Lamination processing system and lamination processing method

Abstract

To provide a lamination processing system and a lamination processing method which prevent a large number of defective products from being continuously produced when a film is overlapped and laminated on a sheet.SOLUTION: Lamination processing system 1 includes: a lamination processing unit 20 that overlaps and laminates a film 21 onto a sheet 9; a reading unit 31 that reads the laminated sheet 9; and a detection unit 34 that detects misalignment of the sheet 9 relative to the film 21 based on a reading result by the reading unit 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a laminating system and a laminating method, and particularly to a technique for laminating a sheet with a film.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus, after an image is formed on a sheet such as printing paper, a laminating system that laminates a film on the sheet by overlapping the film is known. For example, the laminating system of Patent Document 1 laminates the front and back surfaces of the sheet in a sealed state with the film by sandwiching the sheet between upper and lower laminating films and applying pressure and heat.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the finish of the laminated sheet in the conventional laminating system, the position of the sheet with respect to the film may be shifted. For example, a phenomenon occurs in which the sheet protrudes from the end of the film, the sheet is arranged up to the end of the film, or the sheet is inclined with respect to the film. A sheet that is misaligned with respect to the film becomes a defective product and is discarded. In addition, when misalignment occurs during the execution of a job, misalignment similar to that in the subsequent sheet often occurs. In this case, a large amount of film and sheet will be discarded by the execution of the job, resulting in wasteful costs.

[0005] In order to prevent a large amount of waste generation, for example, it is conceivable to visually check the sheets output by the user during the execution of the job and stop the execution of the job if misalignment occurs. However, in that case, the user has to check the state of each laminated sheet output during the execution of the job from the start to the end of the job execution. Therefore, there is a problem that the burden on the user becomes considerably large.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above conventional problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a laminating processing system and a laminating processing method capable of suppressing the occurrence of a large number of defective products by detecting the misalignment of a sheet with respect to a film after laminating the film on the sheet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a laminating processing system, comprising: a laminating processing unit that laminates a film on a sheet by overlapping the film; a reading unit that reads the laminated sheet; and a detection unit that detects the misalignment of the sheet with respect to the film based on the reading result by the reading unit.

[0008] The invention according to claim 2 is the laminating processing system according to claim 1, wherein the laminating processing unit includes a pair of film rolls, and conveys the sheet to be conveyed between the pair of film rolls to overlap the film on both sides of the sheet.

[0009] The invention according to claim 3 is the laminating processing system according to claim 2, further comprising a cutting unit that cuts the film laminated on the sheet for each sheet, and the reading unit reads each sheet on which the film has been cut by the cutting unit.

[0010] The invention according to claim 4 is configured such that, in the laminating processing system of claim 3, the cutting unit includes a four-sided cutting unit that cuts the film on the four sides of the sheet.

[0011] The invention according to claim 5 is configured such that, in the laminating processing system of claim 3 or 4, the cutting unit can set a cut without margin according to the type of film, and the detection unit does not detect a displacement of the sheet with respect to the film when the cut without margin is set.

[0012] The invention according to claim 6 is configured such that, in the laminating processing system of claim 1, the reading unit can read the sheet in a range wider than the film width in the width direction of the sheet orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet.

[0013] The invention according to claim 7 is configured such that, in the laminating processing system of claim 1, the detection unit detects a displacement in the conveyance direction of the sheet and in the width direction of the sheet orthogonal to the conveyance direction.

[0014] The invention according to claim 8 is configured such that, in the laminating processing system of claim 1, the detection unit detects a displacement based on the position of the end of the sheet with respect to the end of the film.

[0015] The invention according to claim 9 is configured such that, in the laminating processing system of claim 1, the detection unit detects the inclination or protrusion of the sheet with respect to the film as a displacement.

[0016] The invention according to claim 10 further includes a cutting unit that cuts the film laminated on the sheet for each sheet in the laminating processing system of claim 2. The reading unit reads the sheet laminated before the film is cut by the cutting unit, and the detection unit detects a displacement in the width direction of the sheet orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet.

[0017] The invention according to claim 11 is a laminate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit includes a light emitting unit that irradiates light onto the laminated sheet, and a light receiving unit that receives light reflected from the surface of the film or sheet by the light irradiated from the light emitting unit.

[0018] The invention according to claim 12 is a laminate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit includes a light emitting unit that irradiates light onto the laminated sheet, and a light receiving unit that receives light transmitted through the film or sheet by the light irradiated from the light emitting unit.

[0019] The invention according to claim 13 is a laminate processing system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the reading unit detects a film region by comparing the amount of light received by the light receiving unit with a first threshold value, and detects a sheet region by comparing the amount of light received by the light receiving unit with a second threshold value different from the first threshold value.

