Image forming system and program

Abstract

To provide an image formation system and a program which can easily set a condition for laminate processing.SOLUTION: An image formation system 1 comprises: an image formation part 13 that forms an image on a recording medium (a sheet); a laminating part 26 that laminates a film F on a surface of the recording medium having the image formed thereon by the image formation part 13; and a control part (a control part 11) that obtains information concerning image formation by the image formation part 13 and determines a condition for lamination by the laminating part 26 on the basis of the obtained information concerning the image formation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming system and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in a manufacturing process for covering a printed matter with a transparent resin film, a printing and processing apparatus that integrates all processes from printing to lamination has been known (Patent Document 1). In such printing and processing equipment, all processes from printing to laminating are integrated, reducing the manpower required for each process and allowing all processes from printing to laminating to be completed automatically. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-44129 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, the lamination conditions are determined by the user, and it is necessary to set the lamination conditions every time the printing conditions change. In addition, when a user laminates printed materials and films that they are handling for the first time, they first have to actually try out the lamination conditions, making adjustments if necessary, which can be time-consuming. Furthermore, for example, with electrophotographic printing using toner, peeling and curling of the film after lamination can often be a problem, making it difficult for users to easily find the right conditions for lamination. Furthermore, in a system in which a printing device that thermally fixes toner is integrated with a laminating means, the temperature conditions of the paper discharged from the printing device differ for each job, and the laminating conditions must be adjusted each time.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system and a program that can easily set lamination conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming system of the invention described in claim 1 is made to achieve the above object, an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a laminating unit that laminates a film onto the surface of the recording medium on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit; a control unit that acquires information about image formation by the image forming unit and determines conditions for lamination by the laminating unit based on the acquired information about image formation; A mounting portion capable of mounting a plurality of different types of films; a selection unit for selecting one film from the plurality of films attached to the attachment unit; Equipped with 、 The laminating unit performs laminating using the film selected by the selecting unit. .

[0007] The invention described in claim 2 is the image forming system described in claim 1, The image forming unit forms an image by an electrophotographic method.

[0008] The invention described in claim 3 is the image forming system described in claim 2, The information relating to image formation includes information relating to fixing temperature conditions in the image forming unit.

[0009] The invention described in claim 4 is the image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The information relating to image formation includes information relating to at least one of the type, thickness, surface roughness, and printing rate of the recording medium.

[0010] The invention described in claim 5 is the image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The laminating section melts the adhesive layer of a film having a transparent resin film layer and an adhesive layer, and adheres the melted adhesive layer to the surface of the recording medium.

[0011] The invention described in claim 6 is the image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, Any one of a number of different types of films can be selectively attached.

[0013] Claim 7 The invention described in claims 1 to 6 In the image forming system according to any one of the above items, The film may be a continuous film in a roll form or a cut film cut to a predetermined size.

[0014] Claim 8 The invention described in claims 1 to 7 In the image forming system according to any one of the above items, The control unit acquires information related to the lamination process, and determines conditions for the lamination process based on the information related to the image formation and the information related to the lamination process.

[0015] Claim 9 The invention described in claim 8 In the image forming system described in The information regarding the lamination process includes information regarding the type of film or the processing speed.

[0016] Claim 10 The invention described in claims 1 to 9 In the image forming system according to any one of the above items, The lamination conditions include at least one of processing temperature, processing pressure, and processing speed.

[0017] Claim 11 The invention described in claims 1 to 10 In the image forming system according to any one of the above items, The control unit determines a processing pressure and a provisional processing temperature based on at least one of the type of film and the processing speed.

[0018] Claim 12 The invention described in claim 11 In the image forming system described in The control unit corrects the tentative processing temperature based on at least one of the type, thickness, surface roughness, printing rate, and environmental information of the recording medium as information related to the image formation.

[0019] Claim 13 The invention described in claims 1 to 12 In the image forming system according to any one of the above items, An image forming apparatus having the image forming unit and a post-processing apparatus having the laminating unit are connected directly or indirectly.

