Abstract:
A glue container receiving hot-melt adhesive, an applicator roll, an apparatus casing, and disposed therein, a cooling unit and its control unit, for cooling a post-cover-sheet-processed sheaf, are provided. The control unit is configured to halt the cooling unit when adhesive is being applied to a sheaf with the applicator roll, and to actuate it after adhesive application. The control unit: ( 1 ) cools the apparatus casing interior by actuating the cooling unit when a sheaf is conveyed toward a glue application position; ( 2 ) halts the cooling unit when adhesive is being applied to a sheaf conveyed into the glue application position; and ( 3 ) reactivates the cooling unit after adhesive application. Thus controlling the apparatus-internal temperature appropriately in applying a hot-melt adhesive to a sheaf, and binding the sheaf together with a cover, etc. enables secure binding adhesion in a short time frame, without bookbinding defects such as missing leaves.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention—involving adhesive applicators and adhesive-applicator-equipped bookbinding apparatuses that sheave sequentially supplied sheets, apply adhesive to a sheet sheaf, and then bind a cover sheet onto the sheaf to encase it—relates to improvements in apparatus-internal ambient temperature control in heating a hot-melt adhesive to melt it, applying the molten adhesive to an endface of a sheet sheaf, and cold-hardening the work after encasement. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Widely known among bookbinding apparatuses of this type are in general those that automatically form booklets by stacking and sheaving sheets conveyed out from an image-forming or like apparatus, applying adhesive to the spine endface of a sheet sheaf, and then binding onto the sheaf a cover sheet fed from a path that is different from that of the sheaf. Recently in particular, printing systems that on demand form images onto sheets in an image-forming apparatus, sheave the sheets, then bookbinding-finish the sheet sheaves into booklets by binding a cover sheet together with the sheet sheaf are widely being employed. 
         [0005]    Examples of this sort of conventional bookbinding apparatus include the machine proposed in FIG. 2 of Japanese Unexamined Pat. App. Pub. No. 2004-114196, which stacks and sheaves onto a tray sheets conveyed out from an image-forming apparatus, applies adhesive to the spine endface of the sheet sheaf, and then binds a cover sheet together with the sheet sheaf and by hardening the adhesive adheres the cover to the sheaf. Then for the adhesive, the machine is configured with a glue container with a built-in applicator roll, and the adhesive in the container is applied to the sheet sheaves with the applicator roll. Chiefly employed in this implementation is a hot-melt adhesive, in which case the adhesive in solid form is charged into the container, and is melted and liquefied with a heating means and spread on with the applicator roll. 
         [0006]    The benefits of a hot-melt adhesive—thus with which the adhesive in solid form at ordinary temperatures is heat-liquefied and applied to a sheet sheaf, and adheres by hardening after being applied—are that being in solid form facilitates managing the adhesive during handling and storage, and that during use, because the melted-liquefied adhesive after being applied to a sheet sheaf hardens at a leisurely pace, the cover-sheet binding and related processes can be executed in the interim, expediting bookbinding and its associated processes. On the other hand, problems hot-melt adhesives are known to have are that the adhesives must be kept in a heated/melted state inside the bookbinding apparatus, and that if the latter-stage processes on a sheet sheaf to which adhesive has been applied are not implemented within a predetermined post-application time frame, the adhesive hardens, making it impossible to bind the cover sheet together with the sheet sheaf. 
         [0007]    Using hot-melt adhesives widely employed to date in binding, as described above, a sheet sheaf and cover sheet together to form booklets in a bookbinding apparatus leads to the following problems. The fact that the viscosity of a melted/liquefied adhesive will be low when the adhesive temperature is high runs the risk of adhesive applied to a sheaf dripping onto and soiling the cover sheet disposed directly underneath, or soiling the apparatus interior, and in some cases, when in subsequent processes a cover sheet is glued on and spine creases are formed, the adhesive leaks out onto the front and back sides of the cover sheet. Meanwhile, if the adhesive temperature is low, the adhesive will not seep in between leaves of the sheaf, on account of which pages may drop out, or the entire spine-covering area of the cover sheet cannot be glued on uniformly. Inasmuch as any of these problems leads to inferior bookbinding, setting the adhesive temperature to an optimal condition is a crucial issue for bookbinding processes. 
