Patent ID: 7409175

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming body; a locking unit blocking movement of at least one movable object of the image forming body; and a control unit controlling a locking state of the locking unit and a releasing state of the locking unit; wherein: the control unit automatically releases the locking unit so that the locking unit is in a released state before the image forming body begins forming an image, and maintains the locking unit in the released state while the image forming body is forming the image; the control unit relocks the locking unit so that the locking unit is once again in a locked state in response to a locking command set by a user after the locking unit has been in the released state as a result of the control unit automatically releasing the locking unit; and the locking unit comprises two threaded members that are engaged with one another when the locking unit is in the locked state, and that are disengaged from one another when the locking unit is in the released state.