Patent Description:
Laminating is a common process for the post-press processing of paper prints, which may be used to bond plastic film and printed matter together by using gluing, heating, and pressing to form a paper-plastic product. The laminated printed matter may have an extra layer of thin and transparent plastic film on the surface, and the surface may be smoother and brighter, which can improve the gloss and fastness of the printed matter and prolong the service life of the printed matter. The film can also protect against moisture, water, dirt, abrasion, folding, chemical corrosion, or the like.

The current lamination process is usually the overall lamination of the film and the printed matter. The lamination of the film and the printed matter cannot achieve lamination at a local fixed point or a designated area, and the size of the packaging material formed after the overall lamination is not suitable for the subsequent products that need to be stretch-packed, resulting in that the packaging material cannot meet the requirements for use.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide devices and methods for partial laminating that can meet the requirements of stretch packaging. <CIT> relates to multilayer metal foil insulating and shielding products which have both thermal and acoustical insulation and shielding utilities. <CIT> relates to the technical field of packaging, in particular to a film laminating process for paper. <CIT> relates to a cloth feeding buffer unit of a setting machine.

According to an aspect of the present invention, which is defined in the appended claims, a laminating device is provided. 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.

In some embodiments, the laminating apparatus may include a third conveying device arranged along a conveying direction of the second conveying device. The third conveying device may be configured to receive and convey the object to be laminated. A conveying surface of the third conveying device may be lower than that of the second conveying device. A height difference between the conveying surface of the second conveying device and the conveying surface of the third conveying device may be greater than a thickness of the object to be laminated.

In some embodiments, the laminating apparatus may further include a fourth conveying device arranged along a conveying direction of the third conveying device. The fourth conveying device may be configured to receive the film-like structure conveyed by the second conveying device and the object to be laminated conveyed by the third conveying device, and laminate the folded portion of the film-like structure and the object to be laminated. A conveying surface of the fourth conveying device may be higher than that of the third conveying device. A height difference between the conveying surface of the third conveying device and the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device may not be greater than the thickness of the object to be laminated.

In some embodiments, the laminating device may further include a plurality of suction assemblies. The plurality of suction assemblies may be distributed at intervals on the conveying surface of the second conveying device. Two adjacent suction assemblies may respectively suction the film-like structure so that the film-like structure forms the folded portion between the two adjacent suction assemblies.

In some embodiments, the plurality of suction assemblies may include at least two rows of openings distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the second conveying device. A distance between two adjacent rows of openings may not be less than <NUM> times a length of the folded portion.

In some embodiments, the laminating device may further include a first cutter assembly. A cutting direction of the first cutter assembly may be perpendicular to a conveying direction of the fourth conveying device. The first cutter assembly may be configured to cut the film-like structure on a conveying surface of the fourth conveying device. Two sides of the cut film-like structure in a length direction may cover two sides of the object to be laminated.

In some embodiments, the laminating device may further include a fifth conveying device configured to convey the object to be laminated to the laminating apparatus. A conveying direction of the fifth conveying device may be perpendicular or parallel to that of the laminating apparatus.

In some embodiments, the laminating device may further include a glue application assembly configured to apply glue to a surface of the object to be laminated on a conveying surface of the fifth conveying device.

In some embodiments, the glue application assembly may include a glue tank and a glue roller. The glue tank may be configured to store the glue. The glue roller may be configured to apply the glue in the glue tank to the surface of the object to be laminated on the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device.

In some embodiments, the laminating device may further include a second cutter assembly configured to cut the film-like structure received or conveyed by the first conveying device into a film-like structure with a specific width. The second cutter assembly may include at least one sub-cutter assembly. The at least one sub-cutter assembly may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the first conveying device.

In some embodiments, the at least one sub-cutter assembly may include a first sub-cutter assembly and a second sub-cutter assembly. The first sub-cutter assembly and the second sub-cutter assembly may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the first conveying device. A cutter corresponding to the second sub-cutter assembly and a cutter corresponding to the first sub-cutter assembly may be distributed at intervals along a width direction of the first conveying device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a laminating method is provided. The laminating method may include arranging a second conveying device along a conveying direction of a first conveying device. The second conveying device may be configured to receive a film-like structure conveyed by the first conveying device. The laminating method may include controlling a conveying speed of the first conveying device to be greater than that of the second conveying device so that the film-like structure forms a folded portion on the second conveying device. The laminating method may further include laminating the film-like structure with the folded portion with an object to be laminated.

In some embodiments, a length of the folded portion of the film-like structure formed on the second conveying device may be related to the conveying speed of the first conveying device and the conveying speed of the second conveying device.

In some embodiments, the controlling a conveying speed of the first conveying device to be greater than that of the second conveying device so that the film-like structure forms a folded portion on the second conveying device may include controlling at least one of the length and a position of the folded portion by adjusting at least one of the conveying speed of the first conveying device and the conveying speed of the second conveying device.

In some embodiments, the controlling a conveying speed of the first conveying device to be greater than that of the second conveying device so that the film-like structure forms a folded portion on the second conveying device may further include suctioning the film-like structure using a plurality of suction assemblies distributed at intervals on a conveying surface of the second conveying device. Two adjacent suction assemblies may respectively suction the film-like structure so that the film-like structure forms the folded portion between the two adjacent suction assemblies.

In some embodiments, the laminating the film-like structure with the folded portion with an object to be laminated may include applying glue to a surface of the object to be laminated and conveying the glue-applied object to be laminated to a laminating apparatus. The laminating apparatus may include a third conveying device configured to receive the object to be laminated and a fourth conveying device configured to receive the film-like structure. The fourth conveying device may be arranged along a conveying direction of the third conveying device. The laminating the film-like structure with the folded portion with an object to be laminated may further include laminating a glue-applied surface of the object to be laminated with the film-like structure during a process of conveying the object to be laminated from a conveying surface of the third conveying device to a conveying surface of the fourth conveying device.

In some embodiments, the laminating method may further include cutting the laminated film-like structure using a first cutter assembly. Two sides of the cut film-like structure in a length direction may cover two sides of the object to be laminated.

In some embodiments, before controlling a conveying speed of the first conveying device to be greater than that of the second conveying device so that the film-like structure forms a folded portion on the second conveying device, the laminating method may include in response to a user's operation, cutting the film-like structure into a film-like structure with a specific width using a second cutter assembly.

In some embodiments, the second cutter assembly may include at least one sub-cutter assembly. The at least one sub-cutter assembly may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the first conveying device. The laminating method may include controlling the at least one sub-cutter assembly of the second cutter assembly to cut the film-like structure, determining whether a width of the cut film-like structure is equal to a specific width; and in response to determining that the width of the cut film-like structure is not equal to the specific width, controlling another sub-cutter assembly of the second cutter assembly to cut the cut film structure, till the width of the cut film-like structure is equal to the specific width.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, however not according to the claimed invention, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device may include at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. The memory may store instructions executable by the at least one processor. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions may cause the at least one processor to perform the laminating method.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, however not according to the claimed invention, a computer storage medium is provided. The computer storage medium may store a computer program for executing the laminating method.

In order to illustrate the technical solutions related to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a brief introduction of the drawings referred to in the description of the embodiments is provided below. Obviously, drawings described below are only some examples or embodiments of the present disclosure. Those having ordinary skills in the art, without further creative efforts, may apply the present disclosure to other similar scenarios according to these drawings. Unless stated otherwise or obvious from the context, the same reference numeral in the drawings refers to the same structure and operation.

It will be understood that the term "system," "device," "unit," and/or "module" used herein are one method to distinguish different components, elements, parts, sections or assembly of different levels in ascending order. However, the terms may be displaced by another expression if they achieve the same purpose.

It will be understood that, although the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. Similarly, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. For the convenience of describing this specification and simplifying the description, the terms "front," "rear," "under," and/or "above" are used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship of the device or element based on the drawings, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element must have the specific orientation or be constructed or operated in the specific orientation, which cannot be understood as a limitation of the present disclosure. In general, the terms "comprise," "comprises," and/or "comprising," "include," "includes," and/or "including" when used in this disclosure, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The flowcharts used in the present disclosure illustrate operations that systems implement according to some embodiments in the present disclosure. It is to be expressly understood, the operations of the flowchart may be implemented not in order. Conversely, the operations may be implemented in an inverted order, or simultaneously. Moreover, one or more other operations may be added to the flowcharts. One or more operations may be removed from the flowcharts.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a laminating device. In some embodiments, the laminating device may include a first conveying device, a second conveying device arranged along a conveying direction of the first conveying device, and a laminating apparatus. The first conveying device may be configured to convey a film-like structure. The second conveying device may receive the film-like structure conveyed by the first conveying device. In some embodiments, a conveying speed of the first conveying device may be greater than that of the second conveying device. The difference in speed between the first conveying device and the second conveying device may cause the film-like structure to form a folded portion on the second conveying device. Further, the laminating apparatus may be configured to convey an object to be laminated and receive the film-like structure with the folded portion conveyed by the second conveying device, so that the folded portion of the film-like structure and the object to be laminated may be laminated on the laminating apparatus. On one hand, the laminated material may be used in a conventional packaging process. For example, the laminated material may be packaged in a form of a folding wrapper or a twist wrapper. On the other hand, a space for placing products may be formed between the laminated material and the folded portion of the film-like structure, so that the laminated material and the film-like structure may be suitable for packaging forms of products such as stretching packaging, shrink packaging, blister packaging, skin packaging, or the like. In summary, the laminating device provided by the present disclosure can fold the film-like structure into a structure with a folded portion and laminate it with the object to be laminated, which may improve the production efficiency of packaging materials and enable the produced packaging materials to be used in different packaging scenarios, thereby increasing the utilization rate of packaging materials.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of an exemplary laminating system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, however not according to the claimed invention. In some embodiments, the laminating system <NUM> may include a laminating device <NUM>, a processing device <NUM>, and a terminal <NUM>. The laminating device <NUM>, the terminal <NUM>, and the processing device <NUM> may be communicatively connected through a network <NUM>.

The laminating device <NUM> may be configured to form a folded portion on the film-like structure and laminate the film-like structure with the folded portion with the object to be laminated. In some embodiments, the laminating device <NUM> may include a first conveying device, a second conveying device arranged along a conveying direction of the first conveying device, and a laminating apparatus. The first conveying device may be configured to convey the film-like structure. The second conveying device may receive the film-like structure conveyed by the first conveying device. In some embodiments, an operating speed (i.e., the conveying speed) of the first conveying device may be greater than that of the second conveying device. The difference in speed between the first conveying device and the second conveying device may cause the film-like structure to form a folded portion on the second conveying device. Optionally, the operating speed of the first conveying device and the operating speed of the second conveying device may be dynamically adjusted, so that the position of the folded portion on the second conveying device may be controlled. It should be understood that the position of the folded portion may be controlled in other ways. For example, the position of the folded portion may be controlled by setting a suction assembly on the second conveying device. The laminating apparatus may be configured to convey an object to be laminated and receive the film-like structure with the folded portion conveyed by the second conveying device. More descriptions regarding the laminating device <NUM> may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure, for example, <FIG> and the descriptions thereof.

The processing device <NUM> may be configured to process information and/or data related to the laminating device <NUM>. For example, the processing device <NUM> may calculate the operating speed of the conveying device (e.g., the first conveying device <NUM> and the second conveying device <NUM> shown in <FIG>) of the laminating device <NUM> according to a target length of the folded portion <NUM> (shown in <FIG> or <FIG>) based on a preset algorithm. As another example, the processing device <NUM> may calculate the operating speed of the conveying device of the laminating device <NUM> according to a target position of the folded portion <NUM> based on the preset algorithm. As another example, the processing device <NUM> may control the start and stop of the suction assembly <NUM> (shown in <FIG>) based on the target length and the target position of the folded portion <NUM>. In some embodiments, the processing device <NUM> may include one or more processing engines (e.g., single-core processing engine(s) or multi-core processing engine(s)). Merely by way of example, the processing device <NUM> may include a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an application-specific instruction-set processor (ASIP), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a physics processing unit (PPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a controller, a microcontroller unit, a reduced instruction-set computer (RISC), a microprocessor, or the like, or any combination thereof.

The terminal <NUM> may be a device with data acquisition, storage, and/or sending functions, for example, a laptop computer. The terminal <NUM> may include a control system and/or a control program, and the user may perform various operations on the application to realize data processing of the processing device <NUM> and the laminating device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the terminal <NUM> may include, but is not limited to, a mobile device <NUM>-<NUM>, a tablet computer <NUM>-<NUM>, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or the like, or any combination thereof. Exemplary mobile device <NUM>-<NUM> may include but is not limited to, a smartphone, a personal digital assistance (PDA), a point of sale (POS) device, a handheld gaming device, smart glasses, a smartwatch, a wearable device, a virtual reality device, an augmented reality device, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the terminal <NUM> may obtain operating data from the laminating device <NUM>. For example, the terminal <NUM> may obtain the actual operating speed of the conveying device from the laminating device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the terminal <NUM> may obtain control data from the processing device <NUM>. For example, the terminal <NUM> may obtain a control instruction for controlling the laminating device <NUM> (e.g., an instruction for controlling the operating speed of the first conveying device and the operating speed of the second conveying device) from the processing device <NUM>. As another example, the terminal <NUM> may obtain a control instruction for controlling the first cutter assembly <NUM> (shown in <FIG>) (e.g., an instruction for controlling the start and stop of the first cutter assembly <NUM>) from the processing device <NUM>. As another example, the terminal <NUM> may obtain a control instruction for controlling the second cutter assembly (shown in <FIG>) (e.g., an instruction for controlling the start and stop of at least one sub-cutter assembly of the second cutter assembly) from the processing device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the terminal <NUM> may receive a user's instruction and transmit the instruction to the processing device <NUM>, thereby controlling the operating state (e.g., the operating speed of the conveying device, the start and stop of the cutter assembly and/or the suction assembly) of the laminating device <NUM>.

The network <NUM> may facilitate the exchange of information and/or data. In some embodiments, one or more components of the laminating device <NUM>, the processing device <NUM>, and the terminal <NUM> may send information and/or data to or receive information and/or data from one or more other components via the network <NUM>. For example, the terminal <NUM> may obtain the actual operating speed of the conveying device from the laminating device <NUM> via the network <NUM>. As another example, the processing device <NUM> may send a control instruction for controlling the first cutter assembly <NUM> (e.g., an instruction for controlling the start and stop of the first cutter assembly <NUM>) to the terminal <NUM> via the network <NUM>. As another example, the processing device <NUM> may send a control instruction for controlling the second cutter assembly (e.g., an instruction for controlling the start and stop of at least one sub-cutter assembly of the second cutter assembly) to the terminal <NUM> via the network <NUM>. The network <NUM> may be and/or include a public network (e.g., the Internet), a private network (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN)), etc.), a wired network (e.g., an Ethernet network), a wireless network (e.g., an <NUM> network, a Wi-Fi network, etc.), a cellular network (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network), a frame relay network, a virtual private network ("VPN"), a satellite network, a telephone network, routers, hubs, switches, server computers, and/or any combination thereof. Merely by way of example, the network <NUM> may include a cable network, a wireline network, a fiber-optic network, a telecommunications network, an intranet, a wireless local area network (WLAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a public telephone switched network (PSTN), a Bluetooth™ network, a ZigBee™ network, a near field communication (NFC) network, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the network <NUM> may include one or more network access points. For example, the network <NUM> may include wired and/or wireless network access points such as base stations and/or internet exchange points <NUM>-<NUM>, <NUM>-<NUM>,. , through which one or more components of the laminating device <NUM>, the processing device <NUM>, and the terminal <NUM> may be connected to the network <NUM> to exchange data and/or information.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary computing device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, however not according to the claimed invention. As shown in <FIG>, the computing device <NUM> may include at least one processor <NUM>, at least one storage, a bus <NUM>, a communication port <NUM>, and an input/output (I/O) <NUM>. The storage may store instructions that can be executed by the at least one processor <NUM>. When executed by the at least one processor <NUM>, the instructions may direct the at least one processor <NUM> to perform the laminating method <NUM> described in the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the at least one processor <NUM>, the at least one storage, the communication port <NUM>, and the input/output <NUM> may establish a communication connection through the communication bus <NUM>.

In some embodiments, instructions may include, for example, routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions that can perform specific functions described in the present disclosure. For example, the processor <NUM> may receive information from the terminal <NUM> and send the processed information to the laminating device <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the at least one processor <NUM> may include one or more hardware processors, such as a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC), an application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), an application-specific instruction-set processor (ASIP), a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a physics processing unit (PPU), a microcontroller unit, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an advanced RISC machine (ARM), a programmable logic device (PLD), any circuit or processor capable of executing one or more functions, or the like, or any combinations thereof.

The storage/computer storage medium may store data/information/instructions obtained from one or more components of the laminating system <NUM>. In some embodiments, the storage may include a read-only memory (ROM) <NUM>, a random access memory (RAM) <NUM>, a disk <NUM>, a removable storage device, a volatile read-and-write memory, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the storage/computer storage medium may store at least one program and/or instruction to execute the exemplary laminating method <NUM> described in the present disclosure. For example, the storage/computer storage medium may store a program executed by the processor <NUM> to control the operating speeds of the second conveying device <NUM> and the first conveying device <NUM> according to the length of the folded portion <NUM>. As another example, the storage/computer storage medium may store a program executed by the processor <NUM> to control the first cutter assembly <NUM> to cut the film-like structure <NUM>. In some embodiments, the storage/computer storage medium may be implemented on a cloud platform.

The communication port <NUM> may be connected with a network (e.g., the network <NUM>) to facilitate data communications. The communication port <NUM> may establish connections between the terminal <NUM> and the at least one processor <NUM>. The connection may be a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of both that enables data transmission and reception. The wired connection may include an electrical cable, an optical cable, a telephone wire, or the like, or any combination thereof. The wireless connection may include a Bluetooth™ network, a Wi-Fi network, a WiMax network, a WLAN, a ZigBee™ network, an NFC network, a mobile network (e.g., <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, etc.), or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the communication port <NUM> may be a standardized communication port, such as RS232, RS485, etc. In some embodiments, the communication port <NUM> may be a specially designed communication port.

The input/output <NUM> may input or output signals, data, information, or the like. In some embodiments, the input/output <NUM> may enable user interaction with the at least one processor <NUM>. In some embodiments, the input/output <NUM> may establish a communication connection with an external device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the input/output <NUM> may include an input device and an output device. The input device may include alphanumeric keys and other keys, which may be input via a keyboard, a touch screen (e.g., a screen with tactile or tactile feedback), a voice input, an eye-tracking input, a brain monitoring system, or other similar arbitrary input mechanisms. The input information received through the input device <NUM> may be transmitted to another component for further processing through, for example, the communication bus. Other types of input devices may include cursor control devices, such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys. Exemplary output devices may include a display device, a loudspeaker, a printer, a projector, or the like, or any combination thereof. Exemplary display devices may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED)-based display, a flat panel display, a curved screen, a television device, a cathode ray tube (CRT), or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, input/output <NUM> may be omitted.

<FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a laminating device according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in <FIG>, the laminating device <NUM> may include a first conveying device <NUM>, a second conveying device <NUM>, and a laminating apparatus <NUM>.

