Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6637996
-
Patent Number
6,637,996
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, September 20, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, October 28, 200320 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 412 1
- 412 9
- 412 18
- 412 19
- 412 22
- 412 33
- 412 37
- 412 900
- 412 901
- 412 902
- 206 389
- 206 411
- 270 5808
- 493 334
- 493 384
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
The present invention relates to a bookbinding apparatus attached to face to an end face of a sheet bundle where the sheet bundle is formed of collected sheets on which images are formed by an image forming apparatus. The bookbinding apparatus comprises a container detachably attached to a body of the bookbinding apparatus and an adhesive sheet on a surface of which a hot melt type adhesive to be melt by a heating means is coated, the adhesive sheet being contained in the container as in a state that the adhesive sheet is wound in a roll shape.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bookbinding apparatus mounted in an image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer or the like to deliver recorded sheets a after the recorded sheets are stacked and bound, an adhesive cartridge, and an image forming apparatus using the bookbinding apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
As bookbinding apparatuses for image forming apparatuses such as laser beam printers or the like, there are apparatuses in which the sheets are delivered after the recorded sheets are stacked in the prescribed number and bound upon fastened by staplers at an end of the sheet bundle.
With the above bookbinding apparatus in which bookbinding is made with staplers, however, there raise problems such that the sheets require some margin for stapling, that the book is not easily opened after bound, that the appearance is not beautiful because staples appear on the surface, and that the end of the bound sheets is turned up.
As a bookbinding apparatus to solve the above problems, there is a bookbinding apparatus in which an end face of the sheets is adhered, or bound with so-called paste. For adhesive used in the bookbinding apparatus using such a paste, hot melt type adhesive is generally used.
Such bookbinding apparatuses for bookbinding in use of hot melt type adhesive can be categorized into two major types.
The first type is to make bookbinding in application of adhesive to the end of a sheet bundle to be bound with a coating roller or the like after the adhesive is melt by heating an entire adhesive pan with a heater arranged at the apparatus where the adhesive is placed in the adhesive pan capable of storing adequate adhesive for adhering sheets.
The second type is to make bookbinding by melting adhesive with a heater after adhesive is coated in advance on a cover sheet of a folio and then the sheet bundle is sandwiched by the cover sheet.
However, with the first type bookbinding apparatus, there raises a problem that it is difficult to handle hot melt type adhesive and therefore maintenance of the apparatus becomes very bad. In addition, excessive electric power is required to melt the adhesive, and therefore, there raises a problem that the apparatus consumes too much electric power for mounted as a bookbinding apparatus as an option of a printer or the like.
With the second bookbinding apparatus, there is a problem that the book cover to be used has to be selected in accordance with the thickness of the sheet bundle to be bound, and that the book cover has to be prepared in accordance with the thickness of the sheet bundle expected to be bound. Setting of the book cover is not easy, and the second bookbinding apparatus, as an option of a printer or the like, has a problem in controllability, costs, and maintenance property.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is made to solve the above problems and characterized in that, in a bookbinding apparatus stacking every prescribed number of sheets on which images are formed by an image forming apparatus and coating hot melt type adhesive on an end face of the stacked sheet bundle upon softening the adhesive by heating means, an adhesive sheet on which the hot melt type adhesive is coated is wound and formed into a roll shape to be contained in a container, which is detachably attached to a bookbinding apparatus body.
In another bookbinding apparatus stacking every prescribed number of sheets on which images are formed by an image forming apparatus and coating hot melt type adhesive on an end face of the stacked sheet bundle upon softening the adhesive by heating means, an adhesive sheet coated with the hot melt type adhesive, wound, and formed into a roll shape, and the heating means for heating and melting the sheet on which the adhesive is coated are contained in a single container, which is detachably attached to a bookbinding apparatus body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a whole cross section showing a printer to which a bookbinding apparatus according to the invention is mounted;
FIG.