         [0008]    Therein, as far as adhesive temperature is concerned, cold hardening in a comparatively short time frame after an adhesive has been applied onto and a cover sheet bound together with sheets is called for. Against this backdrop, attempts have been made, as in the patent reference cited earlier (JP 2004-114196), to optimally control the temperature of the adhesive, yet without taking into consideration the temperature inside the glue-container-outfitted apparatus. Consequently, the apparatus-internal temperature, from its relationship to the high-temperature heat that sheets conveyed out from an image-forming or like apparatus take on, and the heating of the glue container in order to melt the hot-melt adhesive, is predisposed to reach high temperatures. The problem with the apparatus-internal temperature becoming elevated is that, with the temperature of the sheets themselves being raised, applied adhesive drips, or more adhesive than necessary penetrates between the sheaf leaves, inviting faulty bookbinding. 
         [0009]    Given these circumstances, the present inventors provided a cooling fan within the housing of an apparatus equipped with a glue container, to attempt to keep the apparatus-internal temperature constant and to promote solidification of the adhesive following sheaf encasement. This resolved problems owing to dripping or excessive inter-sheet permeation of adhesive, with the apparatus-internal temperature having gone high on account of the heat that the sheets themselves have taken on. Nevertheless, cooling the apparatus interior with, for example, a cooling device such as a cooling fan caused adhesive that been applied to a sheet sheaf to cool during the interval when the sheaf is transported to the cover-sheet binding position downstream and is bound together with a cover sheet, and this problem was prohibitive of securely gluing on the cover sheets. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    A first object of the present invention, brought about taking into consideration the issues discussed above, lies in making available an adhesive applicator that in melting a hot-melt adhesive and applying it to a sheet sheaf, and binding the sheaf together with a cover sheet or the like, controls the apparatus-internal temperature appropriately to enable secure binding adhesion in a short time frame, without bookbinding defects such as missing leaves. 
         [0011]    A second object of the present invention lies in making available a bookbinding apparatus, and an image-forming apparatus equipped with the bookbinding apparatus, that enable the bookbinding processes to be done efficiently in collating sheets into a sheaf to create a booklet. 
         [0012]    These and other objects and features of the present invention will become clear by the following explanation of embodiments, based on the accompanying drawings. 
         [0013]    The present invention employs the following configuration to attain the aforementioned objects. 
         [0014]    An adhesive applicator disposed in an adhesive application position in a path that conveys a sheet bundle, that performs the cover sheet binding process with a cover sheet binding means at a downstream side, is equipped with a glue container that contains hot-melt adhesive, an applicator roll disposed in the glue container; an apparatus casing that houses the glue container internally; a cooling means disposed inside the apparatus casing that cools the sheet bundle after the cover sheet has been bonded; and a control means that starts and stops the cooling means. The control means stops the cooling means when adhesive is being applied to the sheet bundle by the applicator roll, and starts the cooling means after the adhesive has been applied by the applicator roll. 
         [0015]    The control means is configured to: (1) Cool the inside of the apparatus casing by operating the cooling means when a sheet bundle is conveyed toward the adhesive application position; (2) Stop the cooling means when applying adhesive to a sheet bundle conveyed to the adhesive application; and (3) Restart the cooling means after the adhesive has been applied to the sheet bundle at the adhesive application position. 
         [0016]    The bookbinding apparatus according to the present invention is equipped with a sheet conveyance path that sequentially conveys sheets; a stacking tray means that stacks and stores in a bundle sheets conveyed from the sheet conveyance path; and an adhesive application position and cover sheet binding position in that order. Further equipped are a bookbinding path that conveys a sheet from the stacking tray means; a glue container that stores hot-melt adhesive disposed in the adhesive application position; an apparatus casing that houses the glue container; a cooling means disposed in the apparatus casing that cools the sheet bundle at the cover sheet binding position; and a control means that starts and stops operation of the cooling means. The control means stops the cooling means when adhesive is being applied to the sheet bundle by the applicator roll, and starts the cooling means after the adhesive has been applied by the applicator roll. 
         [0017]    According to the invention, cooling means cools the sheet bundle after the cover sheet binding process inside the apparatus casing installed with a glue container for a glue such as hot-melt adhesive. Because the cooling means is stopped while the adhesive is being applied to the sheet bundle, and started thereafter, the following effects are attained. For example, the cooling means, such as a cooling fan or the like, cools the inside of the apparatus after adhesive is applied to the sheet bundle and the cover sheet has been bonded thereto. This solves the problem of applied adhesive solidifying prior to the cover sheet being bonded to the sheet bundle, and makes it possible for the cooling means to solidify adhesive in a short amount of time after the cover sheet has been bonded to the sheet bundle. 
