Patent Description:
A technique called lamination processing, in which an inner sheet (paper, photo, etc.) is inserted into a two-ply sheet (laminate sheet or lamination film) in which two sheets are overlapped and joined (coupled) on one side and heat and pressure are applied to bond the two-ply sheet, is known.

For example, <CIT> discloses a sheet separating device in which a two-ply sheet is wrapped around a rotating member and a wrapping circumference difference is generated between an inner peripheral sheet and an outer peripheral sheet based on a geometric relation, thereby separating the two sheets of the two-ply sheet. This sheet separating device can reliably separate the two sheets of the two-ply sheet from each other without making the device complicated and large.

Further, <CIT> discloses a laminating apparatus including the sheet separating device and a heat pressing member (fixing device) that can heat and press a two-ply sheet.

However, the laminating apparatus has a disadvantage that the lateral width (footprint) is large because the heat pressing member (fixing device) is horizontally disposed on a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the sheet separating device (see FIG. <NUM> of <CIT>).

Further, <CIT> discloses a configuration in which a sheet separating device and a heat pressing member (fixing device) are disposed vertically and a two-ply sheet is conveyed in a vertical direction (see FIG. <NUM> of <CIT>). Here, although the lateral width can be reduced, the heat source (fixing device) is located immediately below the sheet separating device. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the heat of the fixing device moves upward and affects the sheet separating device and the driving member around the sheet separating device.

In light of the above-described circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a laminating system that can reduce the lateral width (footprint) and suppress the thermal influence of the fixing device on the sheet separating device.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a laminating system sandwiches a sheet medium in a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and partially joined together and applies heat and pressure to bond the two-ply sheet. The laminating system includes a sheet separating device, a laminate-fixing device, and a conveyor. The sheet separating device separates the two sheets of the two-ply sheet and sandwiches the sheet medium between the two sheets. The laminate-fixing device heats and presses the two-ply sheet sandwiching the sheet medium. The conveyor conveys the two-ply sheet sandwiching the sheet medium from the sheet separating device to the laminate-fixing device. The laminate-fixing device is disposed above the sheet separating device.

In a laminating system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the laminate-fixing device is disposed above the sheet separating device, and thus, the lateral width (footprint) can be reduced. In addition, the heat of the laminate-fixing device mainly moves upward, and thus, the thermal influence on the sheet separating device can be reduced.

<FIG> is a front view illustrating a configuration of a laminating system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and <FIG> is a top plan view of the laminating system of <FIG>. A laminating system <NUM> of the present embodiment has a configuration in which a series of operations including feeding and separating of a two-ply sheet (hereinafter referred to as sheet S), insertion of an inner sheet P, and lamination processing by heat pressing can be performed by one apparatus. This series of operations is carried out automatically without any aid of a user, and thus, convenience can be improved over a known technique.

Here, the sheet S is a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and bonded together at a portion (or a side) of the two-ply sheet. For example, a first side of the two-ply sheet serves as a transparent sheet such as a transparent polyester sheet, a second side of the two-ply sheet serves as a transparent or opaque sheet and is disposed facing the first side, and the first and second sides are bonded at one side of the two-ply sheet. The two-ply sheet also includes a lamination film.

The inner sheet P is an example of sheet media inserted into the two-ply sheet. In addition to plain paper, sheet media include cardboard, postcard, envelope, thin paper, coated paper (coating paper, art paper, etc.), tracing paper, an overhead projector (OHP) sheet, etc..

As illustrated in <FIG>, the laminating system <NUM> includes a sheet feeder <NUM> that feeds the sheet S, a sheet separating device <NUM> that separates the sheet S, and an inner sheet feeder <NUM> that feeds an inner sheet P to be inserted into the separated sheet S. The laminating system <NUM> further includes a laminate-fixing device <NUM> that bonds the sheet S into which the inner sheet P has been inserted (hereinafter referred to as sheet Sp) by heat pressing, a conveyor <NUM> that conveys the sheet Sp from the sheet separating device <NUM> to the laminate-fixing device <NUM>, and an output section <NUM> to which the bonded sheet Sp is ejected.

