JP2016193510A - Bookbinding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bookbinding device capable of uniformly applying paste to an end surface of a paper bundle of stacking a plurality of sheets.SOLUTION: While supplying a plurality of sheets to a placing surface 110A, a front end surface of a paper bundle 8 is aligned in a state of displacing an opposed surface 150A to a contact position. Next, a front edge part of the paper bundle 8 is pressed by a second pressing surface 202A existing in an action position, and a different part from the front edge part of the paper bundle 8 is also pressed by a first pressing surface 201A, by displacing a pressing plate 200 to a pressing position from a non-pressing position. Next, a second plate 202 is displaced to a non-action position from an action position, and the opposed surface 150A is displaced to a non-contact position from a contact position, and paste is applied to the front end surface of the paper bundle 8 by a cover holding mechanism.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

  The present invention relates to a bookbinding apparatus capable of aligning a plurality of sheets.

  Conventionally, an apparatus capable of aligning a plurality of sheets is known. For example, in the bookbinding apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the two side surfaces of the paper stack are aligned by applying vibration to the paper stack placed on the bottom plate. The paper stack after the paper alignment is held between the presser plate and the lower plate by being pressed by the presser plate. Gluing by the gluing unit is performed on the lower surface of the sandwiched paper stack.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-203714

  In the above-described prior art, the press plate does not press the lower surface of the paper stack in order to glue the lower surface of the paper stack. Therefore, there is a possibility that the surface of the paper stack on which the gluing is performed cannot apply the glue evenly because the alignment of the paper is disturbed.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a bookbinding apparatus capable of evenly applying glue to the end face of a sheet bundle in which a plurality of sheets are stacked.

  A bookbinding apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a placement unit that is a surface capable of stacking and holding a plurality of supplied sheets in a first direction, and a second direction of the sheets supplied to the placement unit. It can be displaced to a contact position that can contact the end portion and a non-contact position that is separated from the paper supplied to the placement unit, and the second direction is a direction orthogonal to the first direction, Displacement on the second direction side of the fixing portion, a paper aligning portion that is a plane extending substantially parallel to the first direction at the contact position, a fixing portion having a first pressing surface substantially parallel to the placement portion, and A pressing position that presses the sheet bundle, which is the plurality of sheets held by the placement section, in a third direction that is opposite to the first direction, and the sheet bundle. A pressing means that is displaceable to a non-pressing position that is spaced apart from the sheet, and an end surface of the sheet bundle in the second direction A glue applying means capable of applying glue to a specific end face; and a control means, wherein the movable portion has a second pressing face capable of pressing the sheet bundle, and the pressing means is at the pressing position. In some cases, the second pressing surface can be displaced between an operating position where the second pressing surface is in contact with the sheet bundle and a non-operating position where the second pressing surface is separated from the sheet bundle when the pressing means is in the pressing position. And the control means aligns the specific end surface along the first direction in a state where the paper aligning portion is displaced to the contact position while the plurality of sheets are supplied to the placing portion. After the one process and the first process, the pressing means is displaced from the non-pressing position to the pressing position, so that the second pressing surface of the movable portion at the working position is used to Press the specific edge that is the edge in the second direction in the third direction And the second process of pressing the portion of the sheet bundle different from the specific edge part in the third direction on the first pressing surface, and after the execution of the second process, the movable part is moved away from the operating position. Displacement to a non-operation position, and displacement of the paper aligning portion from the contact position to the non-contact position, and performing a third process of applying glue to the specific end surface by the glue application unit. And

  According to this aspect, while the plurality of sheets are supplied to the placement unit, the specific end surfaces of the sheet bundle are aligned while the sheet aligning unit is displaced to the contact position. Next, when the pressing means is displaced from the non-pressing position to the pressing position, the specific edge of the sheet bundle is pressed by the second pressing surface of the movable part at the operating position, and the sheet bundle is specified by the first pressing surface. A portion different from the edge is pressed. Next, the movable part is displaced from the action position to the non-action position, and the paper aligning part is displaced from the contact position to the non-contact position, and glue is applied to the specific end surface by the glue application means. According to this, before the glue is applied to the specific end surface of the sheet bundle, the specific edge portion of the sheet bundle is pressed in the direction in which a plurality of sheets are stacked. Therefore, the bookbinding apparatus can apply glue evenly to a specific end surface of a sheet bundle in which a plurality of sheets are stacked.

1 is a perspective view of a bookbinding apparatus 1. FIG. 1 is a front view of a bookbinding apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a paper alignment mechanism 100 and a glue application mechanism 300. FIG. It is a perspective view of a paper alignment mechanism. 3 is a perspective view of a bundle operation unit 130. FIG. FIG. 6 is a right side view of a paper alignment mechanism in a paper stacking process. FIG. 6 is a left side view of the second printer 4, the cover sheet supply unit 6, and the cover sheet holding mechanism 400 in an initial state. It is a perspective view of the movable part 401 in an initial state. FIG. 7 is a right side view of the paper alignment mechanism in the paper stacking process following FIG. 6. FIG. 10 is a right side view of the paper alignment mechanism in the paper stacking process following FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a right side view of the paper alignment mechanism and the glue application mechanism in the glue application process following FIG. 10. FIG. 6 is a left side view of the second printer 4, the cover sheet supply unit 6, and the cover sheet holding mechanism 400 in the cover sheet transport process. FIG. 13 is a left side view of the second printer 4, the cover sheet supply unit 6, and the cover sheet holding mechanism 400 in the cover sheet transport process following FIG. 12. It is a right view of the paper alignment mechanism and cover holding mechanism in a cover sticking process. FIG. 15 is a right side view of the paper alignment mechanism and the cover holding mechanism in the cover sticking process following FIG. 14. FIG. 16 is a right side view of the paper alignment mechanism and the cover holding mechanism in the cover sticking process following FIG. 15. It is a perspective view of the press board 200 which concerns on a modification.

<1. Schematic structure of bookbinding apparatus 1>
A schematic structure of the bookbinding apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the lower left side, upper right side, upper left side, lower right side, upper side, and lower side in FIG. 1 are defined as the front side, rear side, left side, right side, upper side, and lower side of the bookbinding apparatus 1, respectively. In the present embodiment, the vertical direction of the bookbinding apparatus 1 is substantially parallel to the vertical direction. The bookbinding apparatus 1 includes a main body frame 2, a first printer 3, a second printer 4, a sheet supply unit 5, a cover sheet supply unit 6, a paper alignment mechanism 100, a glue application mechanism 300, a cover sheet holding mechanism 400, and a control unit 900. . The main body frame 2 has a rectangular parallelepiped frame structure. The paper alignment mechanism 100, the glue application mechanism 300, the cover holding mechanism 400, and the control unit 900 are disposed inside the main body frame 2.

  The first printer 3 is placed on an installation table 25 provided on the left side of the main body frame 2. The first printer 3 is a printer that prints an image on a plurality of sheets 8A (see FIG. 4) constituting the contents (or text) of a booklet created by the bookbinding apparatus 1. The second printer 4 is placed on the top plate 21 that covers the upper surface of the main body frame 2. The second printer 4 is a printer that prints an image on a cover 9 (see FIG. 12) of a booklet created by the bookbinding apparatus 1. The cover sheet 9 has a size and shape that can cover a sheet bundle 8 described later.

  The paper supply unit 5 conveys the printed paper 8 </ b> A discharged from the first printer 3 to the paper alignment mechanism 100 from the left side of the main body frame 2. The cover supply port 22 is provided at the front edge of the top plate 21. The cover sheet supply unit 6 is provided on the top plate 21 and is located between the cover sheet supply port 22 and the second printer 4. The cover sheet supply unit 6 guides the printed cover sheet 9 discharged from the second printer 4 toward the cover sheet supply port 22.

