Sheet adhesion device and image formation system

Abstract

To realize a sheet adhesion device with a universal specification corresponding to a system with an input AC power supply voltage configured at a low cost.SOLUTION: A sheet adhesion device 202 for producing a booklet by adhering a plurality of recording materials S to each other includes: a connection part 230; a thermocompression bonding unit 201 which has a sheet adhesion heater 201a and thermally melts a toner image for adhesion to bond the recording materials S to each other; and a post-processing control part 216 which controls temperature of the sheet adhesion heater 201a. The sheet adhesion heater 201a receives an AC voltage of either 100 V system or 200 V system. The post-processing control part 216 switches the power supply to sheet adhesion heater 201a depending on whether the AC voltage is 100 V system or 200 V system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet adhesion device and an image forming system, and more particularly to a sheet adhesion device that heats and melts an adhesive toner image formed on a recording material and presses and adheres the recording materials together to produce a booklet.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a sheet adhesion device that heats and melts an adhesive toner image formed on a recording material such as paper (sheet) and presses and adheres a plurality of papers together to produce a booklet, a configuration in which a heating element is provided in a heating member has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Generally, this heating element is temperature-controlled by inputting an AC power supply voltage and is used as a heat source during adhesion by heating and melting the adhesive toner image.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When an AC power supply voltage is input to the heating element, in order to cope with the power systems of different countries, for example, the 100V system region and the 200V system region, it is necessary to manufacture a heating member provided with individual heating elements having resistance values corresponding to the 100V system region and the 200V system region respectively. Therefore, two types of sheet adhesion devices with 100V specifications and 200V specifications need to be manufactured separately, which increases the cost in product distribution and inventory management. Therefore, it is desired to establish a sheet adhesion device and its control method that can be universally compatible with AC power supplies with an inexpensive configuration.

[0005] The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and an object thereof is to make a sheet adhesion device have a universal specification according to the system of an AC power supply voltage input with an inexpensive configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention includes the following configuration.

[0007] (1) A connection means connectable to an image forming apparatus that performs an image forming operation including an adhesive toner image on a recording material, a heating element that generates heat by being supplied with power from an AC power supply via the connection means, and the adhesive toner image is heated and melted to bond a plurality of recording materials to each other. A heating means for bonding, and a control means for controlling the temperature of the heating element, and a sheet adhesion device for bonding a plurality of recording materials to each other to produce a booklet, wherein the heating element is a first voltage or an AC voltage different from the first voltage. The second voltage is input, and the control means switches the control of the power supply to the heating element based on whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage.

[0008] (2) A connection means connectable to an image forming apparatus that performs an image forming operation including an adhesive toner image on a recording material, a heating element that generates heat by being supplied with power from an AC power supply via the connection means, and the adhesive toner image is heated and melted to bond a plurality of recording materials to each other. A heating means for bonding, and a control means for controlling the temperature of the heating element, and a sheet adhesion device for bonding a plurality of recording materials to each other to produce a booklet, wherein the heating element is a first voltage or an AC voltage different from the first voltage. The second voltage is input, and the control means switches the resistance value of the heating element based on whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage.

[0009] (3) An image forming system comprising the image forming apparatus and the sheet adhesion device according to (1) or (2).

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the sheet adhesion device can be made to have a universal specification according to the system of the AC power supply voltage input with an inexpensive configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, modes for carrying out the present invention will be illustratively and in detail described based on examples. However, dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in the present embodiment should be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the apparatus to which the invention is applied and various conditions. That is, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited to the following embodiments.

Examples

[0013] The sheet adhesion device of Example 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to Example 1 and a post-processing apparatus 200 equipped with a sheet adhesion device 202. The image forming apparatus 100 and the sheet adhesion device 202 constitute an image forming system. Here, among the plurality of functions of the post-processing apparatus 200, the part (inside the broken-line frame) responsible for the sheet adhesion function is defined as the sheet adhesion device 202, and this sheet adhesion device 202 is configured to be built into the post-processing apparatus 200.

[0014] <Description of the Image Forming Apparatus> As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a cassette 101 that stores a recording material S, an image forming unit 100e (within the dashed frame) as an image forming means, a fixing device 102 as a fixing means, and a housing 103 that houses these components. The image forming apparatus 100 has a printing function of forming a toner image on the recording material S fed from the cassette 101 by the image forming unit 100e and performing a fixing process by the fixing device 102 to obtain a printed matter. The recording material S stored in the cassette 101 is fed one by one from the cassette 101 by a paper feed roller 104a and conveyed by a pair of conveyance rollers 104b.

[0015] The image forming unit 100e is a tandem type electrophotographic unit including four process cartridges 105n, 105y, 105m, 105c, a scanner unit 106, and a transfer unit 107. Here, the process cartridges 105n, 105y, 105m, 105c are units in which a plurality of components responsible for the image forming process are integrally exchangeable. In the following description, the subscripts n, y, m, c may be omitted.

[0016] Each process cartridge 105 includes a photosensitive drum D as an image carrier, a charging roller (not shown) for charging the photosensitive drum D, and a toner storage section (not shown) for storing toner and supplying it to the photosensitive drum D. Among the four process cartridges 105, the process cartridges 105y, 105m, and 105c are process cartridges for forming a visible image on the recording material S, and form yellow, magenta, and cyan image toner images respectively. In contrast, the process cartridge 105n forms an adhesive toner image, which is toner for adhesively treating a plurality of recording materials S (recording materials) after printing. In the first embodiment, when printing a black image such as text, it is represented 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 100e so that a black image can be represented by the black image toner. Also, as long as the adhesiveness is satisfied, an image toner may be used as the adhesive toner. Not limited to this, the type and number of image toners can be changed according to the use of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0017] The image forming apparatus 100 also includes an inlet 120, and is configured such that an AC voltage of an AC power source (hereinafter referred to as the AC power source voltage, not shown) is supplied to the power supply device 114 etc. via the inlet 120. The power supply device 114 has a function of converting, for example, an AC voltage into a DC voltage and distributing and supplying a DC power supply to each unit of the image forming apparatus 100. The power supply device 114 also has a detection circuit section 114a (see FIG. 2) as voltage detection means for detecting whether the AC power source is a 100V system or a 200V system, which will be described later. Therefore, the printer control unit 113 can determine whether the AC power source is a 100V system or a 200V system via the detection circuit section 114a.

