Image formation system

Abstract

To provide an image formation system which can create pressure-bonding printed matter with proper pseudo adhesive force when creating the pressure-bonding printed matter by pressure-bonding a recording material on which a toner image is fixed.SOLUTION: A second path part 422 longer than a first path part 421 is provided in a folding processing device 400. When a temperature of a pressure-bonded postcard sheet is high, the pressure-bonded postcard sheet passing through a fixation device 8 is conveyed to the second path part 422. By conveying the pressure-bonded postcard sheet to the second path part 422, a time required to reach a pressure-bonding device 600 from the fixation device 8 in the folding processing device 400 can be extended. Therefore, much heat is radiated from the pressure-bonded postcard sheet during conveyance and the temperature of the pressure-bonded postcard sheet can be reduced. Namely, the pressure-bonded postcard sheet is cooled after passage of the fixation device 8 and the temperature of the pressure-bonded postcard sheet can be reduced to a temperature at which proper pseudo adhesive force can be obtained at the pressure-bonding of the pressure-bonding device 600. Consequently, the pressure-bonding printed matter with the proper pseudo adhesive force can be created.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming system that forms a toner image on a recording material, folds the recording material on which the toner image has been formed, and presses the folded recording material to produce a pressed print. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, image forming systems for producing pressure-bonded prints have been proposed (Patent Document 1). Examples of pressure-bonded prints include pressure-bonded postcards in which two surfaces (called pressure-bonded surfaces) of a recording material folded in half are overlapped and pseudo-bonded. In the case of such pressure-bonded postcards, a user cannot read toner images such as characters and pictures formed on the pressure-bonded surface until the pseudo-bonded pressure-bonded surface is peeled off. Note that the pseudo-bonding referred to here is a type of adhesion that can be peeled off after bonding, but is difficult to re-adhere after peeling.

[0003] As an example of a method for performing pseudo-adhesion, there is a glue method in which a pre-glued recording material with a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to the surface is used, and the recording material is folded and pressed by a pressure-bonding processing device to perform pseudo-adhesion (Patent Document 2). However, when using a pre-glued recording material, if the temperature of the recording material is too high during pressing, there is a risk of generating a pressure-bonded printed matter with such a strong pseudo-adhesion force that it is difficult for the user to peel off. Conversely, if the temperature of the recording material is too low during pressing, there is a risk of generating a pressure-bonded printed matter with such a weak pseudo-adhesion force that it is easy to peel off naturally. As described in Patent Document 2, the appropriate pseudo-adhesion force is "35N / m to 80N / m", more preferably "40N / m to 60N / m". In order to obtain an appropriate pseudo-adhesion force, the temperature of the recording material during pressing is preferably "15°C to 80°C", and more preferably "20°C to 60°C". [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-35454 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-57517 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, the toner image is fixed to the recording material by heating and pressing the recording material with the fixing device. Therefore, the recording material heated by the fixing device is transported to the pressure bonding processing device in a relatively high temperature state. Therefore, when a pre-glued recording material is used, there is a risk of generating a pressure-bonded printed matter with such a strong pseudo-adhesion force that it is difficult for the user to peel it off, as described above. Therefore, it is considered to lower the fixing temperature of the fixing device in order to press the recording material at a temperature in the above range. However, when the fixing temperature is lowered, the fixability of the toner to the recording material decreases, so that when the pressure-bonded printed matter is peeled off, a part of the toner formed on one side is likely to peel off and move to the other side. Therefore, it was difficult to adopt a lower fixing temperature.

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an image forming system capable of creating a laminated printed matter with an appropriate pseudo-adhesive strength when a toner image is fixed to a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to its surface, and the recording material with the fixed toner image is then laminated to create a laminated printed matter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an image forming device having an image forming means capable of forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface and a fixing means for applying heat and pressure to the recording material to fix the toner image to the recording material; a folding section arranged downstream of the image forming device in the transport direction of the recording material and capable of folding the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means so that the surfaces on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers have been formed are overlapped; a pressing section arranged downstream of the folding section in the transport direction and pressing together the areas on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers have been formed of the recording material folded by the folding section; a first transport path having a first length as a transport path from the fixing means through the folding section to the pressing section; a second transport path having a second length longer than the first length; and a switching section for switching the transport path to either the first transport path or the second transport path.

[0008] An image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises an image forming device having an image forming means capable of forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface and a fixing means for applying heat and pressure to the recording material to fix the toner image to the recording material; a folding section arranged downstream of the image forming device in terms of the transport direction of the recording material and capable of folding the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means so that the surfaces on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers are formed are overlapped; a pressing section arranged downstream of the folding section in terms of the transport direction and which presses together the areas on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed of the recording material folded by the folding section; and a cooling means capable of cooling the recording material on the transport path from the fixing means through the folding section to the pressing section. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, when a toner image is fixed to a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface, and the recording material with the fixed toner image is then pressure-bonded to create a pressure-bonded printed matter, a pressure-bonded printed matter with an appropriate pseudo-adhesive strength can be created. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing a control configuration of the image forming system. [Diagram 3] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between fixing temperature, pseudo adhesive force, and the presence or absence of toner peeling. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing a process for setting a compressed printed product according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 6 is a graph showing a change in temperature of a recording material after it has passed through a fixing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing a process for setting a laminated printed product according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 6 is a graph showing a change in temperature of a recording material caused by a cooling fan. [Figure 9] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the temperature of the pressure roller pair and the pseudo adhesive force. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing a process for setting a laminated printed product according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] [First embodiment] <Image forming system> The present embodiment will be described below. First, the image forming system of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The image forming system 1X of this embodiment has an image forming apparatus 100 capable of executing an image forming mode in which a toner image is formed on a recording material S, and a pressure bonding apparatus 200 capable of executing a pressure bonding mode in which a recording material S on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 100 is subjected to pressure bonding. The pressure bonding apparatus 200 is a post-process unit that can be freely added to the image forming apparatus 100 for functional expansion, and the image forming apparatus 100 and the pressure bonding apparatus 200 are connected so that the recording material S can be transferred. This image forming system 1X can create a pressure-bonded printed matter such as a pressure-bonded postcard by conveying the recording material S on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 100 to the pressure bonding apparatus 200 and folding and pressing the recording material S by the pressure bonding apparatus 200.

[0012] 1, the pressing device 200 is shown as an example equipped with a folding device 400 and a pressing device 600. The folding device 400 is disposed downstream of the image forming device 100 in the conveying direction of the recording material S, and the pressing device 600 is disposed downstream of the folding device 400. The image forming device 100, the folding device 400, and the pressing device 600 are connected by a data input / output interface (not shown) capable of serial communication or parallel communication so that control signals, data, and the like can be transmitted and received between them.

[0013] <Image forming device> The image forming apparatus 100 will be described. The image forming apparatus 100 is a tandem-type full-color printer of an electrophotographic system. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 has image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd that form images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively. The image forming apparatus 100 forms a toner image on a recording material S based on image data sent from a document reading device (not shown) connected to the apparatus main body or from an external device such as a personal computer or an external controller connected to the apparatus main body so as to be able to input and output data.