  The paper alignment mechanism 100 is a mechanism that holds the paper bundle 8 and executes paper alignment. The sheet bundle 8 is a plurality of sheets 8A stacked in a predetermined stacking direction (in the present embodiment, the up-down direction). The alignment of the sheet bundle 8 is an operation of aligning the end face of the sheet bundle substantially flush along the stacking direction. The sheet bundle end surface is an end surface of the sheet bundle 8 in a direction orthogonal to the stacking direction. The front end face of the sheet bundle 8 is the front sheet bundle end face. The right end face of the sheet bundle 8 is the right sheet bundle end face.

  The glue application mechanism 300 is a mechanism that forms an adhesive portion on the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 to which the cover sheet 9 can be attached. The cover holding mechanism 400 is a mechanism for holding the cover 9 supplied from the cover supply unit 6 and sticking the held cover 9 to the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8. The control unit 900 is a controller including a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like not shown. The CPU controls the bookbinding operation of the bookbinding apparatus 1 based on a program stored in the ROM. The control unit 900 may be a computer (for example, a personal computer, a microcomputer, or an ASIC) that can execute control according to the present disclosure.

<2. Paper Alignment Mechanism 100>
The paper alignment mechanism 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the paper alignment mechanism 100 excluding the bundle operation unit 130 and a part of the conveyance unit 102. FIG. 6 illustrates the movable unit 101 excluding the bundle operation unit 130 and the pressing plate 200 in the paper alignment mechanism 100 (the same applies to FIGS. 9 to 11 and 14 to 16 described later). FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the paper supply unit 5 and the contact member 103 (the same applies to FIGS. 9 and 10 described later). As shown in FIG. 3, the paper alignment mechanism 100 includes a movable unit 101, a transport unit 102, and a contact member 103.

  The movable part 101 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the movable part 101 includes a table 110, a support base 111, a connecting part 112, four support pillars 113, a vibration motor 114, a drive motor 117, a bundle operation part 130 (see FIG. 3), a right alignment plate. 140, a front alignment plate 150, and the like. The support base 111 is a rectangular plate-like member that extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction and is long in the left-right direction. The connecting portion 112 is a member having a nut (not shown) provided on the lower surface of the support base 111.

  The four support pillars 113 are erected on the upper surface of the support base 111. The four support pillars 113 support the table 110 from below at four points sandwiching the center of the table 110 in plan view. As shown in FIG. 6, each support column 113 includes a fixed shaft 113A and a movable shaft 113B. The fixed shaft 113A is a cylindrical body that extends upward from the support base 111, and accommodates a compression coil spring (not shown). The movable shaft 113B is a cylindrical body that extends upward from the inside of the fixed shaft 113A, and is urged upward by a compression coil spring. The upper end portion of the movable shaft 113B is connected to the lower surface of the table 110.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the table 110 is a rectangular plate-like member that extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction and is long in the left-right direction. The table 110 has a placement surface 110 </ b> A that is a surface on which the sheets 8 </ b> A conveyed inside the main body frame 2 can be stacked and held. The upper limit value of the vertical length of the sheet bundle 8 that can be held on the placement surface 110A (that is, the upper limit value of the thickness of the sheet bundle 8) is referred to as the upper limit value of the sheet bundle thickness. The placement surface 110 </ b> A is slightly larger than the paper 8 </ b> A printed by the first printer 3.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the vibration motor 114 is provided on the upper surface of the support base 111 and is disposed immediately below the table 110. The vibration motor 114 can reciprocate a vibration shaft 114A extending upward in the vertical direction. The bearing 115 is provided above the vibration motor 114 and supports the peripheral surface of the vibration shaft 114A. The connecting portion 116 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the table 110. The upper end portion of the vibration shaft 114 </ b> A is connected to the connecting portion 116.

  When the vibration motor 114 does not drive the vibration shaft 114A, the table 110 is biased upward via each movable shaft 113B and is held at a predetermined vertical position. When the vibration motor 114 drives the vibration shaft 114A, the table 110 moves in the vertical direction in conjunction with the vibration shaft 114A. Each movable shaft 113B moves downward against the urging force of the compression coil spring as the table 110 moves downward. Thereby, the table 110 vibrates up and down.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the right alignment plate 140 is a rectangular plate-like body that is provided on the right side of the table 110 and extends in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. The right alignment plate 140 extends upward from the placement surface 110A and faces the right end surface of the sheet bundle 8 on the placement surface 110A from the right side. The vertical length from the placement surface 110A to the upper end of the right alignment plate 140 is larger than the upper limit value of the sheet bundle thickness. In the present embodiment, the length of the right alignment plate 140 in the front-rear direction is approximately one third of the length of the table 110 in the front-rear direction. The right alignment plate 140 is provided at a position facing the central portion of the right side of the table 110.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the front aligning plate 150 is a substantially L-shaped plate-like body extending in the left-right direction along the front end portion of the table 110 in the right side view. The front aligning plate 150 has a facing surface 150A and a support surface 150B. The left and right lengths of the facing surface 150 </ b> A and the support surface 150 </ b> B are substantially equal to the horizontal length of the table 110. The facing surface 150A and the support surface 150B extend in directions orthogonal to each other.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the rotation shaft 151 is a shaft that is provided below the front end portion of the table 110 and extends in the left-right direction. The rotation shaft 151 penetrates the front alignment plate 150 in the left-right direction on the side opposite to the facing surface 150A across the support surface 150B. The front alignment plate 150 can rotate in conjunction with the rotation shaft 151. The pulley 119 is provided at the right end of the rotating shaft 151.

  The drive motor 117 is provided on the front side portion of the lower surface of the table 110. The drive motor 117 can rotate a rotating shaft 117A extending rightward. The pulley 118 is provided at the tip of the rotating shaft 117A. The belt 120 is stretched around pulleys 118 and 119. The rotating shaft 151 rotates via the pulleys 118 and 119 and the belt 120 when the rotating shaft 117A is driven to rotate. Thereby, the front alignment plate 150 can be displaced between the first rotation position and the second rotation position.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, when the front alignment plate 150 is in the first rotation position, the facing surface 150 </ b> A is disposed at the contact position. The contact position is a position where the facing surface 150A can contact the front end of the paper 8A supplied to the placement surface 110A. The facing surface 150A at the contact position is disposed on the front side of the table 110 and extends in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. At this time, the facing surface 150A extends upward from the placement surface 110A and faces the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 on the placement surface 110A from the front side. The vertical length from the placement surface 110A to the upper end of the front aligning plate 150 (that is, the vertical length of the facing surface 150A) is larger than the upper limit value of the sheet bundle thickness.

  When the front alignment plate 150 is in the first rotation position, the support surface 150B is disposed at the support position. The support position is a position where the support surface 150B supports the front edge portion of the sheet bundle 8 from the lower side on the front side of the placement surface 110A. The support surface 150B at the support position is disposed on the front side of the table 110 and extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. At this time, the support surface 150B is substantially flush with the placement surface 110A and continuously extends forward from the placement surface 110A. The front end portion of the support surface 150B is connected to the lower end portion of the facing surface 150A.

  When the front alignment plate 150 is in the second rotation position, the front alignment plate 150 is disposed below the table 110 (see FIG. 11). The facing surface 150A is disposed at a non-contact position. The non-contact position is a position where the facing surface 150A is separated from the paper 8A supplied to the placement surface 110A. The support surface 150B is disposed at the non-support position. The non-supporting position is a position where the support surface 150B is separated from the front edge of the sheet bundle 8.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the bundle operation unit 130 includes a support frame 131, a lifting motor 134, a movable plate 141, a pressing plate 200, and the like. The support frame 131 includes a pair of support columns 131A, an upper connecting plate 131B, and a lower connecting plate 131C. The pair of support pillars 131 </ b> A are columnar members provided on the left and right sides of the table 110 and extending upward from the upper surface of the support base 111. The pair of support pillars 131A are slightly in front of the right alignment plate 140 in a side view and extend upward from the contact member 103 described later. The upper connecting plate 131B is a plate-like member extending in the left-right direction, spanned over each upper end portion of the pair of support columns 131A. The lower connecting plate 131C is a plate-like member extending in the left-right direction and spanned between the pair of support columns 131A below the upper connecting plate 131B.