[0020] Claim 14 The invention described in claims 1 to 12 In the image forming system according to any one of the above items, At least one of the image forming unit, the laminating unit, and the control unit is independently connected to the other two units so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0021] Claim 15 The program of the invention described in It has a mounting section that can mount multiple different types of film. The image forming system computer selecting one film from the plurality of films attached to the attachment section; a laminating step of laminating a film onto the surface of the recording medium on which the image has been formed; a first acquisition step of acquiring information related to image formation; a determining step of determining conditions for lamination in the lamination step based on the information about the image formation acquired in the first acquiring step; Run 、 In the laminating step, lamination is performed using the film selected in the film selecting step. do.

[0022] Claim 16 The invention described in claim 15 In the program described in The information relating to image formation includes information relating to at least one of the type, thickness, surface roughness, and printing rate of the recording medium.

[0023] Claim 17 The invention described in claim 15 or 16 In the program described in a second acquisition step of acquiring information about the lamination process; The determining step determines the conditions for the laminating process based on the information about the image formation and the information about the laminating process acquired in the second acquiring step.

[0024] Claim 18 The invention described in claim 17 In the program described in The information regarding the lamination process includes information regarding the type of film or the processing speed.

[0025] Claim 19 The invention described in claim 15 from 18 In the program according to any one of the above, The lamination conditions include at least one of processing temperature, processing pressure, and processing speed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] According to the present invention, the conditions for lamination can be easily set. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control structure of the image forming system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a lamination process. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a processing condition determination process. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a first table. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second table. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a third table. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0029] <1. Image Forming System Configuration> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image forming system 1 of this embodiment is configured to include an image forming apparatus 10 and a post-processing apparatus 20 that laminates the recording medium on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 10.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image forming device 10 is configured to include a control unit 11, an image reading unit 12, an image forming unit 13, a memory unit 14, an operation panel 15 (display unit 151, operation unit 152), a communication unit 16, a first detection unit 17, a second detection unit 18, etc.

[0031] The control unit 11 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The CPU reads out various processing programs stored in the ROM in response to an operation signal input from the operation unit 152 or an instruction signal received by the communication unit 16, loads the programs into the RAM, and performs overall control of the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 in cooperation with the various programs loaded into the RAM. Furthermore, the control unit 11 acquires information relating to image formation by the image forming unit 13, and determines the conditions for lamination by the laminating unit 26, which will be described later, based on the acquired information relating to image formation. Furthermore, control unit 11 selects one film F (described later) from among a plurality of films F mounted in mounting unit 25 (described later). Here, control unit 11 functions as a selection unit.

[0032] The image reading unit 12 scans and exposes an image of a document placed on a document tray or an automatic document feeder (ADF), not shown, using the optical system of a scanning exposure device, and reads the reflected light using a line image sensor, thereby obtaining an image signal. This image signal undergoes A / D conversion, shading correction, compression, and other processes, and is then input to the control unit 11 as image data. Note that the image data input to the control unit 11 is not limited to that read by the image reading unit 12, but may also be, for example, that included in a print job received from an external device (not shown) via the communication unit 16.

[0033] The image forming unit 13 forms an image made up of four colors, C, M, Y, and K, on ​​a sheet of paper in accordance with the pixel values ​​of the four colors of each pixel of the image-processed original image. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming unit 13 includes four writing units 131, an intermediate transfer belt 132, a secondary transfer roller 133, a fixing unit 134, and the like.

[0034] The four writing units 131 are arranged in series (tandem) along the belt surface of the intermediate transfer belt 132, and form images of the colors C, M, Y, and K. Each writing unit 131 has the same configuration except for the color of the image it forms, and is configured to include an optical scanning unit 131a, a photosensitive member 131b, a developing unit 131c, a charging unit 131d, a cleaning unit 131e, and a primary transfer roller 131f.