[0020] The invention according to claim 14 is a laminate processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the conveyance operation of the sheet based on the amount of displacement of the misalignment detected by the detection unit.

[0021] The invention according to claim 15 is a laminate processing system according to claim 14, wherein the control unit controls the conveyance speed of the sheet based on the amount of displacement of the sheet in the conveyance direction of the sheet.

[0022] The invention according to claim 16 is a laminate processing system according to claim 14, wherein the control unit shifts the conveyance position of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet based on the amount of displacement of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet.

[0023] The invention according to claim 17 is configured such that, in the laminating processing system of claim 17, when the sheet is inclined with respect to the film, the control unit controls skew correction of the sheet.

[0024] The invention according to claim 18 is a laminating processing method, comprising: a laminating step of laminating a film on a sheet; a reading step of reading the laminated sheet; and a detecting step of detecting a displacement of the sheet with respect to the film based on a reading result of the reading step.

[0025] The invention according to claim 19 is configured such that, in the laminating processing method of claim 18, the method further comprises a control step of controlling a conveyance operation of the sheet based on an amount of displacement detected by the detecting step.

Advantages of the Invention

[0026] According to the present invention, after laminating a film on a sheet, displacement of the sheet with respect to the film is detected, so that continuous occurrence of a large number of defective products can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0028] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, elements common to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a laminating system 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention. The laminating system 1 executes a job of sealing a sheet 9 by superimposing a film 21 such as a laminating film on the sheet 9. For example, the laminating system 1 forms an image on a sheet 9 such as printing paper, performs a laminating process by superimposing the film 21 on both the front and back surfaces of the sheet 9 on which the image is formed, and outputs the laminated sheet 9. This laminating system 1 includes an image forming unit 2, a laminating processing unit 20, an inspection unit 30, and a paper discharge unit 40. In the laminating system 1, the sheet 9 is conveyed in the Y direction in the drawing, and processing on the sheet 9 is performed in each unit.

[0030] The image forming unit 10 includes a plurality of sheet storage units 11 and 12 for stacking and storing a plurality of sheets 9. For example, the sheet storage units 11 and 12 can each store sheets 9 of different types or sizes. A sheet feeding roller 13 for feeding the sheets 9 one by one is provided in each of the sheet storage units 11 and 12. The sheet 9 fed by the sheet feeding roller 13 is conveyed along a conveyance path 8 provided in the laminating processing system 1. The image forming unit 10 drives the sheet feeding roller 13 of the sheet storage unit that stores the sheet 9 designated as the sheet feeding target, and sends out the sheet 9 to the conveyance path 8.

[0031] The image forming unit 10 includes a registration roller 14 and an image forming unit 15 in its conveyance path 8. The registration roller 14 is composed of a pair of rollers arranged with the conveyance path 8 therebetween. The registration roller 14 temporarily stops the conveyance of the leading edge of the fed sheet 9 with the leading edge of the sheet 9 in contact with the nip of the pair of rollers. Since the sheet feeding operation by the sheet feeding roller 13 continues, a loop of the sheet 9 is formed upstream of the registration roller 14. By this loop formation, the leading edge of the sheet 9 comes into contact with the nip of the registration roller 14 over the entire width direction of the sheet 9, and the skew of the sheet 9 is corrected. By adjusting the temporary stop time of the leading edge of the sheet 9 by the registration roller 14, the size of the loop changes. When the size of the loop changes, the force with which the sheet 9 presses the leading edge against the nip of the registration roller 14 changes. Thereby, the correction force when the skew correction of the sheet 9 is performed is adjusted. After performing the skew correction of the sheet 9, the registration roller 14 conveys the sheet 9 toward the image forming unit 15.

[0032] The image forming unit 15 forms an image on the sheet 9 fed out from the resist roller 14. For example, the image forming unit 15 includes an image carrier such as a photosensitive drum. The image forming unit 15 forms a toner image based on the image data to be printed on the image carrier. Then, the image forming unit 15 forms an image on the sheet 9 by transferring the toner image onto the surface of the sheet 9. Incidentally, the image forming unit 15 further has a fixing unit (not shown), and fixes the toner image transferred onto the sheet 9 to the sheet 9 by the fixing unit.

[0033] On the downstream side of the image forming unit 15, an adjustment mechanism 16 for adjusting the conveyance position of the sheet 9 in the width direction (X direction) of the sheet 9 orthogonal to the conveyance direction (Y direction) of the sheet 9 is provided. This adjustment mechanism 16 can be realized, for example, by swinging the rotation axis of the conveyance roller of the sheet 9 within the sheet plane. Further, the adjustment mechanism 16 may move the conveyance position of the sheet 9 in the width direction by pressing the side portion of the sheet 9. Furthermore, the adjustment mechanism 16 may be configured to be able to adjust the conveyance position of the sheet 9 in the width direction of the sheet 9 by mechanisms other than these.

