Sheet thermo-compression bonding device and post-processing device

Abstract

To provide a sheet thermo-compression bonding device that can stably execute a thermo-compression bonding operation.SOLUTION: A sheet thermo-compression bonding device comprises: a loading part on which sheets with adhesion toner formed are loaded in a loading direction; and a thermo-compression unit having a pressing member longer in a longitudinal direction and pressing the sheets loaded on the loading part in the loading direction, and a heat source 70 heating the pressing member, and the sheet thermo-compression bonding device presses a bundle of sheets with the pressing member heated by the heat source 70 to melt the adhesion toner on the sheets, thereby bonding the plurality of sheets to each other. When seen in the loading direction, the pressing member overlaps the sheets loaded on the loading part from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction. The heat source can heat the ends and a center part in the longitudinal direction of the pressing member at different temperatures.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet thermocompression bonding device and a post-processing device including the sheet thermocompression bonding device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a method is known in which a booklet is produced by bonding a plurality of sheets that have been subjected to image formation processing by an image forming apparatus by remelting the adhesive layer (adhesive toner) on the sheets while pressing the sheets with a sheet thermocompression bonding device. Methods for bonding booklets by thermocompression bonding of sheets include corner adhesion, which bonds one of the four corners of the sheets, and line adhesion, which bonds the entire edge along one side of the sheets.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of a sheet thermocompression bonding device that performs a bonding process by heating and pressurizing a sheet stack on which adhesive toner has been formed using a thermocompression bonding unit (re-fixing means). The above-mentioned sheet thermocompression bonding device is configured to be able to perform a bonding process by fixing the corners and edges of a sheet stack by using a plurality of thermocompression bonding units separately or by moving the thermocompression bonding units. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-255881 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in a configuration with multiple thermocompression bonding units, the thermocompression bonding units are driven independently, which may complicate the operation control of the thermocompression bonding units and make it difficult to maintain the thermocompression bonding units. On the other hand, in a configuration in which a single thermocompression bonding unit is moved to perform the bonding process, only the corners of the sheets are pressed during the corner-fixing bonding process, which may cause some sheets to be misaligned during the thermocompression bonding operation, resulting in a deterioration in the quality of the booklet.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet thermocompression bonding device capable of stably performing a thermocompression bonding operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to the present application comprises: a stacking section in which sheets having adhesive toner formed thereon are stacked in a stacking direction; a thermocompression bonding unit including a pressing member that is long in a longitudinal direction and presses the sheets stacked on the stacking section in the stacking direction, and a heat source that heats the pressing member; a pressing member heated by the heating source pressing a stack of sheets together, and melting adhesive toner on the sheets to bond the sheets together, the pressing member overlaps with a portion of the sheet stacked on the stacking section from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction when viewed in the stacking direction, The heating source is configured to be capable of heating the ends and the center of the pressing member in the longitudinal direction to different temperatures. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sheet thermocompression bonding device capable of stably performing a thermocompression bonding operation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a sheet aligning method according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermocompression bonding unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a ceramic heater and a recording material according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an adhesive toner image according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a ceramic heater according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a thermocompression bonding unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the flow of thermal energy generated by a heating element. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a ceramic heater according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a ceramic heater according to a first modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a ceramic heater according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a ceramic heater according to a second modified example of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail by way of example based on the embodiments with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the embodiments should be appropriately changed depending on the configuration of the device to which the invention is applied and various conditions. In other words, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, not all of the features described in the following embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention.

[0011] The sheet thermocompression bonding device of the present invention is particularly suitable for a sheet thermocompression bonding device for producing a booklet composed of a plurality of sheets bonded together. As an example of a sheet thermocompression bonding device to which the present invention is applied, a sheet thermocompression bonding device that is connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet and is provided in a post-processing device to which a sheet is transported from the image forming device will be described below.

[0012] <First Example> (Image forming device) 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a multifunction peripheral 100 including an image forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment and a post-processing apparatus 4 connected to the image forming apparatus 1. First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Note that in the first embodiment, the post-processing apparatus 4 is described as an apparatus independent of the image forming apparatus 1, but the post-processing apparatus 4 may be considered as one apparatus constituting the image forming apparatus 1. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 may be another image forming apparatus that uses an electrophotographic recording method, such as a copying machine or a facsimile.

[0013] 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a cassette 8 that stores a sheet P as a recording material (recording medium), an image forming unit 1e (enclosed in a dashed frame) as an image forming means, a fixing device 6 as a fixing means, and a housing 19 that houses these. The image forming apparatus 1 has a printing function of forming a toner image on the sheet P fed from the cassette 8 by the image forming unit 1e, and performing a fixing process by the fixing device 6 to produce a printed matter.

[0014] In the first embodiment, the maximum size of the sheet P on which the image forming apparatus 1 can form an image is A4 size (297 mm length × 210 mm width). The image forming apparatus 1 can form an image on the A4 size sheet P by conveying it vertically (the long side direction is parallel to the conveying direction). The sheet conveying speed of the image forming apparatus 1 at this time is 300 mm / sec.

[0015] The cassette 8 is slidable relative to the housing 19 of the image forming apparatus 1 at the bottom of the image forming apparatus 1. The cassette 8 is inserted so as to be capable of being ejected, and is configured to be capable of storing a large number of sheets P. The sheets P stored in the cassette 8 are fed from the cassette 8 by a paper feed roller 8a serving as a paper feed section, and are conveyed by a conveying roller pair 8b. The image forming apparatus 1 further includes a multi-tray 20, and is also capable of feeding the sheets P set in the multi-tray 20 one by one.

[0016] The image forming unit 1e is a tandem-type electrophotographic unit that includes four process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c, a scanner unit 2, and a transfer unit 3. In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c, they will be collectively referred to as the process cartridges 7. The same applies to the members provided in each process cartridge 7, such as the photosensitive drum D.

[0017] The process cartridge 7 is a replaceable unit made up of multiple parts that perform the image forming process. Each of the process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c includes a photosensitive drum D (Dn, Dy, Dm, and Dc) that is an image carrier, a charging roller that charges the photosensitive drum D, and a toner storage section that stores toner and supplies the toner to the photosensitive drum D.

[0018] Of the four process cartridges 7, the three process cartridges 7y, 7m, and 7c on the right side in Fig. 1 are process cartridges for forming visible images on a sheet P, and form yellow, magenta, and cyan image toner images, respectively. In contrast, the process cartridge 7n on the left side in Fig. 1 forms an adhesive toner image Ti, which is toner for performing an adhesive process for bonding a sheet P to another sheet P after printing.

[0019] In the first embodiment, when printing a black image such as text, the image is expressed by process black obtained by superimposing yellow, magenta, and cyan toners. However, for example, a fifth process cartridge using black image toner may be added to the image forming unit 1e so that black images can be expressed by black image toner. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the type and number of image toners can be changed depending on the application of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0020] (Image toner) In the present invention, a conventionally known image toner can be used. Among them, an image toner using a thermoplastic resin as a binder resin is preferred. The resin that can be used as the thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited, and resins that have been used in image toners in the past, such as polyester resin, vinyl resin, acrylic resin, and styrene-acrylic resin, can be used. In addition, a plurality of these resins may be contained. The image toner is formed by containing a colorant, a magnetic material, a charge control agent, a wax, an external additive, and the like.

[0021] (Adhesive Toner) In the present invention, an adhesive toner containing a thermoplastic resin can be used. The resin that can be used for the thermoplastic resin is not particularly limited, and includes polyester resin, vinyl resin, acrylic resin, styrene acrylic resin, etc., which are the same as those of the image toner. In addition, a plurality of these resins may be contained. The adhesive toner may be formed by containing a colorant, a magnetic material, a charge control agent, wax, an external additive, etc., like the image toner. In addition, there is no problem in using the image toner as the adhesive toner, as long as it satisfies the adhesive property.

[0022] (Image formation process) The scanner unit 2 is an exposure unit that irradiates the photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, and Dc of the process cartridges 7n, 7y, 7m, and 7c with laser light to form electrostatic latent images. Note that the exposure unit of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration.

[0023] The transfer unit 3 includes an endless transfer belt 3a as an intermediate transfer body (secondary image carrier), and an opposing roller 3b and a driving roller 3c located on the inner periphery of the transfer belt 3a. The transfer belt 3a is a belt member stretched around the opposing roller 3b and the driving roller 3c, and its outer periphery faces the photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, and Dc. Primary transfer rollers Fn, Fy, Fm, and Fc are disposed on the inner periphery of the transfer belt 3a at positions corresponding to the photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, and Dc.

[0024] A secondary transfer roller 5 as a transfer means is disposed at a position facing the opposing roller 3b across the transfer belt 3a. A transfer nip 5n formed between the secondary transfer roller 5 and the transfer belt 3a is a transfer section (secondary transfer section) that transfers a toner image from the transfer belt 3a to the sheet P.

[0025] (Fixing process) The fixing device 6 is a fixing section that heats, melts, and pressurizes the toner image formed on the sheet P to fix it as a permanent image on the sheet P. The fixing device 6 is a thermal fixing type fixing device that has a halogen heater 6a as a heat source, a heat roller 6b that contains the halogen heater 6a and serves as a fixing member heated by the halogen heater 6a, and a pressure roller 6c that serves as a pressure member.

[0026] The heat roller 6b may be heated by a ceramic heater or an induction heating system as a heat source. The heat roller 6b may be made of a highly heat-resistant resin such as polyimide resin or polyamide-imide resin, or a thin film of a metal such as stainless steel.