[0018] The scanner unit 106 is one of the exposure means in an electrophotographic system that irradiates a laser beam onto the photosensitive drum D of each process cartridge 105 to form an electrostatic latent image. The transfer unit 107 includes a transfer belt 107a as an intermediate transfer member (secondary image carrier). The transfer belt 107a is a belt member stretched over a counter roller 107b and a driving roller 107c that are arranged to face the secondary transfer roller 108 via the transfer belt 107a. The transfer belt 107a faces the photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, Dc of the process cartridges 105n, 105y, 105m, 105c on its outer peripheral surface. On the inner peripheral side of the transfer belt 107a, primary transfer rollers Fn, Fy, Fm, Fc are arranged at positions corresponding to the respective photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, Dc. Also, a secondary transfer roller 108 as transfer means is arranged at a position facing the counter roller 107b. The transfer nip portion 108n between the secondary transfer roller 108 and the transfer belt 107a is a transfer portion (secondary transfer portion) that transfers the toner image from the transfer belt 107a to the recording material S.

[0019] The fixing device 102 fixes the unfixed toner image formed on the recording material S as a permanent image by heating and melting it under pressure. The fixing device 102 is a heat fixing device of a heat fixing method having a heat roller 102b as a fixing member that is heated with a ceramic heater 102a as a heat source, and a pressure roller 102c as a pressure member. The heating of the heat roller 102b may be performed by a halogen heater as a heating source or a heat generation mechanism of an induction heating method. The heat roller 102b rotates by a driving means (not shown), and a fixing nip portion 102n is formed between the heat roller 102b and the pressure roller by being pressed against the pressure roller by a biasing member such as a spring. A thermistor, which is a temperature detection element (not shown), is in contact with the surface of the heat roller 102b, and the input power to the ceramic heater 102a is adjusted so that the detected temperature of the thermistor becomes a predetermined value. Hereinafter, the ceramic heater 102a will be referred to as the image fixing heater 102a.

[0020] When a print instruction is input to the image forming apparatus 100 from an external apparatus (not shown), the printer control unit 113 that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 100 starts a series of operations (image forming operations) for transporting the recording material S and forming an image on the recording material S. In the image forming operation, the recording material S is fed one by one from the cassette 101 and transported toward the transfer nip portion 108n via the transport roller pair 104b. In parallel with the feeding of the recording material S, the process cartridges 105n, 105y, 105m, 105c are sequentially driven, and the photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, Dc are rotationally driven. The surfaces of the rotationally driven photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, Dc are given uniform charges by a charging roller (not shown). Further, the scanner unit 106 irradiates the photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, Dc with laser light modulated based on the image data, thereby forming electrostatic latent images on the surfaces of the respective photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, Dc. Each toner stored in each process cartridge 105n, 105y, 105m, 105c is carried by a developing roller (not shown) and developed as a toner image, which is a visible image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drums Dn, Dy, Dm, Dc.

[0021] Note that the adhesive toner image formed on the photosensitive drum Dn by the adhesive toner is different from the toner image (normal toner image) of the image toner for printing an image such as text or a figure on the recording material S in that it is not intended for transmitting visual information. However, in the following description, in order to form an adhesive toner image in a predetermined pattern on the recording material S, the adhesive toner image developed by the electrophotographic process is also treated as one of the "toner images". The toner image formed in each process cartridge 105 is transferred (primary transfer) from each photosensitive drum D onto the transfer belt 107a by the electric field formed between each photosensitive drum D and each primary transfer roller F.

[0022] The toner image carried on the transfer belt 107a and reaching the transfer nip portion 108n is transferred (secondary transfer) to the recording material S fed and conveyed from the cassette 101 by the electric field formed between the secondary transfer roller 108 and the opposing roller 107b. Thereafter, the recording material S is conveyed to the fixing device 102 and subjected to heat fixing processing. That is, when the recording material S passes through the fixing nip portion 102n, the toner image on the recording material S is heated and pressurized, so that the image toners Ty, Tm, Tc and the adhesive toner Tn are melted and then fixed, thereby being fixed as a permanent image on the recording material S. After the heat fixing processing, the recording material S is conveyed to the discharge roller pair 109 side, and a series of image forming operations in the image forming apparatus 100 are completed, and it reaches the post-processing apparatus 200 via the intermediate conveyance unit 112 having the conveyance roller pairs 110 and 111.

[0023] Further, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an operation panel 130 as a display means serving as a user interface, and has a function of allowing a user to perform various settings of the image forming apparatus 100 and display the state of the image forming apparatus 100 to the user. The operation panel 130 can also display the state of the sheet adhesion device 202.

