Abstract:
A movable material web assembly for use in conditioning a material web comprising a substrate layer and a protective layer covering the substrate layer comprising a first web transportation assembly selectively conveying said material web along an axis of movement via a material web roller; and a stripping roller oriented at an angle to said axis of movement, and is selectively engaged to strip away the protective layer as the material web is communicated along the axis of movement; and the stripping roller selectively strips the protective layer in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axis of movement.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/309,746 filed on Mar. 17, 2016, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/319,554 filed on Apr. 7, 2016 which are herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates, generally, to a stripping system and method for laminate constructions, and, in particular, to a stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Paper substrate laminate constructions are utilized to provide greater performance and functionality than is possible with single-sheet paper. In general, the paper substrate laminate construction comprises two layers—the paper substrate for receiving deposition of ink printing, metallic printing, or embossing, a protective layer for protection the paper substrate. Indeed, depending on the specific layers of the laminate construction itself, it is possible to produce a paper substrate laminate construction that is more receptive to metallic depositions, including holographic imaging, as well as being more useful for digital printing and having ultra smooth surfaces. 
         [0004]    In various processes, for either sheeting, printing, embossing, laminating, hot stamping, or the like, a protective layer needs to be stripped prior to continuing on to the next process. In some cases, this could be a laminated web—paper to film, paper board to film, film to film, foil to board, or foil to film. In other cases, a carrier or protective film is interleaved in between wraps on a roll to protect the product and prevent wraps from coming in contact with each other. 
         [0005]    To separate a lamination or remove a protective layer, a rewind stand needs to be placed within an existing web path. This can prove to be cumbersome or impossible due to physical space constraints. 
         [0006]    Moreover, known laminate constructions, however, suffer in both quality and performance due to contamination of the upper, printable or metallic receptive surface once the protective layer is removed. 
         [0007]    It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions which permits paper laminate constructions to be fabricated having a protective layer, which may thereafter be selectively stripped away to provide access to the printable or metallic deposition layers. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions includes one or more turning bars or tables, located adjacent a material web of paper substrate laminate construction, so as to selectively strip away a protective layer immediately prior to a metal deposition, or digital printing, operation. 
         [0009]    According to another object of the present invention, the stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions may be placed in any number of structural configurations with respect to the material web of paper, including on the side of the primary axis of the moving stock, in order to promote space conservation and increased performance. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is another view of the stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is yet another view of the stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions, as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions with unwind stand and rewind stand, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions illustrating the turn bar and a number of idle rollers, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged perspective view of the stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions illustrating the turn bar and a number of idle rollers, as shown in  FIG. 4  according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged perspective view of the stripping system and method for paper substrate laminate constructions illustrating the turn bar, as shown in  FIG. 7  according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    A stripping system/moveable material web assembly for paper substrate laminate constructions  10  is shown in  FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment of the present invention. The stripping system for paper substrate laminate constructions  10  includes a material web of paper/material web  12  (or other medium), as it moves along a web moving pathway through and within a frame assembly  14 . A series of idler turn bars/material web roller  16  are utilized to guide the material web  12  through the frame assembly  14 , as is generally known. 
         [0019]    A specialized film turn bar/stripping roller  18  is arranged at an angle to the material web  12  so as to permit the stripping of a protective layer or film  20  from the paper substrate laminate construction, during movement of the material web  12 . 
         [0020]    As perhaps best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , by orienting the stripping roller  18 , or bars, at an angle to the axis of movement of the material web  12 , the present invention is capable to removing the protective film  20  from the material web  12  at, or in near time proximity, to the deposition of metallic inks, dies or formulations, or digital printing operations, thereby ensuring that all such printing or depositions are accomplished on pristine surfaces. It should be noted that the material web  12  can receive the deposition of ink printing, the deposition for metallic printing, or deposition of embossing. 
         [0021]    As will also be appreciated, by utilizing the stripping roller  18 , it is possible to orient the stripping system for laminate constructions to the side, rather than at a distal end of, the material web  12 , thereby providing for greater space efficiency and performance. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  shows a stripping system for paper substrate laminate constructions  10  in association with an unwind stand  80  and a rewind stand  90 . In one embodiment, the material web  12  is unwound from the unwind stand, and moves through and within the frame assembly  14 . Three idler turn bars  16  guide the material web  12  and convey it to a web stripping plane where the stripping roller  18  is arranged at an angle to the material web  12  so as to permit the stripping of a protective layer or film  20  from the paper substrate laminate construction, during movement of the material web  12 . The stripped material web is then conveyed for further processing while the removed protective layer film  20  is then conveyed to a rewind stand  90 . 