[0027] The heat roller 6b is rotated by a driving means (not shown) and is pressed against the pressure roller 6c by a biasing member such as a spring. A fixing nip 6n is formed between the heat roller 6b and the pressure roller 6c by the pressing force of the pressure roller 6c. The power input to the halogen heater 6a of the heat roller 6b is adjusted by a control unit (not shown) so that the temperature detected by a thermistor, which is a temperature detection element in contact with the surface of the heat roller 6b (not shown), becomes a predetermined value.

[0028] (Image formation operation) Next, a description will be given of the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 1. When a print instruction accompanied by image data to be printed is input to the image forming apparatus 1, the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 starts a series of operations (conveying operations by each conveying means, image forming operations) for conveying the sheet P and forming an image on the sheet P. In Fig. 1, the conveying direction of the sheet P and the driving direction of each member are indicated by dotted lines with arrows.

[0029] In the image forming operation, first, the sheets P are fed one by one from the cassette 8 and conveyed toward the transfer nip 5n via the conveying roller pair 8b. In parallel with the feeding of the sheets P, the process cartridges 7 are sequentially driven, and the photosensitive drums D are rotated. The surfaces of the photosensitive drums D that are rotated are uniformly charged by a charging roller (not shown). The scanner unit 2 also irradiates the photosensitive drums D with laser light modulated based on image data, to form electrostatic latent images on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums D. The electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive drums D are then developed into toner images by the toner carried by the developing rollers in the toner storage compartments of the process cartridges 7.

[0030] The adhesive toner image Ti formed on the photosensitive drum Dn by the adhesive toner is different from a toner image (normal toner image) made of image toner for printing images such as text and figures on the sheet P in that it is not intended to transmit visual information. However, in the following description, the adhesive toner image Ti developed by the electrophotographic process to form the adhesive toner image Ti in a predetermined pattern on the sheet P will also be treated as one of the "toner images."

[0031] The toner image formed in each process cartridge 7 is transferred (primary transfer) from each photosensitive drum D onto the transfer belt 3a by an electric field formed between the photosensitive drum D and the primary transfer roller F. At this time, the transfer belt 3a rotates in the counterclockwise direction (arrow direction) in FIG.

[0032] The toner image carried by the transfer belt 3a and reaching the transfer nip 5n is transferred (secondary transfer) onto the sheet P fed and transported from the cassette 8 by the electric field formed between the secondary transfer roller 5 and the opposing roller 3b.

[0033] Thereafter, the sheet P is conveyed to the fixing device 6 and subjected to a thermal fixing process. When the sheet P passes through the fixing nip 6n, the toner image on the sheet P is heated and pressurized, so that the image toners (yellow, magenta, cyan) and adhesive toners melt and then stick to the sheet P, thereby being fixed as a permanent image.

[0034] Downstream of the fixing nip 6n in the conveying direction of the sheet P, there is provided an inverting flapper 21 which is a guide member for switching the conveying direction of the sheet P. The inverting flapper 21 switches the conveying direction of the sheet P depending on the selected printing mode, either a single-sided printing mode in which an image is formed on only one side of the sheet P, or a double-sided printing mode in which images are formed on both sides of the sheet P.

[0035] In the case of the single-sided printing mode, the reversing flapper 21 guides the sheet P to the pair of discharge rollers 22. The sheet P guided by the reversing flapper 21 to the pair of discharge rollers 22 reaches the post-processing device 4 via an intermediate conveying unit 26 having pairs of conveying rollers 24 and 25, and a series of image forming operations in the image forming apparatus 1 is completed.

[0036] In the double-sided printing mode, the reversing flapper 21 conveys the sheet P, on one side of which an image is formed, to the switchback roller pair 23. The switchback roller pair 23 reverses the rotation direction after discharging the sheet P to the rear end, thereby conveying the sheet P to the double-sided conveying path 27 for double-sided printing.

[0037] The sheet P transported to the double-sided conveying path 27 passes through the secondary transfer section and the fixing device 6 again, and during this process, an image is formed on the side of the sheet P on which no image is formed, thereby forming images on both sides of the sheet P.

[0038] The sheet P with images formed on both sides is transported to the pair of paper discharge rollers 22 by the inversion flapper 21. Through the above operations, a series of image forming operations in the image forming apparatus 1 is completed, and the sheet P is transported to the post-processing apparatus 4 via the intermediate transport unit 26.

[0039] The post-processing device 4 of the first embodiment has a floor-standing configuration. The post-processing device 4 is equipped with a transport mechanism for transporting the sheets P, a sheet alignment section (alignment mechanism) provided at the bottom of the device, and a booklet making device 50 including a thermocompression unit 60 for heating and pressing the aligned sheet stack for a predetermined period of time. The booklet making device 50 is a sheet thermocompression device that heats and presses the aligned sheet stack to bond multiple sheets together.

[0040] (After-treatment device) Next, a description will be given of the operation of the post-processing device 4. The post-processing device 4 is provided with an upper discharge tray 33 and a lower discharge tray 34 positioned below the upper discharge tray 33 as discharge destinations for the sheets P.

[0041] When the discharge destination of the sheet P is the upper discharge tray 33, the sheet P transported from the intermediate transport unit 26 passes through the transport roller pair 30 and the transport roller pair 31 of the post-processing device 4, and passes through the discharge roller pair 32 to be discharged to the upper discharge tray 33.

[0042] When the discharge destination of the sheet P is the lower discharge tray 34, the reverse flapper 35 is switched at the timing when the rear end of the sheet (the rear end of the sheet P in the conveying direction) passes through the reverse flapper 35, and the rotation of the discharge roller pair 32 is stopped at the same time. Thereafter, the discharge roller pair 32 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that the sheet P is switched back and conveyed to the conveying roller pair 36.

[0043] The sheet P conveyed from the conveying roller pair 36 is conveyed to the conveying roller pair 38 via the intermediate conveying roller pair 37. At a predetermined timing after the rear end of the sheet P passes through the intermediate conveying roller pair 37, the conveying roller pair 38 stops and rotates in the reverse direction, so that the sheet P is conveyed to the booklet discharge roller pair 39 and discharged onto the lower paper discharge tray 34.

[0044] (Booklet production device) Next, a description will be given of the booklet producing apparatus 50. The sheets P constituting the booklet are conveyed to a pair of conveying rollers 38 via a pair of intermediate conveying rollers 37, and then conveyed to an intermediate stacking unit 51 in the booklet producing apparatus 50.

[0045] A vertical alignment reference plate 52 is disposed at the most downstream portion of the intermediate stacking section 51, and the ends of the sheets P are abutted against this to align the sheets P into a bundle.

[0046] The method of aligning sheets P will be described with reference to Figures 2(a) to (d). Figures 2(a) to (d) are explanatory diagrams of the method of aligning sheets P by booklet production apparatus 50, and are views of intermediate stacking section 51 viewed from a direction perpendicular to the placement surface of sheets P. In the following description, the vertical direction in which sheets P are conveyed by conveying roller pair 38 is defined as the Y direction, the horizontal direction as the X direction, and the stacking direction in which sheets P are stacked (height direction of the sheet stack) as the Z direction.

[0047] 2A shows a state in which the sheet P is transported to the intermediate stacking section 51. The sheet P is transported to the intermediate stacking section 51 by a transport roller pair 38. The transport direction of the sheet P at this time is the vertical direction (Y direction).

[0048] 2B shows a state in which the end portion in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the sheet P abuts against the vertical alignment reference plate 52. The sheet P that has passed through the conveying roller pair 38 and is stacked in the intermediate stacking section 51 is conveyed by the alignment roller 53 so that the leading edge of the sheet P abuts against the vertical alignment reference plate 52.

[0049] 2(c) shows a state in which the sheet P is pushed toward the lateral alignment reference plate 55 provided in the intermediate stacking section 51. The sheet P that strikes the vertical alignment reference plate 52 is pushed to the left in FIG. 2(c) toward the lateral alignment reference plate 55 by the lateral alignment claw 54 that is provided so as to be movable in the X direction.

[0050] Fig. 2(d) shows a state in which the end of the sheet P in the short side direction (X direction) perpendicular to the long side direction abuts against the lateral alignment reference plate 55. The sheet P, which has been pushed to the left in Fig. 2(c) by the lateral alignment claw 54, abuts against the reference surface of the lateral alignment reference plate 55 shown by the dotted line in Fig. 2(c), and is aligned with high precision in both the horizontal and vertical directions before being loaded onto the intermediate stacking section 51.

[0051] Through the above operations, a sheet stack (plurality of sheets P) aligned with high precision based on the vertical alignment reference plate 52 and the horizontal alignment reference plate 55 is placed on the intermediate stacker 51. The aligned sheet stack undergoes a thermocompression bonding process in which it is heated and pressurized by the thermocompression bonding unit 60, and the adhesive toner image Ti acts as an adhesive to bond the sheets P together to form a booklet. In this way, the booklet production apparatus 50 functions as a sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus that bonds the multiple sheets P together using the thermocompression bonding unit 60. The alignment mechanism for aligning the sheets P stacked on the intermediate stacking portion 51 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and any known alignment mechanism may be used.

[0052] (Thermocompression unit) The thermocompression bonding unit 60 will now be described. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the thermocompression bonding unit 60, as viewed in the Y direction. The thermocompression bonding unit 60 has a heating unit 61 including a ceramic heater 70 and a first pressure plate 62, a pressure lever 65 for applying pressure to and moving the heating unit 61, and a second pressure plate 67 that constitutes part of the sheet stacking surface of the intermediate stacking section 51.