2
(
a
) is a perspective view of an adhesive sheet cartridge according to the first embodiment of the invention;
FIG.
2
(
b
) is a cross section of an inserting portion on an apparatus body side of the adhesive sheet cartridge according to the first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3
is a cross section of the adhesive sheet cartridge according to the first embodiment of the invention where a heater is in a power-off state;
FIG. 4
is a cross section of the adhesive sheet cartridge according to the first embodiment of the invention where the heater is in a bookbinding operation state;
FIG. 5
is a cross section in a longitudinal direction of the adhesive sheet cartridge according to the first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 6
is a cross section of an adhesive sheet cartridge according to the second embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 7
is a perspective view of an adhesive sheet cartridge according to the second embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 8
is a perspective view of an adhesive sheet cartridge according to the third embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 9
is a perspective view of an adhesive sheet cartridge according to the third embodiment of the invention where an openable lid is in an open state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Hereinafter, embodiments of the invented bookbinding apparatus are described.
First Embodiment
FIG. 1
shows a cross section of a whole printer apparatus to which the invented ,bookbinding apparatus is mounted. Numeral
100
is a printer apparatus body; numeral
200
is a bookbinding apparatus according to the invention.
Now, the entire apparatus is described along a conveyance route of the sheets. A sheet P supplied sheet by sheet selectively from sheet cassettes
101
,
102
is conveyed to an image forming section made of an image forming process cartridge
106
, a transfer roller
107
, and the like at a prescribed timing by means of a register roller
105
, and thereby, desired images are recorded on a top of the sheet P. Subsequently, the recorded images are fixed by a fixing unit
108
.
Numeral
109
is a flapper provided at a branching off point between a facing down delivery stacking portion
111
via ejecting rollers
110
for delivering and stacking sheets whose recording surfaces are faced down upon reversing the sheets and a facing up delivery portion
113
for delivering the sheets whose recording surfaces are placed as they are, for sharing the sheets P to either ways.
The bookbinding apparatus
200
is installed to be capable of loading sheets P from the facing down delivery portion
113
of the printer
100
, and the connection state between the printer apparatus
100
and the bookbinding apparatus
200
is always monitored by a communicating means. When the printer
100
is not connected with the bookbinding apparatus
200
, a display or indicator of the printer apparatus shows such disconnection state, and the communication means sends such information to a controller.
When the apparatus receives an instruction to bookbinding operation while the bookbinding apparatus
200
is connected with the printer apparatus
100
, the flapper
109
moves toward the facing up delivery portion
113
, thereby delivering sheets to the bookbinding apparatus
200
.
The sheets P conveyed to the facing up delivery portion
113
of the printer apparatus body are conveyed to an inlet roller
202
of the bookbinding apparatus
200
and loaded into the bookbinding apparatus
200
.
In the bookbinding apparatus
200
, the loaded sheets P are fed and stacked as they are at the bookbinding section located on a lower side in FIG.
1
. Numeral
203
is a flapper and is urged pivotably as to always seal the conveyance route with weak urging force. When the sheets P are loaded from the inlet roller
202
, the flapper
203
opens the conveyance route upon moving pivotally in opposing to the urging force according to conveyance force of the sheet P, thereby guiding the sheet P to the alignment portion located on a lower side. Numeral
206
is a sheet loading guide, urged in a clockwise direction by an urging means, not shown, and engaged at a position shown in
FIG. 1
by an engagement member, not shown. When the sheet P is loaded, the sheet P is pushed to a right end of the conveyance route in
FIG. 1
by the sheet loading guide
206
and is conveyed.
Numerals
204
,
205
,
209
, and
210
are alignment rollers, which can individually be rotated and controlled to move. The alignment rollers
204
,
209
are shifted in the right direction in
FIG. 1
right before the sheet P is loaded, thereby controlling the conveyance route of the sheet P to be wide. When loading is finished, the rollers are then shifted to the left side in
FIG. 1
, the rollers, with the opposing rollers
205
,
210
, hold the sheet bundle with a prescribed pushing force, thereby forming a sheet bundle forming means
280
. With this operation, the sheets P to be stacked are aligned according to the page order from the left side in FIG.