[0024] <Description of the post-processing apparatus and the sheet adhesion device> Next, the operation of the post-processing apparatus 200 will be described. The post-processing apparatus 200 described in the first embodiment has a floor-standing configuration, and is equipped with a sheet adhesion device 202 having a recording material alignment unit at the lower part and a thermocompression bonding unit 201 as a heating means for heating and pressing the aligned recording material bundle for a predetermined time. The post-processing apparatus 200 is mechanically and electrically connected via a connection part 230 as a connection means connectable to the image forming apparatus 100. Here, being electrically connected means that a plurality of signals in the image forming apparatus 100 and a plurality of signals in the post-processing apparatus 200 are connected to each other, and the AC power supply voltage supplied from the inlet 120 is also supplied to the post-processing apparatus 200 side via the connection part 230. A post-processing control unit 216 as a control means is in charge of the overall control of the post-processing apparatus 200, and performs control (post-processing operation) to convey the recording material S and discharge it to the upper discharge tray 206 or the lower discharge tray 207. Since the post-processing control unit 216 is also in charge of the control of the sheet adhesion device 202 described later, the post-processing control unit 216 is arranged within the broken-line frame representing the sheet adhesion device 202 to indicate that it is a part of the components of the sheet adhesion device 202.

[0025] The recording material S conveyed from the intermediate conveyance unit 112 passes through the conveyance roller pair 203 and the conveyance roller pair 204 of the post-processing apparatus 200, passes through the discharge and reverse roller pair 205, and is discharged to the upper discharge tray 206. When the discharge destination of the recording material S is the lower discharge tray 207, the reverse flapper 208 is switched at the timing when the rear end of the recording material S passes through the reverse flapper 208, and the rotation of the discharge and reverse roller pair 205 is stopped. Thereafter, the discharge and reverse roller pair 205 rotates reversely, so that the recording material S is switched back and conveyed to the conveyance roller pair 209. The recording material S conveyed from the conveyance roller pair 209 is conveyed to the conveyance roller pair 211 via the intermediate conveyance roller pair 210. After the conveyance roller pair 211 is stopped at a predetermined timing when the rear end of the recording material S passes through the intermediate conveyance roller pair 210, the recording material S is conveyed to the booklet discharge roller pair 212 by the reverse rotation of the conveyance roller pair 211 and is discharged to the lower discharge tray 207.

[0026] (Operation of the Sheet Adhesion Device) Next, the operation of the sheet bonding device 202 will be described. The recording material S that is bonded to form a booklet is conveyed to the pair of conveyance rollers 211 via the pair of intermediate conveyance rollers 210 and then conveyed to the intermediate stacking unit 213 within the sheet bonding device 202. A lateral alignment reference plate 214 is disposed at the most downstream portion of the intermediate stacking unit 213. By abutting the end of the recording material S against this plate, a plurality of recording materials S are aligned as a bundle. Through a thermocompression bonding process in which the aligned bundle of recording materials S is heated and pressed by the thermocompression bonding unit 201, the adhesive toner becomes an adhesive and the recording materials S are bonded together to form a single booklet.

[0027] Similar to the fixing device 102, the thermocompression bonding unit 201 has a heating mechanism that includes a ceramic heater 201a as a heating element, and a heating member and a pressing member (not shown). Further, a thermistor 201c (see FIG. 2), which is a temperature detection means, is in contact with the surface of the heating member, and the input power to the ceramic heater 201a is adjusted so that the detected temperature of the thermistor 201c becomes a predetermined value. Similar to the fixing device 102, the heating source of the thermocompression bonding unit 201 may be provided by a halogen heater ceramic heater or a heating mechanism using induction heating. Hereinafter, the ceramic heater 201a will be referred to as the heater 201a for sheet bonding.

[0028] The booklet completed by repeating such a thermocompression bonding process is ejected by a bundle discharge guide (not shown) moving parallel in the direction of the booklet discharge port 215 from the standby position. A pair of booklet discharge rollers 212 is provided at the booklet discharge port 215. The bundle discharge guide stops at the timing when the leading end of the completed booklet has passed beyond the pair of booklet discharge rollers 212 and returns to the standby position. The pair of booklet discharge rollers 212 that receives the completed booklet from the bundle discharge guide discharges the booklet from the post-processing device 200 to the lower discharge tray 207, thereby completing a series of booklet production. Note that the post-processing device having the sheet bonding device of the present invention and the image forming apparatus to which this post-processing device can be applied are not limited to the configurations illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0029] <Circuit Configuration> FIG. 2 shows a circuit configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus 100 and the post-processing apparatus 200 in the first embodiment. The AC voltage input from the AC power supply 301 is input to the power supply device 114 of the image forming apparatus 100 and the drive circuit unit 304 of the image fixing heater 102a via the inlet 120. Note that the AC voltage input to the image forming apparatus 100 is input to the post-processing apparatus 200 via the connection unit 230. The power supply device 114 is an AC-DC converter that converts the input AC voltage into a DC voltage 401. The DC voltage 401 is supplied to drive units (not shown) such as motors of the image forming apparatus 100 and the post-processing apparatus 200, and is also supplied to the DC-DC converter 303. The DC-DC converter 303 is a step-down DC-DC converter that converts the input DC voltage 401 into a DC voltage 402 that is lower than the DC voltage 401. The DC voltage 402 is supplied to the printer control unit 113 and the post-processing control unit 216.

[0030] The drive circuit unit 304 of the image fixing heater 102a is a switching circuit including a bidirectional thyristor (hereinafter referred to as a triac) or the like. The drive circuit unit 304 of the image fixing heater 102a switches the input AC voltage to supply power to the image fixing heater 102a. The printer control unit 113 sends a signal to the drive circuit unit 304 of the image fixing heater 102a via the signal line 501 to control the switching operation of the drive circuit unit 304. Thereby, the printer control unit 113 controls the power supplied to the image fixing heater 102a and adjusts the temperature of the image fixing heater 102a to a predetermined value (target temperature). Further, the printer control unit 113 communicates with the post-processing control unit 216 via the signal line 502.