[0053] The ceramic heater 70 is a heat source in which a heating element 72 as a first heating element and a heating element 73 as a second heating element are provided on the surface of a ceramic base 71 having a thickness of 1.0 mm. The base 71 of the ceramic heater 70 can be made of a rigid body such as a metal other than ceramic. The first pressure plate 62 is in close contact with the surface of the ceramic heater 70 facing downward, and the ceramic heater 70 heats the first pressure plate 62.

[0054] The first pressure plate 62 is a pressing member that heats and presses the sheet stack stacked on the intermediate stacking section 51. The first pressure plate 62 in the first embodiment is made of aluminum with a thickness of 1.5 mm. The first pressure plate 62 is made of a material with a small heat capacity and high thermal conductivity to efficiently transfer heat from the ceramic heater 70, and a modulus of elasticity of 1000 Pa or more that does not deform due to the pressure applied during thermocompression bonding. More preferably, the first pressure plate 62 is made of a highly elastic material with a modulus of elasticity of 10000 Pa or more. By using low heat capacity materials for the components of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 such as the first pressure plate 62, power consumption during thermocompression bonding can be reduced.

[0055] The heater support 63 supports the ceramic heater 70 from above. The heater support 63 can be made of a material such as liquid crystal polymer, which is a type of highly heat-resistant functional resin. The heater support 63 is provided with a thermistor 64, which is a temperature measurement sensor, and the temperatures of the ceramic heater 70 and the first pressure plate 62 are measured via the heater support 63.

[0056] The amount of heat generated by the heating elements 72, 73 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the thermistor 64 so that the temperature of the heating elements 72, 73 becomes a target thermocompression control temperature, and the surface temperature of the first pressure plate 62 is controlled by the ceramic heater 70 to a temperature at which thermocompression bonding can be performed. The booklet production apparatus 50 is provided with a control unit 90 that controls the amount of heat generated by the heating elements 72, 73 based on the measurement result of the thermistor 64. The control unit 90 may be configured to be capable of only controlling the thermocompression bonding unit 60, or may be configured to be capable of controlling the operation of each roller of the post-processing device 4 as well.

[0057] The heating unit 61, which is composed of the heater support 63, the ceramic heater 70, and the first pressure plate 62, is pressed integrally toward the sheet stack by the pressure lever 65. The above-mentioned members are arranged in the order of the first pressure plate 62, the ceramic heater 70, and the heater support 63 from the side closest to the sheet P, and are connected to each other.

[0058] The pressure lever 65 is located above the heating unit 61, and is a moving mechanism that receives power from a drive source (not shown) and presses the heating unit 61 down in the -Z direction (downward in FIG. 3) toward the sheet P (the sheet stacking surface of the intermediate stacking section 51). The pressure lever 65 is biased in a direction away from the sheet P by a spring member (not shown), and is away from the sheet P and stands by except during the thermocompression bonding operation.

[0059] A metal stay 66 is provided as a rigid body on the surface of the heater support 63 opposite to the surface connected to the ceramic heater 70. The pressing force of the pressure lever 65 is applied via the metal stay 66. The pressure is transmitted to the first pressure plate 62 .

[0060] Further, a second pressure plate 67 is provided below the sheet stack at a position overlapping with the first pressure plate 62 in the Z direction. When the pressure lever 65 is actuated by a driving source (not shown), the first pressure plate 62 comes into contact with the sheet stack transported between the first pressure plate 62 and the second pressure plate 67, and the sheet stack is sandwiched and pressed between the first pressure plate 62 and the second pressure plate 67.

[0061] The second pressure plate 67 is a plate-shaped member made of silicone rubber with a thickness of 2.0 mm, and is a member for stably transmitting the pressure force from the pressure lever 65 to the sheet stack. The second pressure plate 67 can be made of any material other than silicone rubber as long as it has a certain degree of deformability, an elastic modulus of 1000 Pa or less, is resistant to repeated stress, and is heat resistant, as a member for stably transmitting the pressure force to the sheet stack.

[0062] The number of sheets P to be thermocompression-bonded is desirably set appropriately taking into consideration the time required for the thermocompression process and the productivity of booklet production. In the first embodiment, the thermocompression-bonding unit 60 is controlled to thermocompress a stack of five sheets P that have been stacked and aligned. In the first embodiment, the first pressure plate 62 presses the sheet stack for two seconds while the temperature of the first pressure plate 62 is set to the target temperature for thermocompression bonding, and then separates from the sheets P, completing the production of the booklet by thermocompression. When a sheet stack of five or less sheets is to be thermocompression-bonded, the thermocompression bonding is performed for that number of sheets.

[0063] For example, a booklet consisting of 18 sheets P is produced by the following process. First, as a first thermocompression bonding, a thermocompression bonding operation is performed with the first to fifth sheets P stacked on intermediate stacker 51. In the first thermocompression bonding, a booklet consisting of five sheets P is produced.

[0064] Subsequently, as a second thermocompression bonding, a thermocompression bonding operation is performed in a state where the sixth to tenth sheets P are stacked on top of the booklet made up of five sheets P. In the second thermocompression bonding operation, a booklet made up of ten sheets P is produced.

[0065] Subsequently, as a third thermocompression bonding, a thermocompression bonding operation is performed in a state where 11th to 15th sheets P are stacked on top of a booklet made up of 10 sheets P. In the third thermocompression bonding operation, a booklet made up of 15 sheets P is produced.

[0066] Finally, as the fourth thermocompression bonding, a thermocompression bonding operation is performed with the 16th to 18th sheets P stacked on top of the booklet made up of 15 sheets P. In the fourth thermocompression bonding operation, a booklet made up of 18 sheets P is produced. Through the above four thermocompression bonding operations, a booklet made up of 18 sheets P is completed.

[0067] (Positional relationship between recording material and ceramic heater) The positional relationship between the sheet P aligned by the vertical alignment reference plate 52 and the ceramic heater 70 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the vertical alignment reference plate 52 and the ceramic heater 70. In addition, in Fig. 4, the reference surface of the horizontal alignment reference plate 55 is indicated by a dotted line.

[0068] The size of the sheets P to be made into a booklet is freely selected by the user and comes in various sizes. Fig. 4 shows sheets P of A4 size, B5 size, and A5 size as examples of sheets P of various sizes. Regardless of the size, the sheet P waits for the thermocompression bonding process with its Y-direction position aligned at a reference alignment position by the vertical alignment reference plate 52 and its X-direction position aligned at a reference alignment position by the horizontal alignment reference plate 55. At this time, the sheet P is aligned so that one side of the sheet P is aligned in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 (first pressure plate 62).

[0069] In the first embodiment, the alignment position of the sheet P to be thermocompression bonded is the same regardless of the size. The reference position of the ceramic heater 70 is determined based on the arrangement positions of the vertical alignment reference plate 52 and the horizontal alignment reference plate 55. Since the sheet P loaded on the intermediate stacker 51 is positioned by the vertical alignment reference plate 52 and the horizontal alignment reference plate 55, the sheet P is positioned with high precision relative to the ceramic heater 70 regardless of the size of the sheet P.

[0070] In the first embodiment, the length of the first pressure plate 62 in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of an A4 sheet, which is the maximum size. When viewed in the stacking direction (Z direction) of the sheets P, the first pressure plate 62 overlaps the sheets P from one end to the other end, and the alignment mechanism aligns the sheets P so that the first pressure plate 62 covers the entire longitudinal area of ​​the edge of the sheets P. Similarly, the longitudinal lengths of the heating elements 72 and 73 are determined so that the heating elements 72 and 73 cover the entire longitudinal area of ​​the edge of the sheets P. In this way, the first pressure plate 62 is configured to be able to press the sheets P from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction, thereby suppressing the misalignment of the sheets P during the thermocompression bonding operation, stably executing the thermocompression bonding operation, and improving the quality of the produced booklet.

[0071] (adhesion form) The booklet production apparatus 50 of the first embodiment is configured to be capable of performing at least corner fastening and edge fastening as bonding forms of the sheets P. Corner fastening is a method of bonding multiple sheets P to each other at one of the four corners of the sheets P to produce a booklet. Edge fastening is a method of bonding multiple sheets P to each other at an edge along one side of the sheets P to produce a booklet. The control unit 90 of the first embodiment is capable of switching between a first mode in which a thermocompression bonding operation is performed under bonding conditions for corner fastening and a second mode in which a thermocompression bonding operation is performed under bonding conditions for edge fastening, based on information input by a user, etc.

[0072] The adhesive toner image Ti formed on the sheet P will be described. Figures 5(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing adhesive toner images Ti of different shapes. Figure 5(a) shows an adhesive toner image Ti formed on one of the four corners of the sheet P, which is a corner fastening adhesive toner image Ti for adhering the corner of the sheet P. Figure 5(b) shows an adhesive toner image Ti formed on an edge along the long side of the sheet P, which is an edge fastening adhesive toner image Ti for adhering the edge of the sheet P.

[0073] For example, when creating a booklet with n pages, adhesive toner images Ti are formed on sheets P up to the nth page, excluding page 1 which is the cover. Then, five of these sheets P are stacked together, and a thermocompression bonding operation is performed to complete the booklet. Note that, although an adhesive toner image Ti formed on one side of a sheet P is shown as an example in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the adhesive toner image Ti may be formed on both sides of the sheet P. In other words, when a plurality of sheets P are stacked, adhesive toner images Ti may be formed on the opposing surfaces of two sheets P adjacent to each other in the stacking direction, to create a booklet.