[0035] During image formation, in each writing unit 131, the photoconductor 131b is charged by the charging unit 131d, and then a light beam emitted by the optical scanning unit 131a is scanned over the photoconductor 131b based on the original image to form an electrostatic latent image. When the developing unit 131c supplies color material such as toner and develops the image, an image is formed on the photoconductor 131b. The images formed on the photoconductors 131b of the four writing units 131 are transferred (primary transfer) onto the intermediate transfer belt 132 in a sequentially overlapping manner by the respective primary transfer rollers 131f. As a result, images of each color are formed on the intermediate transfer belt 132. The intermediate transfer belt 132 is an image carrier that rotates while being wound around multiple rollers. After the primary transfer, the cleaning unit 131e removes color material remaining on the photoconductors 131b.

[0036] In the image forming unit 13, paper, which is a recording medium, is fed from a paper feed tray T1 in time with the image on the rotating intermediate transfer belt 132 reaching the position of the secondary transfer roller 133. In this embodiment, the paper is a sheet. The secondary transfer roller 133 is one of a pair of rollers, one of which presses against the intermediate transfer belt 132 and the other of which winds around the intermediate transfer belt 132. When the image is transferred (secondary transfer) from the intermediate transfer belt 132 onto the paper by the pressure of the secondary transfer roller 133, the paper is transported to a fixing unit 134, where it is fixed, and then transported to the post-processing device 20. The fixing process involves applying heat and pressure to the paper with a fixing roller 134a to fix the image to the paper. When images are to be formed on both sides of the paper, the paper is transported to an inversion path 135, where the paper surface is inverted, and then the paper is again fed to the position of the secondary transfer roller 133.

[0037] The storage unit 14 is a non-volatile storage means configured by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or the like, and stores various programs, various setting data, and the like in a manner that allows the control unit 11 to read and write the data. The storage unit 14 also stores information related to image formation, such as the type of paper (paper type), thickness (paper thickness), surface roughness, and information related to the fixing temperature (information related to fixing temperature conditions) in the fixing unit 134. The information related to the fixing temperature in the fixing unit 134 is used in the processing condition determination process, which will be described later, as information related to the temperature conditions of paper discharged from the image forming apparatus 10. The storage unit 14 also stores a paper transport speed as a process speed at which an image is formed on a paper sheet in the image forming unit 13 and fixed. The storage unit 14 also stores a first table 141, a second table 142, and a third table 143. First table 141 is a correspondence table of processing temperatures and processing pressures in lamination processing based on the film thickness of film F and the basis weight (paper thickness) of paper. The processing temperature is the temperature at nip portion N2 heated by heating roller 264 (described later). The processing pressure is the pressure at nip portion N2 formed by heating roller 264 and pressure roller 265. The second table 142 is a correspondence table of correction values ​​for the processing temperature in the lamination process based on the type of paper. The third table 143 is a correspondence table of correction values ​​for processing temperatures based on the printing rate, which is the rate at which toner is placed on paper in a formed image. The storage unit 14 also stores the range of processing conditions under which lamination is possible for each type of film. The storage unit 14 also stores film selection setting information. The film selection setting information is information that sets selection criteria for selecting which film roll 261 to select when the mounting unit 25 is equipped with a plurality of different types of film rolls 261. Specifically, the film selection setting information may include selecting a film roll 261 of film F that is more stable in lamination processing, selecting a film roll 261 of film F that is less expensive, or selecting a film roll 261 of film F that is more transparent. The film selection setting information may be included in a print job received from an external device, or may be input by the user via the operation unit 152.

[0038] The operation panel 15 is configured to include a display unit 151 that displays various information to the user, and an operation unit 152 that accepts operation inputs from the user. The display unit 151 is configured with a color liquid crystal display or the like, and displays operation screens and the like (various setting screens, various buttons, operation status of each function, etc.) according to a display control signal input from the control unit 11. The operation unit 152 is configured to include a touch panel provided on the screen of the display unit 151 and various hard keys arranged around the screen of the display unit 151. When a button displayed on the screen is pressed with a finger, a touch pen, or the like, the operation unit 152 detects the X and Y coordinates of the pressed point of force as a voltage value and outputs an operation signal associated with the detected position to the control unit 11. Note that the touch panel is not limited to a pressure-sensitive type and may be, for example, an electrostatic type or an optical type. Furthermore, when a hard key is pressed, the operation unit 152 outputs an operation signal associated with the pressed key to the control unit 11. A user can operate the operation unit 152 to perform settings related to image formation, such as image quality settings, magnification settings, application settings, output settings, and paper settings, to issue paper transport instructions, and to stop the device.