[0014] In this embodiment, the image data includes information regarding a first toner image to be formed on one side of the recording material S, information regarding a second toner image to be formed on the other side of the recording material S, information regarding the folding method (for example, the folding position according to the size of the recording material S) and the pressing surface (the surface on the valley fold side), etc.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd are arranged in line in the moving direction of an intermediate transfer belt 130 in the main body of the apparatus. The intermediate transfer belt 130 is rotated while being stretched around a plurality of rollers (13, 14, and 15). The intermediate transfer belt 130 carries and transports a toner image to be primarily transferred as described below. A secondary transfer outer roller 11 is arranged at a position opposite to the secondary transfer inner roller 14, which stretches the intermediate transfer belt 130, with the intermediate transfer belt 130 sandwiched therebetween, forming a secondary transfer unit T2 that transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 130 to a recording material S. A fixing device 8 is arranged downstream of the secondary transfer unit T2 in the recording material transport direction.

[0016] A cassette 10 containing a recording material S is disposed at the bottom of the image forming apparatus 100. The recording material S is conveyed from the cassette 10 toward the registration roller 12 by a conveying roller 16. Thereafter, the registration roller 12 starts to rotate in synchronization with the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 130, so that the recording material S is conveyed to the secondary transfer portion T2. ​​A plurality of cassettes 10 are arranged so as to be able to contain recording materials S of different sizes and thicknesses, and a recording material S selected by a user from any of the plurality of cassettes 10 is conveyed. It should be noted that the recording material S is not limited to the recording material S contained in the cassette 10, and the recording material S placed on the manual feed tray 160 may be conveyed. Also, the recording material S contained in a paper feeder (not shown) connected as an option to the image forming apparatus 100 as a housing different from that of the image forming apparatus 100 may be conveyed to the image forming apparatus 100.

[0017] The four image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd of the image forming apparatus 100 have substantially the same configuration, except for the different developing colors. Therefore, the yellow image forming unit Pa will be described here as a representative, and illustrations and descriptions of the other image forming units Pb, Pc, and Pd will be omitted.

[0018] The image forming unit Pa is provided with a cylindrical photosensitive drum 3a as a photosensitive member. The photosensitive drum 3a is rotated in a predetermined direction. A charging device 2a, an exposure device La, a developing device 1a, a primary transfer roller 24a, and a drum cleaning device 4a are arranged around the photosensitive drum 3a.

[0019] A process of forming, for example, a full-color image by the image forming apparatus 100 will be described. First, when the image forming operation is started, the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 3a is uniformly charged by the charging device 2a. The charging device 2a is, for example, a corona charger that irradiates charged particles associated with corona discharge to charge the photosensitive drum 3a to a uniform negative polarity dark potential. Next, the photosensitive drum 3a is scanned and exposed by a laser beam corresponding to an image signal emitted from the exposure device La. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3a. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 3a is developed into a toner image, which is a visible image, by a developer containing toner and carrier contained in the developing device 1a.

[0020] In the present embodiment, the developing device 1a uses a two-component developer containing a non-magnetic toner and a magnetic carrier as a developer. The toner contains a binder resin, a colorant, and a release agent (wax). The binder resin may be a known one. For example, a vinyl copolymer such as a styrene-(meth)acrylic copolymer, a polyester resin, a hybrid resin in which a vinyl copolymer unit and a polyester unit are chemically bonded, an epoxy resin, a styrene-butadiene copolymer, or other resin may be used. Known colorants may be used for yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, respectively.

[0021] Examples of the release agent include aliphatic hydrocarbon waxes such as low molecular weight polyethylene, low molecular weight olefin copolymer wax, microcrystalline wax, Fischer-Tropsch wax, and paraffin wax, oxides of aliphatic hydrocarbon waxes such as oxidized polyethylene wax, and block copolymers thereof; waxes mainly composed of fatty acid esters such as carnauba wax and montan acid ester wax, ester waxes which are synthetic reaction products of higher fatty acids and higher alcohols such as behenyl behenate and behenyl stearate, and partially or completely deoxidized fatty acid esters such as deoxidized carnauba wax.

[0022] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 3a is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 130 at a primary transfer section formed between the photosensitive drum 3a and a primary transfer roller 24a disposed with the intermediate transfer belt 130 sandwiched therebetween. At this time, a primary transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer roller 24a. Toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3a after the primary transfer is removed by a drum cleaning device 4a.

[0023] Such an operation is performed in sequence at each of the image forming sections Pa to Pd of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and the four color toner images are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 130. Thereafter, the recording material S accommodated in the cassette 10 is conveyed to the secondary transfer section T2 in accordance with the timing of the formation of the toner images. Then, by applying a secondary transfer bias to the secondary transfer outer roller 11, the full-color toner images formed on the intermediate transfer belt 130 are secondary-transferred all at once to the recording material S. The toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 130 after the secondary transfer is removed by the belt cleaning device 22. In this embodiment, the image forming sections Pa to Pd, the intermediate transfer belt 130, the rollers (13, 14, 15), the secondary transfer outer roller 11, and the like constitute an image forming unit 150 as an image forming means capable of forming a toner image on the recording material S.

[0024] The recording material S on which the toner image has been formed is transported to a fixing device 8 as a fixing means. The fixing device 8 has a fixing roller and a pressure roller, and is capable of heating and pressurizing the recording material S by nipping and transporting the recording material S on which the toner image has been formed in a fixing nip portion formed by these rollers, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording material S.

[0025] The image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment is capable of double-sided printing. In a single-sided image forming mode, the recording material S on one side of which a toner image is fixed by the fixing device 8 is conveyed to the pressure bonding processing device 200. In a double-sided image forming mode, the recording material S on one side of which a toner image is fixed by the fixing device 8 is conveyed to the double-sided conveying section 190. In the double-sided conveying section 190, the recording material S is inverted while being conveyed, and the front side (first side) and the back side (second side) of the recording material S are swapped. The inverted recording material S is conveyed again through the double-sided conveying section 190 toward the registration roller 12. Then, the recording material S is conveyed toward the secondary transfer section T2 by the registration roller 12 with the back side (second side) not printed facing the intermediate transfer belt 130. In the secondary transfer section T2, the full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 130 is secondarily transferred collectively to the back side of the recording material S. Thereafter, the toner image is fixed onto the recording material S by the fixing device 8 , and the recording material S onto which the toner image has been fixed is conveyed to the pressure bonding device 200 .

[0026] The image forming apparatus 100 also includes a main control unit 101. In this embodiment, the main control unit 101 functions as a control means capable of controlling the image forming apparatus 100 to execute an image forming process for forming an image on a recording material S, and also capable of controlling the pressure bonding apparatus 200 to execute a pressure bonding process for folding and pressure bonding the recording material S. The control configuration of the image forming system 1X will be described later (see FIG. 3).