[0074] Whether the adhesive toner image Ti is formed on only one side or both sides of the sheet P can be selected in consideration of the booklet producing device 50, the type of adhesive toner or sheet P, the functions required of the booklet, etc. For example, in the case of a booklet to be a keepsake or when thick paper or a special sheet P is used for the cover of the booklet, it is advisable to form the adhesive toner image Ti on both sides in order to obtain reliable adhesion. Also, in the case of a booklet for simple, one-time use, it is sufficient to form the adhesive toner image Ti on only one side.

[0075] The booklet completed by repeating this thermocompression process is pushed out of the post-processing device 4 from the booklet discharge outlet 40 as shown in Figure 1 by a bundle discharge guide (not shown) moving parallel from its standby position toward the booklet discharge outlet 40.

[0076] A pair of booklet discharge rollers 39 is provided at the booklet discharge port 40, and the leading edge of the completed booklet is The bundle discharge guide stops when it passes the booklet discharge roller pair 39 and returns to the standby position. The booklet discharge roller pair 39 receives the completed booklet from the bundle discharge guide and discharges the booklet from the post-processing device 4 onto the lower discharge tray 34, completing the booklet production operation.

[0077] (Ceramic heater) The detailed configuration of the ceramic heater 70, which is the heat source of the thermocompression bonding unit 60, will be described with reference to Figures 6(a) to (d). Figures 6(a) to (d) are explanatory diagrams of the ceramic heater 70.

[0078] 6(a) shows the positional relationship between the base 71 and the heating elements 72 and 73 of the ceramic heater 70. The ceramic heater 70 is heated by the heating elements 72 and 73 provided on the ceramic base 71. The heating elements 72 and 73 are resistive heating elements whose resistance values ​​are adjusted so that they rise in temperature when electricity is applied. The heating elements 72 and 73 are each formed long and narrow in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 (base 71).

[0079] The heating elements 72, 73 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 and are controlled so as to generate heat independently of each other. That is, the heat generating means of the ceramic heater 70 is composed of the two systems of the heating elements 72, 73. With this configuration, the booklet producing apparatus 50 can thermocompress the sheet P by the heating unit 61 by changing the amount of heat generated by each of the heating elements 72, 73 according to the bonding conditions such as the bonding form (corner fastening or edge fastening) and the sheet type for producing the booklet. In the following description, the longitudinal end of the ceramic heater 70 on the side where the heating element 72 is located is referred to as the first end 70a, and the longitudinal end opposite the first end 70a is referred to as the second end 70b.

[0080] 6(a) to 6(d), the positions of one end 72a of the heating element 72 and one end 73a of the heating element 73 in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 are indicated by dotted lines. The one end 72a is the end of the heating element 72 on the first end 70a side, and the one end 73a is the end of the heating element 73 on the second end 70b side.

[0081] 6(b) shows the position of the thermistor 64, which is a temperature detection element that detects the temperature of the ceramic heater 70 through the heater support 63. In the first embodiment, the heating unit 61 is provided with two thermistors 64, one of which is disposed corresponding to the heating element 72, and the other is disposed corresponding to the heating element 73. Specifically, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface of the heating elements 72 and 73 of the base 71, the thermistor 64 as the first temperature measurement sensor is disposed at a position overlapping the heating element 72, and the thermistor 64 as the second temperature measurement sensor is disposed at a position overlapping the heating element 73. The control unit 90 controls the supply of electricity to the heating element 72 based on the detected temperature of the first temperature measurement sensor (thermistor 64), and controls the supply of electricity to the heating element 73 based on the detected temperature of the second temperature measurement sensor (thermistor 64), so that the temperatures of the heating elements 72 and 73 become the thermocompression bonding temperature.

[0082] Heating element 72 is formed as a heating element responsible for adhesion when fastening the corners, and is disposed at a position corresponding to the corner fastening portion of sheet P. Heating element 72 is formed to have a shorter longitudinal length than heating element 73.

[0083] FIG. 6(c) is a graph showing the temperature distribution in the longitudinal direction of ceramic heater 70 when only heating element 72 generates heat. FIG. 6(d) is a graph showing the temperature distribution in the longitudinal direction of ceramic heater 70 when heating elements 72 and 73 generate heat. The vertical axis of the graphs shown in FIGS. 6(c) and (d) indicates the amount of heat generated by ceramic heater 70, and the horizontal axis indicates the longitudinal position of ceramic heater 70. The amount of heat generated by ceramic heater 70 can be measured by a temperature measuring device such as a thermoviewer. Note that in FIGS. 6(c) and (d) and the graph showing the amount of heat generated which will be shown in a separate figure later, resistive heating elements such as heating elements 72 and 73 are provided in the longitudinal direction. The heat generation amount of the unshielded portion is omitted in the figure.

[0084] During corner fastening, only the heating element 72 generates heat, and the amount of heat generated near the first end 70a where the heating element 72 is provided increases as shown in Fig. 6(c). When only the heating element 72 generates heat, the amount of heat generated increases in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 at a position corresponding to the corner fastening portion of the sheet P on which the adhesive toner image Ti is formed as shown in Fig. 5(a).

[0085] The heating element 73 is formed as a heating element that is responsible for adhesion during edge fastening by generating heat together with the heating element 72. During edge fastening, both heating elements 72 and 73 generate heat, and the amount of heat generated increases over substantially the entire longitudinal area of ​​the ceramic heater 70 as shown in Fig. 6(d), and the amount of heat generated becomes approximately uniform in the longitudinal direction. When both heating elements 72 and 73 generate heat, the amount of heat generated increases in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 at a position corresponding to the edge fastening portion of the sheet P on which the adhesive toner image Ti is formed as shown in Fig. 5(b).

[0086] 7 is an explanatory diagram of the pressing operation of the heating unit 61 by the pressure lever 65. In the first embodiment, the metal stay 66, the ceramic heater 70, and the first pressure plate 62 constituting the heating unit 61 are pressed by the pressure lever 65 and move together. That is, the operation of the pressure lever 65 pressing the heating unit 61 is common in the thermocompression bonding operations of a plurality of bonding forms such as corner fastening and edge fastening. In other words, according to the configuration of the first embodiment, it is not necessary to use different operations of the pressure lever 65 according to the bonding form, and it is sufficient to press the sheet P with a single heating unit 61 regardless of the bonding form. In this way, by making the thermocompression bonding unit 60 a simple configuration composed of a single heating unit 61, it is possible to improve maintainability and achieve operational stability during the thermocompression bonding operation.

[0087] In the first embodiment, when the corners are fastened, the sheet stack is partially heated by the heat generated by the heating element 72, and the entire edge of the sheet stack is pressed by the first pressure plate 62. With this configuration, the shifting of the sheets P during the thermocompression bonding operation is suppressed, and the thermocompression bonding operation is performed stably. Then, the sheets P are bonded together with the end faces of the sheets P aligned, and a high-quality booklet with the end faces of the sheets P aligned is obtained.

[0088] In the first embodiment, only the heating element 72 generates heat during corner fastening, and the corner of the sheet P on which the adhesive toner image Ti is formed is heated intensively. With this configuration, the power consumed during corner fastening is reduced compared to a configuration in which the heat generating means of the heat source is composed of a single heating element and the amount of heat generated by the heat source is always uniform in the longitudinal direction.

[0089] <Second Example> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Only the differences between the configuration of the second embodiment and the configuration of the first embodiment will be described below. In the configuration of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the image forming device 1, the post-processing device 4, and other components that are similar to those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] In the first embodiment, the heating unit 61 presses the entire edge of the sheets P to align the end faces of the sheets P that make up the booklet, thereby improving the quality of the finished booklet. However, the quality required of a booklet is not limited to the alignment of the sheets P. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the adhesiveness between the sheets P is improved to further improve the quality of the booklet.

[0091] (Adhesiveness and heat dissipation) Peeling of the sheets P bonded together as a booklet is undesirable, and strong adhesion that makes it difficult for the sheets P to peel off from each other is required in the thermocompression bonding. As a means for improving the adhesion, several methods can be considered, such as extending the time of the thermocompression bonding process, increasing the amount of adhesive toner, or increasing the bonding area. However, although extending the time of the thermocompression process is advantageous for adhesion, it reduces the productivity of booklet production. Also, increasing the amount of adhesive toner or expanding its area is also advantageous for adhesion, but the increased amount of adhesive toner used affects the cost of producing booklets.

[0092] In order to obtain the adhesiveness required for a booklet, the inventors of the present application conducted intensive research and found the following. First, the adhesive peels off from the edges of the adhesive toner image Ti. In particular, peeling of an edge-fastened booklet is likely to occur from both ends of the longitudinal direction of the adhesive toner image Ti formed for edge fastening, and is unlikely to occur from the longitudinal center. Also, in corner fastening, the area of ​​the adhesive toner image Ti is smaller than that in edge fastening, so the adhesiveness is inferior to that in edge fastening, and it is difficult to obtain sufficient adhesiveness. Thus, in both the edge fastening and corner fastening adhesion forms, it is desired that the longitudinal ends of the sheets P are firmly adhered.

[0093] As a result of examining the cause of peeling from the edge of the adhesive toner image Ti, the following was found. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are explanatory diagrams of the flow of thermal energy (heat flow) generated by the heating elements 72 and 73, and are conceptual diagrams showing the flow of thermal energy. In Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the heat flow of thermal energy flowing from the ceramic heater 70 to the first pressure plate 62 to melt the adhesive toner image Ti is shown by black arrows. The thickness of the black arrows in Figures 8(a) and 8(b) indicates the amount of thermal energy of the heat flow, and a thicker arrow indicates a higher thermal energy. Furthermore, in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the heat flow of thermal energy flowing in a direction away from the ceramic heater 70 without flowing to the first pressure plate 62 is shown by white arrows. The escape of heat is undesirable because it can be a factor that prevents the first pressure plate 62 and the sheet P from rising in temperature.

