TONER CARTRIDGE OF IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a toner cartridge which surely detects presence/absence of toner, even when deviation resulting from agitation of the developer occurs. SOLUTION: In the toner cartridge 33, a rotary conveying member 35 which conveys a toner and detection windows 36a and 36b for detecting the presence /absence of the toner are arranged and in a developing device 30, a light projection part 34a and a light reception part 34b constituting a toner detecting device 34b are arranged. The toner T in the cartridge 33 is moved with an agitating blade 35c of the rotary conveying member 35 as shown by the arrow Z (obliquely to the rotary shaft 35a of the agitating blade 35c) in Fig. and conveyed to a discharge opening 33a. A light beam from the light projection part 34a travels to the light reception part 34b along an optical path Y. When the toner T is deposited nearby the discharge opening 33a, the optical path Y is cut off and the toner presence is detected. Preferably, the direction of the rotary shaft 35a and the optical path Y are arranged crossing each other, or the rotary shaft 35a is arranged along the moving direction of the toner T. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO