Patent ID: 7089986

Claim:
A laminating apparatus for laminating a protective label to an optical disc recording substrate wherein said protective label in an initial state includes a sheet material adhered to a front side and a release-liner superimposed on a back side, said apparatus comprising: a back side peeling station for peeling said release-liner from said protective label, a laminating station for laminating said protect label to said optical disc recording substrate by pressing an adhesive layer surface of said protective label exposed after the peeling of said release-liner to said optical disc recording substrate with a predetermined pressing force, and a front side peeling station for peeling said sheet material from said protective label after the laminating of said protective label to said optical disc recording substrate; wherein said laminating station comprises: a disc holder for holding said optical disc recording substrate; a label holder for holding said protective label, said label holder being moveable relative to said disc holder; and a roller for applying said predetermined pressing force to laminate said protective label to said optical disc recording substrate held by said disc holder, wherein said roller is rotatable about a rotational shaft which is fixed to be stationary relative to said label holder; and said label holder includes; a vacuum box; and a planar surface on which the protective label is held and which has a plurality of suction holes in communication with the vacuum box.