5
and then stacked.
A sheet on which a hot melt type adhesive, as described below, is coated is disposed on a lower side face of the sheet bundle upon supported on a heating surface of the area heater
212
. When a sheet bundle of a prescribed number of sheets is placed thereon, the area heater
212
is heated to melt the hot melt type adhesive to adhere the stacked sheet bundle. Subsequently, after a prescribed cooling period of time is given, the bound sheet bundle is conveyed by reverse driving of the rollers
204
,
205
,
209
and
210
. The sheet loading guide
206
at that time escapes in rotating in the counterclockwise direction at a tip of the sheet bundle in opposing to the urging force. Then, the sheet bundle is guided by the flapper
203
to ejecting rollers
208
and the delivery tray
211
and is stacked in a manner that the bound sheet bundles face down with the recording sides down.
Numeral
300
is an adhesive sheet cartridge, and the structure thereof is described in detail based on the drawings. FIG.
2
(
a
) is a perspective view of this adhesive sheet cartridge; FIG.
2
(
b
) shows an inlet of the bookbinding apparatus body.
FIG. 3
is a cross section of the adhesive sheet cartridge according to the first embodiment of the invention where a heater is in a power-off state;
FIG. 4
is a cross section of the adhesive sheet cartridge according to the first embodiment of the invention where the heater is in a bookbinding operation state.
In
FIG. 3
, numeral
309
is an adhesive sheet on the surface of which a hot melt type adhesive is coated, wound in a roll shape on a first rotary shaft
332
, and contained in a cartridge container
330
. The adhesive sheet is a synthetic resin sheet made of a base sheet having adequate heat resistance and an adhesive layer formed on the surface of the base sheet. The adhesive is made of a material that can be melt at a prescribed temperature (around 130° C. in this embodiment), and has a structure that when the heater
212
heats a portion from the back side the corresponding portion comes to melt.
The adhesive sheet
309
wound in the roll shape is contained in a first containing portion
330
a
located on a right side of the cartridge container
330
. An end of the adhesive sheet is wound on a second rotary shaft
333
in a second containing portion
330
b
located on a left side of the cartridge container
330
via a pinch roller
315
held rotatively. The second rotary shaft
333
is rotatable only in the counterclockwise direction (direction of arrow A) by a one-way clutch not shown, and the first rotary shaft
332
is always given with rotation force in the clockwise direction (direction of arrow B) in a prescribed urging force F where the adhesive sheet
309
is wound on the second rotary shaft
333
. Accordingly, the adhesive sheet
309
is without loosely held by prescribed tension between the first rotary shaft
332
and the second rotary shaft
333
.
Numeral
331
is an opening. When bookbinding operation is made, the heater portion
212
for melting the hot melt type adhesive coated on the adhesive sheet from the lower side can project as shown in
FIG. 4
in overcoming the sheet tension. When the bookbinding work starts, the heater portion
212
located at the escaping position moves up by means of the extendable arm
222
, and as shown in
FIG. 4
, the heater portion
212
moves to the bookbinding position ion pushing up the adhesive sheet
309
from the heater control unit
221
. Subsequently, when sheets in a predetermined number are stacked, the adhesive sheet
309
comes to contact with a position corresponding to the spine of the sheet bundle, and the area heater
220
of the heater portion
212
is powered to heat and melt the hot melt type adhesive portion of the adhesive sheet
309
at about 130° C., thereby coating the adhesive on the end surface of the sheet bundle. At that time, the plural sheets are held in the vertical direction, and this forms a sheet bundle forming means
280
. The sheet bundle forming means
280
includes, as described above, the upper rollers
204
,
205
and the lower rollers
209
,
210
, which maintain the bound state in pressing in the thickness direction the sheets held in a plural number. In this state, because an end face (or the spine) of the sheet bundle is pressed by the self-weight to the adhesive sheet
309
, the adhesive is smoothly impregnated into the end face of the sheet bundle where the adhesive sheet
309
is heated to melt the adhesive on the surface of the adhesive sheet, and bookbinding is made by surely securing the end face of the sheets upon hardening of the adhesive. After the adhesive is coated on the sheet bundle upon heating for a predetermined time, the sheet bundle is nipped by the rollers
204
,
205
,
209
, and
210
and conveyed to deliver the bundle to the delivery tray
211
described above. When bookbinding of the sheet bundle ends, the adhesive sheet
309
is taken up on the second rotary shaft
333
by the predetermined distance so that the new hot melt type coating surface comes on the heater surface, thereby enabling the subsequent sheet bundle to be bound.