In the laminating system <NUM> of the present embodiment, the laminate-fixing device <NUM> is disposed above the sheet separating device <NUM>. The conveyor <NUM> disposed on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the sheet separating device <NUM> includes a first branch conveyance path <NUM> that reverses the sheet Sp by <NUM>° and conveys the sheet Sp to the laminate-fixing device <NUM>. Therefore, a conveyance direction B of the laminate-fixing device <NUM> is opposite to a conveyance direction A of the sheet separating device <NUM>.

At least a part of the sheet feeder <NUM> is disposed below the sheet separating device <NUM>. The sheet feeder <NUM> includes a reverse path 202a that reverses and conveys the sheet S.

The output section <NUM> is arranged side by side with the laminate-fixing device <NUM> in the horizontal direction on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the laminate-fixing device <NUM>. At least a part of the output section <NUM> is disposed above the sheet separating device <NUM>.

The inner sheet feeder <NUM> that conveys the inner sheet P to the sheet separating device <NUM> is disposed in the horizontal direction with respect to the sheet separating device <NUM> on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the sheet separating device <NUM>.

Next, advantages of the laminating system <NUM> of the present embodiment will be described. <FIG> is a front view illustrating a configuration of a laminating system in which a laminate-fixing device is disposed in a horizontal direction on a downstream side in a conveyance direction of a sheet separating device. In <FIG>, elements identical to those illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> are given identical reference numerals, and the detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

A laminating system <NUM> of <FIG> is provided with a conveyor <NUM>, a laminate-fixing device <NUM>, and an output section <NUM> in order in the horizontal direction on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the sheet separating device <NUM>. Thus, in the case of the horizontal conveyance configuration including the inner sheet feeder <NUM>, a space (5W) that is about <NUM> times the length (W) of the horizontal conveyance path of the sheet separating device <NUM> is required.

For example, in a case where the laminating system <NUM> is a tabletop type and the horizontal conveyance path (W) of the sheet separating device <NUM> is <NUM>, the total length of the horizontal conveyance path of the laminating system <NUM> reaches <NUM>. This is assumed to be inconvenient to use on a general work machine.

On the other hand, in the laminating system <NUM> of the present embodiment, the laminate-fixing device <NUM> is disposed above the sheet separating device <NUM>, and the conveyance path of the laminate-fixing device <NUM> with respect to the sheet separating device <NUM> is reversed and disposed parallel to the height direction. Therefore, the lateral width (footprint) of the entire device can be reduced.

<FIG> and <FIG> are each a front view of a laminating system according to a modification of the embodiment of the present disclosure. In <FIG> and <FIG>, elements identical to those illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> are given identical reference numerals, and the detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

A laminating system <NUM> of <FIG> includes a sheet feeder <NUM> coupled in the horizontal direction on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the sheet separating device <NUM>. In this case, the overall length of the horizontal conveyance path is slightly larger than that of the laminating system <NUM> of <FIG>, but there is an advantage that the length can be reduced in the height direction.

A laminating system <NUM> of <FIG> includes a sheet feeder <NUM> that is conveyed from a position one step lower in the height direction and coupled on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the sheet separating device <NUM>. In this case, there is an advantage that there is almost no difference in the total length of the horizontal conveyance path as compared with the laminating system <NUM> of <FIG> and the length in the height direction can be almost equal to that of the laminating system <NUM> of <FIG>.

Here, the stacking of the sheet S on the sheet feeders <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> will be supplemented. The sheet S (laminate sheet or lamination film) has a face, which serves as an upper face in a case where the sheet S is placed flat, as a front surface. In such a case, when either one of both faces is set and conveyed as the upper face, the quality of the ejected sheet is not affected.

