Bookbinding apparatus and bookbinding system

Abstract

The present invention provides a bookbinding apparatus and system that eliminates the need to insert pages into the finished booklet. [Solution] The alignment unit 42 stacks the insert paper and the stack of paper so that the spine edge of the insert paper is positioned on the fore-edge side of the back of the stack of paper consisting of multiple sheets of text paper. The clamp unit 43 holds the insert paper and the stack of paper stacked in the alignment unit 42 while maintaining their relative positions. The coating unit 45 applies hot melt adhesive G to the coating area only on the stack of paper among the insert paper and the stack of paper held by the clamp unit 43. The molding unit 46 forms the booklet B by binding the cover paper to the stack of paper to which the hot melt adhesive G has been applied by the coating unit 45, while sandwiching the insert paper between the stack of paper and the cover paper.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bookbinding apparatus and a bookbinding system for producing booklets.

Background Art

[0002] A bookbinding apparatus for producing a booklet from a plurality of sheets printed by a printing apparatus is known (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In some cases, it may be desired to insert insertion sheets such as leaflets and flyers into the booklet produced by such a bookbinding apparatus. In this case, the insertion sheets are inserted into the completed booklet.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The operation of inserting the insertion sheets into the booklet is performed, for example, manually. Also, by using a separate apparatus, it is possible to automatically perform the operation of inserting the insertion sheets into the booklet.

[0006] However, in any case, time is required for the operation of inserting the insertion sheets into the completed booklet. For this reason, there has been a demand for a technique capable of omitting the operation of inserting the insertion sheets into the completed booklet.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a bookbinding apparatus and a bookbinding system capable of omitting the operation of inserting insertion sheets into a completed booklet.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the bookbinding apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a stacking section that receives insert paper and a plurality of body paper sheets and stacks the insert paper and the stack of paper sheets such that the spine edge of the insert paper is located on the fore-edge side of the back of the stack of paper sheets; a holding section that holds the insert paper and the stack of paper sheets stacked in the stacking section while maintaining their relative positions; an application section that applies adhesive only to the stack of paper sheets among the insert paper and the stack of paper sheets held by the holding section, and applies adhesive to the area including the back of the stack of paper sheets; and a forming section that forms a booklet by binding the cover paper to the stack of paper sheets to which adhesive has been applied by the application section, while sandwiching the insert paper between the stack of paper sheets and the cover paper.

[0009] The bookbinding system of the present invention is characterized by comprising the bookbinding apparatus of the present invention described above, and a printing apparatus that prints on the insert paper and supplies the printed insert paper to the bookbinding apparatus. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the process of inserting insert sheets into the completed booklet can be omitted. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the bookbinding system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a control block diagram of the bookbinding system. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of the alignment and clamping sections of the bookbinding device. [Figure 4] This is a partially enlarged side view of the alignment section. [Figure 5] This is a side view showing the schematic configuration of the clamp section. [Figure 6] This diagram shows how the inserted paper is loaded into the alignment section. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the movement of the paper insertion regulating plate from the receiving position to the retracted position. [Figure 8]This is a diagram showing the state where the document paper is loaded on the alignment unit. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing the state where the insertion paper and the paper bundle are loaded on the alignment unit. [Figure 10] This is a diagram showing the state where the upper clamp and the lower clamp are arranged at the clamping positions. [Figure 11] This is a diagram showing the state where the upper clamp and the lower clamp clamp the insertion paper and the paper bundle. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing the operation where the document paper regulating plate moves from the receiving position to the retracted position. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing the operation where the upper clamp and the lower clamp carry out the insertion paper and the paper bundle out of the alignment unit. [Figure 14] This is a diagram showing the state where the upper clamp and the lower clamp in the state of clamping the insertion paper and the paper bundle are arranged at the standby positions. [Figure 15] This is a diagram showing the state where the hot melt adhesive is applied to the paper bundle. [Figure 16] This is a diagram for explaining the operation of adhering the cover paper to the paper bundle and folding the cover paper.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent parts and components are denoted by the same or equivalent reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0013] The embodiments shown below exemplify devices and the like for embodying the technical idea of this invention, and the technical idea of this invention does not specify the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, etc. of each component part as the following. The technical idea of this invention can be variously modified within the scope of the claims.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a bookbinding system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the bookbinding system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an alignment unit and a clamp unit of a bookbinding apparatus included in the bookbinding system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged side view of the alignment unit shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the clamp unit shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 1, the direction orthogonal to the paper surface is defined as the front-rear direction. Also, the up-down, left-right directions on the paper surface in FIG. 1 are defined as the up-down, left-right directions.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bookbinding system 1 includes a printing apparatus 2 and a bookbinding apparatus 3.

[0016] The printing apparatus 2 performs printing on a sheet of paper P. The sheet of paper P includes a text paper Pa, a cover paper Pb, and an insert paper Pc used for producing a booklet B described later. The printing apparatus 2 includes a paper feeding unit 11, a printing unit 12, a connection unit 13, an upper surface conveying unit 14, a paper discharging unit 15, a reversing unit 16, a printing control unit 17, and a housing 18 that houses or holds each unit.

[0017] Note that the path indicated by the thick line in FIG. 1 is the conveyance path along which the sheet of paper P is conveyed. Among the conveyance paths in the printing apparatus 2, the path indicated by the solid line is the normal path RC, the path indicated by the one-dot chain line is the reversing path RR, the path indicated by the long dashed line is the paper discharging path RD, the path indicated by the short dashed line is the connection path RJ, and the path indicated by the two-dot chain line is the paper feeding path RS. In the following description, upstream and downstream refer to upstream and downstream in the conveyance path.

[0018] The paper feeding unit 11 feeds the sheet of paper P to the printing unit 12. The paper feeding unit 11 includes an external paper feeding table 21, an external paper feeding conveyance unit 22, a plurality of internal paper feeding tables 23, and an internal paper feeding conveyance unit 24.

[0019] The external paper feeding table 21 is where the sheet of paper P used for printing is stacked. A part of the external paper feeding table 21 is installed so as to be exposed outside the housing 18.

