Patent ID: 7860432

Claim:
A toner conveyance unit comprising: a first conveyance part having a first toner conveyance path therein and a first shutter member adapted to open and close one end of the first toner conveyance path; and a second conveyance part having a second toner conveyance path therein and a second shutter member adapted to open and close both ends of the second toner conveyance path, wherein the second shutter member has a cylinder part and a rotary shutter member provided with a radially penetrating through hole and adapted to rotate around an axial line perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the second toner conveyance path; when the first shutter member and the second shutter member are closed, the first conveyance part and the second conveyance part are separable; when the first shutter member and the second shutter member are open, the first shutter member and the rotary shutter member rotate integrally so that the first shutter member and portions that have closed the both ends of the second toner conveyance path are enclosed in the cylinder part, and that the through hole moves to a position that constitutes part of the second toner conveyance path, whereby the first conveyance part and the second conveyance part are adapted to be connected to each other so that the first toner conveyance path and the second toner conveyance path communicate with each other.