Here, the conveyance direction is restricted. In the laminating system of the present embodiment, the sheet S is conveyed in the conveyance direction A with the joined one side as a head. Therefore, as illustrated in <FIG>, when the sheet feeder <NUM> is disposed below the sheet separating device <NUM> and the sheet S is reversed and conveyed, the sheet S is stacked on the "right side" with the joint as the head.

On the other hand, as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, in a case where the conveyance direction of the sheet feeders <NUM> and <NUM> is arranged horizontally to the conveyance direction of the sheet separating device <NUM>, the sheet S is stacked on the "left side" with the joint as the tail.

Subsequently, a series of operations including feeding and separating of the sheet S, insertion of the inner sheet P, and lamination processing by heat pressing, which are performed by the laminating system <NUM> of the present embodiment, will be described.

Here, the present applicant has filed an application for a technique of separating the sheet S (a two-ply sheet (sheet S) is wrapped around a rotating member, and a wrapping circumference difference is generated between an inner peripheral sheet and an outer peripheral sheet based on a geometrical relation, and thus, the two sheets of the two-ply sheet are separated) as <CIT>. Hereinafter, configurations and operations according to the present embodiment will be described.

<FIG> is a configuration diagram (part <NUM>) illustrating main parts of the laminating system illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the sheet separating device <NUM> includes an entrance roller pair <NUM>, a wrapping roller <NUM> as a rotating member, an exit roller pair <NUM>, and the like. Each of the entrance roller pair <NUM> and the exit roller pair <NUM> is, for example, two rollers paired with each other and is rotationally driven by a driving means (such as a motor). The entrance roller pair <NUM> is rotationally driven in one direction, and the exit roller pair <NUM> is rotationally driven in forward and reverse directions to nip and convey the sheet S and the inner sheet P.

That is, the exit roller pair <NUM> can convey the nipped sheet S toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction, and can also convey the sheet S toward the wrapping roller <NUM> in the opposite direction (pulling direction).

The wrapping roller <NUM> between the entrance roller pair <NUM> and the exit roller pair <NUM> is rotationally driven in forward and reverse directions by a driving means (motor or the like), and the rotation thereof can be switched in both directions (clockwise/counterclockwise).

Further, the sheet separating device <NUM> includes a first separator <NUM> and a second separator <NUM> which guide the two separated sheets respectively and separate the two separated sheets vertically from each other. The second separator <NUM> below the first separator <NUM> has a reverse path 215a, and the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> guide one sheet in different guiding directions. The second separator <NUM> guides the leading end of the sheet to the outside of the device.

The conveyor <NUM> includes a first branch conveyance path <NUM>, a second branch conveyance path <NUM>, and a bifurcating claw <NUM> that switches to one of the first branch conveyance path <NUM> and the second branch conveyance path <NUM>. The first branch conveyance path <NUM> is coupled to the laminate-fixing device <NUM> via the reverse path 212a. On the other hand, the second branch conveyance path <NUM> has a switchback path 213a and guides the leading end of the conveyed sheet S to the outside of the device.

Subsequently, sheet conveyance of the laminating system <NUM> will be described with reference to <FIG>. In <FIG>, elements identical to those illustrated in <FIG> are given identical reference numerals, and the detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

In <FIG>, the sheet S from the sheet feeder <NUM> (see <FIG>) is conveyed in the conveyance direction A, and a part (joint) of the joined two sheets reaches a nip member of the exit roller pair <NUM>.

Next, in <FIG>, the laminating system <NUM> switches the bifurcating claw <NUM> of the conveyor <NUM> and conveys the sheet S toward the second branch conveyance path <NUM>.

Here, as illustrated in <FIG>, the laminating system <NUM> guides the leading end (joint) of the sheet S to the outside of the device from an opening 206a disposed in the exterior of the conveyor <NUM>, and nips the tail end of the sheet S by the exit roller pair <NUM>. At this time, the leading end of the sheet S has not yet been subjected to the lamination processing (heat fixing processing), and thus, the leading end is not stiff and hangs down in the vertical direction by gravity.