[0020] The external paper feed transport unit 22 takes out one sheet of paper P at a time from the external paper feed tray 21 and transports the paper P along the paper feed path RS toward the registration roller 26, which will be described later.

[0021] The internal paper feed tray 23 is where the paper P used for printing is loaded. The internal paper feed tray 23 is located inside the housing 18.

[0022] The internal paper feed transport unit 24 takes out one sheet of paper P at a time from the internal paper feed tray 23 and transports the paper P along the paper feed path RS toward the registration roller 26.

[0023] The printing unit 12 transports the paper P and prints on the paper P. The printing unit 12 includes a registration roller 26, a belt transport unit 27, and an inkjet head unit 28.

[0024] The registration roller 26 temporarily stops the paper P that has been transported from the paper feeding unit 11 or the reversing unit 16, and then transports it toward the belt transport unit 27. The registration roller 26 is located on the normal path RC near the confluence point of the paper feeding path RS and the reversing path RR.

[0025] The belt transport unit 27 transports the paper P that has been transported from the registration roller 26 by adsorption and holding it on the belt.

[0026] The inkjet head unit 28 has multiple inkjet heads (not shown) and prints an image by ejecting ink from the inkjet heads onto the paper P transported by the in-belt transport unit 27.

[0027] During bookbinding, the communication unit 13 transports the printed paper P along the communication path RJ and sends it to the bookbinding device 3. The communication path RJ is a path that extends from the boundary between the printing unit 12 and the upper transport unit 14 toward the bookbinding device 3. The downstream end of the communication path RJ is connected to the upstream end of the introduction path RI of the bookbinding device 3, which will be described later.

[0028] The upper transport unit 14 transports the paper P, which has been transported by the belt transport unit 27, to the paper discharge unit 15 or the reversing unit 16 along the normal path RC.

[0029] The paper output unit 15 has a paper output tray 31 and outputs the printed paper P that has been transported by the upper transport unit 14 to the paper output tray 31.

[0030] The reversal unit 16 reverses the paper P that has been printed on one side during double-sided printing and transports it to the registration roller 26.

[0031] The print control unit 17 controls the operation of each part of the printing device 2. The print control unit 17 is composed of a CPU, RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc.

[0032] The bookbinding device 3 creates a booklet B by wrapping a stack of paper PS, which consists of multiple sheets of text paper Pa supplied from the printing device 2, with cover paper Pb supplied from the printing device 2. In addition, when creating booklet B, the bookbinding device 3 inserts insert paper Pc supplied from the printing device 2 between the stack of paper PS and the cover paper Pb (between the stack of paper PS and the front or back cover portion of the cover paper Pb).

[0033] Here, insert paper Pc refers to flyers, leaflets, etc. For insert paper Pc, paper P is used whose size in the long direction (the top and bottom direction of booklet B) is less than or equal to the size of the main text paper Pa, and whose size in the short direction (the spine-edge direction of booklet B) is smaller than the size of the main text paper Pa.

[0034] The bookbinding apparatus 3 comprises a bookbinding transport section 41, an alignment section (corresponding to a loading section) 42, a clamping section (corresponding to a holding section) 43, a cutting section 44, a coating section 45, a molding section 46, a discharge section 47, a bookbinding control section 48, and a housing 49 for housing or holding each section.

[0035] In the bookbinding device 3, the transport paths shown by solid lines are the vertical transport paths RV, the paths shown by dashed lines are the text delivery paths RH, the paths shown by dotted lines are the cover setting paths RF, and the paths shown by dotted lines are the introduction paths RI.

[0036] The bookbinding transport unit 41 introduces and transports printed body paper Pa, cover paper Pb, and insert paper Pc from the printing device 2. The bookbinding transport unit 41 includes an introduction roller 51, multiple pairs of upper rollers 52, multiple pairs of lower rollers 53, a switching unit 54, a delivery roller 55, a switching unit 56, multiple pairs of horizontal transport rollers 57, encoders 58 and 59, and paper sensors 60 to 62.

[0037] The introduction roller 51 takes in the body paper Pa, cover paper Pb, and insert paper Pc from the contact section 13 of the printing device 2 and transports them to the vertical transport path RV. The introduction roller 51 is positioned along the introduction path RI. The introduction roller 51 is driven by a motor (not shown). The upstream end of the introduction path RI is connected to the downstream end of the contact path RJ of the printing device 2.

[0038] The upper roller 52 transports the main text paper Pa and insert paper Pc that have been transported by the introduction roller 51 upwards. In addition, the upper roller 52 transports the cover paper Pb that has been transported by the introduction roller 51 upwards in order to detect the size of the cover paper Pb, and when the lower end of the cover paper Pb passes the paper sensor 60, it transports the cover paper Pb downwards. The upper roller 52 is positioned along the vertical transport path RV between the point where the introduction path RI and the vertical transport path RV merge and the point where the vertical transport path RV and the main text output path RH diverge. The upper roller 52 is driven by a motor (not shown).

[0039] The lower roller 53 transports the cover paper Pb, which has been conveyed by the upper roller 52, to the lower cutting section 44, and returns the cut cover paper Pb upwards. The lower roller 53 is positioned along the lower vertical transport path RV at the branching point of the vertical transport path RV and the cover set path RF. The lower roller 53 is driven by a motor (not shown).

[0040] The switching unit 54 switches the transport path for the main paper Pa and the inserted paper Pc from the vertical transport path RV to the main paper delivery path RH. The switching unit 54 is located at the branching point between the vertical transport path RV and the main paper delivery path RH. The switching unit 54 is driven by a solenoid (not shown).

[0041] The feed roller 55 delivers the main body paper Pa and insert paper Pc, which have been transported by the upper roller 52, to the alignment unit 42. The feed roller 55 is positioned along the main body paper feed path RH. The feed roller 55 is driven by a motor (not shown).

[0042] The switching unit 56 switches the transport path for the cover paper Pb between the vertical transport path RV and the cover setting path RF. The switching unit 56 is located at the branching point between the vertical transport path RV and the cover setting path RF. The switching unit 56 is driven by a solenoid (not shown).

