left and right sides as illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 8 . Packing box  76  stores toner cartridge  32  packed with cushioning material inside. Hereinafter, toner cartridge  32  packed with cushioning material  74  is also referred to as toner cartridge  80  with cushioning material. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , right-side opening  82 R and left-side opening  82 L are formed on the right and left sides of packing box  76 . At right-side opening  82 R, right-side folding panels  84 R project rightward from the top and bottom sides and right-side lid  76 R projects rightward from the back side. Meanwhile, at left-side opening  82 L, left-side folding panels  84 L are formed shorter than right-side folding panels  84 R and project leftward from the top and bottom sides. Left-side lid  76 L projects leftward from the front side. 
     After toner cartridge  80  with cushioning material illustrated in  FIG. 7  is placed inside this packing box  76 , right-side opening  82 R is closed by folding right-side folding panels  84 R and then tucking down right-side lid  76 R, and left-side opening  82 L is closed by folding left-side folding panels  84 L and then tucking down left-side lid  76 L. Thus, packing box  76  restricts movement of toner cartridge  80  with cushioning material in vertical, horizontal and front-back directions. 
     Toner cartridge  32  is stored inside packing box  76  such that toner supply port  66  faces box top panel  76 U by facing upward and operation lever  72  faces left-side lid  76 L. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , front-side space SPF is formed between cartridge front surface  58 B as a first side surface that is a front surface of toner cartridge  32  and box front panel  76 F as a first packing box panel of packing box  76 . Also, back-side space SPB is formed between cartridge back surface  58 C as a second side surface that is a back surface of toner cartridge  32  and box back panel  76 B as a second packing box panel of packing box  76 . 
     Since left-side folding panels  84 L are formed shorter than right-side folding panels  84 R, left-side folding panels  84 L do not overlap with each other even when left-side folding panels  84 L are folded. Thus, the user can easily put his/her fingers into packing box  76  from between tips of top and bottom left-side folding panels  84 L just by opening left-side lid  76 L, and can pull out toner cartridge  32  by grabbing operation lever  72  of toner cartridge  32  or the like. 
     [1-5. Configuration of Cushioning Material] 
     Cushioning material  74  is made of cardboard, for example, and has cushioning material bottom panel  74 D, cushioning material front panel  74 F, cushioning material back panel  74 B, tube part  86 , front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B. 
     Cushioning material bottom panel  74 D is formed slightly shorter than box bottom panel  76 D of packing box  76  in left-right and front-back directions. A lower surface of cushioning material bottom panel  74 D comes into contact with an upper surface of box bottom panel  76 D, and an upper surface thereof comes into contact with container side surface  58 A of toner cartridge  32 . 
     On a left-side end of cushioning material bottom panel  74 D, tube part  86  is formed, which has a rectangular parallelepiped box shape with openings in the front and back. Tube part  86  has a right-side surface coming into contact with the left-side surface of toner cartridge  32  and a left-side surface coming into contact with the right-side surface of left-side lid  76 L of packing box  76 . 
     Tube part  86  is formed slightly shorter than box bottom panel  76 D of packing box  76  in the front-back direction, and is formed longer than operation lever  72  of toner cartridge  32  in the left-right direction. 
     With this configuration, tube part  86  can prevent any impact on operation lever  72  of toner cartridge  32  when operation lever  72  comes into contact with left-side lid  76 L of packing box  76 . Thus, tube part  86  can prevent a situation where the toner leaks from around a base of operation lever  72 . 
     From front and back ends of cushioning material bottom panel  74 D, cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B as plate-like first and second cushioning material panels are provided upright so as to be approximately perpendicular to cushioning material bottom panel  74 D. 
     Cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B are formed shorter than box front panel  76 F and box back panel  76 B of packing box  76  in the left-right direction. Also, cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B are formed slightly shorter than box front panel  76 F and box back panel  76 B of packing box  76  in the top-bottom direction. 
     Cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B have their upper portions restricted from moving forward and backward by coming into contact with box front panel  76 F and box back panel  76 B of packing box  76 . 
     Cushioning material front panel  74 F serving as a first holding material panel and cushioning material back panel  74 B serving as a second holding material panel are folded backward and forward, respectively, at front-side folding part  90 F and back-side folding part  90 B positioned at upper ends thereof. Thus, front-side tucking panel  88 F as a first contact material and back-side tucking panel  88 B as a second contact material are formed, respectively. 
