Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: photoconductor; charging unit; exposing unit; developing unit containing toner; transfer unit; and fixing unit, wherein the toner includes external additive and base particles containing binder resin, colorant, and release agent, the toner has melt viscosity at 100° C. of 500 Pa·s to 8,000 Pa·s and the release agent has melt viscosity at 100° C. of 20 mPa·s to 30 mPa·s, the fixing unit includes fixing member that has roller or belt shape and contacts toner image transferred onto recording medium, and the fixing member includes release layer on surface thereof that is to be brought into contact with the toner image transferred onto the recording medium, and wherein the release layer satisfies the following expressions: 45??c1?60, and 10??c1??c2, where ?c1 denotes receding contact angle [°] of the release agent to the release layer and ?c2 denotes receding contact angle [°] of the release agent to the toner.

Abstract: A toner housing container includes: a container body housing a toner; a conveying portion; a pipe receiving port; and an uplifting portion. Flow rate index of the toner measured by powder rheometer and represented by “flow rate index=(total energy at a rotation speed of 10 mm/s)/(total energy at a rotation speed of 100 mm/s)” is in a range of “1.8?flow rate index?6.5”. Container body includes protruding portion protruding from container body interior side of container opening portion toward one end of container body. Uplifting portion includes: uplifting wall surface extending from container body internal wall surface toward protruding portion; and curving portion curving to conform to protruding portion. When the toner housing container is mounted on the toner conveying device, the protruding portion is present between the curving portion and the toner receiving port of the conveying pipe being inserted.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: photoconductor; charging unit; exposing unit; developing unit containing toner; transfer unit; and fixing unit, wherein the toner includes external additive and base particles containing binder resin, colorant, and release agent, the toner has melt viscosity at 100° C. of 500 Pa·s to 8,000 Pa·s and the release agent has melt viscosity at 100° C. of 20 mPa·s to 30 mPa·s, the fixing unit includes fixing member that has roller or belt shape and contacts toner image transferred onto recording medium, and the fixing member includes release layer on surface thereof that is to be brought into contact with the toner image transferred onto the recording medium, and wherein the release layer satisfies the following expressions: 45??c1?10, and 10??c1??c2, where ?c1 denotes receding contact angle [°] of the release agent to the release layer and ?c2 denotes receding contact angle [°] of the release agent to the toner.

Abstract: A toner housing container includes: a container body housing a toner; a conveying portion; a pipe receiving port; and an uplifting portion. Flow rate index of the toner measured by powder rheometer and represented by “flow rate index=(total energy at a rotation speed of 10 mm/s)/(total energy at a rotation speed of 100 mm/s)” is in a range of “1.8?flow rate index?6.5”. Container body includes protruding portion protruding from container body interior side of container opening portion toward one end of container body. Uplifting portion includes: uplifting wall surface extending from container body internal wall surface toward protruding portion; and curving portion curving to conform to protruding portion. When the toner housing container is mounted on the toner conveying device, the protruding portion is present between the curving portion and the toner receiving port of the conveying pipe being inserted.

Abstract: An information storage device is made freely attachable to and detachable from a main machine via, for example, a cable, by a connector and includes: a hard disk driving mechanism section; and a housing for accommodating the hard disk driving mechanism section therein. The hard disk driving mechanism section is supported and suspended by vibration dampers so as to be spaced apart from the housing. Shock dampers are arranged between the hard disk driving mechanism section and the housing such that, in a normal state, the vibration dampers are in contact only with one of the hard disk driving mechanism section and the housing. Thus, vibration and shock resistance towards externally applied vibration and shock is significantly improved.