Patent ID: 8417160

Claim:
A toner cartridge comprising: a container for containing toner, having an opening for discharging the contained toner; a toner discharge section provided through a communicating part at a side part of the container where the opening is provided, having a discharge port for discharging toner; an auger screw provided with a rotation shaft and a spiral blade and rotatably supported in the container, for conveying toner in the container from the opening to the toner discharge section; and a toner flowing-out preventing valve provided in the communicating part, for preventing flowing out of the toner from the opening to the toner discharge section, the toner flowing-out preventing valve being configured so as to open and close the communicating part in conjunction with rotation of the auger screw, the toner flowing-out preventing valve having a fixation shielding plate fixed to an inner wall of the toner discharge section and having an opening, and a rotation shielding plate fixed to the rotation shaft of the auger screw and opening and closing the opening, the fixation shielding plate being arranged to be in non-contact with the rotation shaft and the rotation shielding plate and to be along a surface vertical to an axial line of the rotation shaft of the auger screw, and the rotation shielding plate being arranged to be in non-contact with an inner wall of the toner discharge section and the shielding plate and to be along the surface vertical to the rotation shaft.