Patent ID: 7437095

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a toner cartridge removably attached to the image forming apparatus, said toner cartridge holding toner in it; wherein said toner cartridge comprises; an operating member operated to drive a toner supplying mechanism of said toner cartridge such that the toner is supplied into the image forming apparatus; a locking member movable either to a first position or to a second position relative to said operating member; and a receiving space that receives said locking member; wherein when said locking member is moved from the first position to the second position, said locking member locks said toner cartridge to a part of the image forming apparatus; and wherein after said locking member is moved from the first position to the second position, said locking member remains in locking engagement with the part of the image forming apparatus regardless of operation of said operating member, and said locking member is unable to move from the second position to the first position and prevents the toner cartridge from being detached from the image forming apparatus.