[0039] The communication unit 16 is an interface that connects the image forming apparatus 10 to a communication network. The communication unit 16 has a communication IC (Integrated Circuit) and a communication connector, and transmits and receives various information to and from external devices connected to the communication network using a predetermined communication protocol under the control of the control unit 11. The communication unit 16 can also input and output various information via a USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0040] The first detection unit 17 detects the type (paper type), thickness (paper thickness), and surface roughness of the paper sheet upstream of the image forming unit 13 on the paper transport path, and outputs the detection results to the control unit 11. The control unit 11 stores the received detection results in the memory unit 14.

[0041] The second detection unit 18 detects the temperature and humidity inside the image forming system 1 or around the image forming system 1, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 11.

[0042] The post-processing device 20 includes a control unit 21 , a storage unit 22 , a communication unit 23 , a superposing unit 24 , a mounting unit 25 , a laminating unit 26 , and a cutting unit 27 .

[0043] The control unit 21 is configured to include a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. The CPU reads out various processing programs stored in the ROM in response to instruction signals received by the communication unit 23, loads the programs into the RAM, and comprehensively controls the operation of the post-processing device 20 in cooperation with the various programs loaded into the RAM.

[0044] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage means configured by an HDD, an SSD, or the like, and stores various programs, various setting data, and the like in a manner that allows the control unit 21 to read and write the data. The storage unit 22 also stores information (film type information) relating to the type of film F, which is information relating to lamination processing. The film type information is, for example, the film thickness.

[0045] The communication unit 23 is an interface that connects the post-processing device 20 to a communication network. The communication unit 23 has a communication IC, a communication connector, and the like, and transmits and receives various information to and from external devices connected to the communication network using a predetermined communication protocol under the control of the control unit 21. The communication unit 23 can also input and output various information via USB.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, the overlapping unit 24 is provided upstream of the laminating unit 26 on the paper transport path. The overlapping section 24 overlaps the trailing edge of a preceding sheet of paper on top of the leading edge of a succeeding sheet of paper by a predetermined overlap amount, and conveys the sheets in a continuous band shape.

[0047] The mounting section 25 is configured so that film rolls 261 of different types of film F can be mounted thereon, and so that any one of the mounted film rolls 261 can be selected. The configuration may be such that any one type of film roll 261 is mounted in the mounting section 25, or such that two or more types of film rolls 261 are mounted in the mounting section 25 at the same time.

[0048] The laminating unit 26 performs laminating by continuously attaching a film F to the surface (front side) of the paper sheets superposed by the superposing unit 24 on which the image has been formed by the image forming device 10. The laminating section 26 is configured to include a film roll 261, a film transport path 262, a laminating section 263, a heating roller 264, a pressure roller 265, and the like.

[0049] The film roll 261 is a two-layer film F rolled up. Film F consists of a transparent resin film layer and an adhesive layer. The film transport path 262 transports the film F from the film roll 261 to the nip portion N1 of the bonding section 263. When the mounting section 25 is configured to mount two or more types of film rolls 261 at the same time, the film transport path 262 can be moved so that the film F of the selected film roll 261 is transported to the nip portion N1 of the bonding section 263.

[0050] 1, the laminating unit 263 includes two rollers, and the paper and film F are sandwiched at a nip N1 formed by the two rollers, so that the adhesive layer of the film F adheres to the surface of the paper. In this way, the paper and film F are laminated together.

[0051] The heating roller 264 incorporates a heating means such as a halogen heater. The pressure roller 265 is pressed against the heating roller 264 by being urged upward by a spring or other urging member (not shown), and the heating roller 264 and the pressure roller 265 form a nip N2 where they come into surface contact with each other. The heating roller 264 and pressure roller 265 melt the adhesive layer of the film F at the nip N2, and the melted adhesive layer adheres to the surface of the paper, and the paper is adhered by thermocompression. The control unit 21 controls the temperature of the heating roller 264 , the pressure of the pressure roller 265 , and the processing speed in the lamination processing by the heating roller 264 and the pressure roller 265 .