[0094] FIG. 8(a) shows the flow of thermal energy during corner fastening. In the case of corner fastening, as shown in FIG. 8(a), heat escapes from both ends of the heating element 72 in the longitudinal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 8). During corner fastening, only the heating element 72 generates heat, and the heating element 73 does not generate heat, so a temperature difference occurs between the heating elements 72 and 73. This temperature difference causes heat escape in a direction from the heating element 72 with a higher temperature to the heating element 73 with a lower temperature. Furthermore, since the heating element 72 generates heat at a temperature higher than the environmental temperature around the ceramic heater 70, heat also escapes from the heating element 72 to the outside of the ceramic heater 70 toward the first end 70a. Thus, during corner fastening, a heat flow escaping from the heating element 72 toward the first end 70a and a heat flow escaping toward the second end 70b are generated. If heat escapes to a lower temperature portion during the thermocompression operation, the heat flow necessary to melt the adhesive toner image Ti is impaired, and the adhesive strength of the booklet may be reduced.

[0095] FIG. 8(b) shows the flow of thermal energy during edge fastening. In the case of edge fastening, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the heat generating element 73 generates heat in addition to the heat generating element 72, so that the loss of heat in the direction from the heat generating element 72 to the heat generating element 73 is eliminated. On the other hand, the heat generating elements 72 and 73 generate heat at a temperature higher than the environmental temperature around the ceramic heater 70. Therefore, during edge fastening, a heat flow occurs that escapes from the heat generating element 72 to the outside of the ceramic heater 70 toward the first end portion 70a, and a heat flow occurs that escapes from the heat generating element 73 to the second end portion 70b to the outside of the ceramic heater 70. Therefore, even in the case of edge fastening, the heat required to melt the adhesive toner image Ti during the thermocompression operation is lost, and the adhesive strength of the booklet may be reduced.

[0096] As described above, when heat escapes that impairs melting of the adhesive toner image Ti and the temperature at both longitudinal ends of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 drops, the heat flow from the heating elements 72, 73 to the stack of sheets P decreases, reducing adhesion. As shown in FIG. 8(a), during corner fastening, the heat flow from both longitudinal ends of the heating element 72 toward the first pressure plate 62 is smaller than the heat flow from the longitudinal center of the heating element 72 toward the first pressure plate 62. Also, as shown in FIG. 8(b), during edge fastening, the heat flow from both longitudinal ends of the ceramic heater 70 toward the first pressure plate 62 is smaller than the heat flow from the longitudinal center of the ceramic heater 70 toward the first pressure plate 62. .

[0097] The degree of heat escape, which causes a decrease in adhesiveness, may also vary depending on the conditions and environment in which thermocompression bonding is performed. For example, when the thermocompression bonding unit 60 is cold overall, the temperature difference between the heating elements 72, 73, which heat up for thermocompression bonding, and the other members of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 increases, resulting in a large amount of heat escape. On the other hand, when the thermocompression bonding operation is repeatedly performed and the thermocompression bonding unit 60 is warm overall, the temperature difference between the heating elements 72, 73 and the other members decreases, resulting in a small amount of heat escape.

[0098] The amount of heat escape also changes depending on the environmental temperature in which the thermocompression bonding unit 60 is placed. When the thermocompression bonding operation is performed in a relatively low-temperature environment, the amount of heat escape increases and the adhesiveness is likely to decrease, compared to when the thermocompression bonding operation is performed in a high-temperature environment.

[0099] (Ceramic heater) The second embodiment is configured to take the above-mentioned phenomenon into consideration and to suppress a decrease in adhesiveness of the sheet P due to heat escape. Next, a detailed configuration of the ceramic heater 70, which is the heat source of the second embodiment, will be described with reference to Figs. 9(a) to (c). Figs. 9(a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams of the ceramic heater 70 according to the second embodiment. The ceramic heater 70 according to the second embodiment is provided with end heating elements 74 located at both ends in the longitudinal direction and a central heating element 75 located in the central portion.

[0100] FIG. 9(a) shows the configuration of the end heating element 74 and the central heating element 75 of the ceramic heater 70 according to the second embodiment. The heating means of the ceramic heater 70 is composed of the central heating element 75 arranged in the center in the longitudinal direction, and two end heating elements 74 arranged on both sides of the central heating element 75 in the longitudinal direction and arranged at both ends in the longitudinal direction. In the ceramic heater 70, a plurality of resistance heating elements are arranged in the longitudinal direction in the order of the end heating element 74 (first heating element), the central heating element 75 (second heating element), and the end heating element 74 (third heating element). In the second embodiment, the two end heating elements 74 are electrically connected, and the same amount of current flows through them, so that the heat generation amount is controlled to be equal. On the other hand, the end heating element 74 and the central heating element 75 are controlled independently of each other, and the heating means of the ceramic heater 70 is composed of two systems of heating elements.

[0101] 9(a) to (c), the positions of one end 74a of the end heating element 74 on the first end 70a side and one end 74b of the end heating element 74 on the second end 70b side in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 are indicated by dotted lines. One end 74a is the end of the end heating element 74 on the first end 70a side of the ceramic heater 70, and one end 74b is the end of the end heating element 74 on the second end 70b side of the ceramic heater 70. The longitudinal distance from one end 74a to one end 74b is equivalent to the longitudinal distance from one end 72a to one end 73a in the first embodiment.

[0102] In a configuration in which the end heating element 74 and the central heating element 75 are controlled independently, the amount of heat generated by each element can be changed as desired. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the end heating element 74 is controlled to generate more heat than the central heating element 75 in order to compensate for the loss of heat from the end portions, which reduces adhesiveness. With this configuration, the temperature at both longitudinal ends of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 is ensured, and reliable adhesiveness at the end portions is obtained.

[0103] FIG. 9(b) shows the flow of thermal energy in the case of edge fastening by the thermocompression bonding unit 60 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9(c) is a graph showing the temperature distribution in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 when the end heating element 74 and the central heating element 75 generate heat. In the second embodiment, the amount of heat generated by the end heating element 74 is controlled to be higher than that of the central heating element 75 so that the heat flow from the ceramic heater 70 toward the first pressure plate 62 and the sheet P is uniform in the longitudinal direction. FIG. 9(c) shows that the amount of heat generated at both ends of the ceramic heater 70 in the longitudinal direction is greater than that at the central portion. A larger view is shown.

[0104] (Heat control) A specific example of heat generation control of the ceramic heater 70 during the thermocompression bonding operation in the thermocompression bonding unit 60 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the control temperature T1 during the thermocompression bonding operation of the end heating element 74 when edge fastening is performed is set higher, specifically 10° C. higher, than the control temperature T2 during the thermocompression bonding operation of the central heating element 75. In the second embodiment, the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 is adjusted according to the warm-up state of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 and the environmental temperature. Below, a method of adjusting the control temperature T1 will be described based on a control example in which a temperature 10° C. higher than the control temperature T2 of the central heating element 75 is set as the reference control temperature T0 of the end heating element 74.

[0105] First, the heat generation adjustment of the end heating element 74 according to the warm-up state of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 will be described. The thermocompression bonding unit 60 warms up when the thermocompression bonding process is repeated. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 is adjusted as follows according to the number of times the thermocompression bonding process is repeated consecutively. Here, the number of times the thermocompression bonding process is repeated refers to the number of times the thermocompression bonding process is repeated within one job (command), but when multiple jobs are executed consecutively, the number of times the thermocompression bonding process is repeated may be added together. If the number of repetitions is 5 or less, the control temperature T1 will not be changed (it will remain at the reference control temperature T0). If the number of repetitions is 6 to 9, set the control temperature T1 2°C lower than the reference control temperature T0. If the number of repetitions is 10 to 14, set the control temperature T1 3°C lower than the reference control temperature T0. If the number of repetitions is 15 to 19, set the control temperature T1 5°C lower than the reference control temperature T0. If the number of repetitions is between 20 and 31, set the control temperature T1 7°C lower than the reference control temperature T0. If the number of repetitions is 31 or more, the control temperature T1 is set 10° C. lower than the reference control temperature T0 (the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 is the same as the control temperature T2 of the central heating element 75).

[0106] Next, a description will be given of heat adjustment of the end heating element 74 according to the environmental temperature of the thermocompression bonding unit 60. The environmental temperature is detected by an environmental detection thermistor (not shown) that detects the environmental temperature provided in the image forming apparatus 1 and the post-processing device 4. Then, the control unit 90 controls the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 according to the detected temperature.

[0107] In the second embodiment, 25°C is set as the reference environmental temperature E0 at which the thermocompression bonding unit 60 is placed, and the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 is adjusted according to the difference in the environmental temperature from the reference environmental temperature E0. Specifically, when the environmental temperature is higher than the reference environmental temperature E0, the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 is adjusted lower, and when the environmental temperature is lower than the reference environmental temperature E0, the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 is adjusted higher. In the second embodiment, the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 is increased or decreased by 2°C in response to an increase or decrease of 1°C in the environmental temperature.

[0108] When the thermocompression bonding control temperature of the end heating element 74 is adjusted as described above, for example, when 15 consecutive thermocompression bonding processes are repeated under an ambient temperature of 23° C., the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 is determined as follows.