     Front-side folding part  90 F comes into contact with the inside of box upper front corner  85 F as a first corner at which box top panel  76 U serving as a third packing box panel and box front panel  76 F of packing box  76  come into contact with each other. Meanwhile, backside folding part  90 B comes into contact with the inside of box upper back corner  85 B as a second corner at which box top panel  76 U and box back panel  76 B of packing box  76  come into contact with each other. 
     Front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B are formed to have a horizontal length of about ⅓ to ⅔ of that of toner cartridge  32  in the cartridge width direction, and to have a vertical length of approximately ⅓ of that of toner cartridge  32  in the cartridge height direction. 
     Front-side locking part  92 F and back-side locking part  92 B provided at respective lower ends of front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B are locked to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     As described above, cushioning material  74  restricts upward movement of toner cartridge  32  by allowing the upper end of front-side tucking panel  88 F to come into contact with box upper front corner  85 F and the lower end thereof to come into contact with cartridge front contact surface  54 F and by allowing the upper end of back-side tucking panel  88 B to come into contact with box upper back corner  85 B and the lower end thereof to come into contact with cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     In this state, front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B have a folding angle AG1 of 20 degrees or less relative to cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B (i.e., box front panel  76 F and box back panel  76 B), respectively. In this embodiment, folding angle AG1 is set to 10 degrees. 
     Vertical length L1 from box bottom panel  76 D to the upper ends of cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B (i.e., the height of cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B) is set longer than vertical length L2 from box bottom panel  76 D to supply port side end  59  of toner cartridge  32  (i.e., the height of toner cartridge  32 ). 
     Also, vertical length L3 from box top panel  76 U to front-side locking part  92 F and back-side locking part  92 B (i.e., the height of front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B) is set longer than vertical length L4 from supply port side end  59  to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     For this reason, upper space SPU is formed between toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  and box top panel inner surface  76  UI that is an inner surface of box top panel  76 U of packing box  76 . 
     With this configuration, cushioning material  74  prevents toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  from coming into contact with box top panel  76 U when package  78  is dropped. 
     Front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B are formed by folding cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B at front-side folding part  90 F and back-side folding part  90 B. For this reason, resilient forces Ff and Fb are generated, which return front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B to their original shape with front-side folding part  90 F and back-side folding part  90 B as supporting points. 
     For this reason, front-side tucking panel  88 F comes into contact with toner cartridge  32  so as to be biased toward cartridge front-side locking part  55 F provided upright from the rear end of cartridge front contact surface  54 F of toner cartridge  32  while having front-side locking part  92 F locked to cartridge front contact surface  54 F. 
     Meanwhile, back-side tucking panel  88 B comes into contact with toner cartridge  32  so as to be biased toward the rear side surface of convex part  64  provided upright from the front end of cartridge back contact surface  54 B of toner cartridge  32  while having back-side locking part  92 B locked to cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     Moreover, vertical length L4 from supply port side end  59  to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B is set longer than vertical length L5 from supply port side end  59  to convex part central axis  62 . 
     More specifically, back-side locking part  92 B of back-side tucking panel  88 B comes into contact with a portion which is positioned below convex part back end  64 B protruding most backward in the curved shape of convex part  64  of toner cartridge  32  and slightly in front of convex part back end  64 B, and is curved so as to be tilted from back to front in the direction from top to bottom. 
     As described above, cushioning material  74  supports toner cartridge  32  without coming into direct contact with toner supply port  66 , thereby fixing the position of toner cartridge  32  inside packing box  76  and maintaining upper space SPU. 
     [1-6. Packing Method] 
     Cushioning material  74  described above is built through the following steps to pack toner cartridge  32 , and is stored in packing box  76 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates cushioning material  74  before being built up. Cushioning material  74  is formed by cutting a cardboard sheet into a predetermined sheet shape with folding lines and slits provided at predetermined positions. 
     A worker folds tube part  86  of cushioning material  74  illustrated in  FIG. 9  inward toward cushioning material front panel  74 F along arrow direction A1 to obtain a state illustrated in  FIG. 10 . Then, the worker further folds tube part  86  so as to be rolled up along arrow direction A2, thereby building tube part  86  as illustrated in  FIG. 11 . 
     Thereafter, the worker folds cushioning material front panel  74 F inward toward cushioning material bottom panel  74 D along arrow direction A3, and also folds cushioning material back panel  74 B inward toward cushioning material bottom panel  74 D along arrow direction A4. Accordingly, cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B are built upright so as to be approximately perpendicular to cushioning material bottom panel  74 D as illustrated in  FIG. 12 . 