[0043] The horizontal transport roller 57 transports the cut cover paper Pb, which has been guided to the cover set path RF by the switching unit 56, to the molding unit 46. The horizontal transport roller 57 is arranged along the cover set path RF. The horizontal transport roller 57 is driven by a motor (not shown). The downstream (right) horizontal transport roller 57 is configured to release the nip of the cover paper Pb.

[0044] The encoder 58 generates a pulse signal corresponding to the rotation of the upper roller 52. The encoder 58 is installed on one of the upper rollers 52.

[0045] The encoder 59 generates a pulse signal corresponding to the rotation of the lower roller 53. The encoder 59 is installed on one of the lower rollers 53.

[0046] The paper sensor 60 detects the paper P being transported along the upper part of the vertical transport path RV. The paper sensor 60 is positioned between the uppermost upper roller 52 and the upper roller 52 adjacent to it below it. The paper sensor 60 is used to detect the size of the cover paper Pb.

[0047] The paper sensor 61 detects the cover paper Pb being transported along the lower part of the vertical transport path RV. The paper sensor 61 is located near the lower roller 53. The paper sensor 61 is used to adjust the position of the cover paper Pb during cutting.

[0048] The paper sensor 62 detects the main document paper Pa and inserted paper Pc being fed to the alignment unit 42. The paper sensor 62 is located near the upstream side of the feed roller 55.

[0049] The alignment unit 42 receives the inserted paper Pc and multiple sheets of text paper Pa, stacks the multiple sheets of text paper Pa on top of the inserted paper Pc, and aligns the multiple sheets of text paper Pa to form a paper bundle PS. The alignment unit 42 is located at the downstream end of the text delivery path RH. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the alignment unit 42 comprises a paper tray 71, two inserted paper restricting plates (corresponding to the first receiving section) 72, two inserted paper support sections (corresponding to the support section) 73, two text paper restricting plates (corresponding to the second receiving section) 74, an end fence 75, a pair of side fences 76, a restricting plate moving mechanism 77, an end fence moving mechanism 78, and a side fence moving mechanism 79.

[0050] The paper tray 71 has a loading surface 71a and receives the insertion paper Pc and body paper Pa that are fed out from the feed roller 55 and fall, and loads them onto the loading surface 71a. The loading surface 71a is inclined so that it becomes lower towards the downstream side in the transport direction of the insertion paper Pc and body paper Pa that are transported by the feed roller 55. Note that the transport direction in Figure 3 is the transport direction of the insertion paper Pc and body paper Pa by the feed roller 55, and corresponds to the lower right direction in Figure 1. The insertion paper Pc and body paper Pa are transported to the paper tray 71 in a direction in which their shorter sides are parallel to the transport direction.

[0051] The paper tray 71 has two protrusions 71b that project downstream in the transport direction and are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The paper tray 71 also has a guide groove 71c that guides the end fence 75 and a guide groove 71d that guides the side fence 76.

[0052] The paper insertion regulating plate 72 restricts the position of the paper insertion Pc in the transport direction as it is transported to the loading surface 71a. One paper insertion regulating plate 72 is positioned on the front side of the front protrusion 71b and one on the rear side of the rear protrusion 71b. The paper insertion regulating plate 72 is movable between the receiving position and the retracted position.

[0053] The receiving position of the paper insertion regulating plate 72 is the position of the paper insertion regulating plate 72 shown by the solid line in Figure 4, and is the position where the paper insertion Pc that has been transported to the stacking surface 71a is received.

[0054] When positioned at the receiving location, the paper insertion regulating plate 72 extends so as to protrude above the loading surface 71a. When positioned at the receiving location, the paper insertion regulating plate 72 receives the paper insertion paper Pc with its upstream surface in the transport direction, the paper insertion regulating surface 72a, and places it on the loading surface 71a. The paper insertion regulating surface 72a is parallel to the front-rear direction and perpendicular to the loading surface 71a.

[0055] The retracted position of the paper insertion regulating plate 72 is the position of the paper insertion regulating plate 72 shown by the dashed line in Figure 4. This position is where the plate has tilted downstream from the receiving position and retracted below the loading surface 71a so as not to receive the main text paper Pa that is being transported following the paper insertion Pc.

[0056] The paper insertion support section 73 supports the paper insertion sheet Pc that has been received by the paper insertion regulating plate 72 and placed on the stacking surface 71a, thereby preventing the paper insertion sheet Pc from sliding off. One paper insertion support section 73 is located on each of the two protruding sections 71b. The paper insertion support section 73 is formed to protrude from the stacking surface 71a.

[0057] The paper insertion support section 73 has a support surface 73a that supports the paper insertion paper Pc. In the transport direction, the paper insertion support section 73 is positioned at the same location as the paper insertion restricting surface 72a of the paper insertion restricting plate 72 when it is positioned at the receiving position, and the support surface 73a is positioned so that it supports the back (downstream) edge E (see Figure 7, etc.) of the paper insertion paper Pc. The support surface 73a is inclined downstream in the transport direction with respect to the direction perpendicular to the loading surface 71a.

[0058] The main body paper regulating plate 74 restricts the position of the main body paper Pa in the transport direction as it is transported to the loading surface 71a. The main body paper regulating plate 74 is located downstream of the insertion paper regulating plate 72. One main body paper regulating plate 74 is located at the tip (downstream end) of each of the two protrusions 71b. The main body paper regulating plate 74 is movable between the receiving position and the retracted position.

[0059] The receiving position of the main text paper regulating plate 74 is the position of the main text paper regulating plate 74 shown by the solid line in Figure 4, and is the position where the main text paper Pa that has been transported to the stacking surface 71a is received.

[0060] The main body paper regulating plate 74, when positioned in the receiving position, is erected at the tip of the protruding portion 71b and is positioned parallel to the insertion paper regulating plate 72 on the downstream side of the insertion paper regulating plate 72 when it is positioned in the receiving position.

[0061] When positioned at the receiving location, the main text paper restricting plate 74 receives multiple sheets of main text paper Pa that have been sequentially transported with its main text paper restricting surface 74a, which is the upstream side in the transport direction, and stacks them on top of the insertion paper Pc placed on the stacking surface 71a. The main text paper restricting surface 74a is a surface that is parallel to the front-to-back direction and perpendicular to the stacking surface 71a.