Subsequently, the laminating system <NUM> reversely rotates (counterclockwise) the exit roller pair <NUM> to convey the sheet S toward the wrapping roller <NUM> in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction A. Thus, the sheet S is wrapped around the wrapping roller <NUM>, and the two sheets of the sheet S are separated. For a detailed description of this wrapping step, refer to <CIT> (paragraphs [<NUM>] to [<NUM>]).

Thus, the second branch conveyance path <NUM> of the conveyor <NUM> is a so-called switchback path that temporarily accommodates the conveyed sheet S and conveys an end (open end) of the sheet S which is not joined to the sheet separating device. In addition, since the leading end of the conveyed sheet S is to be guided to the outside of the device, it is not necessary to separately provide a conveyance path in the conveyor <NUM>, and the lateral width (footprint) of the device can be further reduced.

As illustrated in <FIG>, in the sheet S separated into two sheets, one sheet Sa is conveyed to the first separator <NUM> and the other sheet Sb is conveyed to the second separator <NUM> in the direction B opposite to the conveyance direction A by the exit roller pair <NUM>. Therefore, the sheet S is largely opened into the two sheets.

At this time, the conveyance speeds of the sheets Sa and Sb conveyed to the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> are the same, and therefore the conveyance amounts thereof are also the same. In addition, since the second separator <NUM> guides the leading end of the sheet Sb to the outside of the device, it is not necessary to separately provide a conveyance path in the conveyor <NUM> (lateral width reduction of the device).

Next, as illustrated in <FIG>, the laminating system <NUM> rotates the entrance roller pair <NUM> to convey the inner sheet P conveyed from the inner sheet feeder <NUM> (see <FIG>) toward the exit roller pair <NUM> in the conveyance direction A. Thus, the inner sheet P is inserted into the sheet S in a manner of abutting against the joint.

Subsequently, as illustrated in <FIG>, the laminating system <NUM> rotates the exit roller pair <NUM> clockwise to merge the sheet S and the inner sheet P, and inserts the inner sheet P into the opened sheet S. At this time, the laminating system <NUM> switches the bifurcating claw <NUM> of the conveyor <NUM> and conveys the sheet S (sheet Sp), into which the inner sheet P is inserted, toward the first branch conveyance path <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the sheet Sp passes through the first branch conveyance path <NUM> which is a reverse path and is conveyed to the laminate-fixing device <NUM>.

The sheet Sp is heated and pressed by a heat pressing roller pair <NUM> included in the laminate-fixing device <NUM>. When the two-ply sheet is a lamination film, an adhesive (made of EVA) applied to the inside of the film reaches a melting point and melts. Subsequently, the sheet Sp is conveyed to the output section <NUM> via an ejection roller pair <NUM>.

The sheet Sp heated to a high temperature is pulled by the ejection roller pair <NUM> having a linear velocity faster than that of the heat pressing roller pair <NUM>, so that curl generated in the sheet Sp can be suppressed.

During the conveyance to the output section <NUM>, the heat accumulated in the sheet Sp is released to the atmosphere, and the temperature of the sheet Sp decreases. When the temperature of the sheet Sp is lowered, the adhesives of the two films are bonded to each other and integrated with the inserted inner sheet.

The output section <NUM> includes, for example, a sheet ejection tray <NUM> which is inclined and exposed to the outside of the machine, and the sheet Sp is ejected onto the sheet ejection tray <NUM>. Therefore, the user can take out the sheet Sp as it is from the sheet ejection tray <NUM>.

<FIG> are front views (No. <NUM> to <NUM>) illustrating various embodiments of the sheet separating device. The following four patterns are considered as guide paths of the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> disposed in the sheet separating device <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> each have a guide path that reverses the separated sheet S from the nip member of the exit roller pair <NUM> and guides the sheet S in the same direction as the conveyance direction A. That is, the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> are to guide the respective sheets (Sa, Sb) in the same direction (conveyance direction A).

In this case, the first branch conveyance path <NUM> of the conveyor <NUM> is disposed in a detour so as not to interfere with the leading end of the first separator <NUM>. Therefore, when corresponding to a larger sheet size (for example, A4 size (sheet length: <NUM>)), the entire device is expanded in the left direction in the drawing.

In <FIG>, the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> each have a guide path that guides the separated sheet S from the nip member of the exit roller pair <NUM> in the direction B opposite to the conveyance direction A. That is, the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> are to guide the respective sheets (Sa, Sb) in the same direction (conveyance direction B).

In this case, when the sheet feeder <NUM> is disposed below the sheet separating device, the reverse path 202a of the sheet feeder <NUM> is detoured so as not to interfere with the leading end of the second separator <NUM>. Therefore, when corresponding to a larger sheet size, the entire device is expanded in the right direction in the drawing.

In <FIG>, the first separator <NUM> has a guide path that guides one of the separated sheets S from the nip member of the exit roller pair <NUM> in the direction B opposite to the conveyance direction A. On the other hand, the second separator <NUM> has a guide path that reverses the other sheet from the nip member of the exit roller pair <NUM> and guides the other sheet in the same direction as the conveyance direction A. That is, the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> are to guide the respective sheets in opposite directions.

This configuration is the same as that of the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, and the first separator <NUM> can secure a guide path for temporarily accommodating one of the separated sheets S without interfering with other conveyance paths. On the other hand, since the second separator <NUM> guides the leading end of the other sheet to the outside of the device, a guide path for temporarily accommodating the other sheet can be secured. Therefore, it is possible to cope with a sheet size that is large to some extent without expanding the device size.

In <FIG>, the first separator <NUM> has a guide path that reverses one of the separated sheets S from the nip member of the exit roller pair <NUM> and guides the separated sheet S in the same direction as the conveyance direction A. On the other hand, the second separator <NUM> has a guide path that guides the other sheet from the nip member of the exit roller pair <NUM> in the direction B opposite to the conveyance direction A. That is, the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> are to guide the respective sheets in opposite directions.

In this case, both the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> are expanded on both sides in the width direction of the device so that the leading ends do not interfere with other conveyance paths. Here, both the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> are completely accommodated in the device, and the sheet to be guided by each of the first separator <NUM> and the second separator <NUM> is also in the device. Therefore, the sheet is not exposed to the outside of the device until the lamination processing is completed, and the sheet can be prevented from being externally affected such as being touched by a user or the like.

<FIG> is a front view of a laminating apparatus according to a comparative example having a vertical conveyance (vertically downward) path. As a laminating apparatus <NUM> according to the comparative example, a configuration having a vertical conveyance path which is vertically downward after a sheet separating device <NUM> is known.

In the laminating apparatus <NUM>, the sheet S is fed from a sheet feeder <NUM>, and the inner sheet P is fed from an inner sheet feeder <NUM>. The sheet S is separated into two sheets by the sheet separating device <NUM>, and the inner sheet P is inserted into the opening of the sheet S. The sheet S into which the inner sheet P has been inserted is thermally fixed by a laminate-fixing device <NUM> and ejected to an output section <NUM>. A conveyor <NUM> is used to feed the sheet S back to the sheet separating device <NUM>.

Thus, the laminating apparatus <NUM> includes the sheet separating device <NUM> and the conveyor <NUM> above the laminate-fixing device <NUM>, and the conveyance path of the sheet separating device <NUM> and the conveyance path of the laminate-fixing device <NUM> are on the same straight line.

A heater is mounted inside each roller of a heat pressing roller pair <NUM> disposed in the laminate-fixing device <NUM>. Before the laminate-fixing device <NUM> receives the sheet, the heater is powered on, and heating of the heater is started.

