Patent ID: 7421234

Claim:
A toner cartridge adapted to be detachably attached to a given image forming apparatus, comprising: a cartridge body for supplying toner to a development device incorporated in said image forming apparatus, through a toner supply port; a shutter member adapted to be changed in posture between an open posture for opening said toner supply port and a closed posture for closing said toner supply port; a manual operation lever adapted to be manually operated so as to change the posture of said shutter member; and a postural-change restriction mechanism for restricting a postural change of said shutter member set in said closed posture to said open posture, said postural-change restriction mechanism including: a lock groove formed in either one of said manual operation lever and said cartridge body; and a blocking element integral with the other one of said manual operation lever and said cartridge body, said blocking element including a lock protrusion adapted to be engaged with said lock groove when said manual operation lever is operated to set said shutter member in said closed posture, so as to block a postural change of said shutter member, and to be elastically deformed when said cartridge body is attached to said image forming apparatus, in such a manner as to be released from the engagement with said lock groove to allow the postural change of said shutter member to said open posture.