[0052] The cutting section 27 inserts a cutting blade between the sheets stacked by the stacking section 24 to cut only the film F, thereby separating the sheets from one another.

[0053] <2. Operation of the image forming system> Next, a description will be given of the operation of the image forming system 1 in this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of lamination processing executed by the image forming system 1. The post-processing device 20 in this embodiment is equipped with two types of film F: film FA and film FB.

[0054] In the lamination process, first, when the control unit 11 of the image forming apparatus 10 receives a print job including lamination, it performs a process for determining processing conditions for the film FA (step S1). By performing the process for determining processing conditions, the control unit 11 determines the processing conditions for the lamination. The processing conditions are the processing temperature, processing pressure, and processing speed at the nip portion N2 formed by the heating roller 264 and the pressure roller 265. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating the procedure of the processing condition determination process.

[0055] In the processing condition determination process, the control unit 11 acquires paper type information of the paper from the storage unit 14 (step S101). Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the paper is of a type that can be thermally processed based on the paper type information acquired in step S101 (step S102). If the paper is of a type that cannot be thermally processed (step S102; NO), the control unit 11 ends this process.

[0056] If the paper is of a type that can be thermally processed (step S102; YES), the control unit 11 acquires paper thickness information of the paper from the storage unit 14 (step S103). Step S103 is a first acquisition step for acquiring information related to image formation. Next, the control unit 11 acquires film type information about the film FA from the storage unit 22 of the post-processing device 20 via the communication unit 16 (step S104). Next, the control unit 11 acquires the paper conveying speed from the storage unit 14 as processing speed information, which is information related to the lamination process (step S105). Steps S104 and S105 are a second acquisition step for acquiring information related to lamination processing. Next, the control unit 11 determines the processing pressure and provisional processing temperature for the lamination processing in the lamination processing unit 26 based on the paper thickness information of the paper obtained in step S103, the film type information obtained in step S104, and the processing speed information obtained in step S105 (step S106).

[0057] An example of the first table is shown in Fig. 5. The example shown in Fig. 5 is a correspondence table of processing pressure and processing temperature based on the film thickness of film F and the basis weight (paper thickness) of paper when the processing speed is 300 mm / s. In this embodiment, the film FA is, for example, a polypropylene film with a film thickness of 30 µm, and the basis weight of the paper as the paper thickness is 170 g / m 2 Let us assume that: In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the processing pressure determined in step S106 is 2000 N, and the tentative processing temperature determined is 180°C.

[0058] Next, the control unit 11 acquires information related to image formation in the print job, and corrects the tentative processing temperature determined in step S106 based on the information related to image formation (step S107). The control unit 11 acquires, as information related to image formation, for example, the paper type, paper thickness, surface roughness, and fixing temperature of the fixing unit 134 from the storage unit 14. The control unit 11 also acquires, as information related to image formation, for example, the printing rate from the job information of the received job.

[0059] An example of the second table is shown in Fig. 6. In this embodiment, if the paper is, for example, coated paper, the correction value of the processing temperature based on the paper type is -5°C, as shown in Fig. 6. In this way, for paper types with poor thermal conductivity, the correction value is set so that the processing temperature becomes higher. Similarly, for paper types with rough surfaces, the correction value is set so that the processing temperature becomes higher. Furthermore, for paper types that are prone to curling and wrinkling, the correction value is set so that the processing temperature becomes lower. An example of the third table is shown in Fig. 7. If the print rate in the print job of this embodiment is, for example, 50%, the correction value of the processing temperature based on the print rate is +10°C, as shown in Fig. 7. In this way, the correction value is set so that the processing temperature becomes higher as the printing rate becomes higher. Therefore, the processing temperature is corrected to 185°C by adding the processing temperature tentatively determined in step S106, 180°C, the correction value of the processing temperature based on the paper type, -5°C, and the correction value of the processing temperature based on the printing rate, +10°C. Also, specific correction values ​​based on paper thickness, surface roughness, and fixing temperature in the fixing unit 134 are omitted, but are acquired from a preset table, just like the correction values ​​based on paper type and print rate.