         [0023]    The stripping roller  18  can be arranged either into an existing web pathway, or outside of an existing web pathway. After being stripped from the material web  12 , the protective layer film  20  leaves the stripping assembly in a direction different from the moving direction of the material web  12 . The angle between the moving direction of the material web  12  and the moving direction of the stripped protective layer film  20  is between 0-180 degree. In one embodiment of the present invention, the angle between the moving direction of the material web  12  and the moving direction of the stripped protective layer film  20  is between 5-165 degree. In a preferred embodiment, the angle between the moving direction of the material web  12  and the moving direction of the stripped protective layer film  20  is substantially 90 degree. Such an arrangement relieves the space constrain for the material web processing significantly. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5-8  illustrate one embodiment of present invention. In particular, a stripping system for paper substrate laminate constructions  10  comprises 7 idler turn bars  1601 ,  1602 ,  1603 ,  1604 ,  1605 ,  1607 , and a stripping roller  18  mounted on one single frame assembly  14  or ease of portability. Five idler turn bars,  1601 ,  1602 ,  1603 ,  1604 , and  1605 , are parallel mounted on the frame assembly  14 . The rotation axis of idler turn bars,  1601 ,  1602 ,  1603 ,  1604 , and  1605  are substantially vertically to the moving direction of the material web  12 . The stripping roller  18  can be either an idler bar or an adjustable turn bar. The stripping roller  18  directs the stripped protective layer film away from the moving stock. The moving direction of the material web  12  and the moving direction of the protective layer film  20  forms an angle a between 5-165 degree. In one embodiment, in which the angle a between the moving direction of the material web  12  and the moving direction of the protective layer film  20  is substantially 90 degree, the stripping roller is used as a guide roll. 
         [0025]    It should be noted that the idler turn bar  1603 ,  1604 , and the stripping roller  18  are all arranged in a web stripping plane, so that any excessive or loose tension on the stripped protective layer film  20  caused by the rewind stand  90  does not interfere with the angle a between the moving direction of the material web  12  and the moving direction of the protective layer film  20 . In a case where angle α is 90°, the bottom face of idler turn bar  18  is also located on the web stripping plane. 
         [0026]    The idler turn bar  1605  and  1607  remove any variabilities in the process so that the web stripping plane is unaffected by the height of previous and future turns bars incoming or going to the process, along with the height of the rewind stand  90  for the stripped protective layer film  20 . 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the angle β is the angle between the rotation axis of the stripping roller  18  and the moving direction of the material web  12  in the web stripping plane. The relationship between the angle α and angle β is illustrated as follow: 
         [0000]      α=(β−90°)×2
 
         [0028]    It should be noted that the stripping system  10  is moveable and can either be installed into an existing material web processing system, or be used as an end unit attached to an existing material processing system. The movability of the stripping system  10  provides machine stripping process in locations which are space constraint and therefore enhance its space efficiency. 
         [0029]    In one embodiment in which the stripping system  10  is installed into an existing material web processing system, the material web  12  centers into the stripping system  10  through either idler turn bar  1602  or  1603 . If the material web  12  enters into the stripping system  10  from a plane which is higher than the web stripping plane, the material web will enter the stripping system  10  via idler turn bar  1602  first. Therefrom, the material web  12  would enters into the web stripping plane via idler turn bar  1603 . On the other hand, if the material web  12  enters into the stripping system  10  from a plane which is below the idler turn bar  1603 , the material web would enter the web stripping plane via the top face of idler roll  1603 . 
         [0030]    With either web pathway, with the material web  12  is now on the top face of idler turn bar  1603 , the material web  12  would therefrom proceed to stripping roller  18  and idler turn bar  1604 . The protective layer film  20  would separate from the material web  12 , curl around stripping roller  18  and be pulled towards the rewind stand  90  by means of the rewind stand, whether it be electric, pneumatic or hydraulic. The stripped material web would maintain its moving direction and be conveyed to the idler turn bar  1604 , existing the stripping system under idler turn bar  1605 , for any further process, whether it be sheeting, printing, embossing, laminating, hot stamping, or the like. 
         [0031]    In another embodiment in which the stripping system  10  is installed outside an existing material web processing system, the stripping system  10  is designed so that the material web  12  can enter and leave from the same side of the stripping system  10 , allowing for this stripping system to be installed at either end of a process. In such an embodiment, the material web  12  would enter the stripping system  10  under idler turn bar  1601  and moves through idler turn bars  1602  and  1603 , where it would then enter the web stripping plane. It would then continue as mentioned above, with the  2  layers becoming separated at the stripping roller  18 , which steers the stripped protective layer film  20  at an angle a towards its rewind stand. 
         [0032]    Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of this disclosure.