The first conveying device <NUM> may be configured to convey a film-like structure. In some embodiments, the material of the film-like structure may include, but is not limited to, one or more of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, metal (e.g., aluminum, tin), or the like. In some embodiments, the film-like structure may include an optical film, a composite film, a superconducting film, or any other possible film structure. The first conveying device <NUM> may include a conveying surface. When the first conveying device <NUM> is running, the film-like structure may be placed on the conveying surface of the first conveying device <NUM> and conveyed from a starting point of the first conveying device <NUM> to an end point of the first conveying device <NUM>. The second conveying device <NUM> may be configured to receive the film-like structure conveyed by the first conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the second conveying device <NUM> may be arranged along a conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>. It can be understood that the conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM> may be the same. Specifically, a starting point of the second conveying device <NUM> may be close to the end point of the first conveying device <NUM> so that the film-like structure conveyed by the end point of the first conveying device <NUM> may enter the starting point of the second conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, a height of the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> may be the same as that of the conveying surface of the first conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the height of the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> may also be different from that of the conveying surface of the first conveying device <NUM>. The height of the conveying surface may be a height of the conveying device relative to the horizontal plane. The height of the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> and the height of the conveying surface of the first conveying device <NUM> may be adjusted adaptively according to the production site. In order to make the film-like structure generate the folded portion on the second conveying device <NUM>, in some embodiments, the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> may be greater than that of the second conveying device <NUM>. Correspondingly, the conveying speed of the film-like structure on the first conveying device <NUM> may be greater than that of the film-like structure on the second conveying device <NUM>. Since the film-like structure is a continuous flexible structure, the film-like structure with a faster speed on the first conveying device <NUM> may act on the film-like structure with a slower speed on the second conveying device <NUM>, so that the film-like structure may form the folded portion on the second conveying device <NUM>. The folded portion refers to an area that the film-like structure partially overlaps with the main body. In some embodiments, the folded portion may have a structure with two layers, three layers, four layers, or more layers. In some embodiments, the length of each layer of the folded portion may be the same or different. It should be noted that the count of layers of the folded portion or the length of each layer of the folded portion may be adjusted adaptively according to actual application scenarios. More descriptions regarding the folded portion may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure, for example, <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, and the descriptions thereof.

The laminating apparatus <NUM> may be configured to convey the object to be laminated and receive the film-like structure conveyed by the second conveying device <NUM>. The film-like structure with the folded portion may be laminated with the object to be laminated on the laminating apparatus <NUM>. The object to be laminated refers to a plate-shaped structure that can be used to carry objects. In some embodiments, the object to be laminated, classified in terms of material, may include a paperboard, a plastic plate, a metal plate, a rubber plate, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the laminating apparatus <NUM> may include a third conveying device <NUM> arranged along the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM>. The third conveying device <NUM> may be configured to receive and convey the object to be laminated. The object to be laminated received by the third conveying device <NUM> may be conveyed to other sub-devices of the laminating apparatus <NUM> to complete the laminating with the film-like structure with the folded portion. In some embodiments, the laminating apparatus <NUM> may include a fourth conveying device <NUM> arranged along the conveying direction of the third conveying device <NUM>. The fourth conveying device <NUM> may be configured to receive the film-like structure conveyed by the second conveying device <NUM> and the object to be laminated conveyed by the third conveying device <NUM> and laminate the film-like structure with the folded portion with the object to be laminated. In order to prevent the entering of the object to be laminated to the third conveying device <NUM> from affecting the normal conveyance of the film-like structure between the second conveying device <NUM> and the fourth conveying device, in some embodiments, the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> may be lower than that of the second conveying device <NUM>. A height difference between the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> and the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> may be greater than a thickness of the object to be laminated. In order to realize the lamination between the film-like structure and the object to be laminated, in some embodiments, the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> may be higher than that of the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM>. A height difference between the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> and the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> may not be greater than the thickness of the object to be laminated. When the object to be laminated on the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> is conveyed to the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM>, since the height difference between the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> and the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> is not greater than the thickness of the object to be laminated, the object to be laminated may be pressed by the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> and the film-like structure to realize the lamination between a side of the film-like structure facing the fourth conveying device <NUM> and a side of the object to be laminated away from the fourth conveying device <NUM>. It should be understood that the third conveying device <NUM> and the fourth conveying device <NUM> may be two independent conveying devices or may be different components of one conveying device.

In some embodiments, the laminating device <NUM> may further include a fifth conveying device <NUM>. The fifth conveying device <NUM> may be configured to convey the object to be laminated to the third conveying device <NUM> of the laminating apparatus <NUM>. In some embodiments, the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be perpendicular to that of the third conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be lower than, higher than, or equal to the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM>. When the object to be laminated on the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM> is separated from the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM> at an end point, the object to be laminated will continue to move along the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM> due to the inertia of the object to be laminated, thereby being conveyed to the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM> may also be the same as that of the third conveying device <NUM>, where the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be located on a side of the third conveying device <NUM> away from the starting point of the fourth conveying device <NUM>. The object to be laminated on the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be conveyed to the starting point of the third conveying device <NUM> from the end point of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the fifth conveying device <NUM> and the third conveying device <NUM> may be two independent conveying devices or may be different components of one conveying device. Correspondingly, the third conveying device <NUM>, the fourth conveying device <NUM>, and the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be independent conveying devices or may be different components of one conveying device.

It should be noted that the above descriptions about the laminating device are merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, defined in the appended claims. Apparently, for persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications may be conducted under the teachings of the present invention. For example, in some embodiments, the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be omitted from the laminating device <NUM>, and the object to be laminated may be placed on the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> manually or by other equipment (e.g., an industrial robot, a robotic arm, or the like). However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present invention as long as within the scope of the appended claims.

In order to make the film-like structure on the second conveying device <NUM> form folded portions at specific intervals along a length direction of the film-like structure, in some embodiments, the laminating device <NUM> may further include at least two suction assemblies. The at least two suction assemblies may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM>. Two adjacent suction assemblies may respectively suction the film-like structure so that the film-like structure forms the folded portion between the two adjacent suction assemblies.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a first conveying device and a second conveying device according to some embodiments of the present is invention.

As shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments, the laminating device <NUM> may further include at least two suction assemblies <NUM>. The at least two suction assemblies <NUM> may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM>. Two adjacent suction assemblies <NUM> may respectively suction the film-like structure <NUM> so that the film-like structure <NUM> forms the folded portion <NUM> between the two adjacent suction assemblies. When the film-like structure <NUM> is conveyed from the first conveying device <NUM> to the second conveying device <NUM>, a part of the film-like structure <NUM> may be suctioned on the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> by the suction assembly <NUM>. The part of the film-like structure <NUM> may be conveyed along with the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> at the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>, and the first conveying device <NUM> may continue to convey the film-like structure <NUM> to the second conveying device <NUM>. Since the conveying speed of the conveying device <NUM> is greater than that of the second conveying device <NUM>, the film-like structure <NUM> separated from the first conveying device <NUM> may move in the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM> at a speed same as the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM>. The film-like structure <NUM> separated from the first conveying device <NUM> may protrude upward relative to the film structure <NUM> suctioned by the suction assembly <NUM> and maintain a certain speed to continue moving in the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM>. The protruding part of the film-like structure <NUM> may be attached to the main structure of the film-like structure <NUM> under gravity to form a folded portion <NUM>. The part of the film-like structure <NUM> after the folded portion <NUM> may be suctioned by the adjacent suction assembly <NUM> and then stops being folded. By analogy, the subsequent film-like structure <NUM> may form a film-like structure <NUM> with folded portions <NUM> with specific intervals under the action of the suction assembly <NUM>. In some embodiments, the suction assembly <NUM> may include at least two rows of openings (not shown in <FIG>) distributed along the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM>. The openings may pass through the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM>. Each of the openings may be connected with an external power device (e.g., an air pump) to suction the film-like structure <NUM>. When the first cutter assembly <NUM> cuts the film-like structure <NUM>, in order to prevent the first cutter assembly <NUM> (shown in <FIG>) from cutting the folded portion <NUM> lying on the film-like structure <NUM>, in some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent rows of openings may not be less than twice the length of the folded portion <NUM>, that is, the distance between the openings of two adjacent suction assemblies <NUM> may be greater than or equal to a spread length of the folded portion <NUM>. The folded portion <NUM> lying on the film-like structure <NUM> will not cover the cross-cut position of the first cutter assembly <NUM> so that damage to the laminated packaging material can be avoided. In some embodiments, a shape of the opening may include but is not limited to, a circle, a triangle, an ellipse, or a polygon. In some embodiments, the distance between two adjacent rows of openings refers to a distance between the centers of the two rows of openings. For example, when the openings are circular openings, the distance between two adjacent rows of openings may be the distance between the centers of the two rows of circles. For illustrative purposes only, the film-like structure <NUM> with the folded portion <NUM> may need to be laminated with each object to be laminated. In order to ensure that each object to be laminated can be laminated with the film-like structure <NUM> with the folded portion <NUM>, the folded portion <NUM> and the film-like structures <NUM> on both sides of the folded portion <NUM> may be regarded as a film-like structure unit <NUM>. A spread length of a film-like structure unit <NUM> may be denoted as L, and the folded portion <NUM> may be approximately regarded as a symmetrical structure about the folded position. L<NUM> denotes the length of a single-layer of the folded portion <NUM>, and correspondingly, the spread length of the folded portion <NUM> may be <NUM>L<NUM>. In some embodiments, the suction assembly <NUM> may include a plurality of openings arranged side by side along the length direction of the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM>, and the distance between the corresponding openings of the adjacent suction assemblies <NUM> may be greater than or equal to <NUM>L<NUM>. In order to achieve a better suction effect, each suction assembly <NUM> may include a plurality of openings arranged at intervals along the width direction of the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM>. It should be noted that the structure of the folded portion <NUM> is not limited to the structure with two layers shown in <FIG>, but can also be the structure with three layers, four layers, or more layers. The distance between adjacent suction assemblies <NUM> may be adjusted according to the count of layers of the folded portion <NUM>.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary partial structure of a laminating device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the third conveying device <NUM> may be configured to receive and convey the object to be laminated. The object to be laminated received by the third conveying device <NUM> may be conveyed to other sub-devices of the laminating apparatus <NUM> to complete the laminating with the film-like structure with the folded portion. In some embodiments, the laminating apparatus <NUM> may include a fourth conveying device <NUM> arranged along the conveying direction of the third conveying device <NUM>. The fourth conveying device <NUM> may be configured to receive the film-like structure conveyed by the second conveying device <NUM> and the object to be laminated conveyed by the third conveying device <NUM> and laminate the film-like structure with the folded portion with the object to be laminated. In order to prevent the entering of the object to be laminated to the third conveying device <NUM> from affecting the normal conveyance of the film-like structure between the second conveying device <NUM> and the fourth conveying device, in some embodiments, the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> may be lower than that of the second conveying device <NUM>. A height difference between the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> and the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> may be greater than a thickness of the object to be laminated. In order to realize the lamination between the film-like structure and the object to be laminated, in some embodiments, the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> may be higher than that of the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM>. A height difference between the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> and the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> may not be greater than the thickness of the object to be laminated. When the object to be laminated on the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> is conveyed to the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM>, since the height difference between the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> and the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> is not greater than the thickness of the object to be laminated, the object to be laminated may be pressed by the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> and the film-like structure to realize the lamination between a side of the film-like structure facing the fourth conveying device <NUM> and a side of the object to be laminated away from the fourth conveying device <NUM>. It should be understood that the third conveying device <NUM> and the fourth conveying device <NUM> may be two independent conveying devices or may be different components of one conveying device.

In some embodiments, the fourth conveying device <NUM> may include a pressurizing component (not shown). The pressurizing component may be located above the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM>. The pressurizing component may apply pressure to the film-like structure <NUM> and the object to be laminated <NUM> on the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> so that the film-like structure <NUM> and the object to be laminated <NUM> may be tightly laminated. In some embodiments, the pressurizing component may apply vertical downward pressure to the film-like structure <NUM> and the object to be laminated <NUM>. For example, the pressurizing component may be a hydraulic device that reciprocates up and down. In some embodiments, the pressurizing component may be a roller device.

As shown in <FIG>, the laminating device <NUM> may further include a first cutter assembly <NUM>. The first cutter assembly <NUM> may be configured to cut the film-like structure <NUM> on the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM>. Two sides of the cut film-like structure <NUM> in the length direction may cover two sides of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the two sides of the cut film-like structure <NUM> in the length direction may overlap with the two sides of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the two sides of the cut film-like structure <NUM> in the length direction may be slightly longer than the two sides of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, one side of the cut film-like structure <NUM> in the length direction may overlap with one side of the object to be laminated <NUM>, and the other side of the cut film-like structure <NUM> in the length direction may be slightly longer than the other side of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the first cutter assembly <NUM> may be adapted to the fourth conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the first cutter assembly <NUM> may be located above the film-like structure <NUM> on the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM>, and the cutting direction of the first cutter assembly <NUM> may be perpendicular to the conveying direction of the fourth conveying device <NUM>. The first cutter assembly <NUM> may move up and down under the drive of the hydraulic device. When the first cutter assembly <NUM> moves downward, the film-like structure <NUM> may be cut. In some embodiments, the first cutter assembly <NUM> may also include a hob cutter device. For example, the hob cutter device may include a drum and a cutter extending along the length of the drum. The length of the drum may be consistent with the width direction of the film-like structure <NUM>. In some embodiments, the length of the cutter may be greater than or equal to the width of the film-like structure <NUM>, so as to divide the film-like structure <NUM> into a plurality of film-like structure units <NUM>. The position of the cutter may change with the circular movement of the drum, and the film-like structure <NUM> may be cut by the cutter by controlling the rotation speed of the drum. It should be noted that the first cutter assembly <NUM> may not be limited to the content described above, and may also be other types of cutter assemblies that can realize the positioning and cutting of the film-like structure <NUM>, which is not further limited here.

