Booklet manufacturing apparatus, booklet manufacturing system, control method, and medium
A control method is provided for a booklet manufacturing apparatus that manufactures booklets by performing thermocompression bonding on a printing material with a bonding agent image formed at a predetermined site by a bonding agent with thermoplasticity. The method comprises performing thermocompression bonding of the predetermined site of the printing material placed in a stacking unit using a thermocompression bonding unit; and before the printing material is placed in the stacking unit, in a case where a predetermined condition of a temperature of a pressing member being equal to or less than a threshold is satisfied, performing control of the thermocompression bonding unit and performing preliminary heating on the pressing member.
1 . A booklet manufacturing apparatus configured to manufacture a booklet by thermocompression bonding a sheet stack including a plurality of sheets each having a bonding toner image formed at a predetermined portion, the booklet manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a thermocompression bonding head including a heater, the thermocompression bonding head being configured to heat the predetermined portion;
an elastic pressing pad disposed opposite the thermocompression bonding head such that the sheet stack is pressable between the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad;
a sheet transport mechanism including at least one transport member configured to transport at least one sheet for forming the sheet stack to a bonding position at which the sheet stack is pressable between the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad; and
a controller such that:
when a temperature of the elastic pressing pad, before the at least one sheet enters the bonding position, is lower than a threshold, the controller is configured to
(1) perform a preliminary heating operation by bringing the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad into contact with each other before the at least one sheet enters the bonding position, thereby heating the elastic pressing pad,
(2) thereafter separate the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad from each other, and next cause the sheet transport mechanism to transport the at least one sheet to the bonding position, and perform a thermocompression bonding operation by pressing the sheet stack between the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad and heating the predetermined portion using the heater; and
when the temperature of the elastic pressing pad, before the at least one sheet enters the bonding position, is higher than the threshold, the controller is configured to perform the thermocompression bonding operation without performing the preliminary heating operation.
2 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the elastic pressing pad used by the controller is based on an estimated temperature of the elastic pressing pad.
3 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to estimate the temperature of the elastic pressing pad based on at least one predetermined parameter including at least one of:
(a) an environmental temperature around the booklet manufacturing apparatus;
(b) a content of thermocompression bonding performed immediately before;
(c) an elapsed time from completion of the thermocompression bonding performed immediately before;
(d) a type of sheet used for the booklet;
(e) a number of sheets in the booklet to be manufactured; and
(f) a number of booklets to be manufactured.
4 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the elastic pressing pad, wherein the temperature of the elastic pressing pad used by the controller is based on a measured temperature acquired from the temperature sensor.
5 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change at least one of a heating time and a heating temperature of the preliminary heating operation according to the temperature of the elastic pressing pad.
6 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a pressing force applied during the preliminary heating operation is smaller than a pressing force applied during the thermocompression bonding operation.
7 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a bonding-toner for the bonding toner image includes a thermoplastic resin.
8 . A booklet manufacturing system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form, on a sheet, an image including a bonding-toner image; and
a booklet manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , configured to receive the sheet and manufacture the booklet.
9 . A booklet manufacturing apparatus configured to manufacture a booklet by thermocompression bonding a sheet stack including a plurality of sheets each having a bonding-toner image formed at a predetermined portion, the booklet manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a thermocompression bonding head including a heater, the thermocompression bonding head being configured to heat the predetermined portion;
an elastic pressing pad disposed opposite the thermocompression bonding head such that the sheet stack is pressable between the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad;
a sheet transport mechanism including at least one transport member configured to transport at least one sheet for forming the sheet stack to a bonding position at which the sheet stack is pressable between the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad;
a movable alignment reference plate movable in a longitudinal direction of the elastic pressing pad and configured to determine a longitudinal position of an end of the sheet stack for a thermocompression bonding operation; and
a controller configured to, when a sheet size of a booklet to be manufactured is smaller than a maximum sheet size supported by the booklet manufacturing apparatus, change a position of the movable alignment reference plate between different thermocompression bonding operations or between different booklets, thereby changing a position of a region where no sheet is present between the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad during the thermocompression bonding operation.
10 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to change the position of the movable alignment reference plate for each thermocompression bonding operation.
11 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to change the position of the movable alignment reference plate for each booklet.
12 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured such that:
when a temperature of the elastic pressing pad, before the at least one sheet enters the bonding position, is lower than a threshold, the controller performs a preliminary heating operation by bringing the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad into contact with each other before the at least one sheet enters the bonding position, and
when the temperature is higher than the threshold, the controller performs the thermocompression bonding operation without performing the preliminary heating operation.
13 . A booklet manufacturing apparatus configured to manufacture a booklet by thermocompression bonding a sheet stack including a plurality of sheets each having a bonding-toner image formed at a predetermined portion, the booklet manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a thermocompression bonding head including a heater, the thermocompression bonding head being configured to heat the predetermined portion;
an elastic pressing pad disposed opposite the thermocompression bonding head such that the sheet stack is pressable between the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad;
a sheet transport mechanism including at least one transport member configured to transport at least one sheet for forming the sheet stack to a bonding position at which the sheet stack is pressable between the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad;
a movable alignment reference plate movable in a longitudinal direction of the elastic pressing pad and configured to determine a longitudinal position of an end of the sheet stack for a thermocompression bonding operation;
a sheet-like substitute member provided on the movable alignment reference plate on a side opposite a side against which the sheet stack is aligned; and
a controller configured to, when a sheet size of a booklet to be manufactured is smaller than a maximum sheet size supported by the booklet manufacturing apparatus, position the movable alignment reference plate such that, during the thermocompression bonding operation, the sheet-like substitute member is interposed between the thermocompression bonding head and a portion of the elastic pressing pad where no sheet is present.
14 . The booklet manufacturing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to position the movable alignment reference plate such that an edge of the sheet stack on a side opposite the movable alignment reference plate is aligned with a corresponding edge position for the maximum sheet size.
15 . A control method for a booklet manufacturing apparatus configured to manufacture a booklet by thermocompression bonding a sheet stack including a plurality of sheets each having a bonding-toner image formed at a predetermined portion, the control method comprising:
determining whether a temperature of an elastic pressing pad, before at least one sheet enters a bonding position at which the sheet stack is pressable between a thermocompression bonding head and an elastic pressing pad, is lower than a threshold;
when the temperature is lower than the threshold, performing a preliminary heating operation by bringing the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad into contact with each other before the at least one sheet enters the bonding position, thereafter separating the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad from each other, and then transporting the at least one sheet to the bonding position;
performing a thermocompression bonding operation by pressing the sheet stack between the thermocompression bonding head and the elastic pressing pad and heating the predetermined portion using a heater of the thermocompression bonding head; and
when the temperature is higher than the threshold, performing the thermocompression bonding operation without performing the preliminary heating operation.
16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a controller of a booklet manufacturing apparatus, cause the controller to perform the control method of claim 15 .