Sheet laminator and image forming system incorporating the sheet laminator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12466176-B2
Application number	US-202318206624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2023
Priority date	Jun 10, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A sheet laminator includes a fuser pressure member, a heater, a drive device, and circuitry. The fuser pressure member thermally fixes a two-ply sheet and a sheet medium inserted between two sheets of the two-ply sheet. The heater heats the fuser pressure member. The driver rotates the fuser pressure member. In response to a pause of a rotation of the fuser pressure member, the circuitry turns off a power supply to the heater, and perform one of immediately stopping the fuser pressure member or rotating the fuser pressure member and stopping the fuser pressure member after the rotation of the fuser pressure member, based on a state of the fuser pressure member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sheet laminator comprising:
a fuser pressurizer to thermally fix a two-ply sheet and a sheet medium inserted between two sheets of the two-ply sheet; a heater to heat the fuser pressurizer; a driver to rotate the fuser pressurizer; and circuitry configured to, in response to a pause of a rotation of the fuser pressurizer, turn off a power supply to the heater; and perform one of: immediately stopping the fuser pressurizer; or rotating the fuser pressurizer and stopping the fuser pressurizer after the rotation of the fuser pressurizer, based on a state of the fuser pressurizer.

2 . The sheet laminator according to claim 1 ,
wherein, the circuitry is further configured to, in response to occurrence of an abnormal condition, immediately turn off the power supply to the heater; and perform one of: immediately stopping the fuser pressurizer; or rotating the fuser pressurizer and stopping the fuser pressurizer after the rotation of the fuser pressurizer, based on the state of the fuser pressurizer.

3 . The sheet laminator according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature detector to detect a temperature of the fuser pressurizer,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the state of the fuser pressurizer based on a temperature detected by the temperature detector.

4 . The sheet laminator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is connected to the heater, and wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine the state of the fuser pressurizer based on a lighting amount of the heater.

5 . The sheet laminator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine a duration time of the rotation of the fuser pressurizer in accordance with the state of the fuser pressurizer.

6 . The sheet laminator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is further configured to change a rotational speed of the fuser pressurizer in accordance with the state of the fuser pressurizer.

7 . The sheet laminator according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fuser pressurizer is a pair of rollers.

8 . The sheet laminator according to claim 7 ,
wherein the fuser pressurizer includes: a fluororesin layer as a surface layer; an elastic layer interior of the fluororesin layer; and a core metal portion interior of the elastic layer, the core metal portion being at a center portion of the fuser pressurizer.

9 . An image forming system comprising:
the sheet laminator according to claim 1 ; and an image forming apparatus to form an image on a sheet medium to be supplied to the sheet laminator.

10 . The sheet laminator according to claim 3 , wherein:
the circuitry is further configured to perform the rotating and stopping of the fuser pressurizer when the detected temperature is greater than a first predetermined temperature.

11 . The sheet laminator according to claim 10 , wherein:
the circuitry is further configured to immediately stop the fuser pressurizer when the detected temperature is equal to or less than the first predetermined temperature.

12 . The sheet laminator according to claim 4 , wherein:
the circuitry is configured to perform the rotating and stopping of the fuser pressurizer when the lighting amount of the heater over a predetermined time is greater than a predetermined heater lighting amount.

13 . The sheet laminator according to claim 3 , wherein:
the circuitry is further configured to determine the state of the fuser pressurizer based on both the temperature detected by the temperature detector and a lighting amount of the heater.

14 . The sheet laminator according to claim 5 , wherein the duration time comprises a first rotation time when the state of the fuser pressurizer is within a first range and a second rotation time, longer than the first rotation time, when the state of the fuser pressurizer is within a second, higher-temperature range.

15 . The sheet laminator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sheet separator to separate the two sheets of the two-ply sheet to allow for the insertion of the sheet medium therebetween.

16 . The sheet laminator according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an ejection roller pair disposed downstream from the fuser pressurizer, wherein the ejection roller pair is to convey the two-ply sheet vertically downward toward a sheet ejection tray.

17 . The sheet laminator according to claim 1 , wherein:
the fuser pressurizer is to thermally fix the two-ply sheet in a nip region, and the sheet laminator is to convey the two-ply sheet vertically downward through the nip region.

Assignees

• Shimodate Kazuki
• Sugiyama Keisuke
• Kato Yuichiro
• Yoshida Shota
• Ochiai Takaya
• Takai Naoki
• Saito Yosuke
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimodate Kazuki
• Sugiyama Keisuke
• Kato Yuichiro
• Yoshida Shota
• Ochiai Takaya
• Takai Naoki
• Saito Yosuke

Classifications

• B32B2317/12

  Paper, e.g. cardboard · CPC title

• B32B2309/14

  Velocity, e.g. feed speeds · CPC title

• B32B2309/04

  Time · CPC title

• B32B2309/02

  Temperature · CPC title

• B32B2037/0069

  the apparatus being originally designed for another function, e.g. printer, photocopier · CPC title