     Subsequently, as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the worker places toner cartridge  32  packaged in moisture-proof bag  94  on cushioning material bottom panel  74 D from between cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B along arrow direction A5 in a state where operation lever  72  is positioned above tube part  86  of cushioning material  74  with toner supply port  66  facing upward. Note that moisture-proof bag  94  is omitted in the drawings other than in  FIG. 12 . 
     Then, as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , the worker folds front-side tucking panel  88 F inward toward toner cartridge  32  along arrow direction A6 and also folds back-side tucking panel  88 B inward toward toner cartridge  32  along arrow direction A7. Thus, front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B are locked to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B, respectively, as illustrated in  FIG. 14 . Accordingly, cushioning material  74  is built up to pack toner cartridge  32 . 
     Thereafter, the worker prevents cushioning material  74  from losing its shape by being pressed inward on cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B. Meanwhile, the worker puts toner cartridge  80  with cushioning material into packing box  76  through right-side opening  82 R of packing box  76  from the operation lever  72  side along arrow direction A8 as illustrated in  FIG. 15 . 
     Subsequently, the worker engages cushioning material  74  with packing box  76  as illustrated in  FIG. 5  by closing left-side lid  76 L and right-side lid  76 R after folding inward left-side folding panels  84 L and right-side folding panels  84 R of packing box  76 . 
     Thus, cushioning material  74  is built so as to pack toner cartridge  32 . Toner cartridge  80  with cushioning material is put inside packing box  76  and is thus set in a transportable state. 
     [1-7. Operations and Effects] 
       FIG. 16  illustrates toner cartridge  580  with cushioning material as a comparative example. Toner cartridge  580  with cushioning material is stored in packing box  76  ( FIG. 5 ) with cushioning material  574 L and cushioning material  574 R fitted at both ends in a left-right direction that is a longitudinal direction of toner cartridge  32 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 17 , cushioning material  574  ( 574 L and  574 R) is formed in an approximately H-shape, and includes plate-like holding section top panel  96 U and holding section bottom panel  96 D and U-shaped holding section front panel  96 F and holding section back panel  96 B. 
     In cushioning material  574 , holding section  96  is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped box shape with openings at the right and left sides. Holding section  96  is surrounded by holding section top panel  96 U, holding section bottom panel  96 D, holding section front panel  96 F and holding section back panel  96 B. 
     Cushioning material  574  also has L-shaped upper leg part  97 U formed by bending upper ends of holding section front panel  96 F and holding section back panel  96 B at a right angle. Upper leg part  97 U comes into contact with box top panel  76 U of packing box  76  ( FIG. 5 ). Furthermore, cushioning material  574  has L-shaped lower leg part  97 D formed by bending lower ends of holding section front panel  96 F and holding section back panel  96 B at a right angle. Lower leg part  97 D comes into contact with box bottom panel  76 D of packing box  76 . 
     Cushioning material  574  holds toner cartridge  32  with toner supply port  66  facing upward inside holding section  96  such that holding section top panel  96 U comes into contact with toner supply port  66 . Thus, toner cartridge  32  is held in a hanging state inside packing box  76 . Accordingly, cushioning material  574  reduces the impact on toner cartridge  32  when packing box  76  is dropped. 
     However, when toner cartridge  580  with cushioning material is dropped with toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  facing downward, any impact is directly applied to toner supply port  66  from holding section top panel  96 U through upper leg part  97 U. As a result, toner supply port  66  is deformed, leading to a possibility that the toner leaks to the outside through a gap generated between toner supply port  66  and shutter  68 . 
     On the other hand, cushioning material  74  according to this embodiment fixes the position of toner cartridge  32  inside packing box  76  by allowing front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B to come into contact with cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B while protecting toner supply port  66  so as not to come into direct contact with toner supply port  66 . 
     Thus, cushioning material  74  can prevent any impact on toner supply port  66  through cushioning material  74  when packing box  76  is dropped. Cushioning material  74  can also maintain upper space SPU by restricting the movement of toner cartridge  32  toward box top panel  76 U, and prevent toner supply port  66  as a protection target part from hitting against box top panel  76 U. 
     Moreover, in cushioning material  74 , front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B are formed to have a horizontal length of about ⅓ to ⅔ of that of toner cartridge  32  in the cartridge width direction. 
     Here, when the horizontal length of front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B is too long, the worker needs great force to fold front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B ( FIG. 13 ), leading to a reduction in work efficiency. 
     On the other hand, when the horizontal length of front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B is too short, front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B cannot withstand the impact and are deformed when packing box  76  is dropped. This can cause toner supply port  66  to hit against box top panel  76 U. 
