Patent ID: 7389067

Claim:
A developer cartridge for supplying a toner-containing developer, and for removable mounting in one of a plurality of developing units that are disposed along a rotating outer peripheral surface of a developing unit main body, the developer cartridge comprising: a developer containing portion that contains the developer supplied to a developing unit; a developer recovery portion, disposed at one end of the developer containing portion in a longitudinal direction, that recovers a used developer from the developing unit; a supply port that opens to supply the developer from the developer containing portion to the developing unit; a recovery port that opens in the developer recovery portion to recover the used and recovered developer from the developing unit; a shutter member in which a supplying opening portion is formed at a position corresponding to the supply port and a recovering opening portion is formed at a position corresponding to the recovery port, the shutter member opening the supply port and the recovery port, and the shutter member closing the supply port and the recovery port; and a handle that operates the shutter member, the handle configured so that it is contained in the rotating outer peripheral surface of the developing unit main body when the supply port and the recovery port are opened, the handle configured so that it projects toward the outside of the rotating outer peripheral surface of the developing unit main body when the supply port and the recovery port are closed; and the handle further used to mount the developer cartridge on the developer unit main body.