[0060] Next, the control unit 11 acquires environmental information from the second detection unit 180, and further corrects the processing temperature corrected in step S107 based on the environmental information (step S108). The environmental information acquired in step S108 is, for example, the temperature and humidity inside or around the image forming system 1. Correction based on environmental information is performed when the environment is outside a predetermined range from the standard environment (for example, temperature 20° C., humidity 50%). Specific correction values ​​based on temperature and humidity are omitted here, but like the correction values ​​based on paper type and print rate, they may be obtained from a preset table or may be calculated.

[0061] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether lamination using the film FA is possible at the processing speed acquired in step S105, the processing pressure determined in step S106, and the processing temperature corrected in step S108 (step S109). The range of processing conditions (processing pressure, processing temperature, and processing speed) that allow lamination for each type of film is stored in advance in the memory unit 14. If lamination is possible (step S109; YES), the control unit 11 determines the processing speed obtained in step S105, the processing pressure determined in step S106, and the processing temperature corrected in step S108 as the processing conditions to be performed in the lamination processing process (step S110), and terminates the processing. Step S110 is a determination step for determining the conditions for lamination in the lamination step.

[0062] If lamination is not possible (step S109; NO), the control unit 11 modifies the processing conditions (step S111) and moves the process to step S109. Modifying the processing conditions means, for example, slowing down the processing speed from the processing speed acquired in step S105 when the processing conditions are such that the fixing of the film F is insufficient in the lamination processing. If lamination using the film FA is possible under the processing conditions corrected in step S111, then in step S110, the control unit 11 determines the corrected processing conditions as the processing conditions to be used in the lamination processing.

[0063] 3, the control unit 11 performs processing condition determination processing for the film FB (step S2). The flow of the processing condition determination processing for the film FB is similar to the processing condition determination processing for the film FA, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the processing conditions have been determined in steps S1 and S2 (step S3). If the processing conditions are not determined in steps S1 and S2 (step S3; NO), that is, if the paper is not thermally processable, the control unit 11 ends this process.

[0064] Also, if the processing conditions are determined in steps S1 and S2 (step S3; YES), the control unit 11 acquires film selection setting information from the memory unit 14 and selects the film F to be used in the lamination processing (step S4). For example, if the film selection information is set to select film roll 261 of film F, which has higher stability in lamination processing, then control unit 11 selects the film FA or film FB, whichever is more stable, based on the processing conditions determined in steps S1 and S2. Here, "higher stability" specifically means that processing can be performed at a lower processing temperature, or that the range of selectable processing temperatures is wider. In the case of film F, which can be processed at a lower processing temperature, less heat is absorbed by the paper, resulting in a stable processing temperature. Furthermore, in the case of film F, which has a wide range of selectable processing temperatures, problems are less likely to occur in the lamination process. Next, the control unit 11 sets the processing conditions determined in step S1 or step S2 for the film F selected in step S4 in the lamination processing unit 26 (step S5), performs lamination processing (step S6), and terminates this process. Step S6 is the lamination process.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the film F is in a roll shape, but it may be a laminate film in cut sheets.

[0066] As described above, the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment includes an image forming unit 13 that forms an image on a recording medium (paper), a laminating unit 26 that laminates a film F onto the surface of the recording medium on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit 13, and a control unit (control unit 11) that acquires information relating to image formation by the image forming unit 13 and determines the conditions for laminating by the laminating unit 26 based on the acquired information relating to image formation. Therefore, the conditions for lamination can be easily set.

[0067] In the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the image forming unit 13 forms an image by electrophotography. Therefore, when laminating a recording medium on which an image has been formed by electrophotography, the conditions for laminating can be easily set.

[0068] In the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the information relating to image formation includes information relating to the fixing temperature conditions in the image forming unit 13. Therefore, the lamination conditions based on the fixing temperature conditions as the paper temperature conditions of the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus 10 can be easily set.

[0069] In the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the information relating to image formation includes information relating to at least one of the type, thickness, surface roughness, and printing rate of the recording medium. Therefore, the lamination conditions can be easily set based on the type, thickness, surface roughness, and printing rate of the recording medium.