[0027] <Recording material> Next, the recording material S will be described. In this embodiment, a pre-glued type recording material S having a substrate and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is used. The substrate may be any substrate capable of forming a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on at least one side, and examples thereof include fine paper, medium-quality paper, and coated paper. From the viewpoint of confidentiality, it is desirable that the substrate does not transmit light and that the toner image formed on one side is difficult to see through on the other side. The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed by a pressure-sensitive adhesive that is pseudo-adhered by pressure, and includes an adhesive substrate and an adhesion regulator. The adhesive substrate is, for example, a composition containing natural rubber latex or its modified product, synthetic rubber latex, synthetic resin, etc. The adhesion regulator is a known wax such as paraffin wax, or a particulate filler such as silica, titanium oxide, calcium carbonate, etc. All of them have low affinity with the adhesive substrate, and adjust the adhesive strength as a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0028] The particulate filler contained in the adhesive base material protrudes from the adhesive base material, forming an uneven shape on the surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer. Due to this uneven shape, the adhesive base material is not exposed to the surface when no pressure is applied, and therefore no adhesiveness is exhibited. On the other hand, when surfaces coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive layers are overlapped and pressure is applied, the adhesive base material comes to the surface, and adhesiveness is exhibited by the adhesive base material of each of the overlapping surfaces. Considering that the transportation costs, such as postage, of pressure-sensitive postcards are cheaper than those of envelopes, the basis weight of the recording material is set at "64 g / m 2 ~209g / m 2 " It is preferable that

[0029] <Crimping processing equipment> Next, the pressure bonding device 200 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the pressure bonding device 200 of this embodiment has a folding device 400 and a pressure bonding device 600. The folding device 400 folds the recording material S with the top surface of the recording material S facing inward. The pressure bonding device 600 applies pressure to the folded recording material S. The folding device 400 and the pressure bonding device 600 will be described below.

[0030] <Folding device> The folding device 400 is a device that performs folding processing by folding the recording material S that has undergone the image forming process by the image forming device 100. In this embodiment, as an example, a roller pressure contact type folding device 400 that is capable of folding in three and folding in two is shown. In the folding device 400, the recording material S transported from the image forming device 100 is transported by a plurality of transport roller pairs 401 (403, 404).

[0031] The folding device 400 has a first conveying path and a second conveying path as a conveying path for conveying the recording material S from the fixing device 8 through the folding section 440 to the pressing section 640 described later. In the case of the present embodiment, the first conveying path has a first length, which is a length of the conveying path from the fixing device 8 through the folding section 440 to the pressing section 640. The second conveying path has a second length, which is longer than the first length. More specifically, the first conveying path has a first path section 421 for conveying the recording material S and a folding section 440 downstream of the first path section 421 in the conveying direction. The second conveying path has a second path section 422 for conveying the recording material S and a folding section 440 downstream of the second path section 422 in the conveying direction. The second path section 422 has a longer length of the path for conveying the recording material S than the first path section 421. When a pressure-bonded printed matter is to be produced, the conveying path of the recording material S is switched to either the first conveying path or the second conveying path by a switching flapper 423 as a switching section, and the recording material S passes through the folding section 440 and is conveyed to the pressure bonding device 600. This will be described later.

[0032] In the folding section 440, a folding process is performed to fold the recording material S. The operation of the folding section 440 will be described by taking an example of folding the recording material S twice into a Z shape (for example, folding in three on the outside). The recording material S is distributed to different conveying paths by a flapper 402 depending on whether folding is required. The recording material S is distributed to a folding path 413 when a pressure-bonded printed product is to be produced, and is distributed to a fold avoidance path 414 when a pressure-bonded printed product is not to be produced.

[0033] When the recording material S is distributed to the folding path 413, it is temporarily stopped at the position of the registration roller pair 405, and a registration correction is performed while forming a loop. The registration-corrected recording material S is conveyed again, and at a predetermined timing after passing the folding position detection sensor 406, it is drawn in by the first folding roller pair 407 and the second folding roller pair 408, and the first folding process is performed at the same time. Then, when the drawn-in recording material S hits the folding abutment stopper 409, it is drawn in by the second folding roller pair 408 and the third folding roller pair 410, and the second folding process is performed at the same time. In this way, the first surface side of the recording material S is folded at the first fold so that the overlapping surfaces of the first surface side on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed overlap each other, and the second surface side is folded at the second fold so that the overlapping surfaces of the second surface side on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed opposite to the first surface side overlap each other. Then, the recording material S that has been subjected to the second folding process is conveyed toward the discharge roller pair 404, and is delivered to the subsequent pressing device 600 by the discharge roller pair 404. When the recording material S is diverted to the fold avoidance path 414, the recording material S is delivered to the subsequent pressure bonding device 600 by the pair of discharge rollers 404 without being folded in three as described above.

[0034] The operation of the folding section 440 will be described by taking an example of folding in two. When the recording material S is assigned to the folding path 413, it is subjected to registration correction in the same manner as in the case of folding in three described above, and is transported again. In the case of folding in two, the recording material S is pulled in by the first folding roller pair 407 and the second folding roller pair 408, and is folded when the trailing end of the recording material S hits the trailing end abutment stopper 411 after passing the folding position detection sensor 406. The recording material S is folded in two at the crease with the surfaces on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers are formed overlapping each other. At this time, the pulled-in recording material S is guided by the leading end guide 412, which has been moved to a predetermined position in advance, and is pulled in by the second folding roller pair 408 and the third folding roller pair 410. The recording material S pulled in by the second folding roller pair 408 and the third folding roller pair 410 is transported toward the discharge roller pair 404, and is delivered to the subsequent film supply device 800 by the discharge roller pair 404. When the recording material S is diverted to the fold avoidance path 414, the recording material S is not folded in two as described above, but is delivered to the subsequent pressing device 600 by the pair of discharge rollers 404. In this embodiment, when the recording material S having toner images formed on both sides is conveyed, the recording material S is folded in two by making a valley fold so that the second sides, i.e., the sides on which the toner images are formed later, face each other.

[0035] <Crimping device> Next, the pressing device 600 will be described. The pressing device 600 is a device that performs pressing processing to press the recording material S that has been subjected to the folding process by the folding device 400. In this embodiment, as an example, a roller pressing type pressing device 600 that can press the recording material S by applying pressure to the recording material S via a pair of pressing rollers that sandwich and convey the recording material S is shown. The pressing device 600 has a pressing process control unit 630 and a pressing unit 640 that presses the recording material S.

[0036] The recording material S conveyed from the folding device 400 to the pressing device 600 is distributed to different conveying paths by a flapper (not shown) depending on whether or not pressing is required. When pressing is required for the recording material S, the recording material S is distributed to a pressing path 610 toward a pressing section 640, where it is pressed and discharged outside the pressing device 600. When pressing is not required for the recording material S, the recording material S is distributed to a pressing avoidance path 620 that avoids the pressing section 640, and is discharged outside the pressing device 600 without being pressed.

[0037] The pressing unit 640 will be described. The pressing unit 640 has a pair of pressing rollers 601 that rotate to sandwich and transport the recording material S. The pair of pressing rollers 601 has an upper roller 601a as a first rotating body and a lower roller 601b as a second rotating body that presses the upper roller 601a. ​​The lower roller 601b forms a nip portion between the upper roller 601a and the lower roller 601b to sandwich and transport the recording material S and press it. Therefore, the upper roller 601a and the lower roller 601b can apply pressure to the recording material S while sandwiching and transporting the folded recording material S. As a result, the recording material S that is folded with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the inside is pseudo-adhered by being pressed so that the areas where the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed are pasted together.