[0109] First, since the thermocompression bonding process is repeated 15 times, the control temperature T1 is adjusted to be 5° C. lower than the reference control temperature T0, taking into consideration the warmed-up state of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 as described above.

[0110] On the other hand, the environmental temperature is 23°C, which is 2°C lower than the reference environmental temperature E0 (25°C). The temperature T1 is adjusted to be 2°C x 2 = 4°C higher than the reference control temperature T0.

[0111] The sum of the adjustment amount taking into account the warmed-up state of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 and the adjustment amount taking into account the environmental temperature becomes the final adjustment amount of the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74. In the above-mentioned operation example, the adjustment amount is -5°C + 4°C = -1°C, and the control temperature T1 is set at a temperature 1°C lower than the reference control temperature T0.

[0112] As described above, the reference control temperature T0 is 10° C. higher than the control temperature T2 of the central heating element 75. Therefore, the control temperature T1 of the end heating element 74 is controlled to be 10° C.-1° C.=9° C. higher than the control temperature T2.

[0113] As described above, according to the configuration of the second embodiment, the heating elements that can be controlled independently from each other are arranged at the center and both ends in the longitudinal direction, and it is configured to be possible to heat the longitudinal ends and the center of the first pressure plate 62 to different temperatures. Therefore, since the amount of heat generated can be controlled to compensate for the loss of heat from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the thermocompression bonding unit 60, stable adhesion can be obtained and deterioration of the booklet quality can be suppressed. Note that the above-mentioned control method of the control temperature T1 and the relationship between the various temperatures are merely examples and can be changed as appropriate according to the bonding conditions such as the type of sheet.

[0114] Also, in FIG. 9(b), heat generation control during edge fastening is shown, but during corner fastening, only the end heating elements 74 provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 generate heat. For example, when the corner where the adhesive toner image Ti is formed is located on the first end 70a side, in the second embodiment, the amount of heat generated is high not only at the corner on the first end 70a side but also at the corner on the second end 70b side. Then, the temperature of the ceramic heater 70 and the first pressure plate 62 on the second end 70b side is also high, just like the first end 70a side. Therefore, it is possible to prevent heat from escaping from the end heating elements 74 located on the first end 70a side to the second end 70b side, so stable adhesion can be obtained and deterioration of the quality of the booklet can be suppressed.

[0115] In the configuration of the second embodiment, when the corners are fastened, the central heating element 75 on the central side can be heated at a temperature lower than the control temperature required to melt the adhesive toner, thereby suppressing heat loss. Even when controlled in this way, the power consumed during corner fastening is reduced compared to a configuration in which the heat generating means of the heat source is composed of a single heating element and the amount of heat generated by the heat source is always uniform in the longitudinal direction.

[0116] (First Modification) In the second embodiment, a plurality of heating elements are provided to control the temperatures of the center and the ends in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 to different temperatures, but a single heating element may be used to control the temperatures of the center and the ends to different temperatures. Next, a first modified example of the second embodiment configured with a single heating element will be described.

[0117] 10(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of a ceramic heater 70 according to a first modified example. FIG. 10(a) shows the configuration of a heating element 76 of a ceramic heater 70 according to a first modified example. FIG. 10(b) is a graph showing the temperature distribution in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 when the heating element 76 generates heat. In the first modified example, one heating element 76 is provided in the ceramic heater 70. The lateral width of end portions 76c on both longitudinal sides of the heating element 76 is made smaller than the lateral width of a central portion 76d in the longitudinal direction.

[0118] 10(a) and (b), the positions of one end 76a on the first end 70a side and the other end 76b on the second end 70b side of the heating element 76 in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 are indicated by dotted lines. The longitudinal distance from one end 76a to the other end 76b is equal to the longitudinal distance from one end 72a to one end 73a in the first embodiment. The width of the heating element 76 in the modified example is small (thinner). The longitudinal position of end portion 76c corresponds to end portion heating element 74 of the second embodiment, and the longitudinal position of central portion 76d, which has a larger (wider) width than end portion 76c, corresponds to central heating element 75 of the second embodiment.

[0119] The amount of heat generated by a resistive heating element such as heating element 76 is equivalent to the power calculated by multiplying the square of the current flowing through the resistive heating element by the resistance of the resistive heating element. Therefore, the larger the resistance, the larger the amount of heat generated, and vice versa.

[0120] The current value flowing through one system of heating element 76 as shown in FIG. 10(a) is the same in the longitudinal direction. Meanwhile, heating element 76 is formed by applying the same material in the longitudinal direction by screen printing, and the thickness is the same in the longitudinal direction. In a resistance heating element having such a configuration, the resistance value of both end portions 76c, which have a small width in the short side direction, is greater than the resistance value of a central portion 76d, which has a large width in the short side direction. With such a configuration, the amount of heat generated at end portions 76c is greater than the amount of heat generated at central portion 76d, as shown in FIG. 10(b).

[0121] As described above, according to the configuration of the first modified example, the ceramic heater 70, which can be simply configured with a single resistance heating element, can be used to heat the longitudinal ends and center of the first pressure plate 62 to different temperatures. As a result, the amount of heat generated can be controlled to compensate for the loss of heat from both longitudinal ends of the thermocompression bonding unit 60, thereby achieving stable adhesion and suppressing deterioration in the quality of the booklet.

[0122] In the first modified example, the end portion 76c and the central portion 76d each have a uniform width in the short side direction, but the resistance heating element may be formed in a tapered shape in which the width gradually changes in the long side direction. Even in this configuration, the end portion and the central portion in the long side direction of the first pressure plate 62 are heated to different temperatures, and the amount of heat generated is controlled so as to compensate for the loss of heat from both ends in the long side direction of the thermocompression bonding unit 60, thereby suppressing deterioration in the quality of the booklet.

[0123] Since this modified example cannot control the heating of only the longitudinal ends, it is suitable for, for example, a booklet production device 50 that performs only edge fastening. In this manner, which of the configurations of the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the modified examples is to be adopted can be appropriately selected depending on the specifications of the booklet production device, etc.

[0124] <Third Example> Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Only the differences between the configuration of the third embodiment and the configuration of the second embodiment will be described below. In the configuration of the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the image forming device 1, the post-processing device 4, and other components that are similar to those of the first and second embodiments, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0125] In the second embodiment, the loss of heat from both ends of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 is compensated for by increasing the heat generation amount of the end heating element 74, which can be controlled independently, thereby obtaining reliable adhesion of the ends. In such a configuration, the thermocompression bonding process may be performed in a state where there is a temperature difference between the end heating element 74 and the central heating element 75. Since the end heating element 74 and the central heating element 75 each undergo thermal expansion, the difference in expansion due to the difference in temperature between the heating elements may cause thermal stress at the boundary between the end heating element 74 and the central heating element 75.

[0126] The ceramic heater 70 is produced by coating and baking a resistance heating element on the surface of a base 71, and generates heat when a voltage is applied to this resistance heating element. Since a voltage is applied to the resistance heating element, it is necessary to ensure electrical insulation. Therefore, the ceramic heater 70 is formed with a heat-resistant insulating glass having a thickness of 50 μm as an insulating protective layer (insulating glass layer).

[0127] The difference in thermal stress caused by the thermal expansion is received by the substrate 71 and the insulating glass layer. 71 is 1 mm thick and has high rigidity, so there is little risk of it being damaged by thermal stress. However, because the insulating glass layer is a thin film of 50 μm, extremely small microcracks may occur if it is repeatedly subjected to thermal stress. Such microcracks may cause problems in terms of ensuring electrical insulation.

[0128] Therefore, in the third embodiment, the ceramic heater 70 is configured with a plurality of resistive heating elements so as to control the amount of heat generated so as to compensate for the loss of heat from both longitudinal ends of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 while suppressing microcracks in the insulating glass layer etc. The ceramic heater 70 according to the third embodiment is provided with one heating element 77 and two heating elements 78.

[0129] Figures 11(a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams of a ceramic heater 70 according to a third embodiment. Figure 11(a) shows the configurations of heating elements 77 and 78 of the ceramic heater 70 according to the third embodiment. Figure 11(b) is a graph showing the temperature distribution in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 when only the heating element 77 generates heat. Figure 11(c) is a graph showing the temperature distribution in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 when only the heating element 78 generates heat.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 11(a), the ceramic heater 70 is provided with one heating element 77 and two heating elements 78 extending from a first end 70a to a second end 70b in the longitudinal direction as resistance heating elements capable of ensuring the amount of heat generated at the ends while alleviating thermal stress. These resistance heating elements are arranged side by side in the short direction in the order of heating element 78 (second heating element), heating element 77 (first heating element), and heating element 78 (third heating element). In the third embodiment, the two heating elements 78 are electrically connected, and the same amount of current flows through them, so that the amounts of heat generated are controlled to be equal. Meanwhile, the heating elements 77 and 78 are controlled independently of each other, and the heat generating means of the ceramic heater 70 is composed of two systems of heating elements.

[0131] 11(a)-(b), the positions of one end 77a on the first end 70a side and the other end 77b on the second end 70b side of the heating element 77 in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 are indicated by dotted lines. One end of the heating element 78 on the first end 70a side is in the same position as the one end 77a, and one end of the heating element 78 on the second end 70b side is in the same position as the other end 77b. The longitudinal distance from the one end 77a to the other end 77b is equal to the longitudinal distance from the one end 72a to the one end 73a in the first embodiment.

