Laminating apparatus and method for manufacturing laminated products

Abstract

To provide a laminating device capable of producing both front-and-back laminated items and single-sided laminated items. [Solution] The laminating device 1 can switch between two modes: a first mode D1 in which a lower laminating film 63 and an upper laminating film 62, both coated with adhesive 33, are supplied to the object to be laminated 3, and laminates both sides of the object to be laminated 3 to create a front-and-back laminated object 41; and a second mode D2 in which, with the upper laminating film 62 replaced by a switching mechanism 10 with one that does not have adhesive 33, the lower laminating film 63 is supplied to the object to be laminated 3, and the back side of the object to be laminated 3 is laminated, and the upper laminating film 62 without adhesive 33 is supplied to the object to be laminated 3, and temporary lamination is performed on the surface of the object to be laminated 3 to create a one-sided laminated object 42 in which the lower laminating film 63 is bonded and the upper laminating film 62 is attached in a peelable state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a laminating apparatus and a method for manufacturing a laminated product.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a laminator including a main body portion that presses a pressure-bonding sheet in which a laminate film and a pressure-bonding object are overlapped to form an integrated laminated sheet, and a supply portion that supplies the pressure-bonding sheet to the main body portion. The supply portion includes a placement table on which one or more pressure-bonding sheets are placed, and a supply roller that rotates in a state of being in pressure contact with the pressure-bonding sheet placed on the placement table.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The structure of the pressure-bonding sheet formed by heat pressure bonding that can be created by the above laminator has a laminated structure in which a pressure-bonding object and a laminate film that sandwiches the pressure-bonding object in the thickness direction are overlapped. On the other hand, in addition to the pressure-bonding sheet having such a laminated structure, there is also a need for a pressure-bonding sheet whose structure has a laminated structure in which a laminate film is overlapped with only one side of the pressure-bonding object in the thickness direction, that is, a pressure-bonding sheet that is laminated on only one side and has a surface on the other side that can be freely printed by the user. In particular, when the pressure-bonding object is a material with texture such as Japanese paper or crepe paper (paper with unevenness on the surface), there is also a need for an apparatus that can create a pressure-bonding sheet laminated on only one side that makes use of the original material of the pressure-bonding object.

[0005] This disclosure was completed based on the circumstances described above, and provides a laminating apparatus capable of producing a double-sided laminated object having a laminated structure in which laminating films are layered on both sides of the object to be laminated, and a laminated object having one printable side, and a method for manufacturing a laminated object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The laminating apparatus of this disclosure comprises a laminating section for laminating a laminating film onto a supplied object to be laminated, the laminating section comprising a pair of film supply sections capable of supplying the laminating film to both sides of the object to be laminated, and a heat-pressure roller that presses the supplied laminating film against the object to be laminated in a heated and pressurized state while sandwiching it between the supply and the object to be laminated, the film supply section comprising a first unit on which a first laminating film is arranged, and an openable and closable second unit on which a second laminating film is arranged and which has a switching mechanism for replacing the second laminating film, the laminating apparatus comprising the first laminating film and the second laminating film on which adhesive has been applied This laminating apparatus switches between two modes: a first mode in which a laminate film is supplied to the object to be laminated, and laminates both sides of the object to be laminated to create a double-sided laminated object; and a second mode in which, from the state of the first mode, the second laminate film is replaced with one without adhesive by the switching mechanism of the second unit, the first laminate film is supplied to the object to be laminated, and the back side of the object is laminated, and the second laminate film without adhesive is supplied to the object to be laminated, temporary lamination is performed on the surface of the object to be laminated, and a single-sided laminated object is created in which the first laminate film is adhered and the second laminate film is attached in a peelable state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a laminating apparatus capable of producing a double-sided laminated object having a laminated structure in which laminating films are layered on both sides of the object to be laminated, and a single-sided laminated object having one printable side, as well as a method for producing laminated objects. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a laminating apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the main structure of the laminating machine. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the process of creating a laminate sheet related to the first mode. [Figure 4] Figure 4 schematically shows a laminate sheet created by the first mode. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the process of creating a laminate sheet related to the second mode. [Figure 6] Figure 6 schematically shows a laminate sheet created by the second mode. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the components related to the switching mechanism. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the side view of the components related to the switching mechanism. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a laminate sheet processed in the second mode in the laminated section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (Summary of this embodiment) (1) The laminating apparatus of the present disclosure comprises a laminating section for laminating a laminating film onto a supplied object to be laminated, the laminating section comprising a pair of film supply sections capable of supplying the laminating film to both sides of the object to be laminated, and a heat-pressure roller that presses the supplied laminating film against the object to be laminated in a heated and pressurized state while sandwiching the laminating film between the two sections, the film supply section comprising a first unit on which a first laminating film is arranged, and an openable and closable second unit on which a second laminating film is arranged and which has a switching mechanism for replacing the second laminating film, the laminating apparatus comprises the first laminating film and the first laminating film on which adhesive has been applied The laminating apparatus is configured to switch between two modes: a first mode in which two laminating films are supplied to the object to be laminated, and laminate is performed on both the front and back of the object to be laminated to create a front-and-back laminated object; and a second mode in which, from the state of the first mode, the second laminating film is replaced with one without adhesive by the switching mechanism of the second unit, the first laminating film is supplied to the object to be laminated, and the back surface of the object to be laminated is laminated, and the second laminating film without adhesive is supplied to the object to be laminated, and temporary lamination is performed on the surface of the object to be laminated, so that the first laminating film is adhered and the second laminating film is attached in a peelable state to create a one-sided laminated object.