[0062] The distance D in the transport direction between the main paper restricting surface 74a of the main paper restricting plate 74 and the insertion paper restricting surface 72a of the insertion paper restricting plate 72, both located at the receiving positions, is greater than the width of the side coating area PSc (see Figure 15) of the paper bundle PS in the spine-edge direction (vertical direction in Figure 15).

[0063] As a result, the alignment unit 42 can load the inserted paper Pc and the paper stack PS such that the back (downstream) edge E of the inserted paper Pc is located on the fore-edge (upstream) side of the coating area C of the paper stack PS.

[0064] Here, the coating area C of the paper stack PS is the area where the hot melt adhesive (equivalent to adhesive) G is applied by the coating unit 45, and includes the back surface PSa of the paper stack PS. Specifically, the coating area C is formed by the entire surface of the back surface PSa of the paper stack PS and the side coating areas PSc of the two side surfaces PSb. The side coating areas PSc are located at the back end of the side surface PSb.

[0065] The retracted position of the main text paper regulating plate 74 is the position of the main text paper regulating plate 74 shown by the dashed line in Figure 4, which is the position where it has tilted downstream from the receiving position and retracted below the loading surface 71a.

[0066] The end fence 75, together with the text paper regulating plate 74, is for aligning the positions of multiple text paper sheets Pa loaded in the paper tray 71 in the transport direction. The end fence 75 is configured to be able to move back and forth in the transport direction. The end fence 75 moves while being guided by the guide groove 71c.

[0067] The pair of side fences 76 are for aligning the positions of multiple body sheets Pa loaded in the paper tray 71 in the front-to-back direction. The pair of side fences 76 are configured to be movable in the front-to-back direction so as to move closer to and further away from each other. The side fences 76 move while being guided by the guide grooves 71d.

[0068] The regulating plate moving mechanism 77 moves the inserted paper regulating plate 72 between a receiving position and a retracted position. The regulating plate moving mechanism 77 also moves the main text paper regulating plate 74 between a receiving position and a retracted position. The regulating plate moving mechanism 77 includes a motor or the like.

[0069] The end fence moving mechanism 78 moves the end fence 75 in the transport direction. The end fence moving mechanism 78 includes a motor, etc.

[0070] The side fence moving mechanism 79 moves a pair of side fences 76 in the front-rear direction so that they move closer to and further apart from each other. The side fence moving mechanism 79 includes a motor or the like.

[0071] The clamping section 43 holds the inserted paper Pc and paper stack PS, which are loaded onto the paper tray 71 of the alignment section 42, in the thickness direction by clamping them, thereby maintaining their relative positional relationship. As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5, the clamping section 43 comprises an upper clamp 81 and a lower clamp 82.

[0072] As shown in Figure 1, the upper clamp 81 and the lower clamp 82 are connected to the rotating shaft 84 via a connecting member 83. The upper clamp 81 and the lower clamp 82 are movable between a standby position shown by a solid line and a clamping position shown by a dashed line in Figure 1 by the rotation of the rotating shaft 84. The standby position is above the molding section 46. The clamping position is the position for clamping the inserted paper Pc and paper bundle PS on the paper tray 71 of the alignment section 42. When the upper clamp 81 and the lower clamp 82, which are clamping the inserted paper Pc and paper bundle PS in the clamping position, move to the standby position, the inserted paper Pc and paper bundle PS are discharged downstream from the alignment section 42.

[0073] Furthermore, the rotating shaft 84 is movable in the left-right and up-down directions. This allows the inserted paper Pc and paper bundle PS, held by the upper clamp 81 and lower clamp 82, to be moved to the coating section 45, etc.

[0074] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the upper clamp 81 and the lower clamp 82 are positioned opposite each other. Figures 3 and 5 show the upper clamp 81 and the lower clamp 82 in the clamping position, and the alignment section 42 is not shown in Figure 5.

[0075] The upper clamp 81 comprises a clamp plate 86 and a reinforcing plate 87. The clamp plate 86 clamps the inserted paper Pc and the paper stack PS between itself and the clamp plate 88 of the lower clamp 82. The clamp plate 86 is reinforced by the reinforcing plate 87. A long, narrow claw portion 86a is formed at the downstream end of the clamp plate 86 in the transport direction, protruding towards the lower clamp 82. The claw portion 86a is for clamping the inserted paper Pc and the paper stack PS between itself and the claw portion 88a of the lower clamp 82, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 3, the claw portions 86a of the clamp plate 86 are formed at three locations spaced apart in the front-rear direction so as to avoid the protruding portion 71b of the paper tray 71 at the clamping position. The upper clamp 81 is configured to be movable toward and away from the lower clamp 82.

[0076] The lower clamp 82 comprises a clamp plate 88 and a reinforcing plate 89. The clamp plate 88 clamps the inserted paper Pc and the paper stack PS between itself and the clamp plate 86 of the upper clamp 81. The clamp plate 88 is reinforced by the reinforcing plate 89. The clamp plate 88 has claw portions 88a formed at three locations facing the claw portions 86a of the clamp plate 86, protruding toward the upper clamp 81. In the clamping position, the lower clamp 82 is positioned so that the claw portions 88a are in contact with the inserted paper Pc on the paper tray 71.

[0077] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the clamp portion 43 includes a clamp opening / closing mechanism portion 91 and a clamp moving mechanism portion 92.

[0078] The clamp opening / closing mechanism 91 moves the upper clamp 81 closer to and further away from the lower clamp 82. The clamp opening / closing mechanism 91 includes a motor or the like.

[0079] The clamp movement mechanism 92 rotates the rotating shaft 84. The clamp movement mechanism 92 also moves the rotating shaft 84 in the left-right and up-down directions. The clamp movement mechanism 92 includes a motor or the like.

[0080] The cutting unit 44 performs cuts to adjust the size of the cover paper Pb. The cutting unit 44 is located at the lower end of the vertical transport path RV.

[0081] The coating unit 45 applies hot melt adhesive G only to the paper bundle PS of the inserted paper Pc and paper bundle PS held by the clamp unit 43. The coating unit 45 applies hot melt adhesive G to the coating area C of the paper bundle PS. The coating unit 45 is located to the right of the molding unit 46. The coating unit 45 includes an adhesive storage unit 96 and a coating roller 97.

[0082] The adhesive storage section 96 contains the hot melt adhesive G. The hot melt adhesive G is used to bond the paper stack PS and the cover paper Pb.

[0083] The coating roller 97 applies the hot melt adhesive G contained in the adhesive storage section 96 to its outer surface. When the paper stack PS comes into contact with the coating roller 97, the hot melt adhesive G attached to the outer surface of the coating roller 97 adheres to the coating area C of the paper stack PS. The coating roller 97 is configured to be rotatable by a motor (not shown). This allows the portion of the outer surface of the coating roller 97 to which the hot melt adhesive G has been applied to be exposed.

[0084] The molding unit 46 forms a booklet B by binding a stack of paper PS to which hot melt adhesive G has been applied by the coating unit 45, while sandwiching an insert sheet Pc between the stack of paper PS and the cover sheet Pb, and then bonding the cover sheet Pb to the stack of paper Pb. The molding unit 46 is located downstream of the horizontal transport roller 57. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the molding unit 46 includes a pair of spine folding plates 98, a stopper plate 99, and a spine folding plate moving mechanism 100.

[0085] The pair of spine folding plates 98 are for folding the boundary between the spine portion and the front cover portion of the cover paper Pb, and the boundary between the spine portion and the back cover portion. The pair of spine folding plates 98 are configured to be movable in the left-right direction so as to move closer to and further away from each other. The spine folding plates 98 are positioned on abutment plate 99.

[0086] The stopper plate 99 is used to stop the back of the paper stack PS (PSa) through the cover paper Pb.

[0087] The back-folding plate moving mechanism 100 moves a pair of back-folding plates 98 in the left-right direction so that they move closer to and further apart from each other. The back-folding plate moving mechanism 100 includes a motor or the like.

[0088] The discharge section 47 discharges booklet B to the outside of the housing 49. The discharge section 47 is located in the lower part of the housing 49. The discharge section 47 includes a guide member 101, a transport conveyor 102, and a discharge conveyor 103.

[0089] The guide member 101 guides the booklet B, which is molded in the molding section 46 and then dropped from the right side of the molding section 46, to the transport conveyor 102.

[0090] The conveyor belt 102 receives booklet B from the guide member 101, transports it to the left, and drops it onto the discharge conveyor belt 103. The conveyor belt 102 is driven by a motor (not shown).

[0091] The discharge conveyor 103 receives the booklet B that has fallen from the transport conveyor 102, transports it to the right, and discharges it onto a receiving platform (not shown) outside the housing 49. The discharge conveyor 103 is driven by a motor (not shown).

[0092] The bookbinding control unit 48 controls the operation of each part of the bookbinding apparatus 3. The bookbinding control unit 48 is composed of a CPU, RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc.

[0093] Next, we will explain the operation of the bookbinding system 1.

[0094] First, the bookbinding printing operation in the printing device 2 will be described. Here, it is assumed that the body paper Pa is loaded into one of the internal paper feed trays 23, and the insert paper Pc is loaded into another internal paper feed tray 23. It is also assumed that the cover paper Pb is loaded into the external paper feed tray 21.

[0095] When the printing device 2 starts the bookbinding printing operation, unprinted insert paper Pc, transported from the internal paper feed tray 23 along the paper feed path RS, is fed to the printing unit 12. In the printing unit 12, the insert paper Pc is transported to the belt transport unit 27 by the registration roller 26. Then, while being transported by the belt transport unit 27, the insert paper Pc is printed with ink ejected from the inkjet head unit 28.

[0096] In the case of single-sided printing, the inserted paper Pc, which has been printed on one side, is transported from the belt transport unit 27 to the connecting unit 13, and then sent to the bookbinding device 3 by the connecting unit 13.

[0097] In the case of double-sided printing, the inserted paper Pc, which has been printed on one side, is transported from the belt transport unit 27 to the top transport unit 14. After this, the inserted paper Pc is transported from the top transport unit 14 to the inversion unit 16, where it is inverted upside down before being fed back into the printing unit 12.

[0098] In the printing section 12, the inserted paper Pc is transported to the belt transport section 27 by the registration roller 26. Here, since the inserted paper Pc has been inverted vertically in the inversion section 16, the unprinted side is facing the inkjet head section 28. As the inserted paper Pc is transported by the belt transport section 27, the unprinted side is printed by the ink ejected from the inkjet head section 28. The inserted paper Pc, which has been printed on both sides, is sent from the connection section 13 to the bookbinding device 3, in the same way as in the case of single-sided printing described above.

[0099] In the bookbinding and printing operation, following the insertion paper Pc, multiple pages of body paper Pa for one book are printed sequentially. The body paper Pa is printed on one side or both sides, similar to the insertion paper Pc mentioned above. The multiple printed pages of body paper Pa are then sequentially fed from the communication unit 13 to the bookbinding device 3.

[0100] Furthermore, following the main text paper Pa, the cover paper Pb is printed. The cover paper Pb is fed from the external paper feed tray 21 and, like the insertion paper Pc and main text paper Pa described above, is printed on one side or both sides. The printed cover paper Pb is then sent from the connecting section 13 to the binding device 3.

[0101] Next, the bookbinding operation in the bookbinding device 3 will be described.

[0102] The inserted paper Pc printed by the printing device 2 is introduced into the binding device 3 by the introduction roller 51, and then transported upward by the upper roller 52. The inserted paper Pc is then guided to the main text delivery path RH by the switching unit 54 and delivered to the alignment unit 42 by the delivery roller 55.

[0103] As a result, as shown in Figure 6, the inserted paper Pc strikes the inserted paper restricting surface 72a of the inserted paper restricting plate 72, which is positioned in the receiving position, and falls along the inserted paper restricting surface 72a to the stacking surface 71a. In other words, the inserted paper restricting plate 72 receives the inserted paper Pc with the inserted paper restricting surface 72a and places it on the stacking surface 71a.

