Patent ID: 7593652

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, including: a latent image carrier that carries a latent image on a surface of a transfer belt; a developing unit that develops the latent image on the latent image carrier to a visible image with a developer carried on the transfer belt; a transfer unit that transfers the visible image on the latent image carrier onto any one of the transfer belt and a recording medium on a surface of the transfer belt; a fixing unit that fixes the visible image on the recording medium; and a cleaning unit that cleans the surface of the transfer belt while contacting thereof, and a measuring unit that measures an operation amount of at least one of the latent image carrier, the developing unit, the the transfer unit, the fixing unit, and the cleaning unit, wherein any one of the latent image carrier, the developing unit, the transfer unit, the fixing unit, the cleaning unit, and a holding unit, respectively, includes a storage unit that stores therein operation amount information on the operation amount obtained by the measuring unit, the measuring unit updates the operation amount information after measuring the operation amount, and the measuring unit measures an accumulated moving distance of at least one of the latent image carrier, the developing unit, the transfer belt, and the fixing unit as an alternative of an accumulated moving distance of the cleaning unit.