The heat pressing roller pair <NUM> which has been heated not only applies heat to the sheet but also dissipates heat to the upper portion of the machine during idling. Therefore, the temperatures of a conveyance guide plate of the sheet separating device <NUM> and the conveyor <NUM> and other drive components may rise.

Specifically, the sheet may stick to the surface of the guide plate of the sheet separating device <NUM> and increase the conveyance resistance, or a drive component such as a gear may be thermally deformed and cause an operation failure.

<FIG> is a front view illustrating a laminating system including a detachable laminate-fixing device, and <FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of the laminate-fixing device of <FIG>.

The laminate-fixing device <NUM> of the present embodiment is disposed above the sheet separating device <NUM>. By heating the heat pressing roller pair <NUM>, even when heat is emitted from the laminate-fixing device <NUM>, the heat moves upward, and thus, it is possible to suppress the thermal influence on other parts (the sheet separating device <NUM>, etc.).

As illustrated in <FIG>, the laminate-fixing device <NUM> includes a fixing entrance conveyor <NUM>, a heat pressing roller pair <NUM>, a fixing relay conveyor <NUM>, a sheet ejection roller pair <NUM>, a cover <NUM>, a stay, and the like.

The fixing entrance conveyor <NUM> includes an upper and lower pair of a first fixing entrance conveyance member 231a and a second fixing entrance conveyance member 231b, and the heat pressing roller pair <NUM> includes an upper limit pair of a first heat pressing roller 220a and a second heat pressing roller 220b.

Further, the fixing relay conveyor <NUM> includes an upper and lower pair of a first fixing relay conveyance member 233a and a second fixing relay conveyance member 233b, and the sheet ejection roller pair <NUM> includes an upper and lower pair of a first sheet ejection roller 234a and a second sheet ejection roller 234b.

Furthermore, the cover <NUM> includes a pair of a first cover member 235a and a second cover member 235b, and the first and second cover members 235a and 235b are fixed so as to integrally unitize the heat pressing roller pair <NUM> and the like via a stay.

In particular, it is preferable to use a material having a high heat insulating effect for the cover <NUM> to suppress heat conduction from the heat pressing roller pair <NUM> to other members.

Next, a method for detaching the laminate-fixing device will be described.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram (part <NUM>) illustrating a detachment direction of the laminate-fixing device. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the unitized laminate-fixing device <NUM> can be removed by being lifted upward in the vertical direction by the user.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating a positioning configuration of the laminate-fixing device. As illustrated in <FIG>, the conveyor <NUM> that conveys the sheet Sp to the laminate-fixing device <NUM> is rotatably disposed around a rotational fulcrum 206b, and has a configuration that can be coupled to and released from the laminate-fixing device <NUM>. The laminate-fixing device <NUM> can be disposed at a predetermined position by positioning members <NUM> and <NUM> disposed in the sheet separating device <NUM>.

Therefore, when the laminate-fixing device <NUM> is removed, the conveyor <NUM> is rotated to release the coupling to the laminate-fixing device <NUM>, and then the laminate-fixing device <NUM> can be pulled upward. On the other hand, when the laminate-fixing device <NUM> is mounted, the laminate-fixing device <NUM> may be disposed from above the sheet separating device <NUM> while being positioned by the positioning members <NUM> and <NUM>, and then the conveyor <NUM> may be coupled to the laminate-fixing device <NUM>.

<FIG> are schematic diagrams (parts <NUM> to <NUM>) illustrating the detachment direction of the laminate-fixing device. As the detachment direction, a laminate-fixing device <NUM>' can be pulled out from the front face of the laminating system <NUM>' (the front direction of the paper of <FIG>), or the laminate-fixing device <NUM>" can be pulled out from the left side face of the laminating system <NUM>" (the left direction of the paper of <FIG>).

However, in consideration of workability, it is preferable that the laminate-fixing devices <NUM>' and <NUM>" are as light as possible.