[0104] After the insertion paper Pc is placed on the stacking surface 71a, the bookbinding control unit 48 moves the insertion paper regulating plate 72 from the receiving position to the retracted position, as shown in Figure 7.

[0105] Even when the paper insertion regulating plate 72 moves to the retracted position, the support surface 73a of the paper insertion support section 73 supports the back (downstream) edge E of the paper insertion Pc, preventing the paper insertion Pc from sliding down. As a result, the paper insertion Pc remains in the position it was in when it was caught by the paper insertion regulating plate 72 and placed on the loading surface 71a.

[0106] Next, multiple sheets of text paper Pa for one book, printed by the printing device 2, are sequentially introduced into the binding device 3, transported in the same way as the inserted paper Pc, and sequentially sent to the alignment unit 42.

[0107] As shown in Figure 8, the text sheets Pa sequentially sent to the alignment unit 42 collide with the text sheet restricting surface 74a of the text sheet restricting plate 74, which is positioned at the receiving location, and fall along the text sheet restricting surface 74a to the stacking surface 71a. In other words, the text sheet restricting plate 74 receives the multiple text sheets Pa that have been transported sequentially with its text sheet restricting surface 74a and stacks them on top of the insertion sheets Pc placed on the stacking surface 71a.

[0108] Here, each time a sheet of text paper Pa falls, the end fence 75 and the pair of side fences 76 jog in place, aligning the text paper Pa on the loading surface 71a.

[0109] When multiple sheets of text paper Pa for one book are fed onto the stacking surface 71a and aligned, as shown in Figure 9, a stack of paper PS, formed by the alignment of multiple sheets of text paper Pa, is placed on top of the inserted paper Pc placed on the stacking surface 71a.

[0110] Here, as mentioned above, the distance D between the main paper restricting surface 74a of the main paper restricting plate 74 and the insertion paper restricting surface 72a of the insertion paper restricting plate 72, both located at the receiving positions, is greater than the width of the side coating area PSc (see Figure 15) of the paper stack PS in the spine-edge direction. Also, the insertion paper Pc is supported by the insertion paper support part 73. For this reason, the back (downstream) edge E of the insertion paper Pc is shifted upstream by a distance D relative to the back surface PSa of the paper stack PS. Consequently, the insertion paper Pc and the paper stack PS are stacked on the stacking surface 71a in such a relative position that the back edge E of the insertion paper Pc is located on the fore-edge (upstream) side of the coating area C (see Figure 15) of the paper stack PS.

[0111] Next, the bookbinding control unit 48 moves the upper clamp 81 and the lower clamp 82 to the clamping position, as shown in Figure 10.

[0112] Next, the bookbinding control unit 48 moves the upper clamp 81 closer to the lower clamp 82, and as shown in Figure 11, the upper clamp 81 and the lower clamp 82 clamp the inserted paper Pc and paper bundle PS on the stacking surface 71a. As a result, the clamping unit 43 holds the inserted paper Pc and paper bundle PS while maintaining the relative positions of each other on the stacking surface 71a as described above.

[0113] Next, the bookbinding control unit 48 moves the text paper regulating plate 74 from the receiving position to the retracted position, as shown in Figure 12.

[0114] Next, the bookbinding control unit 48 rotates the rotating shaft 84, causing the clamping unit 43 to discharge the inserted paper Pc and the paper bundle PS downstream from the alignment unit 42, as shown in Figure 13.

[0115] Then, as shown in Figure 14, the bookbinding control unit 48 moves the upper clamp 81 and lower clamp 82, which are holding the inserted paper Pc and the paper stack PS, to the standby position.

[0116] Meanwhile, the cover paper Pb printed by the printing device 2 is introduced into the binding device 3 by the introduction roller 51 and then transported upward by the upper roller 52. At this time, the cover paper Pb is detected by the paper sensor 60.

[0117] Here, the binding control unit 48 determines the length of the cover paper Pb in the transport direction from the number of output pulses of the encoder 58 between the detection of the leading edge and the detection of the trailing edge of the cover paper Pb being transported upward. The binding control unit 48 then determines the cut length of the cover paper Pb by subtracting the required size corresponding to the sum of the thicknesses of the insert paper Pc and the paper stack PS from the length of the cover paper Pb. The required size is twice the paper width (length in the shorter direction) of the text paper Pa plus the sum of the thicknesses of the insert paper Pc and the paper stack PS. When the clamp unit 43 clamps the insert paper Pc and the paper stack PS, the binding control unit 48 obtains the sum of the thicknesses of the insert paper Pc and the paper stack PS from a thickness sensor (not shown) provided on the clamp unit 43.

[0118] After the paper sensor 60 detects the trailing edge of the cover paper Pb, the bookbinding control unit 48 reverses the upper roller 52. After this, the cover paper Pb is transported downward by the upper roller 52 and the lower roller 53.

[0119] When the leading edge (bottom end) of the cover paper Pb reaches below the cutting position by the cutting unit 44 by a distance equal to the cutting length, the binding control unit 48 stops the upper roller 52 and the lower roller 53. Specifically, the binding control unit 48 counts the number of output pulses of the encoder 59 from the moment the paper sensor 61 detects the leading edge (bottom end) of the cover paper Pb. Then, when the count value reaches a value equivalent to the vertical distance between the paper sensor 61 and the cutting position by the cutting unit 44 plus the cutting length, the binding control unit 48 stops the upper roller 52 and the lower roller 53. The binding control unit 48 then causes the cutting unit 44 to cut the cover paper Pb.

[0120] The cut cover paper Pb is transported upward by the upper roller 52 and the lower roller 53. When the lower end of the cover paper Pb passes the branching point between the vertical transport path RV and the cover set path RF, the cover paper Pb is reversed in transport direction by the upper roller 52 and transported downward. Then, the cover paper Pb is guided to the cover set path RF by the switching unit 56, transported by the horizontal transport roller 57, and placed on a pair of spine folding plates 98.