[0132] The heating element 77 is formed in a tapered shape in which the width in the short side direction gradually changes from the largest at the center in the longitudinal direction to the smallest at the end. Therefore, the resistance value of the heating element 77 is lowest at the center in the longitudinal direction and gradually increases toward the end. As described above, the heat generation amount of the resistive heating element is equivalent to the power determined by the product of the square of the current value flowing through the resistive heating element and the resistance value. Therefore, the heat generation amount of the heating element 77 gradually increases from the center in the longitudinal direction to the end.

[0133] On the other hand, the heating element 78 is formed in a tapered shape in which the width in the short side direction gradually changes from the largest at the center in the longitudinal direction to the smallest at the end. Therefore, the resistance value of the heating element 78 is highest at the center in the longitudinal direction and gradually decreases toward the end. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the heating element 78 gradually decreases from the center to the end in the longitudinal direction.

[0134] Heating elements 77, 78 are each formed to extend from first end 70a to second end 70b in the longitudinal direction of ceramic heater 70, and are formed continuously in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, heating elements 77 and 78 are arranged with a gap therebetween in the lateral direction. With this configuration, the generation of thermal stress due to differences in the amounts of heat generated by adjacent heating elements is prevented, and damage to the insulating glass layer can be suppressed.

[0135] 11(b) and (c), the heat values ​​of the heat generating elements 77 and 78 are complementary to each other. The ceramic heater 70 of the third embodiment is configured by combining a heat generating element 77 having a large heat value at the longitudinal end portion with a heat generating element 78 having a large heat value at the longitudinal center portion, and the heat value of the heating unit 61 as a whole is controlled by controlling the current supply to each of the resistive heat generating elements.

[0136] In the third embodiment, when the corners are fixed, electricity is applied only to the heating element 77, so that the amount of heat required for the thermocompression bonding process can be ensured at the positions corresponding to the corners of the sheet P on which the adhesive toner image Ti is formed. Furthermore, the sheet P is pressed while being sandwiched at almost the entire edge between the first pressure plate 62 and the second pressure plate 67. Therefore, according to the configuration of the third embodiment, it is possible to reduce power consumption while suppressing misalignment of the sheet P, compared to a configuration in which the amount of heat generated is uniformly controlled in the longitudinal direction.

[0137] In the third embodiment, when edge fastening is performed, electricity is applied to both the heating elements 77 and 78, so that heat is generated over the entire longitudinal direction of the thermocompression bonding unit 60, and the amount of heat required for the thermocompression bonding process can be secured at the position corresponding to the edge of the sheet P on which the adhesive toner image Ti is formed. By controlling the amount of heat generated by the heating element 77 to be high, the amount of heat generated at both longitudinal ends of the ceramic heater 70 can be increased, and heat loss can be suppressed. As a result, according to the third embodiment, stable adhesion can be obtained and deterioration in the quality of the booklet can be suppressed.

[0138] In the third embodiment, the control unit 90 controls the power supply to the heating elements 77, 78 so that the temperatures detected by the multiple thermistors 64 become the thermocompression control temperatures, thereby controlling the amount of heat generated by the heating unit 61 in accordance with the bonding form and bonding conditions. In the third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the control temperatures of the heating elements 77, 78 can be appropriately adjusted in accordance with the degree of warming of the thermocompression unit 60 and the environmental temperature.

[0139] As described above, according to the configuration of the third embodiment, since a plurality of tapered heating elements whose width gradually changes in the longitudinal direction are configured to be independently controllable, it is possible to heat the longitudinal ends and center of the first pressure plate 62 to different temperatures. Therefore, since the amount of heat generated can be controlled to compensate for the loss of heat from both longitudinal ends of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 while suppressing the generation of thermal stress, it is possible to perform a stable thermocompression bonding operation and suppress deterioration in the quality of the booklet.

[0140] Furthermore, since the heat values ​​of the heating elements in the third embodiment are complementary to each other, the ratio of current flow to each heating element can be changed and controlled according to the temperatures detected by the multiple thermistors 64, and the temperature profile in the longitudinal direction of heating elements 77, 78 can be changed arbitrarily. That is, according to the configuration of the third embodiment, heat generation can be controlled more flexibly and in a more complex manner than in the configuration of the second embodiment.

[0141] (Second Modification) In the second and third embodiments, the resistance heating element is formed symmetrically in the longitudinal direction. However, the resistance heating element does not necessarily have to be formed symmetrically in the longitudinal direction. For example, when the bonding position (position where the adhesive toner image Ti is placed) for corner fastening is fixed, the resistance heating element may be configured so that the heat generation amount at the longitudinal end corresponding to the bonding position is greater than the heat generation amount at the opposite end. Next, a second modified example of the third embodiment configured with a resistance heating element formed asymmetrically in the longitudinal direction will be described.

[0142] 12(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of a ceramic heater 70 according to a second modified example. FIG. 12(a) shows the configuration of a heating element 79 as a first heating element and a heating element 80 as a second heating element of the ceramic heater 70 according to the second modified example. FIG. 12(b) is a graph showing the temperature distribution in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 when the heating element 79 generates heat. In (b), the positions of one end 79a on the first end 70a side and the other end 79b on the second end 70b side of the heat generating element 79 in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic heater 70 are indicated by dotted lines.

[0143] In the second modified example, one heating element 79 and two heating elements 80 are provided, each extending from a first end 70a to a second end 70b in the longitudinal direction, similarly to the third embodiment. The second modified example differs from the third embodiment in that the width in the short side direction of the end of the heating element 79 on the second end 70b side is smaller than the width in the short side direction of the end on the first end 70a side.

[0144] The second modified example is configured on the premise that the sheet P is aligned so that the corner on which the adhesive toner image Ti is formed is located near the second end 70b of the ceramic heater 70 during the corner-fastening thermocompression bonding operation. By configuring the heating element 79 as described above, the amount of heat generated by the heating element 79 at the end on the second end 70b side is greater than the amount of heat generated at the end on the first end 70a side, as shown in FIG. 12(b). That is, according to the second modified example, the amount of heat required for the thermocompression bonding operation can be secured at the second end 70b, while the amount of heat sufficient to suppress the loss of heat can also be secured at the first end 70a. As a result, stable adhesion can be obtained and deterioration in the quality of the booklet can be suppressed.

[0145] Furthermore, a heating element in which the amount of heat generated in the longitudinal direction is asymmetric, as in the second modified example, is also suitable for a configuration in which the heat flow of the ceramic heater 70 can be asymmetric in the longitudinal direction due to the configuration of the thermocompression bonding unit 60. The heat flow of the ceramic heater 70 can be asymmetric in the longitudinal direction due to the support configuration of the ceramic heater 70 and the presence or absence of electrical contacts that pass electricity through the resistive heating element. Therefore, the configuration of the second modified example is also suitable for cases in which it is desired to make the heat flow uniform in the longitudinal direction in accordance with the configuration of the peripheral members of the ceramic heater 70 by changing the amount of heat generated in the longitudinal direction.

[0146] <Other variations> In the above embodiment, the temperature control of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 is performed based on the temperature detected by the thermistor 64 in contact with the ceramic heater 70, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the temperature of the first pressure plate 62 may be detected by a separate temperature detection means, and the temperature of the thermocompression bonding unit 60 may be controlled based on the detected temperature.

[0147] In addition, the thermocompression bonding unit 60 is configured with the first pressure plate 62 made of metal and the second pressure plate 67 made of silicone rubber, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, a unit including a pressure plate made of silicone rubber may be pressed toward the sheet P by a pressure lever 65, and the position of the heated pressure plate made of metal may be fixed.

[0148] In the first modified example and the third embodiment, the resistance value of the resistive heating element is changed in the longitudinal direction by changing the width of the resistive heating element in the short direction, thereby changing the amount of heat generated by the thermocompression bonding unit 60 in the longitudinal direction, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the amount of heat generated by the thermocompression bonding unit 60 may be changed in the longitudinal direction by changing the resistance value of the resistive heating element in the longitudinal direction using other methods, such as changing the thickness of the resistive heating element in the longitudinal direction.