  The L-shaped metal fitting 133 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the upper connecting plate 131B. The L-shaped metal fitting 133 has a bottom wall fixed to the upper surface of the upper connecting plate 131B and a right wall extending upward from the right end portion of the bottom wall. The elevating motor 134 is fixed to the right surface of the right wall of the L-shaped metal fitting 133. The raising / lowering motor 134 can rotate the axis | shaft which penetrates the right wall of the L-shaped metal fitting 133 and extends to the left. The bevel gear 135 is provided at the tip of the shaft of the lifting motor 134.

  The bearing 132 is provided at the center in the left-right direction of the lower connecting plate 131C. The screw shaft 136 extends upward from the bearing 132. The bearing 132 supports the screw shaft 136 rotatably. The upper end portion of the screw shaft 136 extends upward through the upper connecting plate 131 </ b> B and the bottom wall of the L-shaped metal fitting 133. The bevel gear 137 is provided at the upper end of the screw shaft 136. The bevel gear 137 meshes with the bevel gear 135. The nut 138 is provided between the upper connecting plate 131B and the lower connecting plate 131C. The screw shaft 136 is inserted through a nut 138 to constitute a known ball screw.

  The movable plate 141 is a plate-like member that is connected to the front side of the nut 138 and extends in the left-right direction. The pair of guide rails 139 are provided between the upper connecting plate 131B and the lower connecting plate 131C, and extend in the vertical direction on both the left and right sides of the screw shaft 136. The movable plate 141 is movable in the vertical direction along the pair of guide rails 139. The pair of connecting plates 142 are plate-like members that extend downward from the left and right ends of the movable plate 141. The pair of connecting plates 142 supports the pressing plate 200 below the movable plate 141.

  With the above structure, when the elevating motor 134 is driven to rotate, the screw shaft 136 rotates via the bevel gears 135 and 137, and the nut 138 moves in the vertical direction. The pressing plate 200 also moves up and down via the movable plate 141 and the pair of connecting plates 142. As a result, the pressing plate 200 can be displaced to a pressing position at a lower portion of the movable range and a non-pressing position at an upper portion of the movable range. As shown in FIG. 5, the pressing position is a position where the pressing plate 200 presses the sheet bundle 8 held on the placement surface 110A downward (see FIG. 10). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the non-pressing position is a position where the pressing plate 200 is separated from the sheet bundle 8 held on the placement surface 110A.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the pressing plate 200 includes a first plate 201, a second plate 202, a drive motor 209, and the like. The first plate 201 is a rectangular plate-like member that extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction and is long in the left-right direction. The horizontal length of the first plate 201 is substantially equal to the horizontal length of the table 110. Each lower end portion of the pair of connecting plates 142 is connected to the rear edge portion of the upper surface of the first plate 201. The lower surface of the first plate 201 is a substantially horizontal first pressing surface 201A. 201 A of 1st press surfaces oppose the front edge part of 110 A of mounting surfaces in an up-down direction.

  The pair of shaft support portions 203 are provided on the front edge portion of the upper surface of the first plate 201 and are arranged on the left and right sides of the center in the left-right direction of the first plate 201. The rotation shaft 205 extends in the left-right direction between the pair of shaft support portions 203. The pair of shaft support portions 203 rotatably supports both end portions of the rotation shaft 205. The worm wheel 206 is provided at the center of the rotating shaft 205 in the left-right direction. The drive motor 209 is provided on the upper side of the first plate 201 and on the rear side of the rotation shaft 205. The drive motor 209 can rotate a shaft (not shown) extending downward. A worm (not shown) is provided on the shaft of the drive motor 209. The worm of the drive motor 209 meshes with the worm wheel 206 to constitute a known worm gear.

  The pair of support portions 204 are fixed to the left and right edges of the rotating shaft 205. Each support portion 204 has a protruding portion that is a portion protruding outward in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 205 from the pair of shaft support portions 203. The protruding portion of each support portion 204 is connected to the second plate 202. The second plate 202 is a rectangular plate-like member that is long in the left-right direction. The horizontal length of the second plate 202 is substantially equal to the horizontal length of the first plate 201. Of the second plate 202, the plane facing downward at the action position described later is the second pressing surface 202A.

  With the above structure, when the drive motor 209 is driven to rotate, the rotating shaft 205 rotates via the worm (not shown) and the worm wheel 206. The second plate 202 also rotates through the pair of shaft support portions 203. Thereby, the 2nd board 202 can be displaced to an action position and a non-action position.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the second plate 202 is in the operating position, the second plate 202 is disposed on the front side of the first plate 201. The second pressing surface 202A is substantially flush with the first pressing surface 201A and continuously extends forward from the first pressing surface 201A. At this time, the second pressing surface 202A is opposed to the support surface 150B (see FIG. 6) at the support position in the vertical direction. The longitudinal length of the second pressing surface 202A is substantially equal to the longitudinal length of the support surface 150B. As shown in FIG. 6, when the second plate 202 is in the non-operating position, the second plate 202 is disposed above the first pressing surface 201A.

  The conveyance unit 102 will be described. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transport unit 102 is provided below the support base 111 and includes a transport motor 121, a screw shaft 125, a pair of guide rails 126, and the like. The transport motor 121 is provided at the rear end of the transport unit 102 and can rotate a shaft (not shown) extending rearward. The pulley 122 is provided on the shaft of the transport motor 121. The screw shaft 125 extends in the front-rear direction above the transport motor 121. The screw shaft 125 is inserted into a nut (not shown) of the connecting portion 112 to constitute a known ball screw. The pulley 123 is provided at the rear end portion of the screw shaft 125. The belt 124 is stretched over the pulleys 122 and 123.

  The pair of guide rails 126 extend in the front-rear direction on both the left and right sides with the screw shaft 125 interposed therebetween. The pair of guide rails 126 extend forward to the cover holding mechanism 400 (see FIG. 1) via the glue application mechanism 300. The pair of guide rails 126 are provided below the left and right edges of the support base 111 and support the support base 111 so as to be movable. When the conveyance motor 121 is driven to rotate, the screw shaft 125 rotates through the pulleys 122 and 123 and the belt 124, and the connecting portion 112 moves in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the movable portion 101 linearly moves in the front-rear direction inside the main body frame 2 along the pair of guide rails 126.

  The table 110 can move in the front-rear direction within a predetermined movable range as the movable portion 101 moves. The movable range of the table 110 includes the first transport position. As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the first transport position is a front-rear direction position of the table 110 from which the paper 8 </ b> A supplied by the paper supply unit 5 is discharged onto the placement surface 110 </ b> A. The table 110 at the first transport position is disposed slightly forward of the sheet 8A immediately after being discharged from the sheet supply unit 5 in plan view. The long side and the short side of the paper 8A discharged from the paper supply unit 5 are parallel to the left-right direction and the front-rear direction of the bookbinding apparatus 1, respectively. The right end of the paper 8A discharged from the paper supply unit 5 is a downstream end in the transport direction of the paper 8A.

  The facing surface 150A at the contact position comes into contact with the front end portion of the paper 8A falling toward the placement surface 110A from the front side in a state where the table 110 is at the first transport position, and the front end portion is set to the first restriction position. Positioning is possible. The first restriction position is a predetermined appropriate position of the front end portion of the paper 8 </ b> A accumulated on the table 110. The first restriction position is a position on an imaginary straight line extending in the left-right direction in plan view. That is, the facing surface 150A at the contact position is a reference surface that extends in the substantially vertical direction through the first restriction position. The first restricting position is included in a glue application region described later.

  The right alignment plate 140 can contact the right end portion of the paper 8A falling toward the placement surface 110A from the right side with the table 110 in the first transport position, and the right end portion can be positioned at the second restriction position. is there. The second restriction position is a predetermined appropriate position at the right end of the paper 8 </ b> A stacked on the table 110. The second restriction position is a position on a virtual straight line extending in the front-rear direction on the right side of the table 110 in plan view. That is, the left surface of the right alignment plate 140 is a reference surface that extends in the substantially vertical direction through the second restriction position.

