Adhesive applicator and bookbinder in bookbinding apparatus, and image-forming system associated therewith

An adhesive applicator for a bookbinding device, the adhesive applicator for sequentially applying an adhesive to a spine-portion endface of consecutively fed sheet bundles, and comprising:

• an adhesive holding container for storing adhesive;
• an applicator roller rotatably disposed inside said adhesive holding container;
• adhesive supply means for refilling said adhesive holding container with hot-melt adhesive;
• heating means for melting adhesive inside said adhesive holding container;
• refill volume control means for controlling the volume of adhesive resupplied by said adhesive supply means;
• adhesive-volume detection means provided in said adhesive holding container;
• and
• remaining-count determination means for determining a count of adhesive-application instances remaining for to-be-coated sheet bundles;
• wherein
• said refill volume control means is configured to preestablish the adhesive refill volume based on information from said adhesive-volume detection means and remaining-count determination means, said refill volume control means therein being furnished with a scheduled-consumption-volume calculation means for calculating a scheduled adhesive-consumption volume from the count, from said remaining-count determination means, of sheet-bundle adhesive applications remaining, and from the application volume of adhesive applied to a single sheet bundle.