     For this reason, front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B are designed to have a horizontal length of about ⅓ to ⅔ of that of toner cartridge  32  in the cartridge width direction, which can withstand the impact when packing box  76  is dropped without lowering the work efficiency in building cushioning material  74 . 
     Furthermore, in cushioning material  74 , front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B are locked to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B in a state of having a folding angle AG1 of 20 degrees or less relative to cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B (i.e., box front panel  76 F and box back panel  76 B), respectively. 
     Here, when folding angle AG1 exceeds 20 degrees, such as 45 degrees, for example, cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B are turned inward in the front-back direction so as to come close to each other with front-side folding part  90 F and back-side folding part  90 B as supporting points in a direction in which folding angle AG1 is increased, when packing box  76  is dropped. As a result, there is a possibility that front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B come off cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B and toner supply port  66  hits against box top panel  76 U. 
     On the other hand, in cushioning material  74  according to this embodiment, folding angle AG1 of front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B relative to box front panel  76 F and box back panel  76 B is set to 20 degrees or less, respectively. 
     Thus, cushioning material  74  can prevent cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B from turning so as to come close to each other when packing box  76  is dropped. Cushioning material  74  can also maintain upper space SPU by restricting the movement of toner cartridge  32  toward box top panel  76 U, and thus prevent toner supply port  66  from hitting against box top panel  76 U. 
     Furthermore, in cushioning material  74 , front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B are formed so as to be folded at front-side folding part  90 F and back-side folding part  90 B. Thus, resilient forces Ff and Fb allow front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B to come into contact with cartridge front-side locking part  55 F and the rear side surface of convex part  64 , respectively. 
     As a result, when packing box  76  is dropped, cushioning material  74  can prevent cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B from turning outward in the front-back direction so as to separate from each other with front-side folding part  90 F and back-side folding part  90 B as supporting points in a direction in which folding angle AG1 is reduced. 
     Accordingly, cushioning material  74  can prevent cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B from entering into front-side space SPF and back-side space SPB and coming off cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B. Cushioning material  74  can also maintain upper space SPU by restricting the movement of toner cartridge  32  toward box top panel  76 U, and thus prevent toner supply port  66  from hitting against box top panel  76 U. 
     Furthermore, cushioning material  74  locks back-side locking part  92 B to cartridge back contact surface  54 B separated from back-side folding part  90 B below convex part central axis  62 . 
     More specifically, back-side locking part  92 B comes into contact with a portion which is positioned below convex part back end  64 B protruding most backward in the curved shape of convex part  64  of toner cartridge  32  and slightly in front of convex part back end  64 B, and is curved so as to be tilted from back to front in the direction from top to bottom. 
     Here, assuming that cartridge back contact surface  54 B is formed above convex part central axis  62  (closer to supply port side end  59 ), cushioning material back panel  74 B is turned forward with back-side folding part  90 B as the supporting point in a direction in which folding angle AG1 is increased, when packing box  76  is dropped and cartridge back contact surface  54 B applies force to back-side tucking panel  88 B of cushioning material  74 . As a result, there is a possibility that back-side tucking panel  88 B comes off cartridge back contact surface  54 B and toner supply port  66  hits against box top panel  76 U. 
     On the other hand, cushioning material  74  according to this embodiment locks back-side locking part  92 B to cartridge back contact surface  54 B separated from back-side folding part  90 B below convex part central axis  62 . 
     With this configuration, cushioning material  74  can prevent cushioning material back panel  74 B from turning forward when packing box  76  is dropped. Cushioning material  74  can also maintain upper space SPU by restricting the movement of toner cartridge  32  toward box top panel  76 U, and thus prevent toner supply port  66  from hitting against box top panel  76 U. 
     Furthermore, cushioning material  74  uses cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B to fix the position of toner cartridge  32 . Cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B, originally formed in steps to position toner cartridge  32  relative to developing device  30 , are flat surfaces facing box top panel inner surface  76  UI. 
     Thus, cushioning material  74  can fix the position of toner cartridge  32  by utilizing the shape of outer cartridge  58  without changing the shape of outer cartridge  58  so as not to apply impact on toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32 . Accordingly, cushioning material  74  can have a simple configuration. 
     Since toner cartridge  32  is just an expendable item, the cushioning material to protect toner cartridge  32  is required to be low in cost without complex configuration. 
     In this regard, cushioning material  74  according to this embodiment can be manufactured at low cost since only one cardboard sheet is used to form the cushioning material. Moreover, an impact on toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  can be prevented with a very simple configuration. 
