Image forming system and sheet processing apparatus

An image forming system comprising:

• an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet;
• and
• a sheet processing apparatus that is configured to create a sheet stack by bonding together a plurality of sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus and that includes a stacking unit, a moving unit, and a thermal compression bonding unit having a heating member that is elongated and a sheet cradle member that faces the heating member,
• wherein the stacking unit includes a stacking surface on which plural sheets, having a layer of an adhesive formed on the plural sheets by the image forming apparatus for bonding the plural sheets together, are to be stacked,
• wherein the moving unit is configured to move either one or both of the plural sheets and the thermal compression bonding unit in a longer-side direction of the elongated heating member,
• wherein the heating member of the thermal compression bonding unit includes a heat generation area configured to heat the adhesive,
• wherein the thermal compression bonding unit is configured to sandwich and heat the plural sheets stacked on the stacking unit between the heating member and the sheet cradle member, and to bond the plural sheets together by applying pressure while applying heat to the layer of the adhesive formed on the plural sheets by moving either one or both of the heating member and the sheet cradle member, and
• wherein, in a case where a length of the layer of the adhesive regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member is less than a length of the heat generation area, before the plural sheets are heated and pressed, the moving unit moves either one or both of the plural sheets and the thermal compression bonding unit in advance in accordance with a sheet length of the sheet so that an entire area of the layer of the adhesive overlaps with the heat generation area regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member when the plural sheets have been conveyed onto the stacking unit.

An image forming system comprising:

• an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet;
• and
• a sheet processing apparatus that is configured to create a sheet stack by bonding together a plurality of sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus and that includes a stacking unit, a moving unit, a thermal compression bonding unit having a heating member that is elongated and a sheet cradle member that faces the heating member, and a conveyance roller provided on a sheet conveyance path and configured to convey plural sheets onto the stacking unit,
• wherein the stacking unit includes a stacking surface on which the plural sheets, having a layer of an adhesive formed on the plural sheets by the image forming apparatus for bonding the plural sheets together, are to be stacked,
• wherein the moving unit is configured to move either one or both of the plural sheets and the thermal compression bonding unit in a longer-side direction of the elongated heating member,
• wherein the heating member of the thermal compression bonding unit includes a heat generation area configured to heat the adhesive,
• wherein the thermal compression bonding unit is configured to sandwich and heat the plural sheets stacked on the stacking unit between the heating member and the sheet cradle member, and to bond the plural sheets together by applying pressure while applying heat to the layer of the adhesive formed on the plural sheets by moving either one or both of the heating member and the sheet cradle member,
• wherein the conveyance roller and the stacking unit are in such a positional relationship that, upon passing of a trailing edge of the sheet regarding a sheet conveyance direction through the conveyance roller when the sheet is conveyed onto the stacking unit, the trailing edge of the sheet becomes stacked on the stacking unit,
• wherein, in a case (i) where a length of the sheet regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member is greater than a length of the heat generation area, and (ii) where a length of the layer of the adhesive regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member is less than the length of the heat generation area, and (iii) where the layer of the adhesive on the plural sheets has any area that does not overlap with the heat generation area regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member when the plural sheets have been conveyed onto the stacking unit, the thermal compression bonding unit heats and presses the layer of the adhesive after a positional alignment of the layer of the adhesive and the heat generation area is performed by the moving unit changing a relative position of the plural sheets regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member and the heat generation area.

A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

• a stacking unit including a stacking surface on which plural sheets, having a layer of an adhesive formed on the plural sheets for bonding the plural sheets together, are to be stacked;
• a thermal compression bonding unit having a heating member that is elongated and a sheet cradle member that faces the heating member,
• wherein the heating member includes a heat generation area configured to heat the adhesive, and
• wherein the thermal compression bonding unit is configured to sandwich and heat the plural sheets stacked on the stacking unit between the heating member and the sheet cradle member, and to apply pressure while applying heat to the layer of the adhesive formed on the plural sheets by moving either one or both of the heating member and the sheet cradle member;
• a moving unit configured to move either one or both of the plural sheets and the thermal compression bonding unit in a longer-side direction of the elongated heating member;
• and
• a controller configured to control the sheet processing apparatus,
• wherein the sheet processing apparatus is configured to bond the plural sheets together by heating and pressing the layer of the adhesive formed on the plural sheets stacked on the stacking unit,
• wherein the controller is configured to acquire information regarding the plural sheets on which the layer of the adhesive is formed, and
• wherein, in a case where a length of the layer of the adhesive regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member is greater than a length of the heat generation area and thus where an entire area of the layer of the adhesive formed on one side of a sheet is unable to be heated and pressed just by performing heating and pressing once, based on the acquired information, the controller performs control to cause the moving unit to change a relative position of the plural sheets having been conveyed onto the stacking unit and the heat generation area regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member and to cause the thermal compression bonding unit to apply the heat and the pressure to the layer of the adhesive more than once, thereby heating and pressing an entire area of the layer of the adhesive on the sheet.