[0034] The lamination processing unit 20 is provided on the downstream side of the image forming unit 15. The lamination processing unit 20 is a unit that laminates a film such as a laminate film on both the front and back surfaces of the image-formed sheet 9 conveyed from the image forming unit 15. The lamination processing unit 20 has a pair of film rolls 22, 23 in the conveyance path 8 through which the sheet 9 is conveyed. These film rolls 22, 23 are arranged vertically with the conveyance path 8 of the sheet 9 interposed therebetween. A long film 21 is wound around the film rolls 22, 23. The film rolls 22, 23 wind a film 21 having a width larger than the width dimension of the sheet 9 in the width direction of the sheet 9 orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet 9. For example, the film width of the film 21 is about several millimeters larger than the sheet width of the sheet 9.

[0035] The formed sheet 9 is conveyed to the nip of the pair of film rolls 22 and 23. The film rolls 22 and 23 convey the film 21 downstream with the film 21 overlapped on both the front and back surfaces of the sheet 9 conveyed to the nip. Incidentally, on the downstream side of the film rolls 22 and 23 and on the upstream side of a cutting unit 24 described later, a welding unit (not shown) is provided to weld the film 21 overlapped on both the front and back surfaces of the sheet 9. This welding unit welds the two films 21 in a state where they are overlapped outside the end of the sheet 9. Thereby, the sheet 9 is sealed inside the two films 21.

[0036] The laminating unit 20 has a cutting unit 24 on the downstream side of the film rolls 22 and 23. The cutting unit 24 includes a cutter 25 extending in a direction (X direction) orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet 9, and cuts the long film 21 into a predetermined size for each sheet 9. That is, the cutting unit 24 cuts the film 21 into a predetermined size in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9. The sheet 9 with the film 21 cut into a predetermined size is then conveyed to the inspection unit 30.

[0037] The inspection unit 30 inspects whether there is any misalignment of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21. The inspection unit 30 includes a reading unit 31, a detection unit 34, and a control unit 35.

[0038] The reading unit 31 reads the sheet 9 laminated with the film 21. The reading unit 31 is disposed on the downstream side of the cutting unit 24. Therefore, the reading unit 31 reads the sheets 9 with the film 21 cut by the cutting unit 24 one by one. Also, the reading unit 31 can read the sheet 9 in a range wider than the width of the film 21 in the width direction of the sheet 9 orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet 9. For example, the reading unit 31 reads the laminated sheet 9 as an image.

[0039] The reading unit 31 includes a light emitting unit 32 and a light receiving unit 33. The light emitting unit 32 irradiates light toward the conveyance path 8 of the sheet 9. The light emitting unit 32 is arranged along the width direction of the sheet 9 orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet 9, and irradiates light over the entire width of the film 21 and the sheet 9. The light receiving unit 33 receives the light reflected from the surface of the film 21 or the sheet 9 that is irradiated by the light emitting unit 32. The light receiving unit 33 has a plurality of light receiving elements arranged along the width direction of the sheet 9 orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet 9. The light receiving unit 33 reads an image of the film 21 and the sheet 9 based on the amount of light received by each light receiving element.

[0040] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the concept of the reading operation of the sheet 9 by the reading unit 31. FIG. 2(a) shows a state where there is no sheet 9 laminated at the reading position by the reading unit 31. In the state shown in FIG. 2(a), the light L1 irradiated from the light emitting unit 32 is not reflected. Therefore, no reflected light enters the light receiving unit 33. In this case, the amount of light received by each light receiving element provided in the light receiving unit 33 is extremely small.

[0041] FIG. 2(b) shows a state where the end portion 27 of the film 21 laminated on the sheet 9 has entered the reading position by the reading unit 31. In the state shown in FIG. 2(b), the light irradiated from the light emitting unit 32 is reflected from the surface of the film 21. In this case, the reflected light L3 from the surface of the film 21 enters the light receiving unit 33. Therefore, the amount of light received by each light receiving element in the light receiving unit 33 becomes larger compared to the state of FIG. 2(a). However, since the film 21 is transparent, most of the light irradiated from the light emitting unit 32 becomes the light L2 that passes through the film 21. Therefore, the increase amount of the amount of light received by each light receiving element in the light receiving unit 33 is relatively small.