[0121] When the cover paper Pb is placed on the spine folding plate 98, the binding control unit 48 moves the upper clamp 81 and lower clamp 82, which are holding the insert paper Pc and the paper stack PS, from their standby positions to above the coating unit 45. The binding control unit 48 then lowers the upper clamp 81 and lower clamp 82 by lowering the rotating shaft 84, bringing the back (bottom) PSa of the paper stack PS into contact with the coating roller 97. After that, the binding control unit 48 raises the upper clamp 81 and lower clamp 82. This completes the application of the hot melt adhesive G to the paper stack PS.

[0122] As a result, as shown in Figure 15, the hot melt adhesive G is applied to the coating area C of the paper stack PS. Since the spine edge E of the inserted paper Pc is on the fore-edge side (upper side in Figure 15) of the coating area C of the paper stack PS, the hot melt adhesive G is not applied to the inserted paper Pc, but only to the paper stack PS.

[0123] Next, the binding control unit 48 returns the upper clamp 81 and lower clamp 82, which are holding the inserted paper Pc and the paper stack PS, to their standby positions. Then, the binding control unit 48 lowers the upper clamp 81 and lower clamp 82, bringing the back surface PSa of the paper stack PS into contact with the abutment plate 99 via the cover paper Pb.

[0124] Next, the binding control unit 48 moves the pair of spine folding plates 98 closer together, and the pair of spine folding plates 98 press the lower end of the paper stack PS from both sides via the cover paper Pb. As a result, the boundary between the spine portion and the front cover portion of the cover paper Pb, and the boundary between the spine portion and the back cover portion, which are in contact with the back surface PSa of the paper stack PS, are folded.

[0125] As a result, as shown in Figure 16, the insert paper Pc is sandwiched between the paper stack PS and the cover paper Pb (between the paper stack PS and the front or back cover portion of the cover paper Pb), and the paper stack PS is glued to the cover paper Pb to bind it. The insert paper Pc is not glued to the cover paper Pb.

[0126] As a result, booklet B with the insert sheet Pc inserted is formed. Since the insert sheet Pc is not glued to the cover sheet Pb, it can be removed from booklet B.

[0127] Once booklet B is formed, the bookbinding control unit 48 moves the upper clamp 81 and lower clamp 82, which are holding the paper stack PS of booklet B, to the right side of the forming unit 46, releasing the clamping. As a result, booklet B is guided by the guide member 101 and falls onto the conveyor belt 102.

[0128] Booklet B, having fallen onto the conveyor belt 102, is transported to the left by the conveyor belt 102 and falls onto the discharge conveyor belt 103. Then, booklet B is transported to the right by the discharge conveyor belt 103 and discharged onto a receiving platform (not shown) outside the casing 49. This completes the bookbinding operation.

[0129] As described above, in the bookbinding apparatus 3, the alignment unit 42 loads the insertion paper Pc and the paper stack PS so that the spine edge E of the insertion paper Pc is positioned on the fore-edge side of the back PSa of the paper stack PS. The clamp unit 43 holds the insertion paper Pc and the paper stack PS loaded in the alignment unit 42 while maintaining their relative positions. The coating unit 45 applies hot melt adhesive G to the coating area C of only the paper stack PS among the insertion paper Pc and paper stack PS held by the clamp unit 43. Then, the molding unit 46 forms the booklet B by bonding the cover paper Pb to the paper stack PS to which the hot melt adhesive G has been applied, sandwiching the insertion paper Pc between the paper stack PS and the cover paper Pb, and then wrapping and binding it. This allows the insertion paper Pc to be inserted into the booklet B during the bookbinding operation. Therefore, the work of inserting the insertion paper Pc into the completed booklet B can be omitted.

[0130] Furthermore, the alignment unit 42 has a loading surface 71a that is inclined to become lower towards the downstream side, an insertion paper restricting plate 72, and a main paper restricting plate 74 positioned downstream of the insertion paper restricting plate 72. The insertion paper restricting plate 72 receives the insertion paper Pc while positioned in the receiving position and places it on the loading surface 71a, and then moves to the retracted position. After the insertion paper restricting plate 72 has moved to the retracted position, the main paper restricting plate 74 receives multiple sheets of main paper Pa that have been sequentially transported and stacks them on top of the insertion paper Pc. This allows the insertion paper Pc and the paper bundle PS to be loaded into the alignment unit 42 such that the back edge E of the insertion paper Pc is positioned on the fore-edge side of the back PSa of the paper bundle PS.

[0131] Furthermore, the alignment section 42 has a paper insertion support section 73 that supports the paper insertion sheet Pc that is received by the paper insertion regulating plate 72 and placed on the stacking surface 71a, thereby preventing the paper insertion sheet Pc from sliding off. As a result, even if the paper insertion regulating plate 72 moves to the retracted position, the position of the paper insertion sheet Pc can be maintained.

[0132] Furthermore, the support surface 73a of the paper insertion support section 73 is inclined downstream with respect to the direction perpendicular to the loading surface 71a. This reduces the risk of the paper insertion paper Pc getting caught on the paper insertion support section 73 and bending when the paper insertion paper Pc and paper bundle PS are discharged from the alignment section 42.

[0133] Furthermore, in the bookbinding system 1, the printing device 2 prints on the insert paper Pc and supplies the printed insert paper Pc to the bookbinding device 3. This makes it possible to print on the insert paper Pc and insert the insert paper Pc into booklet B on demand.

[0134] In the above-described embodiment, the paper insertion support section 73 has a support surface 73a that is inclined downstream with respect to the direction perpendicular to the loading surface 71a. However, the paper insertion support section 73 is not limited to this, and only supports the paper insertion sheets Pc that are received by the paper insertion regulating plate 72 and placed on the loading surface 71a. Furthermore, the paper insertion support section 73 may be omitted.

[0135] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration was shown in which insertion paper Pc and paper stack PS are loaded onto a aligning section 42 having a loading surface 71a that is inclined to become lower towards the downstream side, an insertion paper restricting plate 72, and a text paper restricting plate 74. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and any loading section that loads insertion paper and a paper stack consisting of multiple sheets of text paper can be configured such that the back edge of the insertion paper is located on the fore-edge side of the back of the paper stack.