[0038] Here, the pressure applied to the recording material S in the pressure bonding section 640 is several MPa or more, and the pressure applied to the recording material S by the fixing device 8 is about "0.1 to 0.5 MPa." The recording material S exhibits adhesiveness when the adhesive base material comes to the surface due to the application of high pressure (several MPa or more). Therefore, in the fixing device 8, which uses low pressure, the recording material S reaches a high temperature of "100 to 200°C," but the adhesive base material does not easily come to the surface, so adhesiveness is not exhibited and the recording material does not adhere.

[0039] <Control configuration of image forming system> Next, the control configuration of the image forming system 1X will be described using Fig. 2 while referring to Fig. 1. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the image forming apparatus 100 (more specifically, the main control unit 101) centrally manages operation commands for the pressure bonding apparatus 200 (folding apparatus 400, pressure bonding apparatus 600) and controls them. Note that various devices such as motors and power supplies are connected in addition to those shown in Fig. 2, but illustration and description of these are omitted here as they are not the main point of the invention.

[0040] 2, in the image forming system 1X of this embodiment, the folding control unit 430 and the crimping control unit 630 are connected to the main control unit 101 via a communication cable 500 so as to be able to communicate operation commands and various data. In accordance with an operation command from the main control unit 101, the folding control unit 430 operates the folding device 400, and the crimping control unit 630 operates the crimping device 600. That is, the main control unit 101 can control the entire image forming system 1X by transmitting operation commands to the crimping device 200 (the folding device 400 and the crimping device 600) while controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0041] The main control unit 101, the folding control unit 430, and the pressing control unit 630 may have the same configuration, and each of them has, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0042] The main control unit 101 has a CPU 102, a ROM 103, and a RAM 104. The ROM 103 and the RAM 104 store various programs and various data, such as a later-described compression printed product setting process (see FIG. 4). The RAM 104 can also temporarily store the results of calculations and the like associated with the execution of the various programs.

[0043] The image forming apparatus 100 includes an operation unit 700 having, for example, a liquid crystal display unit (see FIG. 1), and the operation unit 700 is connected to the main control unit 101. The operation unit 700 is, for example, a touch panel, and is capable of displaying various screens presenting various programs and various data on the liquid crystal display unit 710, and also accepts inputs for starting various programs and inputting various data in response to user operations such as touch operations by the user.

[0044] A user can input the start of an "image forming job" from the operation unit 700, and can also set up the creation of a laminated print. When an "image forming job" is input, the CPU 102 executes a "laminated print setting process (program)" stored in the ROM 103. In response to this, the image forming apparatus 100 and the lamination processing apparatus 200 (folding apparatus 400, lamination apparatus 600) can be operated.

[0045] The folding control unit 430 includes a CPU 431, a ROM 432, and a RAM 433. The CPU 431 operates the folding device 400 based on a control program stored in the ROM 432. The folding control unit 430 is connected to a motor 480 that drives the flapper 402, the switching flapper 423, and the plurality of pairs of conveying rollers 401 (403, 404). The folding control unit 430 can switch a part of the conveying path of the recording material S in the folding device 400 to either the first conveying path or the second conveying path by switching the flapper 402 and the switching flapper 423. In addition, the folding control unit 430 can change the conveying speed of the recording material S by the plurality of pairs of conveying rollers 401 (403, 404) by changing the rotation speed of the motor 480. In addition, a cooling fan 450 may be connected to the folding control unit 430 as described later.

[0046] The pressure bonding control unit 630 includes a CPU 631, a ROM 632, and a RAM 633. The CPU 631 operates the pressure bonding device 600 based on a control program stored in the ROM 632. A motor 634 that rotates and drives the pressure bonding roller pair 601 is connected to the pressure bonding control unit 630. The pressure bonding control unit 630 can change the number of rotations of the motor 634 by receiving a target speed of the recording material S from the main control unit 101. The pressure bonding control unit 630 can also change the conveying path of the recording material S in the pressure bonding device 600 to either the pressure bonding path 610 or the pressure avoidance path 620 by switching a flapper (not shown). Note that the pressure bonding control unit 630 may also be connected to a thermistor 602 that detects the temperature of the pressure bonding roller pair 601 as described later.

[0047] Next, the pseudo adhesive force will be described. The inventors conducted an experiment in which they created pressure-bonded postcards using a pre-glued type recording material S, and measured the pseudo adhesive force of the created pressure-bonded postcards. In the experiment, as the pre-glued type recording material S, pressure-bonded postcard paper "POSTEX tri-fold" (basis weight 100 g / m) manufactured by Toppan Forms Co., Ltd. was used. 2 ) and "POSTEX Bi-Fold" (grammage 150g / m 2 ) was used. The fixing temperatures of the fixing device 8 were set to "140°C, 150°C, 160°C, 170°C, 180°C, 190°C, and 200°C," and the pressure of the pressure roller of the fixing device 8 was set to "0.5 MPa," and the toner image was fixed onto the pressure-bonded postcard paper. The pressure applied by the first folding roller pair 407, the second folding roller pair 408, and the third folding roller pair 410 of the folding device 400 was set to "0.8 MPa," and the pressure applied by the pressure roller pair 601 of the pressure bonding device 600 was set to "5 MPa."

[0048] The pseudo-adhesive strength was measured based on a T-type peel test in accordance with JIS K6854 (test method for peel strength of adhesives). The appropriate pseudo-adhesive strength for pressure-bonded postcards is "40N / m to 60N / m", and the presence or absence of peeling of the toner image in the T-type peel test was visually confirmed. The experimental results are shown in FIG. 3. In the pseudo-adhesive strength judgment shown in FIG. 3, a "◯" mark indicates that the pseudo-adhesive strength is appropriate, and a "×" mark indicates that the pseudo-adhesive strength is not appropriate. In this embodiment, the appropriate pseudo-adhesive strength is in the range of "40N / m to 60N / m".

[0049] As can be seen from Figure 3, with "POSTEX tri-fold," toner peeling did not occur at any of the fixing temperatures (marked with a circle), and good pseudo-adhesion could be obtained when the fixing temperature was "140°C, 150°C." However, when the fixing temperature was "160°C to 200°C," the pseudo-adhesion was too strong and re-peeling was difficult (marked with an x). On the other hand, with "POSTEX bi-fold," good pseudo-adhesion was obtained when the fixing temperature was "140°C, 150°C" (marked with a circle), but toner peeling occurred (marked with an x). In contrast, when the fixing temperature was "170°C to 200°C," where toner peeling did not occur, the pseudo-adhesion was too strong and re-peeling was difficult (marked with an x).

