Patent ID: 9052621
Filing Date: 2015-06-09
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a toner; an image bearing member; a latent image forming unit configured to form a latent electrostatic image on the image bearing member; a developing unit configured to develop the latent electrostatic image with a toner to form a toner image; a transfer unit configured to transfer the toner image onto a recording medium; a fixing unit configured to fix the transferred toner image on the recording medium, wherein the fixing unit comprises a heating member containing a flexible endless belt; a heat source fixed within the flexible endless belt; and a press member in contact with the flexible endless belt to form a nip portion, and the fixing unit is configured to heat and press the recording medium passing through the nip portion to fix the image on the recording medium; wherein the toner contains an amorphous polymer, a crystalline resin and a releasing agent, wherein when the toner is measured for storage modulus G′ in a range of 40° C. to 210° C. with a rheometer at a measurement frequency of 1 Hz and a measurement strain of 1 deg, storage modulus G′(100) at 100° C. is 20,000 Pa or less and storage modulus G′(150) at 150° C. is 500 Pa or more, and a straight line drawn by connecting together a point of the storage modulus G′(100) and a point of storage modulus G′(110) at 110° C. on a curve of the storage modulus G′ of the toner has a gradient of 0.035 or less where the gradient is “a” expressed by the following equation: