The invention is a modular card processing and attaching system configured to provide uninterrupted workflow in the feeding and subsequent attaching of cards to carriers for the formation of a mailpiece. The modular card processing and attaching system is further configured to be incorporated into a production mail inserter system, such that attached card and carrier mailpieces may be subsequently sorted and/or inserted into a mailable envelope or packages to be mailed.

A series of conveyance paths to convey a recording medium is formed across a printer and a post-processing device in a printing system. The printing system includes: a detection unit that detects that the post-processing device has entered a predetermined state; and a paper feeding control unit that limits the number of recording media fed to the conveyance path, when it is not detected that the post-processing device has entered the predetermined state, based on the number of recording media conveyable to the post-processing device after the post-processing device enters the predetermined state.

A sheet sticking apparatus includes a feeder configured to feed an adhesive sheet, a folding unit configured to fold the fed adhesive sheet, and an attaching unit configured to press the folded adhesive sheet onto an adherend to stick the adhesive sheet to the adherend. The adhesive sheet includes a first sheet and a second sheet having a feeding-direction leading end temporarily attached to a feeding-direction rear end of the first sheet. The folding unit includes a deflecting section configured to deflect the second sheet into a reverse V-shape.

A sheet folding apparatus includes a retract path that is positioned on the upstream side of a stacker section for collecting sheets and that branches off from a transport path to enable a sheet carried in the stacker section to be transported in a direction opposite to a carry-in direction, an adhesion unit that is positioned in a junction position of the transport path and the retract path to bond sheets by applying an adhesive, a staple binding unit that binds sheets collected in the stacker section with a staple, and a folding processing section that folds sheets bound with the unit. The retract path is a path for retracting an application position of the preceding sheet with the adhesive applied, in carrying a next sheet in the stacker section, and the staple binding unit is disposed in the stacker section between the adhesion unit and the folding processing section.

A sheet binding unit includes a first sheet binder having first and second dentate uneven sheet binding elements to conduct a first sheet binding process by engaging each other by a prescribed meshing depth while sandwiching the sheet bundle therebetween to form a dentate unevenness on the sheet bundle at a first sheet binding portion of the sheet bundle, and a second sheet binder having third and fourth dentate uneven sheet binding elements to conduct a second sheet binding process by engaging each other by a greater meshing depth than that made by first and second dentate uneven sheet binding elements of the first sheet binder while sandwiching the sheet bundle therebetween to form a dentate unevenness on the sheet bundle at a second sheet binding portion different from the first sheet binding portion of the sheet bundle.

A sheet binding method involves holding a tape in at least two different locations of the tape; guiding a sheet bundle to between the two different locations of the tape; bending and holding the tape so as to be convex with respect to a conveying direction on a downstream side of the sheet bundle; and contacting the convex tape with the sheet bundle to bind the sheet bundle.

An image forming apparatus that assists classification of printed sheets of documents of print jobs includes: a correspondence table showing correspondence between sticky note attributes and keywords; and a hardware processor. The attributes represent appearance features of sticky notes to be attached to edges of the sheets so as to protrude from the edges. The keywords are extracted from the documents and denote topics of the documents. In response to execution request of a new print job, the hardware processor extracts a keyword from a document of the new job, judges whether the extracted keyword partially matches any keyword in the correspondence table, and when judging positively, creates a new sticky note attribute partially having an appearance feature represented by the sticky note attribute corresponding to the partially matching keyword in the correspondence table, and adds the new sticky note attribute to the correspondence table together with the extracted keyword.

The present disclosure provides a laminating device. The laminating device may include a first conveying device, a second conveying device, and a laminating apparatus. The first conveying device may be configured to convey a film-like structure. The second conveying device may be arranged along a conveying direction of the first conveying device. A conveying speed of the first conveying device may be greater than that of the second conveying device. The second conveying device may receive the film-like structure conveyed by the first conveying device. The film-like structure may form a folded portion on the second conveying device. The laminating apparatus may be configured to convey an object to be laminated and receive the film-like structure conveyed by the second conveying device. The film-like structure with the folded portion may be laminated with the object to be laminated on the laminating apparatus.

A sheet discharging apparatus includes a guide member configured to guide a lower surface of a sheet, a discharge roller pair, a stacking portion, and a first moving member and a second moving member each configured to move to a first position and a second position, the first position being a position where the first moving member and the second moving member protrude downstream of the discharge roller pair in the sheet discharge direction, the second position being a position located upstream of the first position in the sheet discharge direction. Support portions of the first moving member and the second moving member in the first position protrude upward in a height direction with respect to a tangent of a lower roller of the discharge roller pair when viewed in a sheet width direction.

A sheet discharging apparatus includes a guide member configured to guide a lower surface of a sheet, a discharge roller pair, a stacking portion, and a first moving member and a second moving member each configured to move to a first position and a second position, the first position being a position where the first moving member and the second moving member protrude downstream of the discharge roller pair in the sheet discharge direction, the second position being a position located upstream of the first position in the sheet discharge direction. Support portions of the first moving member and the second moving member in the first position protrude upward in a height direction with respect to a tangent of a lower roller of the discharge roller pair when viewed in a sheet width direction.