[0031] The AC voltage input to the post-processing device 200 is connected to the drive circuit unit 601 of the sheet adhesion heater 201a. The drive circuit unit 601 of the sheet adhesion heater 201a is a switching circuit equipped with a triac or the like, similar to the drive circuit unit 304 of the image fixing heater 102a. The drive circuit unit 601 of the sheet adhesion heater 201a switches the input AC voltage and supplies power to the sheet adhesion heater 201a built in the thermocompression unit 201. The post-processing control unit 216 sends a signal to the drive circuit unit 601 of the sheet adhesion heater 201a via the signal line 503 and controls the switching operation of the drive circuit unit 601. Thereby, the post-processing control unit 216 controls the power supplied to the sheet adhesion heater 201a and adjusts the temperature of the sheet adhesion heater 201a to a predetermined value (target temperature). Note that the post-processing control unit 216 controls the temperature of the sheet adhesion heater 201a, for example, by setting an integer multiple of the full wave (one cycle) or half wave (half cycle) of the AC power supply voltage as one control cycle and controlling the ratio of power supply within that one control cycle. Also, the post-processing control unit 216 may control the temperature of the sheet adhesion heater 201a by controlling the ratio of power supply within one half wave. Hereinafter, the ratio of power supply to the sheet adhesion heater 201a is also referred to as the heater lighting ratio (%).

[0032] <Power Control of Sheet Adhesion Heater> Next, the power control of the sheet adhesion heater 201a enclosed in the thermocompression unit 201 will be described. Considering the power systems of various countries, the power supply voltage represented by the 100V system (for example, AC 100V to 127V (first voltage)) or the 200V system (for example, AC 200V to 240V (second voltage)) may be input to the sheet adhesion device 202 as the AC power supply 301. The post-processing control unit 216 performs control to switch the AC voltage input from the AC power supply 301 and supply power to the sheet adhesion heater 201a. According to the general device manufacturing method, in order to make the input power per unit time substantially equal even when the input AC voltage is different, it is conceivable to manufacture the sheet adhesion heater 201a as individual specifications for the 100V system area and the 200V area. That is, when two types of post-processing devices 200 or sheet adhesion devices 202, namely the 100V specification and the 200V specification, are manufactured individually, it will be a factor increasing the cost in product distribution and inventory management.

[0033] Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is considered to make the resistance value of the sheet adhesion heater 201a not have individual specifications for the 100V system area and the 200V area, but have a unique predetermined resistance value R to achieve universal compatibility with the AC power supply. Let the resistance value of the sheet adhesion heater 201a be R, the voltage amplitude at the time of 100V system input be V1, and the heater lighting ratio during the AC half cycle at the time of 100V system input be D1. Also, let the voltage amplitude at the time of 200V system input be V2, and the heater lighting ratio during the AC half cycle at the time of 200V system input be D2. Then, the powers P1 and P2 at the time of input of each voltage system are expressed as follows. P1=(V1 2 / R)×D1 (Equation 1) P2=(V2 2 / R)×D2 (Equation 2)

[0034] From Equation 1 and Equation 2, since the relationship V1 < V2 holds, it can be seen that in order to make the relationship between P1 and P2 approximately the same (P1 ≒ P2), control may be performed based on the relationship D1 > D2. In the first embodiment, the post-processing control unit 216 switches the control of the power supply to the sheet adhesion heater 201a based on whether the AC voltage is a 100V system or a 200V system. The post-processing control unit 216 performs control to switch the control of the power supply to the sheet adhesion heater 201a, for example, the power supply time, particularly the heater lighting ratio, according to the input voltages of the 100V system and the 200V system.

[0035] (Relationship between heater temperature and heater lighting ratio) FIG. 3 is an example of a timing chart showing the temperature of the sheet adhesion heater 201a and the heater lighting ratio. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis represents time (sec), and the vertical axis represents the heater temperature (°C) and the heater lighting ratio [%]. The target temperature of the sheet adhesion heater 201a is indicated by a dashed line as Ht. Further, the solid line indicates the heater lighting ratios D1 and D2 and the temperature H of the sheet adhesion heater 201a (hereinafter also referred to as the heater temperature).

[0036] In FIG. 3, for example, at the timing when the time Tt has elapsed since the post-processing control unit 216 starts the power supply to the sheet adhesion heater 201a, the specification is such that the sheet adhesion heater 201a reaches the target temperature Ht suitable for heating and adhering a plurality of recording materials S to each other. The post-processing control unit 216 starts the power supply to the sheet adhesion heater 201a and at the same time starts monitoring the voltage corresponding to the detected temperature of the thermistor 201c in contact with the heating member described above, and controls the sheet adhesion heater 201a to reach the target temperature Ht. The post-processing control unit 216 performs temperature control using, for example, PID control.

[0037] Here, the printer control unit 113 obtains information from the detection circuit unit 114a in the power supply device 114 as to whether the AC power supply system previously input to the inlet 120 is a 100V system or a 200V system. For this reason, the printer control unit 113 sends the information on the AC power supply system obtained by the detection circuit unit 114a to the post-processing control unit 216 via the connection unit 230. Therefore, the post-processing control unit 216 is configured to be able to recognize the AC power supply system obtained from the printer control unit 113 before starting the power supply to the sheet adhesion heater 201a.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, when inputting a 100V system, at the time of heater startup, control starts from a set value D10 with a relatively high heater lighting ratio, and as the heater temperature H rises, its lighting ratio is set lower. Eventually, when the timing near time Tt arrives, the heater temperature H reaches the target temperature Ht, and the heater lighting ratio stabilizes near a predetermined set value D1t (D1t < D10).