As shown in <FIG>, the laminating device <NUM> may further include a glue application assembly <NUM>. The glue application assembly <NUM> may be configured to apply glue to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM> on the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the glue application assembly <NUM> may be located above the object to be laminated <NUM> so as to apply glue on the upper surface of the object to be laminated <NUM> on the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the glue application assembly <NUM> may include a glue tank (not shown) and a glue roller. The glue tank may be configured to store glue, and the glue roller may be configured to apply the glue in the glue tank to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM> on the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. In order to ensure that the object to be laminated <NUM> and the film-like structure <NUM> are fully laminated, in some embodiments, a glue roller may apply glue to all areas on the surface of the object to be laminated. Too much glue applied to the object to be laminated <NUM> may cause excessive consumption of glue. In order to ensure that the object to be laminated <NUM> and the film-like structure <NUM> are fully laminated while reducing the consumption of glue, in some embodiments, a glue roller may apply glue on a partial area of the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>. For example, when the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM> is perpendicular to that of the third conveying device <NUM>, the glue roller may be located above the fifth conveying device <NUM>. When the glue roller is running, the glue may be applied to a partial area of the object to be laminated <NUM>, and at least one trace of the glue extending along the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be left on the object to be laminated <NUM> so that the object to be laminated <NUM> on the fifth conveying device <NUM> may enter the laminating apparatus <NUM> and then be laminated with the film-like structure <NUM>. In order to ensure that the object to be laminated <NUM> and the film-like structure <NUM> are laminated closely, in some embodiments, the glue application assembly <NUM> may include two glue rollers, both of which may be located along the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. The two glue rollers may be arranged at intervals so that the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM> on the fifth conveying device <NUM> may have two glue traces extending along the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. After the object to be laminated <NUM> on the fifth conveying device <NUM> enters the laminating apparatus <NUM>, the two glue traces may bond the areas of the film-like structure <NUM> on both sides of the folded portion <NUM>. In some embodiments, the glue roller may be in contact with the glue in the glue tank and in contact with the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>, and the glue roller may rotate relative to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, a vertical distance between the glue roller and the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be equal to or less than the thickness of the object to be laminated <NUM> so that the glue roller can apply glue to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>. It should be noted that a count of glue rollers in the glue application assembly <NUM> may not be limited to the above-mentioned two, and may also be three, four, or more, that the glue can be applied to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>. Furthermore, the glue application assembly <NUM> may not be limited to the above-mentioned structure of the glue roller in contact with the object to be laminated, and may also have other structures that the glue can be applied to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>. For example, the glue application assembly <NUM> may include one or more spray heads, each of which may spray the glue in the glue tank onto the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, in some embodiments, the laminating device <NUM> may further include a second cutter assembly. The second cutter assembly may be configured to divide the film-like structure <NUM> received or conveyed by the first conveying device <NUM>. The specific width of the film-like structure <NUM> may be adapted to the width of the object to be laminated <NUM>. The width of the object to be laminated <NUM> may be the dimension of the object to be laminated <NUM> along the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM> in <FIG>. In some embodiments, the cutting direction of the second cutter assembly may be arranged along the conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the second cutter assembly may be adapted to the first conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the second cutter assembly may include a plurality of sub-cutter assemblies. The plurality of sub-cutter assemblies may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>. The plurality of sub-cutter assemblies may alternately cut the film-like structure <NUM>, and each sub-cutter assembly may be used as a spare for another sub-cutter assembly to extend the use time of each sub-cutter assembly. In some embodiments, the plurality of sub-cutter assemblies may include a first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> and a second sub-cutter assembly <NUM>. The first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> and the second sub-cutter assembly <NUM> may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>. A cutter corresponding to the second sub-cutter assembly <NUM> and a cutter corresponding to the first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> may be distributed at intervals along a width direction of the first conveying device <NUM>. The cutter corresponding to the first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> may divide the film-like structure <NUM> with a large width into a film-like structure <NUM> with a small width. The cutter corresponding to the second sub-cutter assembly <NUM> may cut the film-like structure <NUM> with the small width cut by the first sub-cutter assembly <NUM>, so as to obtain the film-like structure <NUM> with a smaller width. It should be noted that the count of sub-cutter assemblies may not be limited to one or two as described above, and may also be more than two, and the target width of the film-like structure <NUM> may be adjusted adaptively. In some embodiments, a film-like structure <NUM> with a specific width may be obtained by adjusting the count or the spacing of the cutters corresponding to the first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> and the second sub-cutter assembly <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary laminating method <NUM> according to some embodiments of the present invention. In some embodiments, the process <NUM> may be executed by the processing device <NUM>.

In <NUM>, in response to a user's operation, the film-like structure <NUM> may be cut into a film-like structure <NUM> with a specific width by the second cutter assembly.

In some embodiments, the film-like structure <NUM> with a specific width may be obtained in operation <NUM>. In some embodiments, the user's operation may be to input a specific width of the film-like structure <NUM> into the terminal <NUM>. The processing device <NUM> may perform data processing based on the width data of the film-like structure <NUM> sent by the terminal <NUM>. In some embodiments, the second cutter assembly may be configured to divide the film-like structure <NUM> received or conveyed by the first conveying device <NUM>. The specific width of the film-like structure <NUM> may be adapted to the width of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the cutting direction of the second cutter assembly may be arranged along the conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>. More descriptions regarding operation <NUM> may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure, for example, <FIG> and the descriptions thereof.

In <NUM>, the second conveying device <NUM> may be arranged along a conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>, and the second conveying device <NUM> may receive the film-like structure <NUM> conveyed by the first conveying device <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the first conveying device <NUM> may be configured to convey a film-like structure. In some embodiments, the material of the film-like structure may include, but is not limited to, one or more of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, or the like. In some embodiments, the film-like structure may include an optical film, a composite film, a superconducting film, or any other possible film structure. The first conveying device <NUM> may include a conveying surface. When the first conveying device <NUM> is running, the film-like structure may be placed on the conveying surface of the first conveying device <NUM> and conveyed from a starting point of the first conveying device <NUM> to an end point of the first conveying device <NUM>. The second conveying device <NUM> may be configured to receive the film-like structure conveyed by the first conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the second conveying device <NUM> may be arranged along a conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>. It can be understood that the conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM> may be the same. Specifically, a starting point of the second conveying device <NUM> may be close to the end point of the first conveying device <NUM> so that the film-like structure conveyed by the end point of the first conveying device <NUM> may enter the starting point of the second conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, a height of the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> may be the same as that of the conveying surface of the first conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the height of the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> may also be different from that of the conveying surface of the first conveying device <NUM>.

In <NUM>, a conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> may be controlled to be greater than that of the second conveying device <NUM>, so that the film-like structure <NUM> may form a folded portion <NUM> on the second conveying device <NUM>.

The conveying speed of the film-like structure on the first conveying device <NUM> may be greater than that of the film-like structure on the second conveying device <NUM>. Since the film-like structure is a continuous flexible structure, the film-like structure with a faster speed on the first conveying device <NUM> may act on the film-like structure with a slower speed on the second conveying device <NUM>, so that the film-like structure may form the folded portion on the second conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM> may be a constant speed or a non-constant speed. In order to make the film-like structure on the second conveying device <NUM> form folded portions at specific intervals along a length direction of the film-like structure, in some embodiments, at least two suction assemblies may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM>. Two adjacent suction assemblies may be controlled to respectively suction specific parts of the film-like structure so that the film-like structure may form the folded portion between the two adjacent suction assemblies. In some embodiments, the suction assembly <NUM> may include at least two rows of openings (not shown in <FIG>) distributed along the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM>. The openings may pass through the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM>. Each of the openings may be connected with an external power device (e.g., an air pump) to suction the film-like structure <NUM>. In some embodiments, a plurality of openings may be evenly distributed on the entire conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM>. An opening/closing state of each of the plurality of openings may be controlled. For example, a valve may be provided inside each of the plurality of openings to control the opening/closing state of the corresponding opening. When the film-like structure is conveyed to the second conveying device <NUM>, the corresponding opening(s) may be opened to make the film-like structure form folded portions at specific intervals along the length direction of the film-like structure.

