Image forming system

Abstract

An image forming system including a binding section that generates a stack of sheets by accumulating a plurality of sheets and that binds by wrapping the stack of sheets with a cover sheet in the shape of a horizontal U, the image forming system comprising: a measurement section to measure the thickness of the stack of sheets;a spine cover width determining section to determine a spine cover width in the cover sheet based on the thickness of the stack of sheets measured by said measurement section; andan image forming section to form on the cover sheet a front cover image and a back cover image separating them by a spacing equal to said spine cover width.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a detailed diagram of the wrapped book S3.

FIG. 2 is a development diagram of the cover sheet s2.

FIG. 3 is a center cross-section diagram of an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the process of coating an adhesive on the stack of sheets S1.

FIG. 5 is a detailed diagram of the display screen in the operation section A4.

FIG. 6 is a detailed diagram of the display screen in the operation section A4.

FIG. 7 is a detailed diagram of the display screen in the operation section A4.

FIG. 8 is a detailed diagram of the display screen in the operation section A4.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the control section in the image forming system.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship of outputting the images and the sheets S1 and the cover sheet S2 in the wrapped book S3.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the operation of measuring the thickness of the stack of sheets S1.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram related to the operation of the first gripping plate 502 and the second gripping plate 503.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart describing the operation of determining the spine cover width.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the spine cover width input mode in the operation section A4.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the binding operations using the input mode and the measurement mode.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of the spine cover width input mode in the operation section A4.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing the binding operations in which the spine cover width can be input again or can be set again.

FIG. 18 is a flow chart describing the alarm operations at the time the spine cover width is input.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of the alarm messages in the operation section A4.

Claims

1. An image forming system including a binding section that generates a stack of sheets by accumulating a plurality of sheets and that binds by wrapping the stack of sheets with a cover sheet in the shape of a horizontal U, the image forming system comprising: a measurement section to measure the thickness of the stack of sheets;a spine cover width determining section to determine a spine cover width in the cover sheet based on the thickness of the stack of sheets measured by said measurement section; andan image forming section to form on the cover sheet a front cover image and a back cover image separating them by a spacing equal to said spine cover width.

2. An image forming system including a binding section that generates a stack of sheets by accumulating a plurality of sheets and that binds by wrapping the stack of sheets with a cover sheet in the shape of a horizontal U, the image forming system comprising: an input section to input a value of a spine cover width in the cover sheet;a measurement section to measure the thickness of the stack of sheets;a spine cover width determining section to determine a spine cover width in the cover sheet in an input mode in which the spine cover width determining section determines the spine cover width in the cover sheet based on the value of the spine cover width inputted by said input section or in a measurement mode in which said spine cover width determining section determines the spine cover width based on the thickness of the stack of sheets measured by said measurement section;an image forming section to form on the cover sheet a front cover image and a back cover image separating them by a spacing equal to the spine cover width; anda control section to carry out switching between the input mode and the measurement mode of said measurement section when a plurality of books are to be bound, wherein said control section controls spine cover determining operation by said spine cover width determining section to operate in the input mode at least for the first book of the plurality of books to be bound.

3. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein said control section carries out switching from the input mode to measurement mode after said measurement section measures the thickness of the stack of sheets.

4. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein said control section stops temporarily book binding operation after said measurement section measures the thickness of the stack of sheets.

5. An image forming system including a binding section that generates a stack of sheets by accumulating a plurality of sheets and that binds by wrapping the stack of sheets with a cover sheet in the shape of a horizontal U, the image forming system comprising: an input section to input a value of a spine cover width in the cover sheet;a measurement section to measure the thickness of the stack of sheets;displaying section to display the value of the spine cover width that has been input by said input section and the result of the measurement of the thickness of the stack of sheets measured by said measurement section;a spine cover width determining section to determine a spine cover width in the cover sheet;a control section to control said measurement section to measure the thickness of the stack of sheets, and to control said displaying section to display the value of the spine cover width in the cover sheet inputted by said input section and the thickness of the stack of sheets measured by said measuring section after the measurement, and when a value of the spine cover width is inputted again by said input section or when the value of the spine cover width in the cover sheet that has already been inputted by said input section after displaying the value of the spine cover width in the cover sheet inputted by said input section, said control section controls said spine cover determining section to determine the spine cover width in the cover sheet based on the value of the spine cover width inputted again or the value of the spine cover width in the cover sheet that has already been inputted; andan image forming section to form on the cover sheet a front cover image and a back cover image separating them by a spacing equal to the spine cover width in the cover sheet determined by said determining section.

6. The image forming system according to claim 5, wherein when said control section controls said measurement section to measure the thickness of the stack of sheets, said control section controls said spine cover determining section to determine the spine cover width in the cover sheet based on the value of the spine cover width that has already been inputted.

7. The image forming system according to claim 5, wherein said control section stops temporarily book binding operation after said measurement section measures the thickness of the stack of sheets.

8. The image forming system according to claim 5, further comprising re-input button for re-inputting the thickness of the stack of sheets measured by said measuring section as a spine cover width.

9. The image forming system according to claim 5, further comprising an alarm section to make an alarm when the difference between the thickness of the stack of sheets measured by said measurement section and one of the value of the spine cover width inputted again and the value of the spine cover width in the cover sheet set again exceeds a prescribed value.

10. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein input by said input section is enabled after the alarm was made by said alarm section.

11. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein book binding operation is continued according to one of the value of the spine cover width inputted again and the value of the spine cover width in the cover sheet set again after the alarm was made by said alarm section.

12. The image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising: a first gripping member for gripping the stack of sheets;a second gripping member which is placed with an initial spacing from said first gripping member at a initial position; anda moving device for moving said second gripping member from the initial position;wherein said measuring section measures the thickness of the stack of sheets by gripping the stack of sheets with said first gripping member and the second gripping member by operating said moving device.

13. The image forming system according to claim 12, further comprising: a control section to execute measurement operation of measuring the initial spacing between said first gripping member and said second gripping member;wherein said measuring section measures the thickness of the stack of sheets based on the initial spacing measured by said measurement operation and an amount of movement of the second gripping member from the initial position.

14. The image forming system according to claim 13, further comprising: a memory section to store the initial spacing measured by said measurement operation;wherein said measurement section measures the thickness of the stack of sheets based on the initial spacing read out from said memory section.

15. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein said spine cover width determining section determines the thickness of the stack of sheets measured by said measurement section as a spine cover width in the cover sheet.

16. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein said spine cover width determining section determines a value obtained by adding an amount corresponding to a thickness of the cover sheet to the measured thickness of the stack of sheets as a spine cover width in the cover sheet.

17. The image forming system according to claim 13, further comprising: a control section for conveying the cover sheet from said image forming section to the binding section after conveying the plurality of sheets from said image forming section to the binding section.