[0039] On the other hand, when inputting a 200V system, since control is performed to reduce the input power compared to when inputting a 100V system, control starts from a set value D20 (< D10) with a relatively low heater lighting ratio. And similar to when inputting a 100V system, as the heater temperature H rises, its lighting ratio is set lower. Eventually, when the timing near time Tt arrives, the heater temperature H reaches the target temperature Ht, and the heater lighting ratio stabilizes near a predetermined set value D2t (D2t < D20).

[0040] As described above, based on Equation 1 and Equation 2, even when the resistance value of the sheet adhesion heater 201a is set to the only predetermined resistance value R, the input power can be controlled by changing the heater lighting ratios D1 and D2. Note that especially when the input is of the 200V system, if the predetermined resistance value R is set too low, even if the heater lighting ratio D2 is set low and the heater is driven at a minute lighting ratio, there is a risk that the input power will become excessive. Then, additional functions for ensuring the safety of the device will be required, which may lead to an increase in cost. Also, since the control overshoot increases, there is a risk that the temperature ripple will also increase. Therefore, it is a more preferable configuration to set the predetermined resistance value R to a value assumed for the 200V system input, for example.

[0041] As described above, when the AC voltage is of the 100V system, the post-processing control unit 216 switches the control so as to increase the ratio of the time for supplying power to the sheet adhesion heater 201a in the half cycle of the AC voltage as compared with the ratio in the case of the 200V system. In other words, when the AC voltage is of the 200V system, the post-processing control unit 216 switches the control so as to lower the ratio of the time for supplying power to the sheet adhesion heater 201a in the half cycle of the AC voltage as compared with the case of the 100V system.

[0042] Note that the method for setting the predetermined resistance value R and the heater lighting ratios D1 and D2 is an example of heater temperature control, and considers the case where the heater startup profiles for the 100V system input and the 200V system input are made substantially the same. As another modification example, a profile in which the heater startup is completed earlier for the 200V system input than for the 100V system input may be adopted.

[0043] By using the above configuration and control method, even when manufacturing the sheet adhesion device 202 having the predetermined resistance value R of the sheet adhesion heater 201a uniquely, the following effects can be obtained. That is, desired temperature control can be performed by switching the power supply method to the sheet adhesion heater 201a according to the input AC power supply system. Therefore, the sheet adhesion device 202 can be made compatible with the AC power supply universally with an inexpensive configuration.

[0044] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the sheet adhesion device can be made into a universal specification according to the system of the input AC power supply voltage with an inexpensive configuration.

Embodiment

[0045] The second embodiment will be described. The description of the main parts is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components as those in the configuration of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. Here, only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described.

[0046] <Regarding the start of temperature control in the second embodiment> In Example 2, the difference from Example 1 is to optimize the operation start timing of the image forming apparatus 100 and the sheet adhesion apparatus 202. Generally, the temperature control of the image fixing heater 102a of the image forming apparatus 100 has a high demand for on-demand performance because it affects the FPOT (First Print Out Time), and the time until the target temperature is reached is relatively short. On the other hand, regarding the temperature control of the sheet adhesion heater 201a, since the heating member of the thermocompression bonding unit 201 is used for adhesion applications, a member with a large heat capacity tends to be selected, and the time until the target temperature is reached becomes longer compared to the image fixing heater 102a. When producing a booklet on the premise of such a configuration, first, after the sheet adhesion heater 201a reaches the target temperature, the printing operation of the image forming apparatus 100 is started, whereby the time efficiency of booklet production and energy saving for the entire apparatus can be achieved. That is, when a print instruction and a booklet creation instruction are input from an external device (not shown), first, the post-processing control unit 216 starts the temperature control of the sheet adhesion heater 201a. When the sheet adhesion heater 201a reaches the target temperature, the post-processing control unit 216 sends an instruction to start a series of operations of the image forming apparatus 100 to the printer control unit 113.

[0047] (Regarding the waiting time) Here, consider further shortening the time required to complete the booklet creation. As described above, the recording material S sent from the image forming apparatus 100 reaches the sheet adhesion apparatus 202 via the intermediate conveyance unit 112 and further relays the conveyance path in the post-processing apparatus 200. Therefore, there is a standby time until the timing when the sheet adhesion apparatus 202 actually heats and adheres the recording materials S together. Here, the standby time is the recording material arrival standby time (hereinafter simply referred to as the standby time) from the timing when the image forming apparatus 100 starts printing until at least the second output sheet (recording material S for which image formation has been completed) reaches the sheet adhesion apparatus 202. In other words, the temperature of the sheet adhesion heater 201a only needs to reach the target temperature Ht when at least the second recording material S reaches the sheet adhesion apparatus 202. Note that FPOT is information known in advance. Also, the standby time is information that can be obtained based on the conveyance speed of the recording material S and the distance of the conveyance path from the intermediate conveyance unit 112 to the sheet adhesion apparatus 202 for the recording material for which image formation has been completed.

[0048] <Operation of Image Forming Apparatus and Post-Processing Apparatus> FIG. 4 is an operation timing chart of (i) the post-processing apparatus 200 and (ii) the image forming apparatus 100, and FIG. 4 shows each state (standby, waiting for print start instruction, sheet adhesion heater temperature control (warming up), etc.). t1 is the timing of receiving the booklet production instruction, t2 is the timing when the post-processing control unit 216 transmits the print start instruction and the timing when the image forming apparatus 100 receives the print start instruction. t3 is the timing when the first recording material S for which image formation has been completed reaches the sheet adhesion apparatus 202, and t4 is the timing when the second recording material S for which image formation has been completed reaches the sheet adhesion apparatus 202. Further, t5 is the timing when the temperature of the sheet adhesion heater 201a reaches the target temperature Ht and the adhesion of the recording materials S becomes possible.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, first, when the post-processing device 200 is in a standby state, an instruction to create a booklet is input from an external device (not shown) at timing t1 (booklet creation instruction reception). In response to this instruction at timing t1, the post-processing control unit 216 starts temperature control of the sheet adhesion heater 201a (during startup). Also, in response to this instruction at timing t1, the printer control unit 113 sets the image forming apparatus 100 to a state waiting for a print start instruction. Note that the printer control unit 113 notifies the user by displaying, for example, on the operation panel 130 or the like that it is waiting for a print start instruction. In this way, the post-processing control unit 216 may display on the operation panel 130 that the image forming operation is waiting during the waiting period of the image forming operation until the sheet adhesion heater 201a reaches the target temperature Ht during temperature control.

