Patent ID: 7206528
Filing Date: 2007-04-17
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a developing unit that visualizes an image; image forming material storing means that stores an image forming material; a supply unit that supplies the image forming material, which is stored in the image forming material storing means, to a downstream side; a door that covers the image forming material storing means and is openably provided; cut-off means that renders, if the door is open, the supply unit inoperable, and renders, if the door is closed, the supply unit operable; and opening/closing sensing means that detects opening/closing of the door, wherein while the opening/closing sensing means detects the opening of the door, the supply unit is rendered inoperable by the cut-off means and a control unit counts a number of prints during this time period, and if the counted number of prints is less than a predetermined value, the developing unit is rendered operable and the image forming apparatus is set in a printable state, and if the counted number of prints becomes equal to the predetermined value, the image forming apparatus is set in a non-printable state.