     According to the above configuration, packing device  77  as a packing device includes packing box  76  and cushioning material  74 . Packing box  76  stores toner cartridge  32  as a packing target object in the internal space thereof, and has box top panel inner surface  76 UI as a packing box inner surface that is at least one surface. When stored in the internal space of packing box  76  together with toner cartridge  32 , cushioning material  74  comes into contact with box top panel inner surface  76 UI and cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B as the contact surfaces formed in toner cartridge  32  and facing the box top panel inner surface, so as not to come into contact with toner supply port  66  as a protection target part formed at a position facing box top panel inner surface  76 UI of packing box  76  in toner cartridge  32 . Furthermore, cushioning material  74  holds upper space SPU as a space between toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  and box top panel inner surface  76 UI. 
     With this configuration, packing device  77  can restrict the movement of toner cartridge  32  toward box top panel inner surface  76 UI without coming into contact with toner supply port  66 , and thus can prevent transmission of impact to toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  through cushioning material  74 . 
     2. Second Embodiment 
     Package  178  according to a second embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 18  has the same configuration as that of package  78  ( FIG. 5 ) according to the first embodiment, except that cushioning material  174  illustrated in  FIG. 19  is different from cushioning material  74 . 
     [2-1. Configuration of Cushioning Material] 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 20 , cushioning material  174  includes only cushioning material front panel  174 F and cushioning material back panel  174 B by omitting tube part  86  and cushioning material bottom panel  74 D in cushioning material  74 . 
     A front side surface of cushioning material front panel  174 F comes into contact with a rear side surface of box front panel  76 F, and a rear side surface thereof comes into contact with cartridge front side surface  58 B. A rear side surface of cushioning material back panel  174 B comes into contact with a front side surface of box back panel  76 B, and a front side surface thereof comes into contact with cartridge rear side surface  58 C. Container side surface  58 A of toner cartridge  32  comes into direct contact with box bottom panel  76 D. 
     Cushioning material front panel  174 F and cushioning material back panel  174 B are folded backward and forward, respectively, at front-side folding part  190 F and back-side folding part  190 B positioned at upper ends thereof. Thus, front-side tucking panel  188 F and back-side tucking panel  188 B are formed. 
     Front-side folding part  190 F and back-side folding part  190 B come into contact with the inside of box upper front corner  85 F and box upper back corner  85 B of packing box  76 , respectively. 
     Front-side locking part  192 F and back-side locking part  192 B, provided at respective lower ends of front-side tucking panel  188 F and back-side tucking panel  188 B, are locked to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     As described above, cushioning material  174  restricts upward movement of toner cartridge  32  by allowing the upper end of front-side tucking panel  188 F to come into contact with box upper front corner  85 F and the lower end thereof to come into contact with cartridge front contact surface  54 F and by allowing the upper end of back-side tucking panel  188 B to come into contact with box upper back corner  85 B and the lower end thereof to come into contact with cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     In this state, front-side tucking panel  188 F and back-side tucking panel  188 B have a folding angle AG11 of 20 degrees or less relative to cushioning material front panel  174 F and cushioning material back panel  174 B (i.e., box front panel  76 F and box back panel  76 B), respectively. 
     Vertical length L11 from box bottom panel  76 D to upper ends of cushioning material front panel  174 F and cushioning material back panel  174 B (i.e., the height of cushioning material front panel  174 F and cushioning material back panel  174 B) is set longer than vertical length L2 from box bottom panel  76 D to supply port side end  59  of toner cartridge  32  (i.e., the height of toner cartridge  32 ). 
     Also, vertical length L13 from box top panel  76 U to front-side locking part  192 F and back-side locking part  192 B (i.e., the height of front-side tucking panel  188 F and back-side tucking panel  188 B) is set longer than vertical length L4 from supply port side end  59  to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     For this reason, upper space SPU is formed between toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  and box top panel inner surface  76 UI of packing box  76 . 
     With this configuration, cushioning material  174  prevents toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  from coming into contact with box top panel  76 U when package  178  is dropped. 
     As described above, cushioning material  174  supports toner cartridge  32  without coming into direct contact with toner supply port  66 , thereby fixing the position of toner cartridge  32  inside packing box  76  and maintaining upper space SPU. 
     [2-2. Packing Method] 
     Cushioning material  174  described above is built through the following steps to pack toner cartridge  32 , and is stored in packing box  76 . 