[0050] According to the above experimental results, when the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 is high, the temperature of the pressed postcard paper is too high when pressed by the pressing device 600, and the pseudo adhesive force is considered to be strong. However, when the basis weight of the pressed postcard paper is large, the fixing temperature must be higher to melt the toner sufficiently. In that case, the toner image is difficult to fix to the recording material S, and the toner is likely to peel off when the created pressed postcard is peeled off. In addition, if the fixing temperature is the same, the pseudo adhesive force is stronger in "POSTEX tri-fold" than in "POSTEX bi-fold". This is because the basis weight of "POSTEX tri-fold" is smaller than that of "POSTEX bi-fold", and therefore the recording material S is transported from the fixing device 8 to the pressing device 600 via the folding device 400 while the temperature of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is still higher.

[0051] <Lamination print setting process> Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to create a pressure-bonded postcard with an appropriate pseudo-adhesive strength, the temperature of the recording material S conveyed from the fixing device 8 is lowered so that the pressure-bonding device 600 presses the recording material S at an appropriate temperature. The temperature of the recording material S is lowered to "15°C to 80°C", more preferably "20°C to 60°C" between the time the recording material S passes through the fixing device 8 and the time it reaches the pressure-bonding device 600. The pressure-bonded print setting process of the first embodiment will be described below using FIG. 4 with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The pressure-bonded print setting process of this embodiment is started by the main control unit 101 when, for example, the start of an "image formation job" is input from the operation unit 700.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 4, the main control unit 101 acquires job data sent from the operation unit 700 or an external device (S1). In addition to image data relating to a toner image to be formed on the recording material S, the job data includes the type and basis weight of the recording material S, whether or not post-processing is performed, the number of output sheets, and the like. The main control unit 101 determines whether or not to create a bonded postcard (S2). For example, if bonded postcard paper is set as the type of recording material S in the job data, the main control unit 101 creates a bonded postcard as described below.

[0053] If no pressure-bonded postcards are to be produced (No in S2), the main control unit 101 sets the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 based on the acquired job data (S9). For example, the type and basis weight of the recording material S included in the job data (for example, basis weight "128 g / m 2 The fixing temperature is set to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 140° C.) depending on the type of paper (plain paper, e.g., "regular paper") and whether or not post-processing is performed (e.g., no post-processing). The main control unit 101 also sets the conveying path of the pressure-bonded postcard paper to the first path section 421 and the fold avoidance path 414 by the folding process control unit 430 (S10), and sets the conveying path of the pressure-bonded postcard paper to the pressure avoidance path 620 by the pressure bonding process control unit 630 (S11). Then, the main control unit 101 starts the image forming process in which the image forming apparatus 100 forms a toner image on the recording material S (including fixing, the same applies below) (S7). Thereafter, the main control unit 101 determines whether or not to end the image forming job (S8).

[0054] If the image forming job is to be ended (Yes in S8), the main control unit 101 ends the "bonded print setting process". If the image forming job is not to be ended (No in S8), the main control unit 101 returns to the process of step S2, and repeats the processes of steps S2, S9 to S11, and S7 described above until the image forming job is ended. In this case, the image forming device 100 is operated to form a toner image on the recording material S, but the bonding processing device 200 is not operated. In other words, the recording material S on which the toner image has been formed is discharged without being folded or bonded, and therefore a bonded postcard is not produced.

[0055] On the other hand, when creating a bonded postcard (Yes in S2), the main control unit 101 checks whether the basis weight of the bonded postcard paper set in the job data is equal to or exceeds a threshold value (for example, 129 g / m 2 ) (S3). If the basis weight of the bonded postcard paper is smaller than the threshold (Yes in S3), the main control unit 101 sets the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 to "150°C" (first temperature) (S4). This fixing temperature "150°C" is the lower limit at which the fixability of the toner image can be maintained for a bonded postcard paper having a basis weight smaller than the threshold. The main control unit 101 also sets the conveying path of the bonded postcard paper to the first path section 421 and the folding path 413, i.e., the first conveying path, by the folding control unit 430 (S5), and sets the conveying path of the bonded postcard paper to the bonding path 610 by the bonding control unit 630 (S6). Then, the main control unit 101 performs the processes of steps S7 and S8 described above. The bonded postcard paper on which the toner image has been formed in this way is folded and bonded by the bonding device 200, and a bonded postcard is produced.

[0056] If the basis weight of the bonded postcard paper is equal to or greater than the threshold (No in S3), the main control unit 101 sets the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 to "180°C" (second temperature) higher than the first temperature (S12). The main control unit 101 also sets the conveying path of the bonded postcard paper to the second path section 422 and the folding path 413, i.e., the second conveying path, by the folding control unit 430 (S13), and sets the conveying path of the bonded postcard paper to the bonding path 610 by the bonding control unit 630 (S6). Then, the main control unit 101 performs the processes of steps S7 and S8 described above. After the bonded postcard paper on which the toner image has been formed is cooled in this way, it is bonded by the bonding device 600 to create a bonded postcard.

[0057] As described above, when a bonded postcard is created using a bonded postcard paper having a basis weight equal to or greater than the threshold, the fixing temperature is set to "180°C". This fixing temperature "180°C" is the lower limit at which the fixability of the toner image can be maintained for a bonded postcard paper having a basis weight equal to or greater than the threshold, and is higher than the fixing temperature for a bonded postcard paper having a basis weight less than the threshold. In this case, the temperature of the bonded postcard paper that has passed through the fixing device 8 is higher than that of a bonded postcard paper having a basis weight less than the threshold. In this way, when the temperature of the bonded postcard paper becomes high, the bonded postcard paper is cooled by being sorted into the second path section 422 in the folding device 400, and is transported to the folding path 413, folded, and then handed over to the bonding device 600.

[0058] FIG. 5 shows an example of the temperature change of the recording material S according to the elapsed time after passing through the fixing device 8. In this embodiment, the time from when the pressure-bonded postcard sheet passes through the fixing device 8 to when it passes through the first path portion 421 and reaches the pair of registration rollers 405 of the folding path 413 is approximately "0.5 seconds." In contrast, the time from when the pressure-bonded postcard sheet passes through the fixing device 8 to when it passes through the second path portion 422 and reaches the pair of registration rollers 405 of the folding path 413 is approximately "2.0 seconds." As can be seen from FIG. 5, the longer the elapsed time after passing through the fixing device 8, the more the temperature of the recording material S can be reduced even if the fixing temperature is high.

[0059] In the present embodiment, the path length of second path section 422 is longer than the path length of first path section 421 so that the temperature of the bonded postcard paper can be reduced to "20°C to 60°C" after it passes through fixing device 8, passes through second path section 422 and folding path 413, and reaches bonding device 600. When conveyed through second path section 422, which has a longer path length, the bonded postcard paper is cooled compared to when conveyed through first path section 421. In this way, the bonded postcard paper is bonded by bonding device 600 after being cooled, and a bonded postcard with an appropriate pseudo bonding force is created.

[0060] As described above, in this embodiment, the folding device 400 is provided with the second path section 422, which has a longer transport path than the first path section 421, and when the temperature of the pressed postcard paper becomes high, the pressed postcard paper that has passed through the fixing device 8 is transported to the second path section 422. By transporting the pressed postcard paper to the second path section 422, the time it takes to reach the pressing section 640 from the fixing device 8 in the folding device 400 is lengthened, and the amount of heat dissipated from the pressed postcard paper during that time is increased, thereby lowering the temperature of the pressed postcard paper. In this way, by cooling the pressed postcard paper after passing through the fixing device 8, the temperature of the pressed postcard paper is lowered to a temperature at which an appropriate pseudo-adhesive force can be obtained when the pressing device 600 presses the pressed postcard paper. Therefore, a pressed printed matter with an appropriate pseudo-adhesive force can be created.

