Patent ID: 6422281
Filing Date: 2002-07-23
Classification: B32B,B65H,Y10T

Abstract:
An adhesive transfer apparatus for applying adhesive to a selected substrate, said apparatus comprising:a frame; a removable cartridge including a cartridge body structure constructed and ranged to be removably mounted to said frame; a first feed roll carrying a supply of an adhesive transfer substrate, said adhesive transfer substrate having a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive disposed on an adhesive carrying side thereof; a second feed roll carrying a supply of an adhesive mask substrate, said adhesive mask substrate having a bonding side to which said adhesive will bond; a take-up roll, said adhesive mask substrate having a lead end portion thereof connected to said take-up roll, said first feed roll, said second feed roll, and said take-up roll each being rotatably mounted to said cartridge body structure such that removably mounting said cartridge body structure to said frame removably mounts said first feed roll, said second feed roll and said take-up roll to said frame, said first and second feed rolls being positioned such that the selected substrate can be inserted between the transfer substrate and the mask substrate; a pressure applying assembly constructed and arranged to apply pressure to said transfer substrate and said mask substrate with said selected substrate inserted therebetween; said apparatus being constructed and arranged such that, when the selected substrate is inserted between said adhesive transfer substrate and said adhesive mask substrate, an adhesive transfer operation can be performed wherein (a) said transfer substrate said mask substrate, and the selected substrate are moved together in a feeding direction (b) said pressure applying assembly applies pressure to said transfer substrate and said mask substrate with said selected substrate inserted therebetween to cause the adhesive on the adhesive carrying side of said adhesive transfer substrate to adhesively bond to one side of the selected substrate and to any portions of the bonding side of said mask substrate which extend adjacent the periphery of the selected substrate and are engaged directly with said adhesive layer, and (c) said take-up roll rotates to wind up a discharged portion of said mask substrate to which said pressure has been applied along with any portions of said adhesive layer bonded to the bonding side of the discharged portion remaining bonded thereto and being substantially removed from the adhesive carrying side of said transfer substrate.