Numerals
251
,
252
are insertion guide grooves of the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
formed on the bookbinding apparatus body. When the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
is inserted in the apparatus, ribs
301
,
302
allow the cartridge
300
to be inserted smoothly in aid of the insertion guide grooves
251
,
252
. Numeral
304
is a window to make the remaining amount of the roll recognized directly with eyes. Numeral
306
is a grip, which is pivotally movable around a pivot center
323
as shown in FIG.
5
. When the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
is detached and attached, the grip
306
is moved to be about horizontal, thereby allowing the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
to be pulled out.
An engagement portion
321
is formed around the pivot center
323
of the grip
306
. This engagement portion
321
is an engagement member for rendering the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
locked to the bookbinding apparatus body. When the grip
306
is set approximately in a vertical position as shown in
FIG. 5
where the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
is inserted in the bookbinding apparatus body, the grip
306
is locked to a cover
256
of the bookbinding apparatus body. At that time, an outer surface
305
of the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
forms the same surface as the outer surface of the bookbinding apparatus body.
Numeral
325
is a projecting member to turn on a switch
320
. When the grip
306
is set, the switch
320
is turned on automatically. The switch
320
is an interlock switch, and if the switch is not turned on, the bookbinding apparatus does not begin operating.
As described above, the bookbinding operation can be done easily by structuring the apparatus to be used with the sheet, on which the hot melt type adhesive used for bookbinding in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, contained in the cartridge
300
in the form of the roll.
Second Embodiment
FIG.
6
and
FIG. 7
are diagrams showing a structure of the adhesive sheet cartridge in a bookbinding apparatus according to the second embodiment of the invention. In the above first embodiment, the heater portion
212
for melting the adhesive on the adhesive sheet during bookbinding is disposed in the bookbinding apparatus body and structured to be retractable by means of the heater control unit
221
, but in the second embodiment, an area heater
350
as a heater is in the body of the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
.
In
FIG. 7
, numerals
351
,
352
are contact points for heater, and the apparatus body can supply the power upon connecting a connector not shown with a power supply of the apparatus body where the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
is inserted in the bookbinding apparatus body. With the structure of the second embodiment, the heater control unit
21
is not required in the bookbinding apparatus body, so that the costs of the whole apparatus can be reduced.
Third Embodiment
FIG.
8
and
FIG. 9
are diagrams showing the structure of an adhesive sheet cartridge according to the third embodiment of the invention.
In
FIG. 8
, numeral
360
is an openable lid. The openable lid
360
is normally engaged with the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
by a hinge portion not shown and engagement portions
361
,
362
. Where the engagement portions
361
,
362
are disengaged, the openable lid
360
can be opened as shown in
FIG. 8
, so that the adhesive sheet
309
located inside can be replaced upon taken out of there.
As described above, when the adhesive sheet
309
in the adhesive sheet cartridge
300
is used up, the replacement can be made only with a new adhesive sheet, so that the adhesive sheet cartridge can be provided with excellent economical usage.