When the first cutter assembly <NUM> cuts the film-like structure <NUM>, in order to prevent the first cutter assembly <NUM> from cutting the folded portion <NUM> lying on the film-like structure <NUM>, which may cause damage to the laminated packaging material, in some embodiments, a distance between two adjacent rows of openings of the suction assembly <NUM> may be controlled to be not less than twice the length of the folded portion <NUM>. More descriptions regarding the suction assembly may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure, for example, <FIG> and the descriptions thereof.

The length of the folded portion <NUM> formed by the film-like structure <NUM> on the second conveying device <NUM> may be related to the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>. The length L<NUM> of the folded portion <NUM> may satisfy the following formula: <MAT> where, V<NUM> denotes the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM>, V<NUM> denotes the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>, L denotes a spread length of a film-like structure unit <NUM>, M denotes a count of layers of the folded portion <NUM> of each film-like structural unit <NUM>. M may be an integer greater than or equal to <NUM>.

When the length L<NUM> of the single-layer film-like structure <NUM> corresponding to the folded portion <NUM> reaches a certain length, the film-like structure <NUM> corresponding to the folded portion <NUM> may lie down on the plane part of the film-like structure <NUM>. When the first cutter assembly <NUM> cuts the film-like structure <NUM>, in order to prevent the first cutter assembly <NUM> from cutting the folded portion <NUM> lying on the film-like structure <NUM>, the length of the film-like structure unit <NUM> in the folded state should be greater than or equal to <NUM><NUM>. For example, when the count of layers of the folded portion <NUM> M is <NUM>, the length L<NUM> of the single-layer film-like structure <NUM> corresponding to the folded portion <NUM> should be less than or equal to one-fourth of L. Furthermore, it can be known from the above formula that when the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> V<NUM> is equal to the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM> V<NUM>, the film-like structure <NUM> does not have the folded portion <NUM>. When the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> V<NUM> is <NUM> times the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM> V<NUM>, <MAT>. Therefore, when the count of layers of the folded portion <NUM> M is <NUM>, a relationship between the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM> may satisfy the following formula: <MAT>.

In some embodiments, the length of the folded portion <NUM> may be controlled by adjusting the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> or the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the length of the folded portion <NUM> may be increased by increasing the speed difference between the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>. For example, when the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM> is unchanged, the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> may be increased. As another example, when the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> is unchanged, the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM> may be reduced. As another example, the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM> may both change, where the speed difference between the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM> increases. Conversely, the length of the folded portion <NUM> may be reduced by reducing the speed difference between the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the position of the folded portion <NUM> may also be controlled by adjusting the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> or the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>. The position of the folded portion <NUM> herein refers to the position of the folded portion <NUM> relative to a film-like structure unit <NUM>. For example, by controlling the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> or the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>, the position of the folded portion <NUM> may be controlled to be located in a middle area of the film-like structure unit <NUM>. As another example, by controlling the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> or the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>, the position of the folded portion <NUM> may be controlled to be located at <NUM>/<NUM> of a total length of the film-like structure unit <NUM>. As another example, by controlling the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> or the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>, the position of the folded portion <NUM> may be controlled to be located at <NUM>/<NUM> of the total length of the film-like structure unit <NUM>. The specific position and length of the folded portion <NUM> in a film-like structure unit <NUM> may be adjusted adaptively according to the application scenario of the packaging material and then realized by adjusting the conveying speed of the first conveying device <NUM> and the conveying speed of the second conveying device <NUM>.

In <NUM>, the film-like structure <NUM> with the folded portion <NUM> may be laminated with the object to be laminated <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the film-like structure with the folded portion may be laminated with the object to be laminated on the laminating apparatus <NUM>. The laminating apparatus <NUM> may be configured to transfer the object to be laminated and receive the film-like structure <NUM> conveyed by the second conveying device <NUM>. More descriptions regarding operation <NUM> may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure, for example, <FIG> and the descriptions thereof.

In <NUM>, the laminated film-like structure <NUM> may be cut by the first cutter assembly <NUM> so that two sides of the film-like structure <NUM> in a length direction may cover two sides of the object to be laminated <NUM>.

The first cutter assembly <NUM> may be configured to cut the film-like structure <NUM> on the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM>. The film-like structure <NUM> may be cut into at least one film-like structure unit <NUM>. Two sides of the film-like structure unit <NUM> in the length direction may cover two sides of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the two sides of the film-like structure unit <NUM> in the length direction may overlap with the two sides of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the two sides of the film-like structure unit <NUM> in the length direction may be slightly longer than the two sides of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the first cutter assembly <NUM> may be adapted to the fourth conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the first cutter assembly <NUM> may be located above the film-like structure <NUM> on the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM>, and the cutting direction of the first cutter assembly <NUM> may be perpendicular to the conveying direction of the fourth conveying device <NUM>. The first cutter assembly <NUM> may move up and down under the drive of the hydraulic device. When the first cutter assembly <NUM> moves downward, the film-like structure <NUM> may be cut.

It should be noted that the above descriptions about the laminating method <NUM> are merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, defined in the appended claims. Apparently, for persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications to the laminating method <NUM> may be conducted under the teachings of the present is invention. However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present invention as long as within the scope of the appended claims. For example, when the width of the film-like structure <NUM> is fixed, operation <NUM> may be omitted. As another example, other processes may be used to cut the laminated film-like structure <NUM>, and operation <NUM> may be omitted.

Operation <NUM> of the laminating method <NUM> will be further described below in conjunction with <FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for cutting a film-like structure into a film-like structure with a specific width by a second cutter assembly according to some embodiments of the present is invention. As shown in <FIG>, operation <NUM> may include the following operations.

In <NUM>, at least one sub-cutter assembly of the second cutter assembly may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the second cutter assembly may include a plurality of sub-cutter assemblies, and the plurality of sub-cutter assemblies may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>.

In <NUM>, the at least one sub-cutter assembly may be controlled to cut the film-like structure <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the plurality of sub-cutter assemblies may be controlled to alternately cut the film-like structure <NUM>, and each sub-cutter assembly may be used as a spare for another sub-cutter assembly to extend the use time of each sub-cutter assembly.

In <NUM>, whether the width of the cut film-like structure <NUM> is equal to a specific width may be determined.