On the other hand, in the case of the laminate-fixing device <NUM>‴ having a large weight, as illustrated in <FIG>, the laminate-fixing device can support and pull out the laminate-fixing device <NUM>‴ using a supporting member <NUM> such as a rail. Thus, even in the laminate-fixing device <NUM>‴ having a large weight, workability of detachment can be improved.

Next, an advantageous configuration of the present embodiment will be described.

<FIG> are schematic diagrams illustrating output results in the laminating system in which the inner sheet is not reversed, wherein <FIG> illustrates a stacked state of the inner sheet before feeding, and <FIG> illustrates a stacked state of the inner sheet after ejection.

The laminating system <NUM> of <FIG> is the same as that illustrated in <FIG> above, and the laminate-fixing device is disposed in the horizontal direction on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the sheet separating device.

In the laminating system <NUM>, when the inner sheets P stacked on the inner sheet feeder <NUM> are fed in the order of P<NUM>, P<NUM>, and P<NUM> from the top, the inner sheets P ejected and stacked on the output section <NUM> are in the order of P<NUM>, P<NUM>, and P<NUM> from the top, and are in the reverse order of the order before feeding. Furthermore, in a case where there is information on both faces of the inner sheet P and there is a relation to the page order, the pages are out of order. This is because the front and back sides of the inner sheet remain as they are at the beginning, and the user changes the page order separately.

<FIG> and <FIG> are schematic diagrams illustrating output results in the laminating system of the present embodiment, wherein <FIG> illustrates a stacked state of the inner sheet before feeding, and <FIG> illustrates a stacked state of the inner sheet after ejection.

In the laminating system <NUM> of the present embodiment, the inner sheet P is reversed by the reverse path 202a. When the inner sheets P stacked on the inner sheet feeder <NUM> are fed in the order of P<NUM>, P<NUM>, and P<NUM> from the top, the inner sheets P ejected and stacked on the output section <NUM> are in the order of P<NUM>, P<NUM>, and P<NUM> from the top, which is the same as <FIG> in that the inner sheets P are in the reverse order of the order before feeding. However, since the front and back sides of the inner sheet P are reversed, in a case where information is on both faces of the inner sheet P and there is a relation to the page order, page forward feeding is performed. Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to change the page order, which is advantageous because labor is saved.

<FIG> is a front view (part <NUM>) illustrating a laminating system including a detachable laminate-fixing device. A laminating system <NUM> has a horizontally reversed configuration with respect to the laminating system <NUM> of <FIG> (the same applies to a sheet feeder <NUM>, a sheet separating device <NUM>, an inner sheet feeder <NUM>, a laminate-fixing device <NUM>, an output section <NUM>, and a conveyor <NUM>). In this case, the feeding direction of the inner sheet P is from left to right when viewed from the front of the drawing. Even in such a configuration of reverse arrangement, the laminate-fixing device <NUM> can be detached similarly to that illustrated in <FIG>.

Claim 1:
A laminating system (<NUM>) for sandwiching a sheet medium in a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and partially joined together and applying heat and pressure to bond the two-ply sheet, the laminating system comprising:
a sheet separating device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to separate the two sheets of the two-ply sheet and sandwich the sheet medium between the two sheets;
a laminate-fixing device (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to heat and press the two-ply sheet sandwiching the sheet medium; and
a conveyor (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to convey the two-ply sheet sandwiching the sheet medium from the sheet separating device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) to the laminate-fixing device (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>),
the laminate-fixing device (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) being disposed above the sheet separating device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), characterized in that
the conveyor (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) includes a conveyance path (<NUM>) to reverse and convey the two-ply sheet sandwiching the sheet medium to the laminate-fixing device (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), and
a conveyance direction of the two-ply sheet in the laminate-fixing device (<NUM>, <NUM>', <NUM>", <NUM>‴, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) is opposite to a conveyance direction of the two-ply sheet in the sheet separating device (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>).