  The contact member 103 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the contact member 103 is provided on the rear side of the bundle operation unit 130 and on the right side of the paper discharge position. The paper discharge position is a position where the paper 8A is discharged from the paper supply unit 5 (see FIG. 6). The vertical position of the contact member 103 is above the table 110 and slightly below the paper discharge position. The contact member 103 includes a rear contact portion 180 and a front contact portion 190.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the rear contact portion 180 is provided below the rear side of the paper discharge position in a side view. The rear contact portion 180 is slightly behind the table 110 in plan view. The rear contact portion 180 includes a rear rail portion 181, a drive motor 182, and a shaft portion 183. The rear rail portion 181 is a plate-like member extending in the left-right direction, and has an L shape when viewed from the left side. The rear rail portion 181 extends in the left-right direction from the table 110 in plan view.

  The two surfaces forming the inner corners of the rear rail portion 181 are a first surface 181A and a second surface 181B. The first surface 181A and the second surface 181B extend in directions orthogonal to each other. The shaft portion 183 is a shaft that extends in the left-right direction and is fixed along the inner corner of the rear rail portion 181. The left end portion of the shaft portion 183 is rotatably supported by the main body frame 2. A right end portion of the shaft portion 183 is connected to a drive motor 182 fixed to the main body frame 2. The drive motor 182 can rotate the shaft portion 183.

  When the drive motor 182 rotates the shaft portion 183, the rear rail portion 181 rotates about the shaft portion 183 and can be displaced between the initial position and the operating position. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, when the rear rail portion 181 is in the initial position, the first surface 181A is an upward horizontal surface, and the second surface 181B is a forward vertical surface. At this time, the length in the front-rear direction of the first surface 181A is larger than the length in the vertical direction of the second surface 181B. Although not shown, when the rear rail portion 181 is in the operating position, the first surface 181A is a forward vertical surface, and the second surface 181B is a downward horizontal surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the front contact portion 190 is provided below the front side of the paper discharge position in a side view. The front contact portion 190 is slightly behind the front edge of the table 110 in plan view. The front contact portion 190 is substantially front-rear symmetrical with the rear contact portion 180 and includes a front rail portion 191, a drive motor 192, and a shaft portion 193. The front rail portion 191 is a plate-like member extending in the left-right direction, and has an L shape when viewed from the right side. The two surfaces forming the inner corners of the front rail portion 191 are a first surface 191A and a second surface 191B. The shaft portion 193 is fixed along the inner corner portion of the front rail portion 191. The left end portion of the shaft portion 193 is rotatably supported by the main body frame 2. A right end portion of the shaft portion 193 is connected to a drive motor 192 fixed to the main body frame 2.

  When the drive motor 192 rotates the shaft portion 193, the front rail portion 191 rotates about the shaft portion 193 and can be displaced between the initial position and the operating position. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, when the front rail portion 191 is at the initial position, the first surface 191A is an upward horizontal surface, and the second surface 191B is a rearward vertical surface. When the front rail portion 191 is in the operating position, the first surface 191A is a rearward vertical surface, and the second surface 191B is a downward horizontal surface (see FIG. 9).

<3. Structure of glue application mechanism 300>
The structure of the glue application mechanism 300 will be described with reference to FIG. The glue application mechanism 300 is disposed in front of the table 110 at the first transport position. The glue application mechanism 300 includes a movable part 301 and a transport part 302. The movable part 301 includes a support part 311, a drive motor 319, a glue application part 340 and the like. The support portion 311 is a rectangular plate-like body that extends in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The upper guide portion 312 is a member provided at the upper end portion of the support portion 311 and has a hole penetrating in the left-right direction. The lower guide portion 313 is a member provided at the lower end portion of the support portion 311 and is provided with a nut (not shown).

  The glue application part 340 is provided on the rear surface side of the support part 311. The glue application unit 340 is a box-shaped body that can accommodate the glue application roller 350 and glue therein. The glue application roller 350 is rotatably supported inside the glue application unit 340. The glue application roller 350 is a cylindrical body that has a peripheral surface to which glue can be attached and is rotatable about an axis (not shown) extending in the vertical direction. The glue stored in the glue application unit 340 is heated and dissolved by a heater (not shown).

  The upper end of the shaft of the glue application roller 350 protrudes upward from the glue application part 340. The pulley 317 is provided at the upper end portion of the shaft of the glue application roller 350. The drive motor 319 is provided on the upper portion of the rear surface of the support portion 311. The pulley (not shown) is provided on a shaft (not shown) extending downward from the drive motor 319. The belt 316 is stretched over a pulley 317 and a pulley provided on the shaft of the drive motor 319.

  The glue application port 346 is an opening cut out forward from the rear surface of the glue application part 340. The glue application port 346 exposes a part of the peripheral surface of the glue application roller 350 from the inside of the glue application unit 340 in the backward direction. A portion of the peripheral surface of the glue application roller 350 exposed from the glue application port 346 is referred to as a glue application surface of the glue application roller 350. The glue application surface is at a position in the front-rear direction substantially the same as the first restriction position described above. The glue application surface extends in the vertical direction from the sheet bundle 8 on the placement surface 110A.

  The transport unit 302 includes a transport motor (not shown), a screw shaft 303, a guide shaft 304, and the like. The bottom portion 302 </ b> A is a plate-like member that is provided below the front portion of the pair of guide rails 126 and extends in the left-right direction with respect to the transport unit 102. The pair of side plates 302B are plate-like members that extend upward from both ends in the left-right direction of the bottom portion 302A and are opposed to each other on both the left and right sides of the conveyance unit 102.

  The screw shaft 303 is disposed above the bottom portion 302A and extends in the left-right direction between the pair of side plates 302B. The screw shaft 303 is inserted through a nut of the lower guide portion 313 to constitute a known ball screw. The conveyance motor is provided at the left end of the bottom 302A and can rotate the screw shaft 303. The guide shaft 304 is a shaft body that spans the upper ends of the pair of side plates 302B. The guide shaft 304 is inserted through the hole of the upper guide portion 312. The guide shaft 304 supports the support portion 311 through the upper guide portion 312 so as to be movable.

  When the conveyance motor of the conveyance unit 302 rotationally drives the screw shaft 303, the lower guide unit 313 moves in the left-right direction. As a result, the support portion 311 moves in the left-right direction along the guide shaft 304 inserted through the upper guide portion 312. The glue application unit 340 moves in the left-right direction on the front side of the table 110 at the first transport position as the support unit 311 moves. The glue application unit 340 is movable in the left-right direction within the movable range of the table 110. The locus on which the glue application surface moves as the glue application unit 340 moves is referred to as the glue application region of the glue application unit 340.

  The glue application roller 350 rotates via a belt 316 and a pulley 317 when the drive motor 319 is driven to rotate. The glue supplied to the peripheral surface of the glue application roller 350 inside the glue application unit 340 moves to the glue application port 346. The glue is applied to an object that is in contact with or close to the glue application surface. Thus, the glue application unit 340 can apply glue in the glue application area while moving in the left-right direction over at least the length of the sheet bundle 8 in the left-right direction.

<4. Cover holding mechanism 400>
The cover holding mechanism 400 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 shows the positional relationship of the second printer 4, the cover sheet supply unit 6, and the cover sheet holding mechanism 400 in the left side view (the same applies to FIGS. 12 and 13 described later). The cover holding mechanism 400 is disposed in front of the table 110 and the glue application mechanism 300 (see FIG. 3). The cover holding mechanism 400 includes a movable part 401 and a conveying part 402.

  The movable portion 401 is disposed within the range of the cover sheet supply port 22 (see FIG. 1) in plan view. The movable portion 401 includes a support plate 411 that is a substantially square plate-like body when viewed from the front. On the back side of the support plate 411, a butting plate 460, a first clamp 403, and a second clamp 404 are provided. The abutting plate 460 is a rectangular plate-like body that extends in the left-right direction and is provided substantially at the center in the up-down direction on the rear surface side of the support plate 411.

