Patent ID: 7574148

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming apparatus body; a developer cartridge attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus body; a detecting unit for detecting whether the developer cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus body, and at a time when the developer cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus , 1) detecting whether the developer cartridge is new or used, and 2) detecting a specification of the developer cartridge; a driving source provided in the image forming apparatus body; a detection portion provided in the image forming apparatus body and connected to the detecting unit, the detection portion including a light emitting portion for emitting the light and a light receiving portion for receiving the light; an information providing unit that is provided in the developer cartridge and moved by receiving a driving force from the driving source and provides the detection portion with information corresponding to the specification of the developer cartridge, the information including first information detected b the detection portion provided in the image forming apparatus and second information not detected by the detection portion, the first information and the second information alternately disposed, the information providing unit including a light reflecting portion for allowing light corresponding to the first information to be detected by the detection portion, and a light absorbing portion for preventing light corresponding to the second information from being detected by the detection portion; and an information transmission restricting provided in the developer cartridge for restricting the transmission of the information from the information providing unit to the detection portion for a predetermined time after the information providing unit starts moving responsive to the detecting unit detecting that the developer cartridge is new, wherein the information transmission restricting unit is moved by receiving driving force from the driving source, and includes a light blocking portion for blocking passage of the light for the predetermined time after the information providing unit starts moving, and a light passage portion for allowing passage of the light after the predetermined time.