Patent ID: 6418996
Filing Date: 2002-07-16
Classification: B32B,Y10T

Abstract:
A laminator comprising:a pair of fixing seats fixedly secured to opposite ends of a housing, a front end of each of said fixing seats being formed with a rest section on which two ends of a thermally conductive casing assembly are locked, a pair of panels of said fixing seats being formed with two pairs of opposite shaft holes through which a pair of pressing rollers are rotatably mounted, said pair of pressing rollers being pivotally mounted between said pair of fixing seats and being positioned parallel each to the other, each pressing roller having a rotary shaft formed at one end, each said rotary shaft being respectively fitted into one of a pair of gears, each of said gears engaging one another, one of said gears being engaged with and driven by a driving gear of said driving motor, each of said pressing rollers having a central rotational axis, said central rotational axes being spaced apart by a first vertical distance, two projecting posts being disposed on an outer side of one of said fixing seats for locking a driving motor therebetween; a thermally conductive casing assembly fixedly mounted between said pair of fixing seats for rotatably receiving therein said pair of pressing rollers, said thermally conductive casing assembly having an upper casing and a lower casing mated each to the other, a front end of said thermally conductive casing assembly being formed with a preheating section extending forward from said front end of said thermally conductive casing assembly, a front edge of said preheating section being formed with a longitudinal entrance through which a laminated article enters said preheating section for preheating, said longitudinal entrance defining an entry area, said entry area gradually decreasing in the direction of movement of said laminated article, whereby the temperature of said laminated article is gradually increased, a rear section of said thermally conductive casing assembly being formed with a receptacle for rotatably receiving therein at least a pair of front sections of said pressing rollers, a rear end of said receptacle being formed with an enlarged exit, said enlarged exit being defined by a pair of rear edges, said pair of rear edges being spaced apart from one another by a second vertical distance, said second vertical distance being greater than said first vertical distance in order to increase a rate of convective cooling of said laminated article; and, at least one heating member fixedly secured to said thermally conductive casing assembly for heating said thermally conductive casing assembly, whereby prior to passing through said pressing rollers, said laminated article is preheated by said preheating section of said thermally conductive casing assembly, said laminated article then passing through said pressing rollers and being pressed therebetween, thereafter said laminated article being released from said enlarged exit of said thermally conductive casing assembly in order to be convectively cooled.