         [0018]    Also, it is possible to stably control the temperatures of the sheet and adhesive and prevent the temperature inside the apparatus from rising, by operating the cooling means when sheets are aligned, conveyed and set at the adhesive application position, stopping the cooling means when applying adhesive to the sheet bundle, and restarting the cooling means after the adhesive has been applied. In addition to this, the surface layer of the adhesive applied does not solidify while being applied, so it is possible to securely bind the cover sheet to the sheet bundle. Still further, the cover sheet can be solidified in a short amount of time after the binding process, thereby enabling an efficient binding process. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is an explanatory view of the overall configuration of an image-forming apparatus equipped with a bookbinding apparatus installed with an adhesive applicator according to the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a detailed explanatory view of the bookbinding in the apparatus of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is an explanatory view of the arrangement of the cooling means in the apparatus of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0022]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are explanatory views of the operations of the bookbinding in the apparatus of  FIG. 2 ;  FIG. 4A  shows the stacking of a sheet;  FIG. 4B  shows the adhesive application operation; 
           [0023]      FIGS. 5A ,  5 B,  5 C, and  5 D are explanatory views of the operation of the bookbinding process in the apparatus of  FIG. 2 ;  FIG. 5A  shows a sheet bundle conveyed from an application position to a cover sheet binding position;  FIG. 5B  shows a cover sheet joined to the sheet bundle;  FIG. 5C  shows the cover sheet being folded;  FIG. 5D  shows the sheet bundle moving to a downstream side; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a configuration of a control unit means in the apparatus of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart block diagram of operating procedures of the bookbinding process in the apparatus of  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings provided.  FIG. 1  is an explanatory view of a bookbinding apparatus according to the present invention and an image system that uses this;  FIG. 2  is an explanatory view of the bookbinding apparatus. 
         [0027]    The image-forming system shown in  FIG. 1  is composed of an image-forming apparatus A that sequentially prints sheets; a bookbinding apparatus B equipped at a downstream side of this image-forming apparatus A; and a finisher apparatus C disposed downstream of the bookbinding apparatus B. Sheets formed with images at the image-forming apparatus A undergo the bookbinding process at the bookbinding apparatus B. Sheets that do not require bookbinding pass through the bookbinding apparatus B and are finished at the finishing apparatus C. 
         [0028]    Initially, the image-forming apparatus A can employ a variety of structures, such a copier, printer or printing machine. The image-forming apparatus A is installed in the casing  1  with a sheet feeder  2 , a printing unit  3 , a discharge unit  4 , and a control unit. A plurality of cassettes  5  that correspond to sheet sizes is disposed in the sheet feeder  2 ; Sheets of the sizes instructed by the control unit are kicked out and fed to the sheet feeding path  6 . A registration roller  7  is disposed in the sheet feeding path  6  to feed a sheet to the downstream printing unit  3  at a predetermined timing after the leading edge of the sheet has been aligned. 
         [0029]    A static-electric drum  10  is disposed in the printing unit  3 . A print head  9 , developer  11 , and transfer charger  12  and the like are disposed around this static-electric drum The print head  9  is composed of a laser emitter, for example. A latent image is formed on the static-electric drum  10 ; the developer  11  adheres toner ink to the latent image; the image is printed onto the sheet by the transfer charger  12 . The image is fixed to the printed sheet by a fuser  13 , and is then conveyed out to a discharge path  17 . A discharge outlet  14  formed in the casing  1 , and a discharge roller  15  are disposed in the discharge unit  4 . Note that  16  is a cycling path. Printed sheets from the discharge path  17  are turned over from front to back at a switchback path, then fed again to the registration roller  7  so that images can be formed on the backside of the printed sheet. In this way, sheets printed with images on the front side or on both sides can be discharged from the discharge outlet  14  by the discharge roller  15 . 
         [0030]    Note that the symbol  20  in the drawings represents a scanner unit. This optically reads images on an original to be printed by print head  9 . The structure is widely known to be composed of a platen  23  where an original sheet is placed; a scanning carriage  21  that travels along the platen  23  to scan the original image; and an optical reading means (such as a CCD device) that photo-electrically converts the optical image from the carriage  21 . The drawing shows a document feeder  25  that automatically feeds original sheets is installed above the platen  23 . 
         [0031]    The following will now explain the bookbinding apparatus B that is attached to the image-forming apparatus A described above. The bookbinding apparatus B is composed of a stacking unit  40  (hereinafter referred to as the stacking tray  41 ) that stacks sheets in a bundle and aligns their edges in the casing  30 ; an adhesive application means  55  that applies adhesive to the sheet bundle conveyed from the stacking tray  41 ; and cover sheet binding means  60  that binds a cover sheet to a sheet bundle that has been applied with adhesive. A sheet convey-in path  32  (hereinafter referred to as an inner-sheet conveyance path) is disposed at an upstream side of the stacking tray  41 , and a bookbinding path  33  is disposed at a downstream side thereof. The stacking unit  40  is composed of the stacking tray  41  disposed in a substantially horizontal direction and stacks and stores printed sheets from a discharge outlet  32   b  of the inner-sheet conveyance path  32 . 
         [0032]    A forward and reverse rotating roller  42   a  and convey-in guide  42   b  are equipped above the stacking tray  41 . The convey-in guide  42   b  guides the printed sheet from the discharge outlet  32   b  to above the stacking tray  41 , and the forward and reverse rotating roller  42   a  stores the printed sheet. The forward and reverse rotating roller  42   a  stores the printed sheet in the stacking tray  41  with a forward rotation. When rotated in reverse, the trailing edge of the sheet is pushed against an aligning member  43  disposed at the trailing edge of the tray (the right edge of  FIG. 1 ) to become aligned. An aligning means, not shown, is equipped on the stacking tray  41  to align both edges of the printed sheet stored in the tray to reference positions. With this configuration, printed sheets conveyed from the inner-sheet conveyance path  32  are sequentially stacked in the stacking tray  41  and aligned into a bundle shape. 
       Explanation of Conveyance Paths 
       [0033]    The following will explain each sheet conveyance path. In the casing  30 , a convey-in path  31  having a conveyance in inlet  31   a  connected to the discharge outlet  14  of the image-forming apparatus A, and a cover sheet conveyance path  34  connected to the convey-in path  31  are disposed to intersect the apparatus. A first sheet conveyance path is composed to convey a sheet in a substantially horizontal direct by intersecting the apparatus with the convey-in path  31  and the cover sheet conveyance path  34 . Also, the inner-sheet conveyance path  32  that guides a sheet to the stacking unit  40  (stacking tray  41 ) is connected to the convey-in path  31  interposed by a path switching flapper  36  to convey a sheet from the conveyance in inlet  31   a  to the stacking tray  41 . 
         [0034]    A bookbinding path  33  that longitudinally intersects the apparatus at a downstream side to convey the sheet bundle in a substantially longitudinal direction is equipped on the stacking tray  41 . A second sheet conveyance path (hereinafter referred to as a bookbinding path) and the first sheet conveyance path (hereinafter referred to as a cover sheet conveyance path) that compose the bookbinding path  33  mutually intersect. The cover sheet binding means  60 , described below, is disposed in the intersection. The convey-in path  31  configured as described above is connected to the discharge outlet  14  of the image-forming apparatus A described above, to receive printed sheets from the image-forming apparatus A. Printed sheets printed (the inner sheets) with information and a sheet (hereinafter referred to as a cover sheet) printed with a title for use as the cover sheet are conveyed out from the image-forming apparatus A. The convey-in path  31  is separated into the inner-sheet conveyance path  32  and the cover sheet conveyance path  34 ; these are interposed by a path switching flapper  36 . This selects the path to convey each printed sheet. 
         [0035]    On the other hand, an inserter device  26  is connected to the convey-in path  31 . This is configured to separate one cover sheet that will not be printed at the image-forming apparatus A at a time from feeder tray  26   a  and feed it to the convey-in path  31 . The inserter device  26  is equipped with one or a plurality of a feeder tray  26   a . Feeding means that separates stacked sheets into single sheets, and sheet feeding path  27  downstream of the feeding means are disposed on the leading edge of the tray. The sheet feeding path  27  is connected to the convey-in path  31  interposed by a path switching piece  28 . The conveyance roller  31   b  is disposed in the convey-in path  31 ; the conveyance roller  32   a  is disposed in the inner-sheet conveyance path  32 ; the gripping conveyance means  47 , the turntable unit  65   a , described below, and the conveyance roller  66  are disposed in the bookbinding path  33 . A conveyance roller  34   a  is disposed in the cover sheet conveyance path  34  and a conveyance roller  38   a  is disposed in a finishing path  38 ; these are connected to a drive motor. 
         [0036]    The stacking tray  41  is connected to the inner-sheet conveyance path  32  and the bookbinding path  33  is equipped at a downstream side of the stacking tray  41 . The bookbinding process is performed in the bookbinding path  33  while inner sheets stacked in a bundle (hereinafter referred to as a sheet bundle) are sequentially fed. The bookbinding path  33  shown in the drawings is arranged in a substantially longitudinal direction. This is arranged downstream in the order of a sheet bundle posture deviation position D; an adhesive application predetermined position E; a cover sheet binding position F; and a cutting process position G. The cover sheet conveyance path  34  is arranged to intersect the cover sheet binding position F. A cover sheet is fed to the cover sheet binding position F. 