[0042] Figure 2(c) shows a state where the laminated sheet 9 has entered the reading position by the reading unit 31. In the state shown in Figure 2(c), the light irradiated from the light emitting unit 32 is reflected on the surface of the film 21 and also on the surface of the sheet 9. In this case, both the light L3 reflected on the surface of the film 21 and the light L3 reflected on the surface of the sheet 9 enter the light receiving unit 33. Therefore, the amount of light received by each light receiving element in the light receiving unit 33 becomes even larger compared to the state of Figure 2(b). Therefore, the amount of light received by each light receiving element in the light receiving unit 33 increases.

[0043] In Figure 2, an example where the light receiving unit 33 detects the reflected light of the light irradiated from the light emitting unit 32 has been described. However, it is not limited to this, and the light receiving unit 33 may be configured to read the laminated sheet 9 by receiving the light transmitted through the film 21 or the sheet 9 from the light emitting unit 32. In this case, the light receiving unit 33 is provided at a position facing the light emitting unit 32 with the conveyance path 8 interposed therebetween.

[0044] The detection unit 34 detects the misalignment of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 based on the reading result by the reading unit 31. The detection unit 34 first discriminates between the film 21 and the sheet 9 based on the reading result by the reading unit 31. Specifically, the detection unit 34 discriminates between the film 21 and the sheet 9 based on the amount of light received by each light receiving element in the light receiving unit 33. For example, the detection unit 34 discriminates between the film region where the film 21 exists and the sheet region where the sheet 9 exists. The detection unit 34 uses two threshold values to discriminate between these two regions.

[0045] Figure 3 is a diagram showing two threshold values Th1 and Th2 preset in the detection unit 34. The first threshold value Th1 is a threshold value for detecting the light reflected only on the surface of the film 21, and is a threshold value for detecting the end portion 27 of the film 21 as the film region. The second threshold value Th2 is a threshold value for detecting the light reflected by both the film 21 and the sheet 9, and is a threshold value for detecting the sheet region. The second threshold value Th2 is preset as a value larger than the first threshold value Th1.

[0046] For example, when the laminated sheet 9 is conveyed at a constant conveyance speed along the conveyance path 8, the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 33 changes with time as shown in FIG. 3. That is, when the end portion 27 of the film 21 has not reached the reading position, the amount of light received is smaller than the threshold value Th1. Thereafter, when the end portion 27 of the film 21 reaches the reading position, the amount of light received exceeds the threshold value Th1. However, the amount of light received does not exceed the threshold value Th2. In this case, the detection unit 34 detects that it is the end portion 27 of the film 21. That is, the detection unit 34 detects the end portion 27 of the film 21 at timing T1.

[0047] Still later, when the end portion of the sheet 9 reaches the reading position, the amount of light received exceeds the threshold value Th2. In this case, the detection unit 34 detects that it is the end portion of the sheet 9. That is, the detection unit 34 detects the end portion of the sheet 9 at timing T2.

[0048] In addition, the detection unit 34 detects the end portion of the film 21 and the end portion of the sheet 9 not only in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9 but also in the width direction of the sheet 9. As a result, the detection unit 34 can detect the film region and the sheet region based on the reading result by the reading unit 31.

[0049] When the detection unit 34 detects the film region and the sheet region, it determines the overlapping state of the sheet region with respect to the film region and detects the positional deviation of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21. For example, as the positional deviation detectable by the detection unit 34, there are a positional deviation in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9, a positional deviation in the width direction of the sheet 9, an inclination of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21, an overhang of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21, and the like.

[0050] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state where the sheet 9 is disposed at an appropriate position with respect to the film 21. When the sheet 9 is disposed at an appropriate position with respect to the film 21, the sheet 9 is positioned at the center of the film 21 as shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the center position of the sheet 9 and the center of the film 21 coincide with each other. Also, between the leading end 9a of the sheet 9 and the leading end 21a of the film 21 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9, there is a film region Wa having a predetermined width. Also, between the trailing end 9b of the sheet 9 and the trailing end 21b of the film 21 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9, there is a film region Wb having a predetermined width. Also, between the right end 9c of the sheet 9 and the right end 21c of the film 21 in the width direction of the sheet 9, there is a film region Wc having a predetermined width. Further, between the left end 9d of the sheet 9 and the left end 21d of the film 21 in the width direction of the sheet 9, there is also a film region Wd having a predetermined width. When the sheet 9 is at an appropriate position with respect to the film 21, the widths of the film regions Wa, Wb, Wc, and Wd are equal.

[0051] The detection unit 34 determines whether or not the sheet 9 is disposed at an appropriate position with respect to the film 21 as shown in FIG. 4 based on the overlapping state of the sheet region with respect to the film region. At this time, the detection unit 34 calculates the widths of the film regions Wa, Wb, Wc, and Wd outside the sheet region, and detects the positional deviation of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21.