[0061] In the first embodiment described above, the second path section 422 for cooling the pressure-bonded postcard paper is arranged so as to branch off from the first path section 421 upstream of the folding section 440 in the conveying direction of the recording material S, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the second path section 422 may be arranged downstream of the folding section 440 in the conveying direction of the recording material S, so that the time it takes to reach the pressure-bonding section 640 from the fixing device 8 in the folding device 400 can be increased. However, after the pressure-bonded postcard paper is folded, it is folded so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the pressure-bonded postcard paper faces inward, so that the temperature of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is difficult to decrease. Therefore, it is preferable that the second path section 422 is arranged upstream of the folding section 440 in the conveying direction of the recording material S, as in the first embodiment described above.

[0062] Also, the above-mentioned second path section 422 is not necessarily provided as long as the amount of heat dissipated from the bonded postcard sheet can be increased by lengthening the time it takes for the bonded postcard sheet to reach the bonding section 640 from the fixing device 8 in the folding device 400. For example, the time it takes for the bonded postcard sheet to reach the bonding device 600 from the fixing device 8 in the folding device 400 may be lengthened by slowing down the conveying speed of the bonded postcard sheet after it passes through the fixing device 8. In this case, instead of the process of step S13 in FIG. 4, the number of rotations of the motor 480 (see FIG. 2) that drives the multiple conveying roller pairs 401 (403, 404) may be changed so as to slow down the conveying speed of the bonded postcard sheet by the multiple conveying roller pairs 401 (403, 404).

[0063] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6 to Fig. 8. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an image forming system 2X of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment described below, the same reference numerals are used for configurations (see Fig. 1) similar to those of the first embodiment described above, and the same step numbers are used for similar processes (see Fig. 4), and their description will be simplified or omitted.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 6, the image forming system 2X of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the folding device 400 does not have the second path section 422. Therefore, the pressure-bonded postcard sheet is transported through the first path section 421, and then, depending on whether folding is required, the flapper 402 distributes the sheet to either the folding path 413 or the folding avoidance path 414. Instead of the second path section 422, the folding device 400 is provided with a cooling fan 450. The cooling fan 450 as a cooling means is arranged so as to be able to cool the surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the pressure-bonded postcard sheet transported through the first path section 421 by blowing air toward the recording material S being transported. In this embodiment, the cooling fan 450 can adjust the temperature of the pressure-bonded postcard sheet to "15°C to 80°C".

[0065] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the setting process of the pressure-bonded printed matter of the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, when the pressure-bonded postcard is not to be produced (No in S2), the main control unit 101 sets the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 (S9), sets the conveying path of the pressure-bonded postcard paper to the folding avoidance path 414 by the folding process control unit 430 (S10a), and further sets the conveying path of the pressure-bonded postcard paper to the pressure-bonding avoidance path 620 by the pressing process control unit 630 (S11). On the other hand, when the pressure-bonded postcard is to be produced (Yes in S2), if the basis weight of the pressure-bonded postcard paper is equal to or greater than the threshold value (No in S3), the main control unit 101 sets the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 to "180°C" (S12). In addition, the main control unit 101 turns on and operates the cooling fan 450 by the folding process control unit 430, and sets the conveying path of the pressure-bonded postcard paper to the folding process path 413 by the folding process control unit 430 (S13a). Then, the main control section 101 sets the conveying path for the pressure-bonded postcard paper to the pressure-bonding path 610 by the pressure-bonding control section 630 (S6), and starts the image forming process (S7).

[0066] On the other hand, if the basis weight of the bonded postcard paper is smaller than the threshold value (Yes in S3), the main control unit 101 sets the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 to "150°C" (S4). Then, the main control unit 101 turns off and stops the cooling fan 450, and sets the conveying path of the bonded postcard paper to the folding path 413 by the folding control unit 430 (S5a).

[0067] 8 shows an example of the temperature change of the recording material S according to the elapsed time after passing through the fixing device 8, depending on whether the cooling fan 450 is operating or not. As can be seen from FIG. 8, when the cooling fan 450 is operated, the temperature of the recording material S can be lowered by the time the recording material S reaches the registration roller pair 405, compared to when the cooling fan 450 is not operated. For example, when the cooling fan 450 is operated at a fixing temperature of "180° C.", not only is the temperature of the recording material S lower than when the cooling fan 450 is not operated at a fixing temperature of "180° C.", but the temperature of the recording material S can also be lower than when the cooling fan 450 is not operated at a fixing temperature of "140° C."

[0068] In the present embodiment, the cooling fan 450 is adapted to cool the recording material S during transport so that the temperature of the bonded postcard paper can be reduced to "15°C to 80°C" after the bonded postcard paper passes through the fixing device 8 and before it reaches the bonding section 640. In this way, the bonded postcard paper is bonded by the bonding section 640 after being cooled, so that a bonded postcard with an appropriate pseudo bonding force is produced.

[0069] As described above, in this embodiment, the folding device 400 is provided with the cooling fan 450, and when the temperature of the pressure-bonded postcard paper becomes high, the cooling fan 450 is operated to cool the pressure-bonded postcard paper that has passed through the fixing device 8. In this way, by forcibly cooling the pressure-bonded postcard paper by the cooling fan 450 after passing through the fixing device 8, the temperature of the pressure-bonded postcard paper becomes a temperature at which an appropriate pseudo-adhesive strength can be obtained when the pressure-bonding device 600 presses the pressure-bonded postcard paper. Therefore, a pressure-bonded printed matter with an appropriate pseudo-adhesive strength can be produced.

[0070] In the second embodiment described above, the cooling fan 450 is used to cool the pressure-sensitive postcard sheet, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as the surface of the recording material S conveyed along the first path 421 having the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer can be cooled. For example, the pressure-sensitive postcard sheet may be cooled by a pair of cooling rollers that contact the pressure-sensitive postcard sheet. In this case, the pair of cooling rollers has a pair of metal rollers that are detachably arranged, and the pair of metal rollers sandwich the pressure-sensitive postcard sheet being conveyed, so that the heat of the pressure-sensitive postcard sheet is dissipated through the pair of metal rollers. The contact pressure of the pair of metal rollers is such that the pseudo adhesive force of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is not exerted. Also, the second path 422 may be provided in the folding device 400 as in the first embodiment described above, and a cooling fan 450 may be provided to cool the recording material S conveyed along the second path 422.

[0071] [Third embodiment] Incidentally, when a continuous image forming job is performed in which toner images are continuously formed on tens to hundreds of sheets of pressure-bonded postcard paper to create pressure-bonded postcards, the heat of the pressure-bonded postcard paper heated by the fixing device 8 causes the temperature of the pressure-bonding roller pair 601 in the pressure-bonding device 600 to rise. If the temperature of the pressure-bonding roller pair 601 rises, the temperature of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer will rise when the pressure-bonded postcards are pressed, and there is a risk that pressure-bonded postcards with high pseudo-adhesive strength will be created.