         [0037]    An adhesive application means  55  is disposed in the adhesive application position E in the bookbinding path  33 . The adhesive application means  55  is composed of a glue container  56  to store hot-melt adhesive; an applicator roll  57 ; and a roller rotating motor MR. The applicator roll  57  and roller rotating motor MR are incorporated into the glue container  56 . The glue container  56  is supported to move along the sheet bundle. By the glue container  56  reciprocating movement in front to back directions of  FIG. 1  along the length direction of the sheet bundle, adhesive is applied to an edge of the sheet bundle. 
         [0038]    The gripping conveyance means  47  that move the sheet from the stacking tray  41  to the adhesive application position E is disposed in the bookbinding path  33 . The gripping conveyance means  47  turns the sheet bundle stacked on the stacking tray  41  from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture, then conveys the sheet bundle to the adhesive application position E by conveying it along the sp33 disposed in a substantially vertical direction. For that reason, the stacking tray  41  moves from a stacking position (solid lines in  FIG. 2 ) to the hand-over position (dashed line in  FIG. 2 ), and hands over the sheet bundle to the gripping conveyance means  47  prepared at this hand-over position. 
         [0039]    The cover sheet binding means  60  is disposed in the cover sheet binding position F of the bookbinding path  33 . The cover sheet conveyance path  34  is disposed to intersect the cover sheet binding position F. A cover sheet is fed from the cover sheet conveyance path  34 . At the cover sheet binding position F, the cover sheet and the sheet bundle fed from the adhesive application position E are joined together to form a booklet. For that reason, a back-support plate  61  that supports the cover sheet; a folding plates  62  that press forms the joint (backside) of the cover sheet and sheet bundle; and folding rollers  63  are provided in the cover sheet binding position F. The cover sheet binding means  60  is composed of the back-support plate  61 , the folding plates  62 ; the folding rollers  63 , and the cover sheet binding means  60 ; these perform the bookbinding process with the procedures shown in  FIGS. 5A to 5D . 
         [0040]      FIG. 5A  shows the state prior to the cover sheet and sheet bundle being joined. The sheet bundle is being moved by the gripping conveyance means  47  in a downward direction of the drawing. In  FIG. 5B , the sheet bundle touches the center of the cover sheet while it is being supported by the back-support plate  61 . The folding plates  62  is composed of a pair of right and left block members that move from a retracted position retracted from the bookbinding path  33  and an operating position where they press together in the bookbinding path  33 . As shown in  FIG. 5C , when these move from the retracted position to the operating position, they press-form the backside of the sheet bundle and the cover sheet. After the booklet cover is formed, the back-support plate  61  and folding plates  62  retract from the bookbinding path  33 . When the sheet bundle is moved downstream by the gripping conveyance means  47  in this state, the folding rollers  63  fold the sheet bundle into the cover sheet. (State shown in  FIG. 5D ) In this way the sheet bundle (inner sheets) are covered by the cover sheet to form the booklet. 
         [0041]    Cutting means  65  is disposed in the cutting process position G positioned downstream of the folding rollers  63 . The cutting means  65  is composed of a turntable unit  65   a  that turns the sheet bundle upside down; a cutting edge press unit  65   b  that pressingly supports the edges of the sheet bundle to be cut; and the cutting blade unit  65   c . The turntable unit  65   a  is configured to revolve while nipping the sheet bundle fed from the folding rollers  63 , and to set the sheet bundle at the cutting process position G at the same time. The cutting edge press unit  65   b  is equipped with a pressing member movable in an orthogonal direction to the bookbinding path  33  to pressingly support the edges of the sheet bundle to be cut. The cutting blade unit  65   c  configured to pressingly hold the sheet bundle is composed of a flat-edged shape cutting blade, a blade bearing member that opposes the cutting blade sandwiching the sheet bundle, and the cutter motor that drives the cutting blade. 
         [0042]    The cutting means  65  cuts a predetermined amount around the edges, excluding the spine of the sheet bundle that has been made into a booklet, to align the edges. A discharge roller  66  and storage stacker  67  are disposed downstream of the cutting process position G. This storage stacker  67  stores sheet bundles in an inverted manner as shown in the drawing. A full detection sensor, shown in  FIG. 2 , is disposed in the storage stacker  67 . This detects when the sheet bundles stacked in the storage stacker  67  are full, and issues a prompt to the operator to remove the sheet bundles. 