[0052] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state where the sheet 9 is displaced in the conveyance direction with respect to the film 21. For example, when the width of the film region Wa between the leading end 9a of the sheet 9 and the leading end 21a of the film 21 is smaller than a predetermined value as shown in FIG. 5(a), the detection unit 34 detects the positional deviation in a state where the sheet 9 is closer to the leading end side of the film 21 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9. In this case, the detection unit 34 calculates the difference between the calculated value of the width of the film region Wa and the appropriate value. This difference value indicates the amount of displacement of the sheet 9 on the leading end side of the film 21.

[0053] Also, as shown in FIG. 5(b), when the width of the film region Wb between the rear end 9b of the sheet 9 and the rear end 21b of the film 21 is smaller than a predetermined value, the detection unit 34 detects a positional deviation in a state where the sheet 9 is closer to the rear end side of the film 21 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9. In this case, the detection unit 34 calculates the difference between the calculated value of the width of the film region Wb and the appropriate value. This difference value indicates the amount of deviation of the sheet 9 on the rear end side of the film 21.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sheet 9 is displaced in the width direction with respect to the film 21. For example, as shown in FIG. 6(a), when the width of the film region Wd between the left end 9d of the sheet 9 and the left end 21d of the film 21 is smaller than a predetermined value, the detection unit 34 detects a positional deviation in a state where the sheet 9 is closer to the left end of the film 21 in the width direction of the sheet 9. In this case, the detection unit 34 calculates the difference between the calculated value of the width of the film region Wd and the appropriate value. This difference value indicates the amount of deviation of the sheet 9 on the left side of the film 21.

[0055] Also, as shown in FIG. 6(b), when the width of the film region Wc between the right end 9c of the sheet 9 and the right end 21c of the film 21 is smaller than a predetermined value, the detection unit 34 detects a positional deviation in a state where the sheet 9 is closer to the right end of the film 21 in the width direction of the sheet 9. In this case, the detection unit 34 calculates the difference between the calculated value of the width of the film region Wc and the appropriate value. This difference value indicates the amount of deviation of the sheet 9 on the right side of the film 21.

[0056] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a positional deviation different from FIGS. 5 and 6. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(a), when the sheet 9 is inclined with respect to the film 21, the detection unit 34 detects the inclination of the sheet 9 as a positional deviation. In this case, the detection unit 34 calculates the inclination angle of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21. This inclination angle indicates the amount of deviation of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21.

[0057] Also, as shown in FIG. 7(b), when the sheet 9 protrudes from the end of the film 21, the detection unit 34 detects the protrusion of the sheet 9 as a misalignment. In this case, the detection unit 34 calculates the amount of protrusion of the sheet 9 with respect to each of the conveyance direction and the width direction of the sheet 9. This amount of protrusion indicates the amount of displacement of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21.

[0058] When the detection unit 34 detects the amount of displacement of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21, it outputs the amount of displacement to the control unit 35.

[0059] Based on the amount of displacement detected by the detection unit 34, the control unit 35 inspects whether the laminated sheet 9 is a defective product and controls the execution operation of the job. For example, when the amount of displacement detected by the detection unit 34 is a value within a preset allowable range, the control unit 35 determines that the laminated sheet 9 is a non-defective product.

[0060] On the other hand, when the amount of displacement detected by the detection unit 34 is not a value within the allowable range, the control unit 35 determines that the laminated sheet 9 is a defective product. In this case, the control unit 35 controls the paper discharge unit 40 to discharge the sheet 9 determined to be a defective product to a tray different from that for non-defective products. Also, when the control unit 35 determines that the laminated sheet 9 is a defective product, it may display on a display unit of an operation panel (not shown) that a defective product has been detected. Further, the control unit 35 may output a warning sound indicating that a defective product has been detected from a speaker (not shown).

[0061] Further, the control unit 35 controls the execution operation of the job based on the deviation amount detected by the detection unit 34. For example, when the position of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9 is deviated from the appropriate position, the control unit 35 controls the conveyance speed of the sheet 9 based on the deviation amount. When the conveyance speed of the sheet 9 is decreased, the position of the sheet 9 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9 moves to the rear end side of the film 21. Further, when the conveyance speed of the sheet 9 is increased, the position of the sheet 9 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9 moves to the front end side of the film 21. Therefore, the control unit 35 can control the position of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9 to be the appropriate position by changing the conveyance speed of the sheet 9.

[0062] Also, for example, when the position of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 in the width direction of the sheet 9 is deviated from the appropriate position, the control unit 35 controls the adjustment mechanism 16. As described above, the adjustment mechanism 16 can adjust the conveyance position of the sheet 9 in the width direction of the sheet 9. The control unit 35 drives the adjustment mechanism 16 based on the deviation amount of the sheet 9, moves the conveyance position of the sheet 9 in the width direction, and controls the position of the sheet 9 to be the appropriate position.