[0070] Furthermore, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the laminating unit 26 melts the adhesive layer of the film F, which has a transparent resin film layer and an adhesive layer, and adheres the melted adhesive layer to the surface of the recording medium. Therefore, lamination can be carried out under easily set lamination conditions.

[0071] In the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, any one of a plurality of films F of different types can be selectively loaded. Therefore, the lamination process can be carried out using a more suitable film. It is possible.

[0072] In addition, the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment has a mounting unit 25 capable of mounting multiple films F of different types, and a selection unit (control unit 11) that selects one film from the multiple films F mounted in the mounting unit 25, and the laminating unit 26 performs laminating processing using the film F selected by the selection unit. Therefore, a more suitable film is automatically selected, and lamination can be performed using the more suitable film.

[0073] In the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the film F is a continuous roll film or a cut film cut to a predetermined size. Therefore, lamination conditions can be easily set whether a continuous film or a cut film is used. It is possible.

[0074] Furthermore, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the control unit 11 acquires information related to lamination, and determines the conditions for lamination based on the information related to image formation and the information related to lamination. Therefore, the conditions for lamination can be easily set based on the information about image formation and the information about lamination.

[0075] Furthermore, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the information relating to lamination processing includes information relating to the type of film F or processing speed. Therefore, the lamination conditions can be easily set based on information regarding the type of film F or the processing speed.

[0076] In the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the laminating conditions include at least one of the processing temperature, processing pressure, and processing speed. Therefore, the lamination conditions, such as processing temperature, processing pressure, and processing speed, can be easily set.

[0077] Furthermore, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the control unit 11 determines the processing pressure and the provisional processing temperature based on at least one of the type of film F and the processing speed. Therefore, the lamination conditions can be easily set based on the type of film F and the processing speed.

[0078] In addition, in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the control unit 11 corrects the tentative processing temperature based on at least one of the information related to image formation, such as the type of recording medium, thickness, surface roughness, printing rate, and environmental information. Therefore, a more appropriate processing temperature can be determined based on the type, thickness, surface roughness, printing rate, and environmental information of the recording medium.

[0079] In the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 having the image forming section 13 and the post-processing apparatus 20 having the laminating section 26 are directly or indirectly connected to each other. Therefore, in an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus are directly or indirectly connected, the conditions for lamination can be easily set.

[0080] In the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment, at least one of the image forming unit 13, the laminating unit 26, and the control unit 11 is independently connected to the other two units so as to be able to communicate with them. Therefore, in an image forming system in which at least one of the image forming unit 13, laminating unit 26, and control unit 11 is independently connected to the other two units so that they can communicate with each other, the laminating conditions can be easily set.

[0081] Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified within the scope of the present invention.

[0082] For example, in the above embodiment, lamination is performed on the surface of the recording medium, but this is not limited to this. Lamination may be performed on only a portion of one side of the recording medium, or on both sides of the recording medium.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the paper is a sheet, but it may be a continuous sheet.

[0084] In addition, in the above embodiment, an optional configuration is adopted in which the post-processing device 20 is attached separately from the image forming device 10, but this is not limited to this. For example, the post-processing device 20 may be built into the image forming device 10. In addition, although the lamination process and the processing condition determination process in the above embodiment are executed by the control unit 11, this is not limiting. They may be executed by the control unit 21 of the post-processing device 20, or by a control unit of an external device connected to the image forming device 10 or the post-processing device 20 for communication.

[0085] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the image forming unit 13 forms images by electrophotography, but it may also form images by inkjet.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the type (paper type), thickness (paper thickness), and surface roughness of paper, which are information related to image formation, are detected by the first detection unit 17, and the control unit 11 acquires the detection results, but this is not limited to this. The control unit 11 may also acquire the type, thickness, and surface roughness of paper, which are information related to image formation, that are preset in a print job. The control unit 11 may also acquire the type, thickness, and surface roughness of paper, which are information related to image formation, through input by the user via the operation unit 152.