         [0043]    A cuttings collection box  68  is disposed parallel to the storage stacker  67  below the cutting process position G to store paper cuttings generated by the cutting blade. For that reason, a stopper means  69  is equipped directly below the cutting process position G. The stopper means  69  slides to the left and right of  FIG. 2  by a drive motor, not shown. When the sheet bundle is being cut, this is positioned directly below the cutting process position G to guide paper cuttings into the cuttings collection box  68 , and after the cutting of the sheet bundle is completed, this retracts from the cutting process position G to enable the sheet bundle to be stored in the storage stacker  67 . A full detection sensor Software and near-full sensor Sn are disposed inside the cuttings collection box  68  to detect the amount of paper cuttings that have been stored. So that the box does not become full while cutting the sheet bundle, for example this near-full sensor Sn is disposed to detect a state where it is possible to store the equivalent of one time to cut the edges of the sheet bundle. 
         [0044]    The finisher C is arranged in the bookbinding apparatus B. The finishing path  38  is equipped to be connected to cover sheet conveyance path  34  (first sheet conveyance path) for the finisher C and a finisher, such as a staple unit, punch unit, and stamp unit or the like, is disposed in the finishing path  38 . This receives printed sheets from the image-forming apparatus A via the cover sheet conveyance path  34  and are stapled, punched or applied with a marking, then conveyed out to the discharge tray  37 . It is also possible to not apply any finishing process on printed sheets and to store them in the discharge tray  37  directly from the image-forming apparatus A. 
         [0045]    In the configuration described above, the present invention provides a cooling means that cools the ambient temperature inside the apparatus. A feature of the present invention is to stop this cooling means while adhesive is being applied to the sheet bundle, and to operate it after the adhesive has been applied. Cooling means  58  and  59  are disposed in the casing  30  installed with the glue container  56  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The configuration will be described in detail below. The cooling means  58  is disposed to cool the sheets conveyed inside the inner-sheet conveyance path  32 , and the cooling means  59  is disposed to cool the cover sheet binding position F. 
         [0046]    Initially, sheets formed with images at the image-forming apparatus A are conveyed to the inner-sheet conveyance path  32  and are stacked in the downstream stacking tray  41 . This sheet is heated when the formed image is fixed thereto and is conveyed at a high temperature. If stacked in a bundle without being cooled, the temperature can become quite high. When hot-melt adhesive is applied to a sheet bundle that has been exposed to high temperatures, an excessive amount of adhesive will become infused between the leaves of the booklet causing a poor binding, or the adhesive can drip and get into the apparatus. The cooling means  58  is equipped in the inner-sheet conveyance path  32  to cool the sheet in the path leading from the image-forming apparatus A to the stacking tray  41 . The drawings show a cooling fan  58   a  as an example of the cooling means  58 . A fan motor Mf 1  is installed to rotatingly drive this cooling fan  58   a . The cooling fan  58   a  generates an air current in the direction of the arrows in the drawing inside the casing  30  and this cools the sheet passing over the inner-sheet conveyance path  32  to room temperature. Note that  58   b  in the drawing represents a shielding plate (wind-blocking wall) that blocks the wind, arranged between the cooling fans  58   a  and the glue container  56  to prevent the air currents generated by the cooling fans  58   a  from negatively affecting the temperature of the container. 
         [0047]    The cooling means  59  is composed of the cooling fans  59   a  and  59   b  that cool the cover sheet binding position F arranged at a downstream side of the glue container  56 , as described above; fan motors Mf 2  and Mf 3  are installed for both. This cooling means  59  has the effect of maintaining the temperature inside the apparatus where the glue container  56  is disposed at a constant temperature, and the effect of cooling the adhesive applied to the sheet bundle at the cover sheet binding position F downstream of the glue container  56 . Specifically, if the hot-melt adhesive stored in the glue container  56  has risen to a temperature of approximately 150° C., it will liquefy. The adhesive temperature must be controlled to a predetermined temperature because it is affected by the ambient temperature and that affects the adhesion. 
         [0048]    Specifically, if adhesive is applied to a 30° C. sheet bundle and a 50° C. sheet bundle, the permeation of the adhesive or the thickness of the adhesive layer will differ, making it impossible to apply covers that are consistent. These are configured to blow cool air to maintain the ambient temperature inside the apparatus where the glue container  56  is installed at a constant. The sheet bundle applied with adhesive is provided a cover sheet at the downstream cover sheet binding position F, but it is preferable that the adhesive cool and solidify quickly after the cover is mounted. For that purpose, the outside-air flow holes  59   c  and cooling fans  59   a  and  59   b  are disposed in the casing  30 . 