[0063] Also, for example, when the sheet 9 is inclined with respect to the film 21, the control unit 35 controls the registration roller 14 so that the sheet 9 is appropriately skew-corrected. For example, the control unit 35 adjusts the temporary stop time of the leading end of the sheet 9 by the registration roller 14. As a result, the size of the loop of the sheet 9 formed upstream of the registration roller 14 changes. Therefore, the control unit 35 can prevent the sheet 9 from being conveyed downstream in an inclined state from the registration roller 14.

[0064] Also, for example, when the sheet 9 protrudes from the film 21, the control unit 35 controls each of the conveyance speed of the sheet 9, the adjustment mechanism 16, and the registration roller 14 based on the deviation amount of the sheet 9. That is, the control unit 35 controls so that the subsequent sheet 9 does not protrude from the film 21.

[0065] By performing the above control operations, the control unit 35 can minimize the possibility that subsequent sheets 9 will become defective even if a defective product occurs during the execution of a job. For example, the control unit 35 may perform the above-described control when it determines that the laminated sheet 9 is defective. However, the above-described control is also applicable when the laminated sheet 9 is a non-defective product. That is, even when the control unit 35 determines that the laminated sheet 9 is a non-defective product, if misalignment is detected by the detection unit 34, it is preferable to perform the above-described control based on the amount of misalignment.

[0066] The paper discharge unit 40 discharges the laminated sheet 9 conveyed along the conveyance path 8. The paper discharge unit 40 has a plurality of paper discharge trays 41, 42. Further, the paper discharge unit 40 has a branching unit that branches the conveyance path 8 of the sheet 9 in order to discharge the sheet 9 to each of the plurality of paper discharge trays 41, 42. The paper discharge unit 40 includes a switching unit 43 for switching the conveyance path of the sheet 9 at the branching unit. The paper discharge unit 40 drives the switching unit 43 based on an instruction from the control unit 35 and discharges the sheet 9 determined to be defective to a paper discharge tray different from that for non-defective products.

[0067] Next, the operation of the lamination processing system 1 will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the lamination processing system 1. When the execution of a job is instructed by the user, the lamination processing system 1 starts the processing shown in FIG. 8.

[0068] When starting the execution of a job, the lamination processing system 1 drives one of the plurality of sheet storage units 11, 12 and starts conveying the sheet 9 (step S10). As a result, the sheet 9 is conveyed along the conveyance path 8 provided inside the lamination processing system 1. For example, in the case of a job of continuously feeding a plurality of sheets 9, the lamination processing system 1 continuously feeds the plurality of sheets 9 to the conveyance path 8 while maintaining the sheet interval between consecutive sheets 9 at a predetermined interval.

[0069] When the sheet 9 conveyed along the conveyance path 8 passes through the position of the image forming unit 15, the laminating processing system 1 forms an image on the sheet 9 (step S11). Then, when the sheet 9 on which the image has been formed passes through the positions of the pair of film rolls 22 and 23, the laminating processing system 1 overlays the film 21 on both the front and back surfaces of the sheet 9 and executes a laminating process (step S12). Then, when the laminated sheet 9 passes through the cutting unit 24, the laminating processing system 1 cuts the film 21 into a predetermined size (step S13). The sheet 9 with the film 21 cut is conveyed to the inspection unit 30.

[0070] When the laminated sheet 9 passes through the reading position by the reading unit 31, the laminating processing system 1 drives the reading unit 31 and reads the sheet 9 (step S14). Then, the laminating processing system 1 operates the detection unit 34 and executes a detection process for detecting the positional deviation of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 (step S15). In this detection process, the amount of deviation of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 is calculated. The laminating processing system 1 determines whether the laminated sheet 9 is a defective product based on the amount of deviation detected from the laminated sheet 9 (step S16). If it is a defective product (YES in step S16), the laminating processing system 1 executes a discharge process for discharging the defective sheet 9 to a discharge tray different from that for non-defective products (step S17). Incidentally, when the sheet 9 is a non-defective product (NO in step S16), the process of step S17 is not performed.

[0071] Then, the laminating processing system 1 controls the conveyance operation of the subsequent sheet 9 based on the amount of deviation detected in step S15 (step S18). At this time, the laminating processing system 1 controls at least one of the conveyance speed of the sheet 9, the adjustment mechanism 16, and the registration roller 14. Thereby, when the subsequent sheet 9 is laminated, the positional deviation of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 is reduced.