[0050] When starting up the heater temperature control, the post-processing control unit 216 obtains information on the AC voltage system and temperature gradient information based on the detected temperature of the thermistor 201c, which are sent from the image forming apparatus 100 side in advance. For example, the post-processing control unit 216 detects the temperature with the thermistor 201c at a certain timing, detects the temperature again with the thermistor 201c after a predetermined time has elapsed, and obtains the temperature gradient from the detection results of the two temperatures and the predetermined time. The post-processing control unit 216 estimates based on the information on the AC voltage system and the temperature gradient information how much time Tr will elapse from the current state (current timing) until the target temperature Ht is reached. Then, the post-processing control unit 216 gives a print start instruction to the printer control unit 113 at timing t2 when the estimated result (Tr) is equal to the sum of a predetermined FPOT and a margin time Tp (Tr = FPOT + Tp). Here, if the time Tr is shorter than the sum of FPOT and the margin time Tp, when a plurality of recording materials S have reached the sheet adhesion device 202, the temperature of the sheet adhesion heater 201a has not reached the target temperature Ht required for adhesion, and a waiting time will occur. Note that even if the time Tr is shorter than the sum of FPOT and the margin time Tp, if it is within an acceptable range for the user using the image forming system, the time Tr may be shorter than the sum of FPOT and the margin time Tp.

[0051] Eventually, when the image forming apparatus 100 outputs the first and second sheets of the recording material S and the stack of the recording materials reaches the sheet adhesion device 202 (at t3 and t4), it becomes the timing at which the sheet adhesion heater 201a reaches the target temperature Ht at timing t5. As described above, particularly when the input is 100V system, the time for the sheet adhesion heater 201a to reach the target temperature Ht tends to be relatively long. For this reason, for example, when the image forming apparatus 100 is in a state waiting for a print start instruction, it is desirable to display that fact on the operation panel 130 to provide information so that the user does not misunderstand a device failure.

[0052] As described above, the post-processing control unit 216 starts supplying power to the sheet adhesion heater 201a prior to the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus 100. The post-processing control unit 216 instructs the image forming apparatus 100 to start the image forming operation so that the adhesion process of the recording material can be performed after the sheet adhesion heater 201a reaches the target temperature Ht, or so that the target temperature Ht is reached shortly after the recording material arrives. The post-processing control unit 216 obtains the timing t5 at which the sheet adhesion heater 201a reaches the target temperature Ht based on the detection result by the detection circuit unit 114a and the temperature gradient based on the detection result by the thermistor 201c. The post-processing control unit 216 instructs the image forming apparatus 100 to start the image forming operation based on the obtained timing t5 (t2). Specifically, the post-processing control unit 216 instructs the image forming apparatus 100 to start the image forming operation based on the timing t5 and the time Tr which is the estimated result. Here, the timing t5 is the timing at which the sheet adhesion heater 201a reaches the target temperature Ht. The time Tr is the time (Tr = FPOT + Tp) from when the image forming apparatus 100 starts the image forming operation until at least the second sheet of the recording material S for which the image formation is completed reaches the sheet adhesion device 202. By using the above configuration and control method, in addition to the effects of the aforementioned Example 1, it is possible to optimize the operation start timing of the image forming apparatus 100 and the sheet adhesion device 202, and to achieve both time efficiency in booklet production and energy saving for the entire device.

[0053] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the sheet adhesion device can be made into a universal specification corresponding to the system of the AC power supply voltage input with an inexpensive configuration.

Embodiment

[0054] Embodiment 3 will be described. The description of the main parts is the same as that of Embodiment 1, and the same components as those in the configuration of Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. Here, only the parts different from Embodiment 1 will be described. In Embodiment 3, the difference from Embodiment 1 is that means for switching the resistance value of the sheet adhesion heater 201a to a plurality of values is provided.

[0055] <Switching of resistance value> FIG. 5 shows a circuit configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus 100 and the post-processing apparatus 200 in Embodiment 3. In FIG. 5, the difference from FIG. 2 is that the sheet adhesion heater 201a is separately configured as a resistance heating element having resistance values R1 and R2, respectively. The resistance heating element having the resistance value R1 and the resistance heating element having the resistance value R2 are connected in parallel, and a relay 201b as switching means is connected in series to one of the resistances.

[0056] The post-processing control unit 216 can switch the resistance value of the sheet adhesion heater 201a by sending a signal for turning on / off the relay 201b via the signal line 504. That is, at the time of 100V system input, when the post-processing control unit 216 turns on the relay 201b, the resistance value of the sheet adhesion heater 201a is set to the parallel combined resistance value of R1 and R2 by wiring so that the resistance value is set to the lower side. On the other hand, at the time of 200V system input, when the post-processing control unit 216 turns off the relay 201b, the resistance value of the sheet adhesion heater 201a is set to the higher side by wiring so that the resistance value becomes R1.

[0057] With such a configuration and control, this switching method can select a resistance value suitable for the input AC power supply system. Note that this switching method is an example of a resistance value switching means, and as another modification, a method of switching the connection state of series connection or parallel connection of a plurality of resistors may be adopted. That is, the connection state of the plurality of resistance heating elements may be switched so that the combined resistance value by the plurality of resistance heating elements becomes low when the input is a 100V system and high when the input is a 200V system.