         [0049]    The present invention provides the following controls of the cooling means  59  that cools the adhesive application position E and the cover sheet binding position F. (1) While the sheets are stacked in the stacking tray  41 , and while the stacked sheet bundle is being fed to and set at the adhesive application position E, the cooling means  58  and  59  operate to cool the temperature inside the apparatus and the temperature of the sheets. (2) While the sheet bundle is being applied with adhesive at the adhesive application position E, at least the cooling fans  59  are stopped. In this case, the cooling fans  58  are stopped or continue operating to cool subsequent sheets. (3) After adhesive is dispensed to the sheet bundle, the cooling fans  59  operate. In this case, after the sheet bundle applied with adhesive and the cover sheet are joined, it is preferred that the cooling fans  59  operate. 
         [0050]    The cooling means  59  is controlled by a control CPU (control means) that executes the bookbinding operation, for example. This blows air during the process to apply adhesive to the sheet bundle to solidify the surface of the adhesive layer. 
         [0051]    The configuration of the control means will now be explained with reference to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 6  is a control block diagram. As shown in  FIG. 1 , in the system that connects the image forming apparatus A and the bookmaking apparatus B, the control panel  71  and mode selection means  72  are connected to the control CPU 70  provided on the image forming apparatus A. A control CPU 75  is equipped in the control unit of the bookbinding apparatus B. This control CPU 75  calls up a bookbinding execution program from the ROM 76  and executes each process in the bookbinding path  33 . This control CPU 75  receives a finishing mode instruction signal, job end signal and other information and command signals required in the bookbinding process from the control CPU 70  of the image-forming apparatus A. 
         [0052]    The control CPU 75  is configured to read the bookbinding processing program from the ROM 76 , and to execute each of the operations of the sheet stacking operation  75   a , the adhesive application operation  75   b , the cover sheet binding operation  75   c , the cutting operation  75   d , and the booklet stacking operation  75   e . It is also configured to determined operating states using signals from the sensors disposed in each of the operating means described above and to control the cooling means  58  fan motor Mf 1 , and cooling means  59  fan motors Mf 2 , and Mf 3 . The bookbinding operation by the control means (control CPU)  75  will now be explained with reference to the flowchart of  FIG. 7 . 
         [0053]    Image forming conditions and a finishing mode are set (St 001 ) using the control panel  71  on the image-forming apparatus A. “Print-out mode,” “Bookbinding mode,” “Staple mode,” “Marking mode,” “Hole-punching mode,” and “Jog mode” can be set as the finishing mode, for example. In the print-out mode, a sheet formed with an image is not formed into a booklet or finished. It is conveyed out to the discharge tray  37  (equipped on the finisher C in the drawings) and stored. 
         [0054]    With the bookbinding mode, sheets formed images are aligned and stacked, then joined with a cover sheet and stored in the storage stacker  67 . Also, in the staple mode, sheets formed with images are stapled by a stapling unit equipped in the finisher C; in the marking mode, a mark is applied; in the hole-punching mode, holes are punched in the sheets; and in the jog mode, sheets are sorted. Each of these modes is executed by the finisher C, and then the finished sheets are stored in the discharge tray  37 . 
         [0055]    When the bookbinding mode is selected, an image forming operation is executed by the image-forming apparatus A, and the sheet formed with images is conveyed out from the discharge outlet  14 . (St 002 ) When a discharge instruction signal is received from the image-forming apparatus A, the control CPU 75  of the bookbinding apparatus B drives the conveyor motor of the inner-sheet conveyance path  32  (the sheet conveyance path) to convey in the sheet from the conveyance in inlet  31   a  and discharge it from the discharge outlet  32   b . The fan motors Mf 1 , Mf 2 , and Mf 3  are operated by the discharge instruction signal at this time, so the cooling fans  58   a  of the fan motor Mf 2  cool the sheets being conveyed in the inner-sheet conveyance path  32 . (St 003 ) The fan motors Mf 2  and Mf 3  operate the cooling fans  59   a  and  59   b  to start blowing air to maintain a constant temperature inside the casing  30 . Sheets fed to the discharge outlet  32   b  are conveyed into the stacking tray  41  and are aligned at the aligning member  43  for stacking. (St 004 ) Next, when the job end signal is received from the image-forming apparatus A (St 005 ), the control CPU 75  conveys the sheet bundle stacked in the tray to the downstream bookbinding path  33  (St 006 ) using the gripping conveyance means  47 . To convey the sheet bundle, the stacking tray  41  is lowered from the stacking position to the conveying position, as shown in  FIG. 4A . At that position, the gripping conveyance means  47  grips the sheet bundle. Next, the gripping conveyance means  47  rotates the sheet bundle substantially 90° so that the sheet bundle changes from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation. After the sheet bundle orientation has been changed, the gripping conveyance means  47  conveys the sheet bundle so that its bottom edge is positioned at the adhesive application position E. During the operation depicted in  FIG. 4A , the cooling means  59  continues to blow air inside the casing by the operation of the fan motors Mf 2 , and Mf 3  to maintain a constant temperature inside the apparatus. 
