Patent ID: 6533478
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An image forming apparatus comprising:a common transportation passage through which sheets of a plurality of different types of printing media are transported; wherein a cartridge is detachably mounted to said image forming apparatus proximate to said common transportation passage and wherein the cartridge contains a type of printing medium and includes an identification part for representing the type of the printing medium contained within the cartridge; a printing part disposed opposite to said common transportation passage for providing a print head for performing a printing operation on a recording surface of the printing medium; a protection treatment apparatus for performing protection treatment on the printing medium for protection of an image on the recording surface printed by said printing part; a protection treatment transportation passage connected to said common transportation passage for transporting the printing medium to said protection treatment apparatus to be subjected to the protection treatment; a discharge passage connected to said common transportation passage for discharging the printing medium printed by said printing part without passing through said protection treatment apparatus; a selective delivery part provided upstream of said discharge passage, said protection treatment transportation passage and said protection treatment apparatus delivering the printing medium printed by said printing part from said common transportation passage selectively to one of said protection treatment transportation passage and said discharge passage; a printing medium detection part for detecting a type of the printing medium to reach said selective delivery part by detecting the identification part of the cartridge; and a control part for causing said selective delivery part to deliver the printing medium, printed by said printing part selectively to one of said protection treatment transportation passage and said discharge passage according to a detection output signal based on a detection of the identification part of the cartridge from said printing medium detection part.