[0087] In the above embodiment, information about the fixing temperature in the fixing unit 134 is used in the processing condition determination process as information about the temperature conditions of the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus 10, but this is not limited to this. The image forming system 1 may include a detection unit that detects the temperature of the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus 10, and the detection result of the detection unit may be used as information about the temperature conditions of the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus 10.

[0088] In addition, the detailed configuration and operation of each device constituting the image forming apparatus can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1. Image forming system 10 Image forming device 11 Control unit (control unit, selection unit) 12 Image reading unit 13 Image forming unit 131 Writing section 131a Optical scanning unit 131b Photoreceptor 131c Development section 131d Charging part 131e Cleaning Department 131f Primary transfer roller 132 Intermediate transfer belt 133 Secondary transfer roller 134 Fixing section 134a Fuser roller 135 Reverse Route 14 Storage section 15 Operation panel 151 Display section 152 Operation section 16 Communications Department T1 paper tray 20 Aftertreatment device 21 Control section 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 24 Overlapping section 25 Mounting part 26 Laminating section 261 Film Roll 262 Film transport path 263 Bonding section 264 Heated Roller 265 Pressure Roller 27 Cut section

Claims

1. an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium; a laminating unit that laminates a film onto the surface of the recording medium on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit; a control unit that acquires information about image formation by the image forming unit and determines conditions for lamination by the laminating unit based on the acquired information about image formation; A mounting portion capable of mounting a plurality of different types of films; a selection unit for selecting one film from the plurality of films attached to the attachment unit; Equipped with The laminating unit performs laminating using the film selected by the selecting unit.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the image forming unit forms an image by an electrophotographic method.

3. 3. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the information relating to the image formation includes information relating to a fixing temperature condition in the image forming unit.

4. 4. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the information relating to image formation includes information relating to at least one of the type, thickness, surface roughness, and printing rate of the recording medium.

5. 5. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the laminating unit melts the adhesive layer of a film having a transparent resin film layer and an adhesive layer, and adheres the melted adhesive layer to the surface of the recording medium.

6. 6. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein any one of a plurality of different types of films can be selectively mounted.

7. 7. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the film is a continuous film in a roll form or a cut film cut to a predetermined size.

8. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit acquires information regarding the lamination process and determines conditions for the lamination process based on the information regarding the image formation and the information regarding the lamination process.

9. The image forming system according to claim 8 , wherein the information relating to the lamination process includes information relating to the type of the film or the processing speed.

10. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the laminating conditions include at least one of a processing temperature, a processing pressure, and a processing speed.

11. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines the processing pressure and the provisional processing temperature based on at least one of the type of the film and the processing speed.

12. The image forming system according to claim 11, wherein the control unit corrects the provisional processing temperature based on at least one of the type, thickness, surface roughness, printing rate, and environmental information of the recording medium as information related to the image formation.

13. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein an image forming apparatus having the image forming unit and a post-processing apparatus having the laminating unit are directly or indirectly connected to each other.

14. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the image forming unit, the laminating unit, and the control unit is independently connected to the other two units so as to be able to communicate with each other.

15. A computer of an image forming system having a mounting section capable of mounting a plurality of different types of film, selecting one film from the plurality of films attached to the attachment section; a laminating step of laminating a film onto the surface of the recording medium on which the image has been formed; a first acquisition step of acquiring information related to image formation; a determining step of determining conditions for lamination in the lamination step based on the information about the image formation acquired in the first acquiring step; Execute A program for laminating using the film selected in the film selection step in the laminating step.

16. 16. The program according to claim 15, wherein the information relating to image formation includes information relating to at least one of the type, thickness, surface roughness, and printing rate of the recording medium.

17. a second acquisition step of acquiring information about the lamination process; 17. The program according to claim 15, wherein the determining step determines the conditions for the laminating process based on the information about the image formation and the information about the laminating process acquired in the second acquiring step.

18. The program according to claim 17 , wherein the information about the lamination process includes information about the type of the film or the processing speed.

19. The program according to claim 15 , wherein the lamination conditions include at least one of a processing temperature, a processing pressure, and a processing speed.

Images