Image forming apparatus and method for determining suitability of replaceable component

摘要

An object of the invention is to make an exact judgment on suitability of a replaceable component such as a toner supplying container with use of an existing mechanism of an image forming apparatus, without additionally providing a data storage component designed for a consumable product which is detachably attached to the apparatus, or a data reading component to be placed in the image forming apparatus main body. In an incorporated control section (43), a specific part of a replaceable component (41), which is placed on an original platform (10) prior to being loaded into the apparatus, is optically scanned to read image information, and, based on the reading result, whether or not the replaceable component (41) is suitable for the image forming apparatus is judged.