[0072] 9 shows the results of evaluating the pseudo adhesive force when the temperature of the pressure roller pair 601 (more specifically, the upper roller 601a) is varied, for example, using "POSTEX tri-fold," the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 is set to "150°C," and the pressure-bonded postcard paper is not cooled by the second path section 422 or the cooling fan 450 described above. In the pseudo adhesive force judgment shown in FIG. 9, a "◯" mark indicates that the pseudo adhesive force is appropriate, and a "×" mark indicates that the pseudo adhesive force is inappropriate. In this embodiment, the appropriate pseudo adhesive force range is "40 N / m to 60 N / m."

[0073] As can be seen from FIG. 9, in the “POSTEX tri-fold” test, no toner peeling occurred even when the temperature of the pressure roller pair 601 was “40° C.” (marked with an O), but when the temperature of the pressure roller pair 601 was “50° C.” or higher, the pseudo-adhesion force was too strong and re-peeling was difficult (marked with an X).

[0074] In the third embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, a thermistor 602 is provided as a temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the upper roller 601a. ​​Depending on the temperature detected by this thermistor 602, a part of the transport path of the recording material S in the folding device 400 is switched to either the first transport path or the second transport path. Hereinafter, the bonded printed product setting process of the third embodiment will be described using Fig. 10 with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. In the following description, the same steps as those in the bonded printed product setting process of the first embodiment (see Fig. 4) are denoted by the same step numbers, and the description will be simplified or omitted.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 10, if the basis weight of the bonded postcard paper is smaller than the threshold value (Yes in S3), the main control unit 101 sets the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 to "150°C" (S4). Then, the main control unit 101 judges whether the temperature of the upper roller 601a detected by the thermistor 602 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature "40°C" (S31). If the temperature of the upper roller 601a is smaller than "40°C" (first predetermined temperature) (No in S31), the main control unit 101 sets the conveying path of the bonded postcard paper to the first path section 421 and the folding path 413, i.e., the first conveying path, by the folding control unit 430 (S5), and sets the conveying path of the bonded postcard paper to the bonding path 610 by the bonding control unit 630 (S6). Then, the main control unit 101 performs the processes of steps S7 and S8 described above.

[0076] If the detected temperature of the upper roller 601a is "40°C" or higher (Yes in S31), the main control unit 101 sets the conveying path of the pressure-bonded postcard paper to the second path section 422 and the folding path 413, i.e., the second conveying path, by the folding control unit 430 (S13). Then, the main control unit 101 judges whether the detected temperature of the upper roller 601a detected by the thermistor 602 is "45°C" or lower (S32). If the detected temperature of the upper roller 601a is higher than "45°C" (second predetermined temperature) (No in S32), the main control unit 101 stops the image forming job being executed because the temperature rise of the upper roller 601a makes it impossible to obtain an appropriate pseudo adhesive force, and ends the "pressed print setting process". In this case, it is preferable to notify the user by displaying the fact that the image forming job has been stopped on the operation unit 700 or an external device (not shown), for example.

[0077] If the detected temperature of the upper roller 601a is below 45°C (Yes in S32), the main control unit 101 sets the conveying path for the pressure-bonded postcard paper to the pressure-bonding path 610 by the pressure-bonding control unit 630 (S6) and starts the image formation process (S7).

[0078] On the other hand, if the basis weight of the bonded postcard paper is equal to or greater than the threshold (No in S3), the main control unit 101 sets the fixing temperature of the fixing device 8 to "180°C" (S12). The main control unit 101 also sets the conveying path of the bonded postcard paper to the second path section 422 and the folding path 413 by the folding process control unit 430 (S13). Then, the main control unit 101 determines whether the detected temperature of the upper roller 601a detected by the thermistor 602 is equal to or less than "45°C" (S32). As described above, if the detected temperature of the upper roller 601a is greater than "45°C" (No in S32), the main control unit 101 stops the image formation job being executed (S33).

[0079] As described above, according to the third embodiment, even when a continuous image forming job is performed in which toner images are continuously formed on bonded postcard paper to create bonded postcards, it is possible to create bonded postcards with appropriate pseudo-adhesion strength.

[0080] In the above-described third embodiment, the temperature of the pressure-bonding roller pair 601 is detected by the thermistor 650, but this is not limited to the above, as long as it is possible to predict that the temperature of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of the pressure-bonded postcard paper will become too high during the pressure bonding process. For example, when a large number of pressure-bonded postcards are produced, the heat of the pressure-bonded postcard paper heated by the fixing device 8 may cause the temperature of the first folding roller pair 407, the second folding roller pair 408, and the third folding roller pair 410 of the folding device 400 to rise, similar to the pressure bonding roller pair 601. Therefore, the temperature of at least one of the first folding roller pair 407, the second folding roller pair 408, and the third folding roller pair 410 may be detected, and the detection result may be used instead of the temperature of the pressure bonding roller pair 601 to execute the "pressure-bonded print setting process" of the above-described third embodiment. Alternatively, the temperature of the pressed postcard sheet may be measured on the transport path along which the pressed postcard sheet is transported from the fixing device 8 to the pair of pressure rollers 601 , and the detection result may be used instead of the temperature of the pair of pressure rollers 601 .

[0081] [Other embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, the image forming systems 1X and 2X in which the pressure-bonding device 200 is connected as a separate housing outside the main body of the image forming apparatus 100 are exemplified, but the pressure-bonding device 200 may be provided inside the main body (in the same housing) of the image forming apparatus 100. In this case, the main control unit 101 also operates as the above-described folding control unit 430 and pressure-bonding control unit 630.