[0072] Next, the laminating processing system 1 determines whether the execution of the job has ended (step S19). If the execution of the job has not ended (NO in step S19), the processing by the laminating processing system 1 returns to step S11. In this case, for the subsequent sheet 9, the processing after step S11 is executed. On the other hand, if the execution of the job has ended (YES in step S19), the processing by the laminating processing system 1 ends.

[0073] As described above, the laminating processing system 1 of the present embodiment includes a reading unit 31 that reads the laminated sheet 9, and a detection unit 34 that detects the misalignment of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 based on the reading result by the reading unit 31. That is, this laminating processing system 1 automatically detects the misalignment of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 during the execution of the job. Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to continuously visually check the state of the sheet 9 during the execution of the job, and the burden on the user can be reduced compared to the conventional case.

[0074] Also, when the laminating processing system 1 detects the misalignment of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21, it controls the conveyance operation of the subsequent sheet 9 based on the amount of misalignment. Therefore, even if one sheet 9 becomes a defective product, the laminating processing system 1 can prevent the subsequent sheet 9 from becoming a defective product. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a large number of defective products from occurring during the execution of the job. Incidentally, the laminating processing system 1 may be configured to automatically stop the execution of the job at that timing when a defective product is detected.

[0075] In addition, the laminating method performed by the above-described laminating system 1 includes a laminating step, a reading step, a detecting step, and a control step. The laminating step is a step performed by the laminating unit 20, and is a step of laminating the film 21 on the sheet 9 by overlapping them. The reading step is a step performed by the reading unit 31, and is a step of reading the laminated sheet 9. The detecting step is a step performed by the detecting unit 34, and is a step of detecting the displacement of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 based on the reading result of the reading step. The control step is a step performed by the control unit 35, and is a step of controlling the conveyance operation of the subsequent sheet 9 based on the amount of displacement detected by the detecting step. By implementing the laminating method including these steps in the laminating system 1, the burden on the user can be reduced, and the occurrence of a large number of defective products during the execution of the job can be prevented in advance.

[0076] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained. However, the present invention is not limited to the content described in the above embodiments, and various modifications can be applied.

[0077] First, in the above embodiment, the case where the cutter 25 of the cutting unit 24 cuts the film 21 in the width direction and cuts the length of the film 21 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9 to a predetermined size is illustrated. However, the cutting unit 24 is not limited to cutting the film 21 in the width direction. For example, the cutting unit 24 may cut the film 21 to a predetermined size at the four sides of the sheet 9.

[0078] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a laminating processing system 1 in which a four-sided cutting unit 28 is provided in a cutting unit 24. This laminating processing system 1 includes a four-sided cutting unit 28 in the cutting unit 24. The four-sided cutting unit 28 cuts the film 21 into a predetermined size on the four sides of the sheet 9. Therefore, the widths of the film rolls 22 and 23 provided on the upstream side of the cutting unit 24 may be considerably larger than the width of the sheet 9. However, in this case, if the sheet 9 protrudes outside the area cut by the four-sided cutting unit 28, the protruding portion of the sheet 9 will be cut together with the film 21. Therefore, the detection unit 34 on the downstream side of the cutting unit 24 will not detect the protrusion of the sheet 9 as a displacement of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21. However, the detection unit 34 can detect displacements of the sheet 9 in the conveyance direction and the width direction of the sheet 9, and can also detect the inclination of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21.

[0079] Second, in the above embodiment, the case where the cutting unit 24 is arranged on the upstream side of the reading unit 31 is illustrated. However, the cutting unit 24 may be arranged on the downstream side of the reading unit 31.

[0080] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a laminating processing system 1 in which the cutting unit 24 is arranged on the downstream side of the reading unit 31. As shown in FIG. 10, when the cutting unit 24 is arranged on the downstream side of the reading unit 31, the film 21 is not cut when the reading unit 31 reads the sheet 9. In this case, the detection unit 34 cannot detect the displacement of the sheet 9 in the conveyance direction of the sheet 9. Therefore, the detection unit 34 detects the displacement of the sheet 9 in the width direction of the sheet 9, the inclination of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21, and the protrusion of the sheet 9 from the end of the film 21. Note that the cutting unit 24 shown in FIG. 10 may have a configuration including a four-sided cutting unit 28.

[0081] Thirdly, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the two films 21 that are superposed on both the front and back surfaces of the sheet 9 are welded outside the end portion of the sheet 9. However, the film 21 wound around the film rolls 22 and 23 may have an adhesive layer that adheres to the front or back surface of the sheet 9. In this case, the films 21 superposed on both the front and back surfaces of the sheet 9 are adhered to both the front and back surfaces of the sheet 9 by the adhesive layer. That is, when the film 21 having an adhesive layer is used as the type of the film 21 for laminating the sheet 9, the laminating processing system 1 can laminate the sheet 9 with the film 21 without operating the above-described welding portion. Further, when the four-sided cutting portion 28 is provided in the cutting portion 24, the four-sided cutting portion 28 can perform a non-edge cutting such that there is no film 21 outside the end portion of the sheet 9.