  The first clamp 403 is a member that can sandwich the cover 9 supplied to the cover holding mechanism 400 from the front and rear directions. The first clamp 403 includes an upper clamp 430 and a lower clamp 440 that are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. The upper clamp 430 and the lower clamp 440 are movable in the vertical direction along the rear rails 415 and 416.

  The upper clamp 430 includes a rear plate 431, a front plate 432, and a pair of solenoids 433 and 435. The rear plate 431 and the front plate 432 are rectangular plate-like bodies arranged to face each other in the front-rear direction. The pair of solenoids 433 and 435 move the rear plate 431 and the front plate 432 in the direction approaching or separating from each other via the opening and closing links 434 and 436, respectively. The lower clamp 440 has the same structure as the upper clamp 430. The lower clamp 440 includes a rear plate 441, a front plate 442, and a pair of solenoids 443 and 445. The pair of solenoids 443 and 445 move the rear plate 441 and the front plate 442 in directions toward or away from each other via the opening and closing links 444 and 446, respectively.

  A gap between the rear plate 431 and the front plate 432 is an operation region 430A. A gap between the rear plate 441 and the front plate 442 is an operation region 440A. The operation areas 430A and 440A are spaces extending in the left-right direction to which the cover 9 is supplied from the cover holding mechanism 400. When the rear plate 431 and the front plate 432 move in a direction approaching each other, the operation region 430A is closed. When the rear plate 431 and the front plate 432 move away from each other, the operation area 430A is opened. Similarly, the operation area 440A can be changed between an open state and a closed state.

The elevating motor 450 is provided slightly on the left side of the upper end portion of the movable portion 401. The pulleys 451 and 452 are provided at the upper left end and the lower left end of the movable unit 401, respectively.
A shaft (not shown) extending in the left direction from the lifting motor 450 is connected to the pulley 451. The belt 453 is stretched over pulleys 451 and 452. The connecting portion 454 is a member that connects the rear plate 441 and the belt 453. The positioning plate 455 is a plate-like body provided slightly below the upper right end portion of the movable portion 401.

  With the above structure, when the lifting motor 450 is driven, the lower clamp 440 moves along the rear rails 415 and 416. When the lower clamp 440 is not in contact with the upper clamp 430, the upper clamp 430 is held at the upper reference position. The upper reference position (see FIGS. 7 and 8) is the vertical position of the upper clamp 430 where the positioning projection of the rear plate 431 is supported by the positioning plate 455. The lower clamp 440 that moves upward contacts the upper clamp 430 at the upper reference position from below, and moves upward while supporting the upper clamp 430. The upper clamp 430 and the lower clamp 440 move to the upper end of each movable range in a state where they are aligned in the vertical direction.

  When the lower clamp 440 moves downward from the upper end of its movable range, the upper clamp 430 supported by the lower clamp 440 moves downward to the upper reference position by its own weight. Thereafter, the lower clamp 440 moves away from the upper clamp 430. The lower clamp 440 moving downward is movable to the lower end of the movable range via the lower reference position. The lower reference position (see FIGS. 7 and 8) is the vertical position of the lower clamp 440 that is symmetrical with the upper reference position in the vertical direction with the abutting plate 460 interposed therebetween. The distance from the upper reference position to the lower reference position is slightly smaller than the vertical length of the cover 9 supplied to the cover holding mechanism 400.

  The 2nd clamp 404 is a member which can clamp the booklet 10 (refer FIG. 16) from an up-down direction. The second clamp 404 includes an upper clamp 470 and a lower clamp 480 disposed on both upper and lower sides with the abutting plate 460 interposed therebetween. The upper clamp 470 and the lower clamp 480 are movable in the vertical direction along the front rails 417 and 418. The clamp body 472 is a plate-like body that protrudes downward from the rear end portion of the upper clamp 470. The clamp body 482 is a plate-like body that protrudes upward from the rear end portion of the lower clamp 480.

  The lifting motor 490 is provided at the center of the upper end of the movable part 401. The lifting motor 490 can rotate a screw shaft 491 extending downward from the lifting motor 490 about the axis. The screw shaft 491 is inserted through a nut (not shown) of the upper clamp 470 and a nut (not shown) of the lower clamp 480. When the screw shaft 491 rotates in one direction, the nut of the upper clamp 470 converts the rotational motion of the screw shaft 491, and the linear motion of the lower clamp 480 nut converts the rotational motion of the screw shaft 491. Are directions opposite to each other.

  With the above-described structure, when the lifting motor 490 rotates the screw shaft 491, the upper clamp 470 and the lower clamp 480 move in the direction of approaching or separating from each other in a vertically symmetrical manner with the abutting plate 460 interposed therebetween. The upper clamp 470 is movable downward to a position where it comes into contact with the upper end portion of the abutting plate 460. The lower clamp 480 can move upward to a position where it comes into contact with the lower end of the abutting plate 460. When the upper clamp 470 moves to the lower end of the movable range and the lower clamp 480 moves to the upper end of the movable range, the vertical distance between the clamp bodies 472 and 482 becomes the smallest. At this time, the vertical distance between the clamp bodies 472 and 482 is smaller than the vertical length of the booklet 10.

  The transport unit 402 is provided on the front side of the movable unit 401. The transport unit 402 moves the support plate 411 in the vertical direction by the driving force of the transport motor 422. At this time, the movable part 401 moves in the vertical direction inside the main body frame 2 and in front of the glue applying part 340. When the movable portion 401 is at the lower end of the movable range, the entire movable portion 401 is accommodated inside the main body frame 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 7). The movable part 401 is movable upward to a position where the movable part 401 protrudes above the main body frame 2 through the cover sheet supply port 22 (see FIG. 12). The movable range of the movable part 401 includes the reference position for pasting. The sticking reference position is the vertical position of the movable portion 401 where the abutting plate 460 covers the entire sheet bundle 8 on the placement surface 110A in front view.

<5. Bookbinding Operation of Bookbinding Device 1>
Hereinafter, the bookbinding operation of the bookbinding apparatus 1 will be described for each process. When the user inputs a bookbinding operation start instruction to the control unit 900 (see FIG. 1), the following bookbinding operation is executed under the control of the control unit 900.

<5-1. Initialization process>
First, the control unit 900 executes an initialization process for returning the bookbinding apparatus 1 to an initial state. By the initialization process, the paper alignment mechanism 100, the glue application mechanism 300, the cover holding mechanism 400, and the like are each controlled to the initial state. When the paper alignment mechanism 100 is controlled to the initial state, the table 110 is in the first transport position (see FIGS. 3 and 4). As shown in FIG. 6, the front alignment plate 150 is in the first rotation position. The pressing plate 200 is in a non-pressing position. The second plate 202 is in the non-operating position. In the contact member 103, the rear rail portion 181 and the front rail portion 191 are in their initial positions.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the glue application mechanism 300 is controlled to the initial state, the glue application unit 340 is positioned at the retracted position, and the rotation of the glue application roller 350 is stopped. The retracted position is the right end portion of the movable range of the glue application unit 340 on the right side of the movable range of the table 110. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the cover holding mechanism 400 is controlled to the initial state, the movable portion 401 is at the lower end of the movable range. In the first clamp 403, the upper clamp 430 is at the upper reference position and the lower clamp 440 is at the lower reference position. The operation areas 430A and 440A are both in a closed state. In the second clamp 404, the upper clamp 470 is at the upper end of the movable range, and the lower clamp 480 is at the lower end of the movable range.

<5-2. Paper accumulation process>
After the initialization process is executed, the first printer 3 (see FIG. 1) sequentially prints the images represented in the booklet on the plurality of sheets 8A in response to a print instruction from the control unit 900 or a user's print instruction. The control unit 900 executes a paper stacking process in parallel with the printing operation of the first printer 3. The paper stacking process is a process of stacking the paper 8A printed by the first printer 3 by the paper aligning mechanism 100.

