A sheet separation device separates a non-bonding portion of a two-ply sheet in which two sheets are overlapped and bonded together at a bonding portion of the two-ply sheet. The sheet separation device includes a winding roller, a conveyance roller pair, and a separation claw. The winding roller rotates and winds the two-ply sheet. The conveyance roller pair conveys the two-ply sheet toward the winding roller. The separation claw is inserted into a gap between the two sheets at a position between the winding roller and the conveyance roller pair. The separation claw is disposed in a space that is bounded by an imaginary plane and includes the winding roller. The imaginary plane passes through a nip of the conveyance roller pair and a winding start position at which the two-ply sheet starts to be wound around the winding roller.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet separator, a position detector, a position adjuster, a take-up roller, and a take-up assembly. The sheet separator separates a two-ply sheet, and inserts a sheet medium into the two-ply sheet. The position detector detects respective amounts of positional deviations of the two-ply sheet and the sheet medium. The position adjuster adjusts the positional deviation of the two-ply sheet, before a sheet separating operation, based on the amount of the positional deviation of the two-ply sheet. The take-up roller takes up the two-ply sheet subjected to the sheet separating operation. The take-up assembly moves the take-up roller in a width direction. The position adjuster causes the positional deviation of the two-ply sheet to be adjustable based on the amount of the positional deviation of the sheet medium. The take-up assembly causes the take-up roller to be movable in sync with the position adjuster.

A layer transfer device includes a supply reel, a take-up reel, a driving source, a releasable restraining device, a heating roller, a pressure roller, and a controller. The driving source drives the take-up reel. The releasable restraining device is capable of switching to a restraining state in which a multilayer film is put under restraint in being drawn out from the supply reel and to a release state in which the restraint is lifted. The controller is configured such that when the driving source is generating the mechanical power, the releasable restraining device is in the restraining state if an image area in which an image is formed on the sheet is not present in a layer transfer position between the heating roller and the pressure roller, and the releasable restraining device is in the release state if the image area is present in the layer transfer position.

A sheet stacker for use in a device including a stacker portion, a fence, and a guide face. The stacker portion includes a stacker face that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane and receives a plurality of sheets ejected from above and stack the plurality of sheets on the stacker face. The fence includes an angled face to contact an end of the plurality of sheets stacked on the stacker face. The angled face rises in a direction in which the plurality of sheets is stacked, with respect to a lower side of the stacker face. The guide face guides the sheet conveyed along the lower side toward an outlet port to a lower end of the outlet port, the outlet port opening in an exterior of the device to remove the sheet to an outside of the device.

A thermal fixer includes a first thermal fixing roller and a second thermal fixing roller. The first thermal fixing roller includes a first heater. The second thermal fixing roller is pressed to the first thermal fixing roller. The second thermal fixing roller includes a second heater and has a diameter, a rigidity, and a surface releasability substantially identical to the first thermal fixing roller.

A processing method includes, collectively performing laminate processing with a long laminate film on a plurality of continuously conveyed flat cut sheets; cutting the long laminate film after the laminate processing for each flat cut sheet and obtaining a laminated flat cut sheet; and performing post-processing on the laminated flat cut sheet. An end portion of the laminated flat cut sheet as a reference of the post-processing is the end portion on a side where the laminate film does not protrude from the end portion of each laminated flat cut sheet.

A sheet separation device includes a sheet separation unit, a displacement detector, a displacement adjuster, and a controller. The sheet separation unit performs a sheet separating operation and a sheet inserting operation. The displacement detector detects a displacement amount of the two-ply sheet when the two-ply sheet is displaced in a width direction of the two-ply sheet and detects a displacement amount of the inner sheet. The displacement adjuster adjusts the displacement of the two-ply sheet in the width direction before the sheet separating operation, based on the displacement amount of the two-ply sheet in the width direction detected by the displacement detector. The controller causes the displacement adjuster to adjust relative positions of the two-ply sheet and the inner sheet between the sheet separating operation and the sheet inserting operation, based on the displacement amount of the inner sheet in the width direction detected by the displacement detector.

A sheet processing apparatus including a sheet feeder, a sheet processing device, a sheet ejection device, a purge unit, a multifeed sensor, and circuitry. The sheet feeder feeds a sheet toward a sheet conveyance passage. The sheet processing device performs a predetermined operation on the sheet. The sheet ejection device stacks the sheet when the predetermined operation has been performed. The purge unit stacks the sheet when the predetermined operation has not been performed. The multifeed sensor detects whether sheets are multifed and a number of multifed sheets. The circuitry counts a number of sheets, determines that the sheets stacked in the purge unit is full when a number of counted sheets reaches a predetermined number of sheets, and conveys the multifed sheets toward the purge unit and adds the number of counted sheets according to the number of multifed sheets, in response to detection of the multifed sheets.

The present disclosure provides a laminator and a lamination method. The laminator includes a main body, a guide roller, heating assembly and lamination roller. The main body is provided with a feeding port, a discharging port, and a lamination space arranged between the feeding port and the discharging port. The guide roller is arranged on one side, close to the feeding port, in the main body. The heating assembly is arranged in the lamination space, and the heating assembly is configured to heat a lamination film and a piece to be laminated. The lamination roller is arranged in the lamination space and configured to roll and fix the lamination film. A preheating space is further arranged between the guide roller and the lamination roller. The preheating space is communicated to the lamination space.

A sheet separation device includes a sheet separation unit, a conveyance roller pair, branched conveyance passages, and a movable conveyance guide. The sheet separation unit includes a winding roller and a separator. The winding roller rotates in a given rotational direction to wind a two-ply sheet having two sheets. The separator separates a non-bonding portion of the two-ply sheet. The sheet separation unit inserts an inner sheet between the two sheets separated from each other. The conveyance roller pair conveys the two-ply sheet in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. The branched conveyance passages are disposed between the winding roller and the conveyance roller pair. The movable conveyance guide is movable in the first and second directions to guide the two-ply sheet or the inner sheet. The separator is disposed between the winding roller and the conveyance roller pair.