Patent ID: 7885555

Claim:
An image forming apparatus that forms a toner image on a recording material, then heats and fixes the toner image on the recording material and outputs the recording material, comprising: an image forming apparatus main body; a fixing unit detachably attached to said image forming apparatus main body, said fixing unit including a unit-side connector that electrically connects with a main body-side connector of said image forming apparatus main body when said fixing unit is attached to said image forming apparatus main body to receive electric power from said image forming apparatus main body; a first fixing unit attachment detection portion that is disposed at a position on said image forming apparatus main body different from a position where said main body-side connector of said image forming apparatus main body is disposed in a longitudinal direction of said fixing unit; and a second fixing unit attachment detection portion that is disposed at a position on said image forming apparatus main body different from a position where said main body-side connector of said image forming apparatus main body is disposed and a position where said first fixing unit attachment detection portion is disposed in the longitudinal direction of said fixing unit, wherein each of said first fixing unit attachment detection portion and said second fixing unit attachment detection portion includes an optical sensor to detect presence or absence of said fixing unit.