[0136] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, insert paper Pc printed by the printing device 2 was inserted into booklet B, but insert paper Pc that is not printed by the printing device 2 may also be inserted into booklet B. In this case, the insert paper Pc loaded on either the external paper feed tray 21 or one of the multiple internal paper feed trays 23 of the printing device 2 can be transported and supplied to the binding device 3 without printing on the insert paper Pc.

[0137] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the components can be modified and implemented in practice without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the embodiments. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments.

[0138] [Note] This application discloses the following invention:

[0139] (Note 1) A stacking section that receives insert sheets and multiple sheets of main text paper, and stacks the insert sheets and the stack of paper so that the spine edge of the insert sheet is positioned on the fore-edge side of the back of the stack of paper consisting of the multiple sheets of main text paper, A holding unit that holds the inserted paper and the stack of paper loaded in the loading unit while maintaining their relative positional relationship, The adhesive is applied only to the paper stack among the inserted paper and the paper stack held by the holding part, and the application part applies the adhesive to the area including the back of the paper stack, A molding unit forms a booklet by binding the cover paper to the paper stack to which adhesive has been applied by the coating unit, while inserting a sheet of paper between the paper stack and the cover paper, and then bonding the cover paper to the paper stack. A bookbinding apparatus characterized by comprising the following features.

[0140] (Note 2) The aforementioned loading section is, The loading surface for stacking the inserted paper and the multiple sheets of text paper is inclined such that it becomes lower towards the downstream side in the transport direction of the transported paper and the multiple sheets of text paper, A first receiving section that receives the inserted paper that has been transported to the loading surface, It has a second receiving section, which is positioned downstream of the first receiving section in the transport direction, and receives the main text paper that has been transported to the loading surface following the insertion paper, The first receiving section is movable between a receiving position that protrudes above the loading surface and a retracted position that is retracted below the loading surface. After receiving the insertion paper while positioned at the receiving position and placing it on the loading surface, it moves to the retracted position. The bookbinding apparatus according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the second receiving unit receives the multiple sheets of text paper that have been sequentially transported after the first receiving unit has moved to the retracted position, and stacks them on top of the inserted paper.

[0141] (Note 3) The bookbinding apparatus according to Appendix 2, wherein the loading portion further comprises a support portion formed to protrude from the loading surface, which is received by the first receiving portion and placed on the loading surface, and which supports the inserted paper and prevents the inserted paper from sliding off.

[0142] (Note 4) The support portion has a support surface that supports the inserted paper, The holding unit holds the inserted paper and the stack of paper loaded on the loading surface and transports them downstream in the transport direction. The bookbinding apparatus according to Appendix 3, characterized in that the support surface is inclined downstream in the transport direction with respect to a direction perpendicular to the loading surface.

[0143] (Note 5) A bookbinding apparatus as described in any of Appendix 1 to 4, A printing device that prints on the aforementioned insert paper and supplies the printed insert paper to the bookbinding device. A bookbinding system characterized by having the following features. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0144] 1. Bookbinding System 2 Printing device 3. Bookbinding machine 41. Bookbinding and Conveying Section 42 Matching section 43 Clamp section 44 Cut section 45 Coating area 46 Molding section 47 Discharge section 48. Bookbinding Control Unit 71 Paper Tray 71a Loading surface 72 Insertion Paper Restriction Plate 73 Insertion paper support section 73a Support surface 74 Main text paper regulation board 75 End Fence 76 Side fence 77 Restriction plate moving mechanism 78 End fence relocation mechanism 79 Side fence relocation mechanism 81 Upper clamp 82 Lower clamp 83 Connecting Member 84 Rotation axis 86,88 Clamp Plate 86a,88a Claw part 91 Clamp opening and closing mechanism 92 Clamp moving mechanism 96 Adhesive storage section 97 Application roller 98 Back-folding plate 99 Stopper Plate 100 Back folding plate moving mechanism B Booklet C Application area Pa text paper Pb cover paper PC Insert Paper PS Paper stack PSa back PSb side PSc side application area

Claims

1. A stacking section that receives insert sheets and multiple sheets of main text paper, and stacks the insert sheets and the stack of paper so that the spine edge of the insert sheet is positioned on the fore-edge side of the back of the stack of paper consisting of the multiple sheets of main text paper, A holding unit that holds the inserted paper and the stack of paper loaded in the loading unit while maintaining their relative positional relationship, The adhesive is applied only to the paper stack among the inserted paper and the paper stack held by the holding part, and the application part applies the adhesive to the area including the back of the paper stack, A molding unit forms a booklet by binding the cover paper to the paper stack to which adhesive has been applied by the coating unit, while inserting a sheet of paper between the paper stack and the cover paper, and then bonding the cover paper to the paper stack. A bookbinding apparatus characterized by comprising the following features.

2. The aforementioned loading section is, The loading surface for stacking the inserted paper and the multiple sheets of text paper is inclined such that it becomes lower towards the downstream side in the transport direction of the transported paper and the multiple sheets of text paper, A first receiving section that receives the inserted paper that has been transported to the loading surface, It has a second receiving section, which is positioned downstream of the first receiving section in the transport direction, and receives the main text paper that has been transported to the loading surface following the insertion paper, The first receiving section is movable between a receiving position that protrudes above the loading surface and a retracted position that is retracted below the loading surface. After receiving the insertion paper while positioned at the receiving position and placing it on the loading surface, it moves to the retracted position. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the second receiving unit receives the plurality of text sheets that have been sequentially transported after the first receiving unit has moved to the retracted position and stacks them on top of the inserted sheets.

3. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the loading portion further comprises a support portion formed to protrude from the loading surface, which is received by the first receiving portion and placed on the loading surface, and which supports the inserted paper and prevents the inserted paper from sliding off.

4. The support portion has a support surface that supports the inserted paper, The holding unit holds the inserted paper and the stack of paper loaded on the loading surface and transports them downstream in the transport direction. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the support surface is inclined downstream in the transport direction with respect to a direction perpendicular to the loading surface.

5. A bookbinding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A printing device that prints on the aforementioned insert paper and supplies the printed insert paper to the bookbinding device. A bookbinding system characterized by having the following features.

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