  The paper stacking process will be described with reference to FIGS. 4, 6, 9, and 10. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the control unit 900 first drives the paper supply unit 5 to convey the printed paper 8 </ b> A discharged from the first printer 3 into the main body frame 2. The controller 900 drives the vibration motor 114 to vibrate the table 110.

  The paper supply unit 5 discharges the paper 8A from the paper discharge position toward the space between the rear rail 181 and the front rail 191 at the initial position. The discharged paper 8A moves to the right by inertia and falls by its own weight toward the rear rail portion 181 and the front rail portion 191. The trailing end of the falling paper 8A contacts the rear rail 181 and is supported from below by the first surface 181A. The front end portion of the falling paper 8A contacts the front rail portion 191 and is supported from below by the first surface 191A. At this time, the second surfaces 181B and 191B regulate the back and forth movement of the paper 8A and guide the paper 8A to the right.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the controller 900 drives the drive motor 192 (see FIG. 4) to displace the front rail 191 from the initial position to the operating position. The front end of the paper 8A is separated from the first surface 191A and falls to a position lower than the rear end of the paper 8A on the first surface 181A. Accordingly, the paper 8A falls while moving right forward by the inertial force and gravity acting on the paper 8A. The rear end portion of the paper 8A is separated from the first surface 181A to the front side. At this time, the controller 900 may drive the drive motor 182 (see FIG. 4) to displace the rear rail 181 from the initial position to the operating position. Thereby, the paper 8A can be dropped more smoothly.

  The paper 8A falling from the contact member 103 falls toward the placement surface 110A in a posture inclined downward to the right front side via the lower side of the pressing plate 200 at the non-pressing position. The first sheet 8A falls directly on the placement surface 110A. The second and subsequent sheets 8A overlap the sheet 8A that has been placed on the placement surface 110A. That is, the contact member 103 supplies the paper 8A to the placement surface 110A so that the paper 8A is urged to the right front side. The front end portion of the sheet 8A comes into contact with the facing surface 150A at the contact position and is positioned at the first restriction position. The right end portion of the sheet 8A comes into contact with the right alignment plate 140 and is positioned at the second restriction position.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the controller 900 displaces the front rail 191 from the operating position to the initial position before the next sheet 8A is discharged from the sheet discharge position. The controller 900 repeats the process of displacing the front rail portion 191 from the initial position to the operating position every time the next sheet 8A is discharged from the sheet discharge position. The plurality of sheets 8A that have fallen on the placement surface 110A are stacked on the table 110 with their front end portions and right end portions positioned.

  The plurality of stacked sheets 8A form a sheet bundle 8 on the placement surface 110A. By the vertical vibration of the table 110, the air intervening in the gap between the adjacent sheets 8A in the vertical direction is expelled. In the sheet bundle 8, the sheets 8 </ b> A adjacent in the vertical direction are in surface contact with each other. The front end surface and the right end surface of the sheet bundle 8 are substantially flush with each other along the first restriction position and the second restriction position. The front edge of the sheet bundle 8 is supported on the support surface 150B at the support position. Thereafter, the control unit 900 stops the vibration motor 114 and ends the vertical vibration of the table 110.

<5-3. Paper pressing process>
The controller 900 executes the paper pressing process after the paper stacking process. The sheet pressing step is a step of pressing the sheet bundle 8 on the table 110 with the pressing plate 200. With reference to FIG. 10, the paper pressing step will be described. First, the controller 900 drives the drive motor 209 (see FIG. 5) to displace the second plate 202 from the non-operating position to the operating position. The first pressing surface 201A and the second pressing surface 202A form a substantially flat surface that is substantially flush with each other. Note that the controller 900 may displace the second plate 202 to the operating position in advance before starting the paper pressing process (for example, the initialization process or the paper stacking process).

  Next, the control unit 900 drives the elevating motor 134 (see FIG. 5) to move the pressing plate 200 downward from the non-pressing position and displace it to the pressing position. That is, the pressing plate 200 moves downward to the pressing position in a state where the second plate 202 is displaced to the operating position. The first pressing surface 201A and the second pressing surface 202A press the sheet bundle 8 substantially simultaneously from above. A part of the sheet bundle 8 is sandwiched between the first pressing surface 201A and the placement surface 110A. The front edge of the sheet bundle 8 is sandwiched between the second pressing surface 202A of the second plate 202 at the operating position and the support surface 150B at the support position. As a result, the plurality of sheets 8 </ b> A are aligned without gaps at the front edge of the sheet bundle 8.

<5-4. Paste application process>
The controller 900 executes the glue application process after the paper pressing process. The glue application step is a step of applying glue to the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8. With reference to FIG. 11, the glue application process will be described. FIG. 11 shows a glue application unit 340 in the glue application mechanism 300 (see FIG. 3).

  First, the controller 900 drives the drive motor 209 (see FIG. 5) to displace the second plate 202 from the operating position to the non-operating position. The controller 900 drives the drive motor 117 to displace the front alignment plate 150 from the first rotation position to the second rotation position. The facing surface 150A and the support surface 150B are displaced to a non-contact position and a non-support position, respectively. As a result, the second plate 202 and the front aligning plate 150 move in directions away from each other. The front edge of the sheet bundle 8 is released from the second pressing surface 202A and the support surface 150B, and protrudes forward from the table 110 and the pressing plate 200.

  Next, the control unit 900 drives the conveyance motor of the conveyance unit 302 (see FIG. 3) to reciprocate the glue application unit 340 in the left-right direction, and drives the drive motor 319 (see FIG. 3) to apply the glue application roller. Rotate 350. The glue application surface of the glue application roller 350 applies glue to the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 in the glue application area of the glue application unit 340. As a result, an adhesive portion is formed on the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 without having to move the sheet bundle 8 after the plurality of sheets 8A are stacked.

<5-5. Cover transport process>
After execution of the initialization process, the second printer 4 (see FIG. 1) prints an image represented on the cover of the booklet on the cover 9 according to a print instruction from the control unit 900 or a print instruction by the user. In parallel with the printing operation of the second printer 4, the control unit 900 executes a cover sheet transporting process. The front cover transporting step is a step of transporting the front cover 9 printed by the second printer 4 into the main body frame 2.

  With reference to FIG.12 and FIG.13, a cover conveyance process is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 12, first, the control unit 900 moves the movable unit 401 upward from the lower end of the movable range and positions it at the receiving position. The receiving position is a vertical position of the movable portion 401 where the movable portion 401 protrudes above the main body frame 2 through the cover sheet supply port 22 (see FIG. 1). The control unit 900 moves the upper clamp 430 and the lower clamp 440 to the upper end of each movable range and positions them directly below the cover sheet supply unit 6.

  Next, the control unit 900 controls the operation areas 430A and 440A (see FIG. 8) to the open state. The cover 9 printed by the second printer 4 is guided toward the cover supply port 22 by the cover supply unit 6. The cover 9 discharged from the cover supply unit 6 enters the operation area 430A of the upper clamp 430. Further, the cover sheet 9 enters the operation area 440A of the lower clamp 440 located immediately below the upper clamp 430. When the lower side portion of the cover 9 enters the operation area 440A, the control unit 900 closes the operation area 440A. The lower side portion of the cover sheet 9 is sandwiched between the rear plate 441 (see FIG. 8) and the front plate 442 (see FIG. 8).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 900 moves the lower clamp 440 holding the lower side portion of the cover 9 downward. At this time, the upper clamp 430 is moved downward to the upper reference position by its own weight in a state where the cover 9 is inserted in the operation area 430A. After the upper clamp 430 reaches the upper reference position, the lower clamp 440 is moved away from the upper clamp 430 to the lower reference position. When the lower clamp 440 moves to the lower reference position, the control unit 900 closes the operation region 430A. The upper side portion of the cover sheet 9 is sandwiched between the rear plate 431 (see FIG. 8) and the front plate 432 (see FIG. 8). Thereby, the upper clamp 430 and the lower clamp 440 hold the cover 9 in a posture extending in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.