       FIG. 21  illustrates cushioning material  174  before being built up. Cushioning material  174  ( 174 F and  174 B) is formed by cutting a cardboard sheet into a predetermined sheet shape with folding lines and slits provided at predetermined positions. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 21 , the worker allows cushioning material front panel  174 F to come into contact with cartridge front side surface  58 B of toner cartridge  32  along arrow direction A10 and also allows cushioning material back panel  174 B to come into contact with cartridge rear side surface  58 C along arrow direction A11. Here, toner cartridge  32  is packaged in moisture-proof bag  94  and in a state of having toner supply port  66  facing upward. Note that moisture-proof bag  94  is omitted in the drawings other than in  FIG. 21 . 
     Then, as illustrated in  FIG. 22 , the worker folds front-side tucking panel  188 F inward toward toner cartridge  32  along arrow direction A12 and also folds back-side tucking panel  188 B inward toward toner cartridge  32  along arrow direction A13. Thus, front-side tucking panel  188 F and back-side tucking panel  188 B are locked to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B, respectively, as illustrated in  FIG. 23 . Accordingly, cushioning material  174  is built up to pack toner cartridge  32 . 
     Thereafter, the worker prevents cushioning material  174  from losing its shape by being pressed inward on cushioning material front panel  174 F and cushioning material back panel  174 B. Meanwhile, the worker puts toner cartridge  180  with cushioning material into packing box  76  through right-side opening  82 R of packing box  76  from the operation lever  72  side along arrow direction A14 as illustrated in  FIG. 24 . 
     Subsequently, the worker engages cushioning material  174  with packing box  76  as illustrated in  FIG. 18  by closing left-side lid  76 L and right-side lid  76 R after folding inward left-side folding panels  84 L and right-side folding panels  84 R of packing box  76 . 
     Thus, cushioning material  174  is built so as to hold toner cartridge  32  thereinside. Toner cartridge  180  with cushioning material is put inside packing box  76  and is thus set in a transportable state. 
     According to the above configuration, tube part  86  and cushioning material bottom panel  74 D of cushioning material  74  in packing device  77  are omitted from packing device  177 . Thus, compared with cushioning material  74 , the configuration of cushioning material  174  can be simplified by omitting some members, and costs can be reduced. 
     Moreover, cushioning material  174  makes it possible to omit the step of building tube part  86  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) and the step of lifting cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B from cushioning material bottom panel  74 D ( FIG. 11 ) as compared to cushioning material  74 . Thus, the number of steps required for the worker to build the cushioning material can be reduced. 
     Besides the above, packing device  177  according to the second embodiment can achieve the same advantageous effects as those achieved by packing device  77  according to the first embodiment. 
     3. Third Embodiment 
     Package  278  according to a third embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 25  has the same configuration as that of package  78  ( FIG. 5 ) according to the first embodiment, except that cushioning material  274  illustrated in  FIG. 26  is different from cushioning material  74 . 
     [3-1. Configuration of Cushioning Material] 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 27 , cushioning material  274  includes only cushioning material top panel  274 U. Cushioning material top panel  274 U is formed to have horizontal and longitudinal lengths slightly shorter than those of box top panel  76 U of packing box  76 . An upper side surface of cushioning material top panel  274 U comes into contact with box top panel inner surface  76 UI, and a lower side surface thereof faces supply port side surface  58 D of toner cartridge  32  across upper space SPU. 
     Cushioning material top panel  274 U is folded backward and forward at front-side folding part  290 F and back-side folding part  290 B positioned at a front end thereof. Thus, front-side tucking panel  288 F and back-side tucking panel  288 B are formed. 
     Front-side folding part  290 F and back-side folding part  290 B come into contact with the inside of box upper front corner  85 F and box upper back corner  85 B, respectively. 
     Front-side tucking panel  288 F and back-side tucking panel  288 B are formed to have a horizontal length of about ⅓ to ⅔ of that of toner cartridge  32  in the cartridge width direction, and to have a vertical length approximately ⅓ of that of toner cartridge  32  in the cartridge height direction. 
     Front-side locking part  292 F and back-side locking part  292 B provided at respective lower ends of front-side tucking panel  288 F and back-side tucking panel  288 B are locked to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     As described above, cushioning material  274  restricts upward movement of toner cartridge  32  by allowing the upper end of front-side tucking panel  288 F to come into contact with box upper front corner  85 F and the lower end thereof to come into contact with cartridge front contact surface  54 F, and by allowing the upper end of back-side tucking panel  288 B to come into contact with box upper back corner  85 B and the lower end thereof to come into contact with cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     In this state, front-side tucking panel  288 F and back-side tucking panel  288 B have a folding angle AG21 of 20 degrees or less relative to box front panel  76 F and box back panel  76 B, respectively. 