[0082] The present technology can also be configured as follows. (1) an image forming apparatus having an image forming means capable of forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a surface thereof, and a fixing means for fixing the toner image to the recording material by applying heat and pressure to the recording material; a folding section that is disposed downstream of the image forming apparatus in a conveying direction of the recording material, and that is capable of folding the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means so that the surfaces on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers have been formed are overlapped with each other; a pressing section that is disposed downstream of the folding section in the transport direction and presses together the areas of the recording material folded by the folding section, on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed; a first conveying path having a first length, the first conveying path being a conveying path from the fixing means through the folding unit to the pressing unit; a second transport path having a second length longer than the first length; A switching unit that switches the conveying path to either the first conveying path or the second conveying path, 1. An image forming system comprising: (2) A control unit for controlling the switching unit is provided. the fixing unit is capable of heating the recording material to a first temperature and a second temperature higher than the first temperature; the control means switches the transport path to the first transport path when the temperature of the fixing means is the first temperature, and switches the transport path to the second transport path when the temperature of the fixing means is the second temperature. 4. The image forming system according to claim 1, (3) A control unit for controlling the switching unit is provided. the fixing unit is capable of heating the recording material to a first temperature and a second temperature higher than the first temperature; the pressing section includes a first rotating body, a second rotating body that forms a nip portion between the first rotating body and the second rotating body to sandwich and convey the recording material and press the recording material, and a temperature detection section that detects a temperature of the first rotating body, The control means when the temperature of the fixing means is the first temperature and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is lower than a predetermined temperature, the transport path is switched to the first transport path; when the temperature of the fixing means is the first temperature and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the transport path is switched to the second transport path; When the temperature of the fixing unit is the second temperature, the transport path is switched to the second transport path. 4. The image forming system according to claim 1, (4) the control means stops an image forming job being executed when the predetermined temperature is set to a first predetermined temperature and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is higher than a second predetermined temperature that is higher than the first predetermined temperature; 4. The image forming system according to claim 3, (5) the fixing unit heats the recording material at the first temperature when the basis weight of the recording material is smaller than a threshold value, and heats the recording material at the second temperature when the basis weight of the recording material is equal to or greater than the threshold value; 4. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises: (6) the first conveying path includes a first path portion that conveys a recording material, and the folding portion is located downstream of the first path portion in the conveying direction, the second conveying path includes a second path portion that conveys a recording material, and the folding portion is located downstream of the second path portion in the conveying direction, the second path portion has a length of a path for conveying a recording material that is longer than that of the first path portion; 6. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming system comprises: (7) an image forming apparatus having an image forming means capable of forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a surface thereof, and a fixing means for fixing the toner image to the recording material by applying heat and pressure to the recording material; a folding section that is disposed downstream of the image forming apparatus in a conveying direction of the recording material, and that is capable of folding the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing means so that the surfaces on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layers have been formed are overlapped with each other; a pressing section that is disposed downstream of the folding section in the transport direction and presses together the areas of the recording material folded by the folding section, on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed; a cooling unit capable of cooling the recording material in a conveying path from the fixing unit through the folding unit to the pressing unit, 1. An image forming system comprising: (8) the cooling means is a fan that blows air toward the recording material; 8. The image forming system according to claim 7, (9) A control means for controlling the cooling means is provided, the fixing unit is capable of heating the recording material to a first temperature and a second temperature higher than the first temperature; the control means stops cooling of the recording material by the cooling means when the temperature of the fixing means is the first temperature, and starts cooling of the recording material by the cooling means when the temperature of the fixing means is the second temperature. 8. The image forming system according to claim 7, wherein: (10) A control means for controlling the cooling means is provided, the fixing unit is capable of heating the recording material to a first temperature and a second temperature higher than the first temperature; the pressing section includes a first rotating body, a second rotating body that forms a nip portion between the first rotating body and the second rotating body to sandwich and convey the recording material and press the recording material, and a temperature detection section that detects a temperature of the first rotating body, The control means When the temperature of the fixing means is the first temperature and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is lower than a predetermined temperature, the cooling of the recording material by the cooling means is stopped; when the temperature of the fixing means is the first temperature and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, cooling of the recording material by the cooling means is started; when the temperature of the fixing means is the second temperature, cooling of the recording material by the cooling means is started; 8. The image forming system according to claim 7, wherein: (11) the control means stops an image forming job being executed when the predetermined temperature is set to a first predetermined temperature and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is higher than a second predetermined temperature that is higher than the first predetermined temperature; 11. The image forming system according to claim 10, (12) the fixing unit heats the recording material at the first temperature when the basis weight of the recording material is smaller than a threshold value, and heats the recording material at the second temperature when the basis weight of the recording material is equal to or greater than the threshold value; 12. The image forming system according to any one of (9) to (11), [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1X (2X)...image forming system, 8...fixing means (fixing device), 100...image forming apparatus, 101...control means (main control unit), 150...image forming means (image forming unit), 421...first path section, 422...second path section, 423...switching section (switching flapper), 440...folding section, 450...cooling means (cooling fan), 601a...first rotating body (upper roller), 601b...second rotating body (lower roller), 602...temperature detection section (thermistor), 640...pressing section, S...recording material (pressed postcard paper)

Claims

1. an image forming means capable of forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface; a fixing means for fixing the toner image onto the recording material; a folding section that folds the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing section so that the surface on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has been formed faces inward; a pressing unit that presses the recording material folded by the folding unit, a first recording material having a first basis weight is fixed at a first temperature by the fixing means, and then pressed by the pressing unit after a first period has elapsed; the second recording material having a second basis weight is fixed at a second temperature by the fixing means, and then pressed by the pressing unit after a second period has elapsed; the second basis weight is greater than the first basis weight, the second temperature is greater than the first temperature, and the second period is greater than the first period; An image forming system comprising:

2. A first conveying path having a first length as a length of a conveying path from the fixing means through the folding section to the crimping section; a second transport path having a second length longer than the first length; the first recording material is conveyed through the first conveying path, the second recording material is transported through the second transport path; 2. The image forming system according to claim 1.

3. After the first recording material is fixed by the fixing means, it is transported at a first transport speed, After the second recording material is fixed by the fixing means, the second recording material is conveyed at a second conveying speed slower than the first conveying speed.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1.

4. The first conveying path has a first path portion that conveys the recording material, and the folding processing portion downstream of the first path portion in the recording material conveying direction, the second conveying path includes a second path portion that conveys the recording material, and the folding portion located downstream of the second path portion in the recording material conveying direction, the second path portion has a length of a path for conveying the recording material longer than that of the first path portion; 3. The image forming system according to claim 2.

5. An image forming means capable of forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface; a fixing means for fixing the toner image onto the recording material; a folding section that folds the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing section so that the surface on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has been formed faces inward; a pressing unit that presses the recording material folded by the folding unit; a cooling unit that cools the recording material on a conveyance path from the fixing unit through the folding unit to the pressing unit, a first recording material having a first basis weight is fixed at a first temperature by the fixing means, and then pressed by the pressing unit without being cooled by the cooling means; the second recording material having a second basis weight is fixed at a second temperature by the fixing means, and then cooled by the cooling means and pressed by the pressing section; the second basis weight is greater than the first basis weight, and the second temperature is greater than the first temperature; An image forming system comprising:

6. The cooling means is a fan that blows air toward the recording material.

6. The image forming system according to claim 5.

7. An image forming means capable of forming a toner image on a recording material having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on its surface; a fixing means for fixing the toner image onto the recording material; a folding section that folds the recording material on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing section so that the surface on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has been formed faces inward; a pressing unit that presses the recording material folded by the folding unit, the pressure-bonding unit includes a first rotating body, a second rotating body that forms a nip portion with the first rotating body for nipping and conveying the recording material and pressing the recording material, and a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the first rotating body, a first recording material having a first basis weight is fixed at a first temperature by the fixing means, and then pressed by the pressing unit after a first period has elapsed; The second recording material having the second basis weight is fixed at a second temperature by the fixing means, and then When the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is a first detection temperature, the pressure-bonding unit performs pressure-bonding after the first period has elapsed, When the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is a second detected temperature, the pressure-bonding unit presses the temperature-bonding member after a second period has elapsed, the second basis weight is greater than the first basis weight, the second temperature is greater than the first temperature, the second detected temperature is greater than the first detected temperature, and the second period is longer than the first period; An image forming system comprising:

8. When the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is a third detected temperature higher than the second temperature, the image formation job being executed is stopped.

8. The image forming system according to claim 7,

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