Patent ID: 6805179
Filing Date: 2004-10-19
Classification: B32B,Y10T

Abstract:
An article laminating apparatus for use with a pair of feed rolls carrying a supply of laminating material to be unwound, at least one of the laminating materials including a layer of adhesive provided thereon, said apparatus comprising:a frame constructed and arranged to enable the feed rolls to be mounted thereon; an article processing assembly carried on said frame such that an article can be inserted into said article processing assembly in a feeding direction; said article processing assembly including a pair of cooperating pressure applying structures and a pair of heating elements; said heating elements each having pressure applying structure heating portions positioned in heat transferring relation adjacent said respective pressure applying structures so as to transfer heat to said respective pressure applying structures; said heating elements each having laminating material heating portions positioned such that, when the laminating materials are unwound and fed between said pressure applying structures, said laminating material heating portions are positioned in heat transferring relation adjacent a lengthwise portion of the respective laminating materials extending between said pressure applying structures and the respective feed rolls so as to transfer heat to the laminating materials prior to advancing between the pressure applying structures; wherein said laminating heating portions and said pressure applying structure heating portions of said heating elements are integrally formed as one-piece; said article processing assembly being constructed and arranged to perform an article processing operation wherein portions of the laminating materials are initially heated by the laminating material heating portions of said heating elements prior to advancement between said pressure applying structures and wherein the article and laminating materials are then simultaneously heated and compressed between said pressure applying structures.