A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

• a stacking unit including a stacking surface on which plural sheets, having a layer of an adhesive formed on the plural sheets for bonding the plural sheets together, are to be stacked;
• a thermal compression bonding unit having a heating member that is elongated and a sheet cradle member that faces the heating member,
• wherein the heating member includes a heat generation area configured to heat the adhesive, and
• wherein the thermal compression bonding unit is configured to sandwich and heat the plural sheets stacked on the stacking unit between the heating member and the sheet cradle member, and to apply pressure while applying heat to the layer of the adhesive formed on the plural sheets by moving either one or both of the heating member and the sheet cradle member;
• a moving unit configured to move either one or both of the plural sheets and the thermal compression bonding unit in a longer-side direction of the elongated heating member;
• and
• a controller configured to control the sheet processing apparatus to bond the plural sheets together by heating and pressing the layer of the adhesive formed on the plural sheets stacked on the stacking unit,
• wherein the controller further is configured to acquire information regarding the plural sheets on which the layer of the adhesive is formed, and
• wherein, in a case where a length of the layer of the adhesive regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member is less than a length of the heat generation area, and based on the acquired information, the controller performs control to, before the plural sheets are heated and pressed, cause the moving unit to move either one or both of the plural sheets and the thermal compression bonding unit in advance in accordance with a length of a sheet so that an entire area of the layer of the adhesive overlaps with the heat generation area regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member when the plural sheets have been conveyed onto the stacking unit.

A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

• a stacking unit including a stacking surface on which plural sheets, having a layer of an adhesive formed on the plural sheets for bonding the plural sheets together, are to be stacked;
• a thermal compression bonding unit having a heating member that is elongated and a sheet cradle member that faces the heating member,
• wherein the heating member includes a heat generation area configured to heat the adhesive, and
• wherein the thermal compression bonding unit is configured to sandwich and heat the plural sheets stacked on the stacking unit between the heating member and the sheet cradle member, and to apply pressure while applying heat to the layer of the adhesive formed on the plural sheets by moving either one or both of the heating member and the sheet cradle member;
• a moving unit configured to move either one or both of the plural sheets and the thermal compression bonding unit in a longer-side direction of the elongated heating member;
• a conveyance roller provided on a sheet conveyance path and configured to convey the plural sheets onto the stacking unit;
• and
• a controller configured to control the sheet processing apparatus to bond the plural sheets together by heating and pressing the layer of the adhesive formed on the plural sheets stacked on the stacking unit,
• wherein the controller further is configured to acquire information regarding the plural sheets on which the layer of the adhesive is formed,
• wherein the conveyance roller and the stacking unit are in such a positional relationship that, upon passing of a trailing edge of the sheet regarding a sheet conveyance direction through the conveyance roller when the sheet is conveyed onto the stacking unit, the trailing edge of the sheet becomes stacked on the stacking unit, and
• wherein, in a case (i) where a length of the sheet regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member is greater than a length of the heat generation area, and (ii) where a length of the layer of the adhesive regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member is less than the length of the heat generation area, and (iii) where the layer of the adhesive on the plural sheets has any area that does not overlap with the heat generation area regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member when the plural sheets have been conveyed onto the stacking unit, based on the acquired information, the controller causes the moving unit to perform a positional alignment of the layer of the adhesive and the heat generation area by changing a relative position of the plural sheets regarding the longer-side direction of the heating member and the heat generation area and thereafter causes the thermal compression bonding unit to heat and press the layer of the adhesive.