According to the invented bookbinding apparatus, by the structure of the detachable cartridge to the bookbinding apparatus where the hot melt type adhesive, most difficult to handle, is coated on a sheet and wound in the roll shape to be contained in the container, the bookbinding apparatus can improve the controllability and allow the bookbinding operation with adhesive even in a compact apparatus, which is otherwise implemented only with a large size apparatus.
Moreover, the invented bookbinding apparatus allows to melt the adhesive in a proper amount when used and to reduce the required heat capacity of the heater.
Furthermore, by containing the adhesive sheet in the cartridge, the bookbinding apparatus makes the maintenance of the apparatus easy, so that users can replace the cartridge and the adhesive sheet easily.
Claims
- 1. A bookbinding apparatus for coating, on an end face of a sheet bundle, a hot melt type adhesive upon softening the hot melt type adhesive to make bookbinding, comprising:a container detachably attached to a body of said bookbinding apparatus; a first rotary shaft and a second rotary shaft which are attached inside the container; an adhesive sheet on a surface of which a hot melt type adhesive is coated, the adhesive sheet being contained where wound around the first rotary shaft in a roll shape and being wound on the second rotary shaft; and heating means disposed between the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft for transferring the adhesive by heating the adhesive sheet to the end face of the sheet bundle in contact with the adhesive sheet.
- 2. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bookbinding apparatus is mounted to an image forming apparatus and makes bookbinding of collected sheet sheets on which images are formed by the image forming apparatus.
- 3. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating means is formed in the body of the bookbinding apparatus.
- 4. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating means is formed in a part of the container.
- 5. An adhesive cartridge for containing an adhesive sheet for a bookbinding apparatus for coating, on an end face of a sheet bundle, a hot melt type adhesive upon softening the hot melt type adhesive to make bookbinding, comprising:a first rotary shaft on which the adhesive sheet is wound in a roll shape; a second rotary shaft capable of engaging with an end of the adhesive sheet for winding the adhesive sheet; and a container formed with a first containing portion capable of containing the first rotary shaft and a second containing portion capable of containing the second rotary shaft and detachably attached to the body of the bookbinding apparatus.
- 6. The adhesive cartridge according to claim 5, further comprising a heating means formed between the first containing portion and the second containing portion of the container.
- 7. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet, comprising:recording means for recording an image on the sheet; sheet bundle forming means for collecting a plurality of sheets on which the image or images are formed; and a bookbinding apparatus for coating, on an end face of a sheet bundle placed on the sheet bundle forming means, a hot melt type adhesive upon softening the hot melt type adhesive to make bookbinding, comprising: a container detachably attached to a body of the bookbinding apparatus; a first rotary shaft and a second rotary shaft which are attached inside the container; an adhesive sheet on a surface of which a hot melt type adhesive is coated, the adhesive sheet being contained where wound around the first rotary shaft in a roll shape and being wound on the second rotary shaft; and heating means disposed between the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft for transferring the adhesive by heating the adhesive sheet to the end face of the sheet bundle in contact with the adhesive sheet.
- 8. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said heating means is formed in the body of the bookbinding apparatus.
- 9. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said heating means is formed in a part of the container.
- 10. An adhesive cartridge for containing an adhesive sheet for a bookbinding apparatus for coating, on an end face of a sheet bundle, a hot melt type adhesive upon softening the hot melt type adhesive to make bookbinding, comprising:a first rotary shaft on which the adhesive sheet is wound in a roll shape; a second rotary shaft capable of engaging with an end of the adhesive sheet for winding the adhesive sheet; and a container capable of containing the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft and detachably attached to the body of the bookbinding apparatus.
- 11. The adhesive cartridge to claim 10, further comprising a heating means formed between the first rotary shaft and the second rotary shaft of the container.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
11-268718 |
Sep 1999 |
JP |
|
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