  Next, the control unit 900 moves the movable unit 401 that holds the cover 9 downward to the reference reference position. In the present embodiment, when the movable part 401 is at the sticking reference position, the vertical center of the cover 9 held by the movable part 401 and the vertical center of the sheet bundle 8 (see FIG. 11) on the table 110 are the same. It almost agrees. When the movable portion 401 is at the reference position, even if the vertical center of the print area of the cover 9 held by the movable portion 401 and the vertical center of the sheet bundle 8 on the table 110 substantially coincide with each other. Good.

<5-6. Covering process>
The controller 900 executes a cover sheet attaching process after the cover sheet conveying process and the glue applying process. The cover sticking step is a step of sticking the cover 9 held by the cover holding mechanism 400 to the sheet bundle 8 coated with glue. With reference to FIGS. 14-16, a cover sticking process is demonstrated. FIG. 14 schematically shows the upper clamp 430, the lower clamp 440, the abutting plate 460, the upper clamp 470, and the lower clamp 480 in the cover holding mechanism 400 in the initial state (see FIG. 8). 15 and 16 schematically show the abutting plate 460, the upper clamp 470, and the lower clamp 480 in the cover holding mechanism 400.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the controller 900 drives the transport motor 121 (see FIG. 3) to move the table 110 forward from the first transport position. The sheet bundle 8 moves forward while being sandwiched between the first pressing surface 201A and the placement surface 110A. The table 110 is moved forward to the second transport position. The second transport position is a position in the front-rear direction of the table 110 where the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 is pressed against the abutting plate 460.

  The table 110 passes through the third transfer position while moving from the first transfer position to the second transfer position. The third transport position is a front-rear direction position of the table 110 where the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 contacts the cover sheet 9 held by the cover sheet holding mechanism 400. A position where the adhesive portion formed on the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 and the cover sheet 9 contact each other is referred to as a contact position. As indicated by phantom lines in FIG. 14, the upper clamp 430 holds the cover sheet 9 above the contact position, and the lower clamp 440 holds the cover sheet 9 below the contact position.

  The cover sheet 9 held by the upper clamp 430 and the lower clamp 440 is attached to an adhesive portion formed on the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 when the table 110 reaches the third transport position. The control unit 900 opens the operation areas 430A and 440A when the table 110 moves from the third transport position to the second transport position. As a result, as the table 110 moves from the third transport position to the second transport position, the upper side portion of the cover sheet 9 released from the upper clamp 430 falls out from the operation area 430A. At the same time, the lower side portion of the cover sheet 9 released from the lower clamp 440 comes out upward from the operation area 440A. When the table 110 reaches the second transport position, the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 is pressed against the abutting plate 460 through the cover sheet 9. As a result, the cover sheet 9 is securely attached to the adhesive portion of the sheet bundle 8.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 15, the control unit 900 drives the lifting motor 490 (see FIG. 8) to move the upper clamp 470 and the lower clamp 480 in directions close to each other. The clamp body 472 moving downward biases the cover sheet 9 from the upper side toward the front edge of the sheet bundle 8 and bends the upper part of the cover sheet 9 backward. The clamp body 482 that moves upward urges the cover sheet 9 from below to the front edge of the sheet bundle 8 and bends the lower part of the cover sheet 9 backward. A booklet 10 (see FIG. 16), which is a sheet bundle 8 wrapped with a cover sheet 9, is created. The clamp bodies 472 and 482 sandwich the front edge of the booklet 10 from the upper and lower sides on the rear side of the abutting plate 460.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the controller 900 drives the lifting motor 134 (see FIG. 5) to move the pressing plate 200 upward from the pressing position and displace it to the non-pressing position. Further, the controller 900 drives the transport motor 121 (see FIG. 3) to move the table 110 rearward from the second transport position to the first transport position. As a result, the booklet 10 is separated from the table 110 to the front side. The booklet 10 hangs downward and rearward due to its own weight in a state where the front edge portion is sandwiched between the clamp bodies 472 and 482. Thereafter, the controller 900 drives the lifting motor 490 (see FIG. 8) to move the upper clamp 470 and the lower clamp 480 in a direction away from each other. The operator collects the booklet 10 released from the clamping by the clamp bodies 472 and 482 from the inside of the main body frame 2.

<7. Remarks about this embodiment>
According to the present embodiment, while the plurality of sheets 8A are supplied to the placement surface 110A, the front end surfaces of the sheet bundle 8 are aligned with the facing surface 150A being displaced to the contact position (sheet stacking step). Next, when the pressing plate 200 is displaced from the non-pressing position to the pressing position, the front edge portion of the sheet bundle 8 is pressed by the second pressing surface 202A of the second plate 202 in the operating position, and the first pressing surface In 201A, a portion different from the front edge portion of the sheet bundle 8 is pressed (sheet pressing step). Next, the second plate 202 is displaced from the operation position to the non-operation position, and the facing surface 150A is displaced from the contact position to the non-contact position, and the cover sheet holding mechanism 400 applies glue to the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8. (Glue application process).

  According to this, before the glue is applied to the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8, the front edge portion of the sheet bundle 8 is pressed in the stacking direction of the plurality of sheets 8A by the second pressing surface 202A. It is possible to prevent the alignment of the sheets from being disturbed on the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 where gluing is performed. After the facing surface 150A is separated from the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8, and after the second plate 202 is separated from the front edge of the sheet bundle 8, the sheet bundle 8 is sandwiched between the first pressing surface 201A and the placement surface 110A. In this state, glue is applied to the front end face of the sheet bundle 8. It is possible to suppress the opposing surface 150 </ b> A and the second plate 202 from interfering with the glue applied to the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8. Therefore, the bookbinding apparatus 1 can apply glue evenly to the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8 in which the plurality of sheets 8A are stacked.

  In the sheet pressing step, the second plate 202 presses the front edge of the sheet bundle 8 with the second pressing surface 202A before the first pressing surface 201A presses a portion of the sheet bundle 8 that is different from the front edge. To do. According to this, a wrinkle is generated on the paper 8A between a portion of the paper bundle 8 pressed by the first pressing surface 201A and a portion of the paper bundle 8 pressed by the second pressing surface 202A. Can be suppressed.

  The direction in which the second plate 202 is displaced from the operating position to the non-operating position and the direction in which the facing surface 150A is displaced from the contact position to the non-contact position are directions away from each other. Specifically, the rotational direction in which the second plate 202 is displaced from the operating position to the non-operating position and the rotational direction in which the facing surface 150A is displaced from the contact position to the non-contact position are opposite to each other. According to this, in the glue application step, it is possible to suppress interference between the second plate 202 and the facing surface 150A when they are displaced.

  In the paper stacking process and the paper pressing process, the support surface 150B is controlled to be displaced to the support position. In the glue application step, the glue is applied to the front end face of the sheet bundle 8 by the glue application mechanism 300 after the support surface 150B is displaced from the support position to the non-support position. According to this, in the paper pressing step, the front edge portion of the paper bundle 8 is sandwiched between the second plate 202 and the support surface 150B. It is possible to more reliably suppress the disorder of the sheet alignment on the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8. In the glue applying step, the glue is applied to the front end face of the sheet bundle 8 after the support surface 150B is separated from the front edge of the sheet bundle 8. It is possible to suppress the support surface 150B from interfering with the glue applied to the front end surface of the sheet bundle 8.

  The facing surface 150 </ b> A and the support surface 150 </ b> B are provided on the front alignment plate 150. When the front alignment plate 150 moves to the first rotation position, the facing surface 150A and the support surface 150B are displaced to the contact position and the support position, respectively. The opposing surface 150A and the support surface 150B are displaced to the non-contact position and the non-support position, respectively, when the front alignment plate 150 moves to the second rotation position. According to this, the opposing surface 150A and the support surface 150B can be displaced simultaneously by controlling the position of the front alignment plate 150.