[0058] As described above, the post-processing control unit 216 switches the resistance value of the sheet adhesion heater 201a based on whether the AC voltage is a 100V system or a 200V system. The thermocompression unit 201 includes a plurality of heating elements (resistance values R1, R2) and a relay 201b as switching means for switching the combined resistance value of the plurality of heating elements. When the AC voltage is a 100V system, the post-processing control unit 216 switches the combined resistance value by the relay 201b so that the combined resistance value is lower than when it is a 200V system. In the third embodiment, the thermocompression unit 201 includes a first heating element with a resistance value R1, a second heating element with a resistance value R2 connected in parallel to the first heating element, and a relay 201b connected in series to the second heating element. When the AC voltage is a 100V system, the post-processing control unit 216 turns on the relay 201b and connects the first heating element and the second heating element in parallel. When the AC voltage is a 200V system, the post-processing control unit 216 turns off the relay 201b and disconnects the second heating element. By using the above configuration and control method, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment described above, the degree of freedom in selecting a configuration for universal compatibility with the AC power supply of the sheet adhesion device 202 can be improved.

[0059] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the sheet adhesion device can be made into a universal specification corresponding to the system of the input AC power supply voltage with an inexpensive configuration.

[0060] <Other Embodiments> In the above-described embodiment, the post-processing device 200 is of the floor-standing type, but it is not limited to this. For example, the post-processing device may be provided above the image forming apparatus. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the post-processing device includes a sheet adhesion device, but the image forming apparatus may include a sheet adhesion device. Furthermore, the printer control unit of the image forming apparatus may function as a post-processing control unit.

[0061] The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and causing one or more processors in a computer of the system or device to read and execute the program. Further, it can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0062] The disclosure of the present embodiment includes the following configurations. (Configuration 1) Connection means connectable to an image forming apparatus that performs an image forming operation including an adhesive toner image on a recording material, Heating means having a heating element that generates heat by being supplied with power from an AC power source via the connection means, and heating and melting the adhesive toner image to bond a plurality of recording materials to each other, Control means for controlling the temperature of the heating element, A sheet adhesion device that includes the above and bonds a plurality of recording materials to each other to produce a booklet, The heating element receives an AC voltage of a first voltage or a second voltage different from the first voltage, The control means switches the control of power supply to the heating element based on whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage. A sheet adhesion device characterized by this. (Configuration 2) The first voltage is an AC voltage of 100V system, The sheet adhesion device according to Configuration 1, wherein the second voltage is an AC voltage of 200V system. (Configuration 3) When the AC voltage is the first voltage, the control means switches the control so that the ratio of the time for supplying power to the heating element in half a cycle of the AC voltage is made larger than the ratio in the case where the AC voltage is the second voltage. The sheet bonding apparatus according to Configuration 2. (Configuration 4) When the AC voltage is the second voltage, the control means switches the control so that the ratio of the time for supplying power to the heating element in half a cycle of the AC voltage is made smaller than the ratio in the case where the AC voltage is the first voltage. The sheet bonding apparatus according to Configuration 1 or Configuration 2. (Configuration 5) The image forming apparatus includes voltage detection means for detecting whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage. The control means is input with the detection result of the voltage detection means from the image forming apparatus via the connection means, and switches the control based on the detection result. The sheet bonding apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4. (Configuration 6) The image forming apparatus includes an inlet to which the AC voltage is input. The heating element is supplied with the AC voltage via the inlet and the connection means. The sheet bonding apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5. (Configuration 7) Before the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus, the control means starts supplying power to the heating element, and instructs the image forming apparatus to start the image forming operation so that the heating element reaches the target temperature at the timing when at least the second recording material after the image forming is completed reaches the sheet bonding apparatus. The sheet bonding apparatus according to Configuration 5. (Configuration 8) The heating means includes temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the heating element. The control means obtains the timing at which the heating element reaches the target temperature based on the detection result by the voltage detection means and the temperature gradient based on the detection result by the temperature detection means, and instructs the image forming apparatus to start the image forming operation based on the obtained timing. The sheet adhesion device according to Configuration 7. (Configuration 9) The control means instructs the image forming apparatus to start the image forming operation based on the timing at which the heating element reaches the target temperature and the time from when the image forming apparatus starts the image forming operation until at least the second recording material on which image formation is completed reaches the sheet adhesion device. The sheet adhesion device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8. (Configuration 10) The image forming apparatus includes display means for displaying the states of the image forming apparatus and the sheet adhesion device. While the control means is performing temperature control of the heating element, during the standby period in which the image forming apparatus waits for the image forming operation until the heating element reaches the target temperature, the display means is caused to display that the image forming operation is in a standby state. The sheet adhesion device according to any one of Configurations 7 to 9. (Configuration 11) Connection means connectable to an image forming apparatus that performs an image forming operation including an adhesive toner image on a recording material. A heating element that is supplied with power from an AC power source via the connection means and generates heat, and heating means for heating and melting the adhesive toner image to bond a plurality of recording materials to each other. Control means for controlling the temperature of the heating element. A sheet adhesion device that includes a plurality of recording materials bonded to each other to produce a booklet. The heating element receives an AC voltage of a first voltage or a second voltage different from the first voltage. The control means switches the resistance value of the heating element based on whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage. The sheet adhesion device. (Configuration 12) The first voltage is an AC voltage of a 100V system. The sheet adhesion device according to Configuration 11, wherein the second voltage is an AC voltage of 200V system. (Configuration 13) The heating means includes a heating element and a switching means for switching the combined resistance value of the heating element. The control means switches the combined resistance value by the switching means such that the combined resistance value is lower when the AC voltage is the first voltage than when the AC voltage is the second voltage, in the sheet adhesion device according to Configuration 11 or Configuration 12. (Configuration 14) The heating means includes a first heating element, a second heating element connected in parallel to the first heating element, and a relay connected in series to the second heating element. The control means turns on the relay to connect the first heating element and the second heating element in parallel when the AC voltage is the first voltage, and turns off the relay to disconnect the second heating element when the AC voltage is the second voltage, in the sheet adhesion device according to Configuration 12 or Configuration 13. (Configuration 15) The image forming apparatus includes voltage detection means for detecting whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage. The control means inputs the detection result of the voltage detection means from the image forming apparatus via the connection means, and switches the resistance value of the heating element based on the detection result, in the sheet adhesion device according to any one of Configurations 11 to 14. (Configuration 16) The image forming apparatus, The sheet adhesion device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 15, An image forming system characterized by comprising the above.