In some embodiments, operation <NUM> may be implemented by any possible means such as the processing device <NUM> or a distance sensor.

In <NUM>, in response to determining that the width of the cut film-like structure <NUM> is not equal to the specific width, another sub-cutter assembly of the second cutter assembly may be controlled to cut the cut film structure <NUM>, till the width of the cut film-like structure <NUM> is equal to the specific width.

In some embodiments, the plurality of sub-cutter assemblies may include a first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> and a second sub-cutter assembly <NUM>. The first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> and the second sub-cutter assembly <NUM> may be distributed at intervals along the conveying direction of the first conveying device <NUM>. A cutter corresponding to the second sub-cutter assembly <NUM> and a cutter corresponding to the first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> may be distributed at intervals along a width direction of the first conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the cutter corresponding to the first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> may be controlled to cut the film-like structure <NUM> with a large width to a film-like structure <NUM> with a small width. The cutter corresponding to the second sub-cutter assembly <NUM> may be controlled to cut the film-like structure <NUM> with the small width cut by the first sub-cutter assembly <NUM>, so as to obtain the film-like structure <NUM> with a smaller width. In some embodiments, a film-like structure <NUM> with a specific width may be obtained by adjusting the count or the spacing of the cutters corresponding to the first sub-cutter assembly <NUM> and the second sub-cutter assembly <NUM>. In some embodiments, three or more sub-cutter assemblies may be controlled to cut the film-like structure <NUM>.

In <NUM>, in response to determining that the width of the cut film-like structure <NUM> is equal to the specific width, the cut film-like structure <NUM> may be conveyed to the second conveying device <NUM>.

It should be noted that the above descriptions about operation <NUM> are merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, defined in the appended claims. Apparently, for persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications to operation <NUM> may be conducted under the teachings of the present invention. However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present invention as long as within the scope of the appended claims.

Operation <NUM> of the laminating method <NUM> will be further described below in conjunction with <FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for laminating the folded portion <NUM> of the film-like structure <NUM> with the object to be laminated <NUM> according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown in <FIG>, operation <NUM> may include the following operations.

In <NUM>, the laminating apparatus <NUM> may include a third conveying device <NUM> and a fourth conveying device <NUM>. The third conveying device <NUM> may be configured to receive and convey the object to be laminated <NUM>. The fourth conveying device <NUM> may be configured to receive the film-like structure <NUM> conveyed by the second conveying device <NUM> and the object to be laminated <NUM> conveyed by the third conveying device <NUM>. The fourth conveying device <NUM> may be arranged along a conveying direction of the third conveying device <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the third conveying device <NUM> may be arranged along the conveying direction of the second conveying device <NUM>. The object to be laminated received by the third conveying device <NUM> may be conveyed to other sub-devices of the laminating apparatus <NUM> to complete the laminating with the film-like structure with the folded portion. In some embodiments, the fourth conveying device <NUM> may be configured to receive the film-like structure conveyed by the second conveying device <NUM> and the object to be laminated conveyed by the third conveying device <NUM> and laminate the film-like structure with the folded portion with the object to be laminated. In order to prevent the entering of the object to be laminated to the third conveying device <NUM> from affecting the normal conveyance of the film-like structure between the second conveying device <NUM> and the fourth conveying device, in some embodiments, the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> may be lower than that of the second conveying device <NUM>. A height difference between the conveying surface of the second conveying device <NUM> and the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> may be greater than a thickness of the object to be laminated.

In <NUM>, glue may be applied to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>.

In some embodiments, a glue application assembly <NUM> may be used to apply the glue to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the glue application assembly <NUM> may include a glue tank and a glue roller. The glue tank may be configured to store glue, and the glue roller may be configured to apply the glue in the glue tank to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the glue application assembly <NUM> may include two glue rollers, both of which may be located along the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. The two glue rollers may be arranged at intervals so that the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM> on the fifth conveying device <NUM> may have two glue traces extending along the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. After the object to be laminated <NUM> on the fifth conveying device <NUM> enters the laminating apparatus <NUM>, the two glue traces may bond the areas of the film-like structure <NUM> on both sides of the folded portion <NUM>. In some embodiments, the glue roller may be in contact with the glue in the glue tank and in contact with the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>, and the glue roller may rotate relative to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, the object to be laminated <NUM> applied with the glue may be conveyed to the third conveying device <NUM> by the fifth conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be perpendicular to that of the third conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be lower than, higher than, or equal to the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM>. When the object to be laminated on the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM> is separated from the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM> at an end point, the object to be laminated will continue to move along the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM> due to the inertia of the object to be laminated, thereby being conveyed to the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the conveying direction of the fifth conveying device <NUM> may also be the same as that of the third conveying device <NUM>, where the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be located on a side of the third conveying device <NUM> away from the starting point of the fourth conveying device <NUM>. The object to be laminated on the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be conveyed to the starting point of the third conveying device <NUM> from the end point of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the glue application assembly <NUM> may be configured to apply glue to the surface of the object to be laminated <NUM> on the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the glue application component <NUM> may be adapted to the fifth conveying device <NUM>. In some embodiments, the glue application assembly <NUM> may be located above the object to be laminated <NUM>. In some embodiments, a vertical distance between the glue roller and the conveying surface of the fifth conveying device <NUM> may be equal to or less than the thickness of the object to be laminated <NUM>.

In <NUM>, during the process of being conveyed from the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> to the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM>, the glue-applied surface of the object to be laminated <NUM> may be laminated with the film-like structure <NUM>.

In order to realize the lamination between the film-like structure and the object to be laminated, in some embodiments, the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> may be higher than that of the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM>. A height difference between the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> and the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> may not be greater than the thickness of the object to be laminated. When the object to be laminated on the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> is conveyed to the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM>, since the height difference between the conveying surface of the third conveying device <NUM> and the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> is not greater than the thickness of the object to be laminated, the object to be laminated may be pressed by the conveying surface of the fourth conveying device <NUM> and the film-like structure to realize the lamination between a side of the film-like structure facing the fourth conveying device <NUM> and a side of the object to be laminated away from the fourth conveying device <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A laminating device (<NUM>), comprising:
a first conveying device (<NUM>) configured to convey a film-like structure (<NUM>);
a second conveying device (<NUM>) arranged along a conveying direction of the first conveying device (<NUM>), a conveying speed of the first conveying device (<NUM>) being greater than that of the second conveying device (<NUM>), the second conveying device (<NUM>) receiving the film-like structure (<NUM>) conveyed by the first conveying device (<NUM>), the film-like structure (<NUM>) forming a folded portion (<NUM>) on the second conveying device (<NUM>); and
a laminating apparatus (<NUM>) configured to convey an object to be laminated and receive the film-like structure (<NUM>) conveyed by the second conveying device (<NUM>), wherein the film-like structure (<NUM>) with the folded portion (<NUM>) is laminated with the object to be laminated on the laminating apparatus (<NUM>).