Binding Apparatus and Image Formation System Using the Same

Abstract

Bookbinding apparatus facilitating, in the event it is halted during operation, the removal of any sheave left remaining inside, to eliminate the risk of sheets scattering. A sheet bundler/stacker bundles printed sheets into sheaves. Along a binding process path are provided a sheave transporter for transporting the sheaves and, at the downstream end of the bundler/stacker, an adhesive applicator in an adhesive-application position and a front-cover binder in a front-cover binding position. A sheave exiting-conveyor conveys sheaves from the front-cover binder into a storage stacker. A sheet-position recognizer detects/monitors the position of a sheave in the binding process path. If the bookbinding operations are interrupted, the position of any sheave left in the binding process path is determined by the sheet-position recognizer, and when the apparatus is restarted the order of the binding processes is altered depending on the position in which the sheave is left behind.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the entire structure of an image formation system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the details of a binding apparatus in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the operation status of a tray gripper provided in a sheet loading tray in the apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates the structure of a sheave transport means (grip transfer means) in the apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an adhesive storage container in the apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 illustrates the operation status showing a coating operation of the adhesive storage container of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates the operation status of a sheet binding means in the apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating the structure of a control means (control CPU) in the apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control procedure of the control means (control CPU) of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 illustrates an operation pattern in the flowchart of FIG. 9 when the apparatus is resumed.

Claims

1. A bookbinding apparatus, comprising: a bundling/stacking means for bundling sequentially supplied sheets into sheaves;a binding process path in which binding processes are carried out on sheaves from the sheet bundling/stacking means, and in which an adhesive-application position and a front-cover binding position are sequentially disposed;a sheave transport means for transporting sheaves from the sheet bundling/stacking means into the binding process path;an adhesive application means, provided at the adhesive-application position, for coating an edge of a sheave with adhesive;a front-cover binding means, provided in the front-cover binding position, for binding a sheave together with a front cover;a sheave exiting-conveyance means for conveying sheaves from the front-cover binding means to a storage stacker;a sheet-position recognition means for detecting/monitoring position of a sheave in the binding process path; anda control means for executing binding processes sequentially on sheaves from said sheet bundling/stacking means in the order adhesive application, front-cover bind-on, and sheet-bundle exiting conveyance; wherein:said control means is configured so as to cause, if power to the bookbinding apparatus is cut off or the apparatus is otherwise operationally interrupted, the sheet-position recognition means to determine the position of any sheave left behind in the binding process path and to alter, depending on the position in which the sheave is left behind, the manner in which the sheave is processed when the bookbinding apparatus is restarted.

2. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the sheet-position recognition means recognizes that a sheave left in the binding process path is positioned at the adhesive-application position or at the upstream side thereof, the remaining sheave is coated with adhesive by the adhesive application means to carry out the sheave by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to the storage stacker without being bound with a front cover sheet by the front-cover binding means.

3. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said control means includes a casing-in binding mode for binding the sheave coated with the adhesive by the adhesive-application position with a front cover sheet at the front-cover binding position to carry out the sheave to the storage stacker, anda back glue binding mode for carrying the sheave to the storage stacker without being bound with a front cover sheet at the front-cover binding position; andsaid control means subjects the sheave to the casing-in binding mode when the apparatus normally operates and subjects the sheave to the back glue binding mode the sheave left in the binding process path exists at the adhesive-application position or at the upstream thereof when the apparatus is restarted after discontinuation of the apparatus.

4. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means is configured to issue an instruction signal for removing the sheave from the sheet bundling/stacking means when the remaining sheave is positioned at the sheet bundling/stacking means, and to execute a control function whereby, when the remaining sheave is supported by the sheave transport means, this remaining sheave is coated with adhesive by the adhesive application means to carry the sheave, without being bound with a front cover sheet by the front-cover binding means, by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to the storage stacker.

5. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby: when the remaining sheave is positioned at the sheet bundling/stacking means, an instruction signal for removing this remaining sheave is issued;when the remaining sheave is positioned at the upstream side of the adhesive-application position while being supported by the sheave transport means, this remaining sheave is coated with adhesive by the adhesive application means to carry the sheave by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to the storage stacker; andwhen the remaining sheave is positioned at the downstream of the front-cover binding position, this remaining sheave is carried out by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to the storage stacker.

6. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheave transport means is composed by a grip transportation means for gripping the sheave from the sheet bundling/stacking means to transport the sheave.

7. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: the adhesive application means is structured to be able to coat the sheave with adhesive in an adjustable amount; andsaid control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the adhesive application means coats the remaining sheave with adhesive when the apparatus is restarted, the adhesive is coated in a smaller amount than that in a case where the sheave is subjected to a binding process without discontinuing the apparatus.

8. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the remaining sheave is included both in the sheet bundling/stacking means and in the sheave transport means when the apparatus is restarted, the sheave is removed from the sheet bundling/stacking means to subsequently start the adhesive application means.

9. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the remaining sheave is included both in the sheet bundling/stacking means and in the sheave transport means when the apparatus is restarted, the sheave is removed from the sheet bundling/stacking means to subsequently start the adhesive application means.

10. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the remaining sheave is included both in the sheave transport means and in the sheave exiting-conveyance means when the apparatus is restarted, the sheave is carried out by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to subsequently start the adhesive application means.

11. An image formation system, comprising: an image formation apparatus for sequentially forming images on a printed sheet; anda bookbinding apparatus for bundling and bookbinding printed sheets from the image formation apparatus, said binding apparatus including:a bundling/stacking means for bundling sequentially supplied sheets into sheaves;a binding process path in which binding processes are carried out on sheaves from the sheet bundling/stacking means, and in which an adhesive-application position and a front-cover binding position are sequentially disposed;a sheave transport means for transporting sheaves from the sheet bundling/stacking means into the binding process path;an adhesive application means, provided at the adhesive-application position, for coating an edge of a sheave with adhesive;a front-cover binding means, provided in the front-cover binding position, for binding a sheave together with a front cover;a sheave exiting-conveyance means for conveying sheaves from the front-cover binding means to a storage stacker;a sheet-position recognition means for detecting/monitoring position of a sheave in the binding process path; anda control means for executing binding processes sequentially on sheaves from said sheet bundling/stacking means in the order adhesive application, front-cover bind-on, and sheet-bundle exiting conveyance; wherein:said control means is configured so as to cause, if power to the bookbinding apparatus is cut off or the apparatus is otherwise operationally interrupted, the sheet-position recognition means to determine the position of any sheave left behind in the binding process path and to alter, depending on the position in which the sheave is left behind, the manner in which the sheave is processed when the bookbinding apparatus is restarted.

12. The image formation system according to claim 11, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the sheet-position recognition means recognizes that the sheave left in the binding process path is positioned at the adhesive-application position or at the upstream side thereof, this remaining sheave is coated with adhesive by the adhesive application means to carry out the sheave by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to the storage stacker without being bound with a front cover sheet by the front-cover binding means.

13. The image formation system according to claim 11, wherein: said control means includes a casing-in binding mode for binding the sheave coated with the adhesive by the adhesive-application position with a front cover sheet at the front-cover binding position to carry out the sheave to the storage stacker, anda back glue binding mode for carrying the sheave to the storage stacker without being bound with a front cover sheet at the front-cover binding position; andsaid control means subjects the sheave to the casing-in binding mode when the apparatus normally operates and subjects the sheave to the back glue binding mode the sheave left in the binding process path exists at the adhesive-application position or at the upstream thereof when the apparatus is restarted after discontinuation of the apparatus. The image formation system according to claim 11, wherein said control means is configured to issue an instruction signal for removing the sheave from the sheet bundling/stacking means when the remaining sheave is positioned at the sheet bundling/stacking means, and to execute a control function whereby, when the remaining sheave is supported by the sheave transport means, this remaining sheave is coated with adhesive by the adhesive application means to carry the sheave, without being bound with a front cover sheet by the front-cover binding means, by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to the storage stacker.

14. The image formation system according to claim 11, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby: when the remaining sheave is positioned at the sheet bundling/stacking means, an instruction signal for removing this remaining sheave is issued;when the remaining sheave is positioned at the upstream side of the adhesive-application position while being supported by the sheave transport means, this remaining sheave is coated with adhesive by the adhesive application means to carry the sheave by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to the storage stacker; and when the remaining sheave is positioned at the downstream of the front-cover binding position, this remaining sheave is carried out by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to the storage stacker.

15. The image formation system according to claim 11, wherein the sheave transport means is composed by a grip transportation means for gripping the sheave from the sheet bundling/stacking means to transport the sheave.

16. The image formation system according to claim 12, wherein: the adhesive application means is structured to be able to coat the sheave with adhesive in an adjustable amount; andsaid control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the adhesive application means coats the remaining sheave with adhesive when the apparatus is restarted, the adhesive is coated in a smaller amount than that in a case where the sheave is subjected to a binding process without discontinuing the apparatus.

17. The image formation system according to claim 14, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the remaining sheave is included both in the sheet bundling/stacking means and in the sheave transport means when the apparatus is restarted, the sheave is removed from the sheet bundling/stacking means to subsequently start the adhesive application means.

18. The image formation system according to claim 15, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the remaining sheave is included both in the sheet bundling/stacking means and in the sheave transport means when the apparatus is restarted, the sheave is removed from the sheet bundling/stacking means to subsequently start the adhesive application means.

19. The image formation system according to claim 15, wherein said control means is configured to execute a control function whereby, when the remaining sheave is included both in the sheave transport means and in the sheave exiting-conveyance means when the apparatus is restarted, the sheave is carried out by the sheave exiting-conveyance means to subsequently start the adhesive application means.