  In the above-described embodiment, the placement surface 110A is an example of the “placement portion” in the present invention. The facing surface 150A is an example of the “paper alignment portion” in the present invention. The first pressing surface 201A is an example of the “first pressing surface” in the present invention. The first plate 201 is an example of the “fixing portion” in the present invention. The second plate 202 is an example of the “movable part” in the present invention. The pressing plate 200 is an example of the “pressing means” in the present invention. The second pressing surface 202A is an example of the “second pressing surface” in the present invention. The glue applying mechanism 300 is an example of the “glue applying means” in the present invention. The control unit 900 is an example of the “control unit” in the present invention. The paper stacking process is an example of the “first process” in the present invention. The paper pressing step is an example of the “second process” in the present invention. The glue application step is an example of the “third process” in the present invention. The rotating shaft 205 is an example of the “first shaft” in the present invention. The rotating shaft 151 is an example of the “second shaft” in the present invention. The support surface 150B is an example of the “support portion” in the present invention. The front aligning plate 150 is an example of the “moving means” in the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. With reference to FIG. 17, the pressing plate 200 of a modification is demonstrated. The pressing plate 200 of the modified example includes a pair of sliding pins 210 and a pair of coil springs 211. Each sliding pin 210 has a head portion and a shaft portion, and is provided at the front portion of each support portion 204. The head of each sliding pin 210 is disposed above each support portion 204. The shaft portion of each sliding pin 210 extends downward from the head of each sliding pin 210 and penetrates each support portion 204 in the vertical direction. The shaft portion of each sliding pin 210 can slide in the support portion 204 in the vertical direction. The lower end portion of the shaft portion of each sliding pin 210 is connected to the upper surface of the second plate 202.

  The shaft portion of each sliding pin 210 is inserted through the winding center of each coil spring 211. Each coil spring 211 is disposed between the support portion 204 and the second plate 202 and elastically biases the second plate 202 downward. When the second plate 202 is in the operating position, the second plate 202 is disposed below the first plate 201, and the second pressing surface 202A faces downward. That is, the second pressing surface 202A extends substantially horizontally below the first pressing surface 201A.

  In the paper pressing step, the control unit 900 moves the pressing plate 200 downward from the non-pressing position while the second plate 202 is displaced to the operating position. At this time, the second pressing surface 202 </ b> A contacts the sheet bundle 8 before the first pressing surface 201 </ b> A and presses the front end portion of the sheet bundle 8 from above by the biasing force of the pair of coil springs 211. Further, as the pressing plate 200 moves downward, the pair of coil springs 211 are elastically deformed and contracted. Accordingly, the first pressing surface 201A presses a part of the sheet bundle 8 in a state where the second pressing surface 202A presses the front end portion of the sheet bundle 8.

  According to this modification, the front end portion of the sheet bundle 8 is pressed by the second pressing surface 202A before the first pressing surface 201A presses a part of the sheet bundle 8, so that the sheet bundle 8 is wrinkled. Hateful. In this modification, the pair of coil springs 211 may not be provided. In this case, the second pressing surface 202 </ b> A can press the front end portion of the sheet bundle 8 by the weight of the second plate 202.

  In the embodiment and the modified example, the mounting surface 110A may be a plane inclined obliquely. At least one of the second plate 202 and the front alignment plate 150 may be displaced by, for example, linear movement instead of being displaced by rotation. The facing surface 150A and the support surface 150B may be provided on different movable members, and may be independently displaced. The glue application mechanism 300 may apply glue with a spray or a brush instead of a roller.

  The controller 900 may displace the second plate 202 from the non-operating position to the operating position after displacing the pressing plate 200 from the non-pressing position to the pressing position during the paper pressing step. In this case, the second pressing surface 202 </ b> A presses the front end portion of the sheet bundle 8 with the first pressing surface 201 </ b> A pressing a part of the sheet bundle 8. Even when the controller 900 simultaneously performs the operation of displacing the pressing plate 200 from the non-pressing position to the pressing position and the operation of displacing the second plate 202 from the non-operating position to the operating position during the paper pressing step. Good. In this case, the execution time of the paper pressing process can be shortened.

  The controller 900 may simultaneously displace the second plate 202 and the front aligning plate 150 during execution of the glue application step, or may displace the second plate 202 and the front aligning plate 150 at different timings.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bookbinding apparatus 8 Sheet bundle 8A Sheet 103 Contact member 110A Placement surface 111 Support stand 150 Front alignment plate 150A Opposing surface 150B Support surface 151 Rotating shaft 200 Press plate 201 First plate 201A First press surface 202 Second plate 202A Second Press surface 205 Rotating shaft 300 Glue application mechanism 900 Control unit

Claims (6)

A loading section that is a surface capable of stacking and holding a plurality of supplied sheets in the first direction;
Displaceable to a contact position capable of contacting an end portion in the second direction of the sheet supplied to the placement unit and a non-contact position spaced from the sheet supplied to the placement unit, A second direction is a direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a paper aligning portion that is a plane extending substantially parallel to the first direction at the contact position;
The plurality of sheets having a fixed portion having a first pressing surface substantially parallel to the placement portion and a movable portion displaceable on the second direction side of the fixed portion and held by the placement portion. A pressing means capable of displacing the sheet bundle in a third direction that is opposite to the first direction and a non-pressing position spaced from the sheet bundle;
Glue applying means capable of applying glue to a specific end face which is an end face in the second direction of the sheet bundle;
Control means,
The movable portion has a second pressing surface capable of pressing the sheet bundle, and when the pressing means is in the pressing position, the operation position where the second pressing surface contacts the sheet bundle; When the pressing means is in the pressing position, the second pressing surface is displaceable to a non-operating position separated from the sheet bundle;
The control means includes
A first process for aligning the specific end surface along the first direction in a state in which the paper alignment unit is displaced to the contact position while the plurality of sheets are supplied to the placement unit;
After the execution of the first process, the pressing means is displaced from the non-pressing position to the pressing position so that the second pressing surface of the movable portion at the working position moves in the second direction of the sheet bundle. A second process of pressing a specific edge, which is an edge, in the third direction, and pressing a portion different from the specific edge of the sheet bundle in the third direction on the first pressing surface;
After the execution of the second process, the movable part is displaced from the working position to the non-acting position, and the paper aligning part is displaced from the contact position to the non-contacting position, and the glue application means A bookbinding apparatus that performs a third process of applying glue to a specific end face.   The movable portion presses the specific edge with the second pressing surface before the first pressing surface presses a portion of the sheet bundle different from the specific edge when the second process is performed. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The direction in which the movable portion is displaced from the operating position to the non-operating position and the direction in which the paper aligning portion is displaced from the contact position to the non-contact position are directions away from each other. Item 3. A bookbinding apparatus according to item 1 or 2. The movable portion is rotatable about a first axis extending in a fourth direction orthogonal to the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction, and is displaceable between the operating position and the non-operating position. Yes,
The paper aligning portion rotates around a second axis extending in the fourth direction, and is displaceable between the contact position and the non-contact position.
The direction in which the movable portion is displaced from the operating position to the non-operating position and the direction in which the paper aligning portion is displaced from the contact position to the non-contact position are rotation directions opposite to each other. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 3. The support part which is a plane which can be displaced to the support position which supports the specific edge from the third direction side in the second direction side of the above-mentioned placing part, and the non-support position which is separated from the specific edge. ,
The control means includes
In the first process and the second process, the support unit is controlled to be displaced to the support position,
5. The paste according to claim 1, wherein, in the third process, after the support portion is displaced from the support position to the non-support position, glue is applied to the specific end surface by the glue application unit. The bookbinding apparatus described in 1. It has the paper alignment part and the support part, and comprises a moving means that can be displaced to the first position and the second position,
The paper alignment section and the support section are displaced to the contact position and the support position, respectively, when the moving means is moved to the first position, and when the moving means is moved to the second position, The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the bookbinding apparatus is displaced to a non-contact position and the non-support position.

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