     Vertical length L23 from box top panel  76 U to front-side locking part  292 F and back-side locking part  292 B (i.e., the height of front-side tucking panel  288 F and back-side tucking panel  288 B) is set longer than vertical length L4 from supply port side end  59  to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     For this reason, upper space SPU is formed between toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  and box top panel inner surface  76 UI of packing box  76 . 
     With this configuration, cushioning material  274  prevents toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  from coming into contact with box top panel  76 U when package  278  is dropped. 
     As described above, cushioning material  274  supports toner cartridge  32  without coming into direct contact with toner supply port  66 , thereby fixing the position of toner cartridge  32  inside packing box  76  and maintaining upper space SPU. 
     [3-2. Packing Method] 
     Cushioning material  274  described above is built through the following steps to pack toner cartridge  32 , and is stored in packing box  76 . 
       FIG. 28  illustrates cushioning material  274  before being built up. Cushioning material  274  is formed by cutting a cardboard sheet into a predetermined sheet shape with folding lines and slits provided at predetermined positions. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 28 , a worker folds front-side tucking panel  288 F inward along arrow direction A20 from cushioning material top panel  274 U, and folds back-side tucking panel  288 B inward along arrow direction A21. 
     Then, as illustrated in  FIG. 29 , the worker places cushioning material  274  along arrow direction A22 on toner cartridge  32  packaged in moisture-proof bag  94  with toner supply port  66  facing upward. Thereafter, as shown in  FIG. 30 , the worker locks front-side tucking panel  288 F and back-side tucking panel  288 B to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B. Note that moisture-proof bag  94  is omitted in the drawings other than in  FIG. 29 . 
     Subsequently, the worker puts toner cartridge  280  with cushioning material into packing box  76  through right-side opening  82 R of packing box  76  from the operation lever  72  side along arrow direction A23 as illustrated in  FIG. 31  while preventing cushioning material  274  from losing its shape by being pressed downward on cushioning material top panel  274 U. 
     Then, the worker engages cushioning material  274  with packing box  76  as illustrated in  FIG. 25  by closing left-side lid  76 L and right-side lid  76 R after folding inward left-side folding panels  84 L and right-side folding panels  84 R of packing box  76 . 
     Thus, cushioning material  274  is placed on toner cartridge  32 , and toner cartridge  280  with cushioning material is put inside packing box  76  and is thus set in a transportable state. 
     According to the above configuration, cushioning material front panel  174 F and cushioning material back panel  174 B of cushioning material  174  in packing device  177  are omitted from packing device  277 . Thus, compared with cushioning material  174  according to the second embodiment, the configuration of cushioning material  274  can be simplified by omitting more members, and therefore costs can be reduced. 
     Moreover, cushioning material  274  makes it possible to omit the step of building tube part  86  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) and the step of lifting cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B from cushioning material bottom panel  74 D ( FIG. 11 ) as compared to cushioning material  74 . Thus, the number of steps required for the worker to build the cushioning material can be reduced. 
     Besides the above, packing device  277  according to the third embodiment can achieve the same advantageous effects as those achieved by packing device  77  according to the first embodiment. 
     4. Fourth Embodiment 
     Package  378  according to a fourth embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 32  has the same configuration as that of package  278  ( FIG. 27 ) according to the third embodiment, except that cushioning material  374  is different from cushioning material  274 . Cushioning material  374  is obtained by omitting cushioning material top panel  274 U from cushioning material  274 , and is integrated with packing box  76 . 
     Front-side tucking panel  388 F extends downward and backward from box upper front corner  85 F, and front-side locking part  392 F at a lower end thereof is locked to cartridge front contact surface  54 F. Meanwhile, back-side tucking panel  388 B extends downward and forward from box upper back corner  85 B, and back-side locking part  392 B at a lower end thereof is locked to cartridge back contact surface  54 B. With this configuration, cushioning material  374  restricts upward movement of toner cartridge  32 . 
     Front-side tucking panel  388 F and back-side tucking panel  388 B are formed to have a horizontal length of about ⅓ to ⅔ of that of toner cartridge  32  in the cartridge width direction, and to have a vertical length of approximately ⅓ of that of toner cartridge  32  in the cartridge height direction. 
     In this state, front-side tucking panel  388 F and back-side tucking panel  388 B have a folding angle AG31 of 20 degrees or less relative to box front panel  76 F and box back panel  76 B, respectively. 
     Vertical length L33 from box top panel  76 U to front-side locking part  392 F and back-side locking part  392 B (i.e., the height of front-side tucking panel  388 F and back-side tucking panel  388 B) is set longer than vertical length L4 from supply port side end  59  to cartridge front contact surface  54 F and cartridge back contact surface  54 B. 