[0149] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration. (Configuration 1) a stacking section in which sheets having adhesive toner formed thereon are stacked in a stacking direction; a thermocompression bonding unit including a pressing member that is long in a longitudinal direction and presses the sheets stacked on the stacking section in the stacking direction, and a heat source that heats the pressing member; a pressing member heated by the heating source pressing a stack of sheets together, and melting adhesive toner on the sheets to bond the sheets together, the pressing member overlaps with a portion of the sheet stacked on the stacking section from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction when viewed in the stacking direction, 2. A sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus, wherein the heat source is configured to be able to heat the end portions and the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the pressing member to different temperatures. (Configuration 2) The heat source includes a base that is long in the longitudinal direction, and a first heating element and a second heating element that are disposed on a surface of the base, A control unit capable of independently controlling the heat generation amount of the first heating element and the heat generation amount of the second heating element, The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus described in configuration 1, characterized in that, when viewed in the loading direction, the first heating element is positioned so as to overlap with the longitudinal end portion of the base, and the second heating element is positioned so as to overlap with the longitudinal center portion of the base. (Configuration 3) the thermocompression bonding unit has a first temperature measuring sensor arranged at a position overlapping the first heating element when viewed in the stacking direction, and a second temperature measuring sensor arranged at a position overlapping the second heating element, The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus described in configuration 2, characterized in that the control unit controls the heat generation amount of the first heating element based on the detected temperature of the first temperature measuring sensor, and controls the heat generation amount of the second heating element based on the detected temperature of the second temperature measuring sensor. (Configuration 4) The sheet thermocompression bonding device described in configuration 3, characterized in that the control unit is capable of executing a first mode in which only the first heating element generates heat, and a second mode in which the first heating element and the second heating element generate heat. (Configuration 5) The sheet thermocompression bonding device of configuration 3 or 4, characterized in that the control unit controls the heat generation amount of the first heating element based on the number of times the thermocompression bonding process is repeated by the thermocompression bonding unit in addition to the detected temperature of the first temperature measuring sensor. (Configuration 6) The sheet thermocompression bonding device according to any one of configurations 3 to 5, characterized in that the control unit controls the heat generation amount of the first heating element based on the environmental temperature of the environment in which the thermocompression bonding unit is placed in addition to the detected temperature of the first temperature measuring sensor. (Configuration 7) the heating source includes a third heating element disposed on a surface of the substrate; The sheet thermocompression bonding device according to any one of configurations 2 to 6, characterized in that, when viewed in the stacking direction, the third heating element is arranged in a position overlapping with the longitudinal end of the base opposite the first heating element. (Configuration 8) 8. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to configuration 7, wherein the third heating element is electrically connected to the first heating element and a current having the same magnitude as that of the first heating element flows through the third heating element. (Configuration 9) The sheet thermocompression bonding device of configuration 8, wherein the control unit is capable of switching between a first mode in which the first heating element and the third heating element are heated, and a second mode in which the first heating element, the second heating element, and the third heating element are heated. (Configuration 10) 10. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to any one of configurations 2 to 9, wherein the base is made of ceramic. (Configuration 11) The heat source includes a base that is elongated in the longitudinal direction and a first heating element provided on a surface of the base, The first heating element extends from a first end to a second end in the longitudinal direction of the base, 2. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to configuration 1, wherein a resistance value of the first heating element at the end portion in the longitudinal direction is greater than a resistance value of a central portion in the longitudinal direction. (Configuration 12) The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus of configuration 11, characterized in that the width of the short side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the end portion of the first heating element in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the width of the short side of the central portion of the first heating element in the longitudinal direction. (Configuration 13) the heat source includes a second heating element provided adjacent to the first heating element on the surface of the base in a short side direction perpendicular to the long side direction, the second heating element extends from the first end to the second end of the base; 13. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to configuration 11 or 12, wherein the resistance value of the second heating element at the end portion in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the resistance value of the central portion in the longitudinal direction. (Configuration 14) a width in the short side direction of the first heating element gradually decreases from a central portion to an end portion in the long side direction of the first heating element, 14. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to configuration 13, wherein the width in the short side direction of the second heating element gradually increases from the center to the end in the longitudinal direction of the second heating element. (Configuration 15) 15. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to configuration 13 or 14, further comprising a control unit capable of independently controlling the heat generation amount of the first heating element and the heat generation amount of the second heating element. (Configuration 16) The sheet thermocompression bonding device described in configuration 15, characterized in that the control unit is capable of switching between a first mode in which the first heating element and the second heating element are heated so that the temperature of the longitudinal ends of the pressing member is higher than the temperature of the longitudinal center, and a second mode in which the first heating element and the second heating element are controlled so that the temperature of the pressing member is uniform in the longitudinal direction. (Configuration 17) 17. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to any one of configurations 11 to 16, wherein the first heating element has a symmetrical shape in the longitudinal direction. (Configuration 18) 17. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to any one of configurations 11 to 16, wherein the first heating element has an asymmetric shape in the longitudinal direction. (Configuration 19) 19. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to any one of configurations 11 to 18, wherein the base is made of ceramic. (Configuration 20) 20. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 19, further comprising an alignment mechanism that aligns the sheets loaded on the loading section so that one side of the sheets is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the pressing member. (Configuration 21) The pressing member is a first pressing plate having a long and narrow plate shape in the longitudinal direction, a second pressure plate constituting a part of the loading surface of the loading section, the second pressure plate being arranged at a position overlapping with the first pressure plate when viewed in the loading direction, and the second pressure plate clamping the sheets loaded on the loading section together with the first pressure plate; a moving mechanism that moves the first pressure plate toward the second pressure plate together with the heat source; 21. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 20, comprising: (Configuration 22) The elastic modulus of the first pressure plate is 1000 Pa or more, 22. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to configuration 21, wherein the second pressure plate has an elastic modulus of 1000 Pa or less. (Configuration 23) A post-processing device connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet, A sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to any one of configurations 1 to 22, a conveying mechanism that conveys a sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming device to the sheet thermocompression bonding device; A post-processing device comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0150] 50... booklet making device (sheet thermocompression device), 51... intermediate stacking section (stack section), 62... first pressure plate (pressing member), 70... ceramic heater (heat source), P... sheet

Claims

1. a stacking section in which sheets having adhesive toner formed thereon are stacked in a stacking direction; a thermocompression bonding unit including a pressing member that is long in a longitudinal direction and presses the sheets stacked on the stacking section in the stacking direction, and a heat source that heats the pressing member; a pressing member heated by the heating source pressing a stack of sheets together, and melting adhesive toner on the sheets to bond the sheets together, the pressing member overlaps with a portion of the sheet stacked on the stacking section from one end to the other end in the longitudinal direction when viewed in the stacking direction, 2. A sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus, wherein the heat source is configured to be able to heat the end portions and the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the pressing member to different temperatures.

2. The heat source includes a base that is long in the longitudinal direction, and a first heating element and a second heating element that are disposed on a surface of the base, a control unit capable of independently controlling the heat generation amount of the first heating element and the heat generation amount of the second heating element; The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when viewed in the loading direction, the first heating element is positioned so as to overlap with an end portion of the base in the longitudinal direction, and the second heating element is positioned so as to overlap with a central portion of the base in the longitudinal direction.

3. the thermocompression bonding unit has a first temperature measuring sensor arranged at a position overlapping the first heating element when viewed in the stacking direction, and a second temperature measuring sensor arranged at a position overlapping the second heating element, 3. The sheet thermocompression bonding device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the heat generation amount of the first heating element based on the detected temperature of the first temperature measuring sensor, and controls the heat generation amount of the second heating element based on the detected temperature of the second temperature measuring sensor.

4. 4. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is capable of executing a first mode in which only the first heating element generates heat, and a second mode in which the first heating element and the second heating element generate heat.

5. 4. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the heat generation amount of the first heating element based on the number of times the thermocompression bonding process is repeated by the thermocompression bonding unit in addition to the temperature detected by the first temperature measuring sensor.

6. The sheet thermocompression bonding device according to claim 3 , characterized in that the control unit controls the heat generation amount of the first heating element based on the environmental temperature of the environment in which the thermocompression bonding unit is placed in addition to the detected temperature of the first temperature measuring sensor.

7. the heating source includes a third heating element disposed on a surface of the substrate; 3. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the third heating element is arranged at a position overlapping with an end of the base in the longitudinal direction opposite the first heating element when viewed in the stacking direction.

8. 8. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the third heating element is electrically connected to the first heating element, and a current having the same magnitude as that of the first heating element flows through the third heating element.

9. The sheet thermocompression bonding device according to claim 8, characterized in that the control unit is capable of switching between a first mode in which the first heating element and the third heating element are heated, and a second mode in which the first heating element, the second heating element, and the third heating element are heated.

10. 3. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the base is made of ceramic.

11. The heat source includes a base that is elongated in the longitudinal direction and a first heating element provided on a surface of the base, The first heating element extends from a first end to a second end in the longitudinal direction of the base, 2 . The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a resistance value of the first heating element at the end portion in the longitudinal direction is greater than a resistance value of a central portion in the longitudinal direction.

12. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the width of the short side direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at the end portions of the first heating element in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the width of the short side direction at the central portion of the first heating element in the longitudinal direction.

13. the heat source includes a second heating element provided adjacent to the first heating element on the surface of the base in a short side direction perpendicular to the long side direction, the second heating element extends from the first end to the second end of the base; 12. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a resistance value of the second heating element at the end portion in the longitudinal direction is smaller than a resistance value of a central portion in the longitudinal direction.

14. a width in the short side direction of the first heating element gradually decreases from a central portion to an end portion in the long side direction of the first heating element, 14. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the width of the second heating element in the short side direction gradually increases from a central portion to an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the second heating element.

15. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising a control unit capable of independently controlling the heat generation amount of the first heating element and the heat generation amount of the second heating element.

16. The sheet thermocompression bonding device according to claim 15, characterized in that the control unit is capable of switching between a first mode in which the first heating element and the second heating element are heated so that the temperature of the longitudinal ends of the pressing member is higher than the temperature of the longitudinal center portion, and a second mode in which the first heating element and the second heating element are controlled so that the temperature of the pressing member is uniform in the longitudinal direction.

17. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the first heating element has a symmetrical shape in the longitudinal direction.

18. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the first heating element has an asymmetric shape in the longitudinal direction.

19. 12. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the base is made of ceramic.

20. 2. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alignment mechanism for aligning the sheets loaded on the loading section so that one side of the sheets is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the pressing member.

21. The pressing member is a first pressing plate having a long and narrow plate shape in the longitudinal direction, a second pressure plate constituting a part of the loading surface of the loading section, the second pressure plate being arranged at a position overlapping the first pressure plate when viewed in the loading direction, and being loaded on the loading section together with the first pressure plate; a second pressure plate that holds the sheet; a moving mechanism that moves the first pressure plate toward the second pressure plate together with the heat source; The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

22. The elastic modulus of the first pressure plate is 1000 Pa or more, 22. The sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the second pressure plate has an elastic modulus of 1000 Pa or less.

23. A post-processing device connected to an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet, A sheet thermocompression bonding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 22, a conveying mechanism that conveys a sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming device to the sheet thermocompression bonding device; A post-processing device comprising:

Images