Electrophotographic printing machine having a heat protecting device for the fuser

An electrophotographic printing machine comprising:

• transporting means for transporting a recording medium;
• a carriage movable in a first direction transverse to a second direction in which the recording medium is transported, said carriage comprising process means for forming a latent image on an image carrier and forming a toner image of said latent image, and fixing means having a fixing member for thermally fixing a transferred image corresponding to the toner image on the recording medium;
• transfer means, provided at a first side of the recording medium opposite to a second side thereof at which the carriage is located, for transferring the toner image on the recording medium to thereby form said transferred image;
• a refuge part located at a side of the transfer means and located in a print starting position in which the fixing means provided in the carriage takes refuge so as to prevent the transfer means from being thermally affected by the fixing means;
• and
• heating means for heating the fixing member of said fixing means when the carriage is located in the print starting position.