Description of Signs

[0063] 201 Thermal pressure bonding unit 201a Heater for sheet adhesion 202 Sheet adhesion device 216 Post-processing control unit 230 Connection part

Claims

1. Connecting means connectable to an image forming apparatus that performs an image forming operation including a toner image for adhesion on a recording material, a heating means having a heating element that generates heat when supplied with power from an AC power supply via the connecting means, and that heats and melts the toner image for adhesion to bond a plurality of recording materials together, control means for controlling the temperature of the heating element, A sheet adhesion device that includes a plurality of recording materials adhered together to produce a booklet, The heating element is input with an AC voltage of a first voltage or a second voltage different from the first voltage, The control means switches the control of power supply to the heating element based on whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage. A sheet adhesion device characterized by this.

2. The first voltage is an AC voltage of the 100V system, The second voltage is an AC voltage of the 200V system. The sheet adhesion device according to claim 1, characterized by this.

3. When the AC voltage is the first voltage, the control means switches the control so that the ratio of the time for supplying power to the heating element in half a cycle of the AC voltage is made larger than the ratio in the case where the AC voltage is the second voltage. The sheet adhesion device according to claim 2, characterized by this.

4. When the AC voltage is the second voltage, the control means switches the control so that the ratio of the time for supplying power to the heating element in half a cycle of the AC voltage is made smaller than the ratio in the case where the AC voltage is the first voltage. The sheet adhesion device according to claim 2, characterized by this.

5. The image forming apparatus has voltage detection means for detecting whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage, The control means is input with the detection result of the voltage detection means from the image forming apparatus via the connecting means, and switches the control based on the detection result. The sheet adhesion device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by this.

6. The image forming apparatus includes an inlet to which the AC voltage is input, The heating element is supplied with the AC voltage via the inlet and the connecting means. The sheet adhesion device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by this.

7. The control means starts supplying power to the heating element prior to the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus, and instructs the image forming apparatus to start the image forming operation such that the heating element reaches the target temperature at the timing when at least the second recording material on which image forming has been completed reaches the sheet adhesion apparatus. The sheet adhesion apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that.

8. The heating means has temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the heating element. The control means obtains the timing at which the heating element reaches the target temperature based on the detection result by the voltage detection means and the temperature gradient based on the detection result by the temperature detection means, and instructs the image forming apparatus to start the image forming operation based on the obtained timing. The sheet adhesion apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that.

9. The control means instructs the image forming apparatus to start the image forming operation based on the timing at which the heating element reaches the target temperature and the time from when the image forming apparatus starts the image forming operation until at least the second recording material on which image forming has been completed reaches the sheet adhesion apparatus. The sheet adhesion apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. The image forming apparatus includes display means for displaying the states of the image forming apparatus and the sheet adhesion apparatus. The control means causes the display means to display that the image forming operation is on standby during the standby period in which the image forming apparatus waits for the image forming operation until the heating element reaches the target temperature while controlling the temperature of the heating element. The sheet adhesion apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that.

11. Connection means connectable to an image forming apparatus that performs an image forming operation including a toner image for adhesion on a recording material. Heating means having a heating element that is supplied with power from an AC power source via the connection means and generates heat, and that heats and melts the toner image for adhesion to bond a plurality of recording materials to each other. Control means for controlling the temperature of the heating element. A sheet adhesion apparatus that includes a plurality of recording materials and bonds them to each other to produce a booklet. An AC voltage of a first voltage or a second voltage different from the first voltage is input to the heating element. The control means switches the resistance value of the heating element based on whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage. The sheet adhesion apparatus characterized by that.

12. The first voltage is an AC voltage of 100V system, The sheet adhesion device according to claim 11, wherein the second voltage is an AC voltage of 200V system.

13. The heating means includes a heating element and a switching means for switching the combined resistance value of the heating element, The control means switches the combined resistance value by the switching means such that the combined resistance value is lower when the AC voltage is the first voltage than when the AC voltage is the second voltage, according to claim 12. The sheet adhesion device described.

14. The heating means includes a first heating element, a second heating element connected in parallel to the first heating element, and a relay connected in series to the second heating element, The control means turns on the relay and connects the first heating element and the second heating element in parallel when the AC voltage is the first voltage, and turns off the relay when the AC voltage is the second voltage. The sheet adhesion device according to claim 12, wherein the second heating element is disconnected.

15. The image forming apparatus has a voltage detecting means for detecting whether the AC voltage is the first voltage or the second voltage, The control means is input with the detection result of the voltage detection means from the image forming apparatus via the connection means, and switches the resistance value of the heating element based on the detection result, according to any one of claims 11 to 14. The sheet adhesion device described.

16. The image forming apparatus, The sheet adhesion device according to claim 1 or claim 11, An image forming system characterized by comprising

Images