[0082] When the film 21 having an adhesive layer is set in the laminating processing system 1 and non-edge cutting is selected as the cutting setting by the four-sided cutting portion 28, the detection unit 34 cannot detect the displacement of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 as described in the above embodiment. Therefore, it is preferable that the detection unit 34 does not detect the displacement of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 when non-edge cutting is set in the cutting portion 24.

[0083] Fourthly, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the detection unit 34 detects the displacement in the conveyance direction and the width direction of the sheet 9, and also detects the inclination of the sheet 9 with respect to the film 21 and the protrusion from the film 21 as displacement. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the detection unit 34 may detect at least one of the above-described plurality of displacements.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0084] 1 Laminating processing system 8 Conveyor path 9 Sheet 10 Image forming unit 14 Registration roller 15 Image forming unit 16 Adjusting mechanism 20 Laminating processing unit 21 Film 22, 23 Film rolls 24 Cutting section 25 Cutter 28 Four-sided cutting section 30 Inspection section 31 Reading section 32 Light-emitting section 33 Light-receiving section 34 Detection section 35 Control section 40 Paper discharge section

Claims

1. A laminating unit that laminates a film onto a sheet by overlaying them, A reading unit that reads the laminated sheet, A detection unit that detects the misalignment of the sheet with respect to the film based on the reading result by the reading unit, A laminating processing system, characterized by comprising the above.

2. The laminating unit according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a pair of film rolls, and loading the conveyed sheet between the pair of film rolls to overlay the film on both sides of the sheet.

3. A cutting unit that cuts the film laminated on the sheet for each sheet, Further comprising, The reading unit according to claim 2, characterized by reading the sheets with the film cut by the cutting unit one by one.

4. The laminating processing system according to claim 3, characterized in that the cutting unit includes a four-sided cutting unit that cuts the film on four sides of the sheet.

5. The cutting unit can set a cut without a margin according to the type of film, The detection unit according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that when the cut without a margin is set, it does not detect the misalignment of the sheet with respect to the film.

6. The reading unit according to claim 1, characterized by being able to read the sheet in a range wider than the film width in the width direction of the sheet perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the sheet.

7. The detection unit according to claim 1, characterized by detecting misalignment in the conveyance direction of the sheet and the width direction of the sheet perpendicular to the conveyance direction.

8. The detection unit according to claim 1, characterized by detecting misalignment based on the position of the end of the sheet with respect to the end of the film.

9. The detection unit according to claim 1, characterized by detecting the inclination or protrusion of the sheet with respect to the film as misalignment.

10. A cutting unit that cuts the film laminated on the sheet for each sheet, Further comprising, The reading unit reads the laminated sheet before the film is cut by the cutting unit, The laminating processing system according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit detects a displacement in the width direction of the sheet, which is orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet.

11. The laminating processing system according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit includes a light emitting unit that irradiates light onto the laminated sheet, and a light receiving unit that receives light reflected from the surface of the film or sheet by the light irradiated from the light emitting unit.

12. The laminating processing system according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit includes a light emitting unit that irradiates light onto the laminated sheet, and a light receiving unit that receives light transmitted through the film or sheet by the light irradiated from the light emitting unit.

13. The laminating processing system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the reading unit detects a film region by comparing the amount of light received by the light receiving unit with a first threshold value, and detects a sheet region by comparing the amount of light received by the light receiving unit with a second threshold value different from the first threshold value.

14. A control unit that controls the conveyance operation of the sheet based on the amount of displacement of the position displacement detected by the detection unit, The laminating processing system according to claim 1, further comprising the above.

15. The laminating processing system according to claim 14, wherein the control unit controls the conveyance speed of the sheet based on the amount of displacement of the sheet in the conveyance direction of the sheet.

16. The laminating processing system according to claim 14, wherein the control unit shifts the conveyance position of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet based on the amount of displacement of the sheet in the width direction of the sheet.

17. The laminating processing system according to claim 14, wherein the control unit controls skew correction of the sheet when the sheet is inclined with respect to the film.

18. A laminating step of laminating a film on a sheet by overlapping them, A reading step of reading the laminated sheet, A detection step of detecting a displacement of the sheet with respect to the film based on the reading result of the reading step, A laminating processing method characterized by comprising the above.

19. A control step of controlling the conveyance operation of the sheet based on the amount of displacement of the position displacement detected by the detection step, The laminating processing method according to claim 18, further comprising the above.

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