     For this reason, upper space SPU is formed between toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  and box top panel inner surface  76 UI of packing box  76 . 
     With this configuration, cushioning material  374  prevents toner supply port  66  of toner cartridge  32  from coming into contact with box top panel  76 U when package  378  is dropped. 
     As described above, cushioning material  374  supports toner cartridge  32  without coming into direct contact with toner supply port  66 , thereby fixing the position of toner cartridge  32  inside packing box  76  and maintaining upper space SPU. 
     According to the above configuration, cushioning material top panel  274 U of cushioning material  274  in packing device  277  is omitted from packing device  377 . Thus, compared with cushioning material  274  according to the third embodiment, the configuration of cushioning material  374  can be simplified by omitting more members, and therefore costs can be reduced. 
     Moreover, package  378  eliminates the need for the worker to build cushioning material  374 , and can be set in a transportable state just by putting toner cartridge  32  into packing box  76 . Thus, the building operation can be omitted. 
     Besides the above, packing device  377  according to the fourth embodiment can achieve the same advantageous effects as those achieved by packing device  77  according to the first embodiment. 
     5. Other Embodiments 
     Note that, in the first embodiment described above, the description is given of the case where toner cartridge  32  is supported by front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B. 
     However, the invention is not limited to such a configuration, and toner cartridge  32  may be supported by only one of front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B. The same applies to the second to fourth embodiments. 
     Also, in the first embodiment described above, the description is given of the case where package  78  is configured such that box bottom panel  76 D of packing box  76 , cushioning material bottom panel  74 D of cushioning material  74  and container side surface  58 A of toner cartridge  32  are positioned at the bottom side. 
     However, the invention is not limited to such a configuration. Package  78  may be configured such that box bottom panel  76 D of packing box  76 , cushioning material bottom panel  74 D of cushioning material  74  and container side surface  58 A of toner cartridge  32  are positioned at the top side. The same applies to the second to fourth embodiments. 
     Furthermore, in the invention, cushioning materials  74  to  374  according to the first to fourth embodiments may be appropriately modified and combined, such as omitting front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B from cushioning material  74  and disposing cushioning material  274  between cushioning material front panel  74 F and cushioning material back panel  74 B, for example. 
     In the embodiments described above, the description is given of the case where the invention is applied when toner cartridge  32  with convex part  64  having the arc shape when viewed from the side is supported inside packing box  76 . 
     However, the invention is not limited to such a case, but may be applied to toner cartridges having various shapes, such as a square shape when viewed from the side, for example. In essence, any shape may be adopted as long as movement of the toner cartridge toward one of the side surfaces of packing box  76  can be restricted by allowing front-side tucking panel  88 F and back-side tucking panel  88 B to come into contact with predetermined spots of the toner cartridge. 
     Moreover, in the above embodiments, the description is given of the case where the invention is applied to protect toner cartridge  32  as the packing target object from impact. However, the invention is not limited to such a case, but may be applied to various objects to be packed, such as electronic devices and electrical devices, which are stored in packing box  76  and in which a protection target part from impact is formed at a predetermined position. 
     Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the description is given of the case where the invention is applied to protect toner supply port  66  formed in supply port side surface  58 D of toner cartridge  32 . 
     However, the invention is not limited to such a case, but may be applied to protect more than one protection target part, when the parts to be protected are formed on one side surface of the packing target object and on the other side surface opposite to the one side surface, for example, by allowing front-side tucking panels and back-side tucking panels to come into contact with each other without having direct contact with the parts to be protected. 
     Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the description is given of the case where cushioning material  74  is made of cardboard. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and cushioning material  74  may be made of various other materials, such as plastic, for example. 
     Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the description is given of the case where packing box  76  is made of cardboard. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and packing box  76  may be made of various other materials, such as kraft paper, for example. 
     Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the description is given of the case where packing box  76  has the rectangular parallelepiped shape. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and packing box  76  may have various other shapes as long as the packing box has a surface facing the protection target part formed in the packing target object. 
     Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the description is given of the case where packing bodies  77  to  377  as the packing device include packing box  76  as the packing box and cushioning materials  74  to  374  as the cushioning materials. 
     However, the invention is not limited thereto, and the packing device may include a packing box and a cushioning material having various other configurations. 
     The invention can be used to store and transport a toner cartridge in a packed state, which is detachably mounted on an image formation apparatus such as a printer. 
     The invention includes other embodiments in addition to the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Hence, all configurations including the meaning and range within equivalent arrangements of the claims are intended to be embraced in the invention.