         [0056]    Next, around the time when the control CPU 75  conveys the sheet bundle to the adhesive application position E, it conveys a cover sheet from the cover sheet conveyance path  34  and sets it at the cover sheet binding position F. (St 007 ) Note that the cover sheet can be fed from the image-forming apparatus A or from the inserter device  26 . Next, the control CPU 75  measures the timing for the sheet bundle to be set at the adhesive application position E and stops the fan motors Mf 2  and Mf 3  around that time so that the cooling means  59  is not operating. (St 008 ) It is acceptable to have the cooling means  59  stop prior to the adhesive application operation that follows. 
         [0057]    Next, the control CPU 75  executes the adhesive application operation while the cooling means  59  is stopped. This state is shown in  FIG. 4B , but the control CPU 75  stops the fan motors Mf 2  and Mf 3  and moves the glue container  56  to the front and back sides of the drawing along the bottom edge of the sheet bundle. (St 009 ) At this time, the applicator roll  57  is rotated by the roller rotating motor MR to apply adhesive to the bottom edge of the sheet bundle. Next, the control CPU 75  conveys the sheet bundle applied with adhesive to the downstream cover sheet binding position F as shown in  FIG. 5A . The sheet bundle is joined to the cover sheet at the cover sheet binding position F in an upside-down T configuration. At this time, the cover sheet is supported by the back-support plate  61  as shown in  FIG. 5B . In this state, the folding plates  62  sandwich the sheet bundle as shown in  FIG. 5C  to press the cover sheet and fold it over the spine of the sheet bundle. (St 010 ) 
         [0058]    Next, the control CPU 75  restarts the fan motors Mf 2  and Mf 3  to operate the cooling means  59 . (St 011 ) The cooling means  59  act to cool the folded cover sheet and sheet bundle to harden the adhesive. Then, the control CPU 75  waits for a predetermined cooling time to pass. (St 012 ) After the predetermined cooling time has passed, the control CPU 75  retracts the back-support plate  61  and the folding plates  62  from the bookbinding path  33  and rotatingly drives the folding rollers  63  to convey the sheet bundle to the downstream cutting process position G. (St 013 ) This cooling time is to prevent adhesive residue from adhering to the cutting blade when the adhesive has not adequately solidified and the covered sheet bundle is being cut at the downstream cutting position. At the same time, this cooling time prevents the booklet from being pulled apart (in other words, the binding being ruined) when it is being cut. The drawing shows the cooling times are varied according to the thicknesses of the sheet bundles. For example, when trimming three sides of the sheet bundle, the number of sheets Sa and the cooling time Ta are set to have the following relationship. 
         [0059]    The cooling time Ta is set to be longer in proportion to the thickness of the sheet bundle in the following way. When Sa=0 to a number of sheets: Ta=X 1  seconds; when Sa=(a+1) to b (b&gt;a) number of sheets: Ta=X 2  (X 2 &gt;X 3 ) seconds; when Sa=(b+1) to c (c&gt;b) number of sheets: Ta=X 3  (X 3 &gt;X 2 ) seconds. 
         [0060]    After the cooling time, the control CPU 75  operates the cutting means  65  to trip the top, the base and thumb-edge portions of the sheet bundle for their alignment. (St 014 ) After this cutting operation on the sheet bundle is completed, the control CPU 75  stores the finished sheet bundle in the storage stacker  67 . (St 015 ) 
         [0061]    As described above, the present invention solves the problem of adhesive hardening prior to binding a cover sheet thereto by cooling the temperature inside the apparatus after the cover sheet has been bound to the sheet bundle, and shortens the adhesive hardening time using the cooling means to cool the adhesive after the sheet bundle and cover sheet have been joined. 
         [0062]    Furthermore, this prevents the temperature inside of the apparatus from rising, and stably controls the sheet temperature and adhesive temperature. In addition to this, the surface layer of the adhesive applied does not solidify while being applied, so it is possible to securely bind the cover sheet. Still further, the cover sheet can be solidified and glued after binding in a short amount of time, enabling the binding process to be efficient. 
         [0063]    This application claims priority rights from Japanese Pat. App. No. 2006-239579, which is herein incorporated by reference.