[0010] In the first mode, the object to be laminated is heat-pressed into place by the first and second laminating films via an adhesive in the laminating section, completing the laminated sheet. In the second mode, the same laminating section uses a second laminating film that does not contain adhesive when the object to be laminated is laminated. In the second unit, the second laminating film is replaced using a switching mechanism. Specifically, the second laminating film used in the first mode is removed, and the second laminating film to be used in the second mode is set. Therefore, in the second mode, the object to be laminated is heat-pressed together with a second laminating film for temporary lamination and the first laminating film. The object to be laminated is laminated to the first laminating film, and then temporarily laminated to the second laminating film to complete the laminated sheet.

[0011] This disclosure provides a laminating device that can switch between the first mode and the second mode in a single laminating device. More specifically, in a single laminating device, a switching mechanism for switching between the first mode and the second mode makes it possible to create a first laminated object that is laminated on both sides and a second laminated object that is laminated on only one side and not on the other side. In particular, with second-layer laminates, for example, by peeling off the temporary second-layer laminate film, it becomes possible to print on the unlaminated side, and the laminate can be effectively utilized as a laminate that makes the most of the original material of the object being laminated.

[0012] (2) In the above (1), when the laminating apparatus is executed in the second mode, it is preferable that the adhesive applied to the first laminating film is made to protrude over the outer edge of the object to be laminated, and that the second laminating film is temporarily laminated by the protruding adhesive.

[0013] In the second mode, since the second laminating film does not have adhesive, during the lamination process performed in the laminating section, immediately after lamination, the second laminating film in the second mode is temporarily positioned and covered in the normal position above the height direction of the housing relative to the object to be laminated. However, since there is no means to fix the sheet surface of the object to be laminated and the second laminating film in the second mode together, there is a possibility that the second laminating film in the second mode may peel off from the object to be laminated or become misaligned during transport until the object to be laminated with the second laminating film on it is discharged. However, by devising the size of the first laminating film, taking into account the amount of adhesive on the first laminating film and the area where the adhesive on the first laminating film comes into contact with the second laminating film of the second mode, the adhesive applied to the first laminating film is made to overflow from the outer edge below the object to be laminated. This overflowing adhesive temporarily laminates the second laminating film, and from the time the second laminating film of the second mode is positioned correctly on the object to be laminated until it is ejected, the adhesive on the first laminating film serves as a positioning function for both the object to be laminated and the second laminating film of the second mode.

[0014] (3) The manufacturing method of the laminate according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a laminating unit that laminates a laminate film on a supplied laminate object. The laminating unit includes a pair of film supply units that can supply the laminate film to the front and back of the laminate object, and a thermocompression bonding roller that presses against the laminate object in a heated and pressurized state while sandwiching the supplied laminate film between the laminate object. The film supply unit includes a first unit on which a first laminate film of the laminate film is arranged, and an openable and closable second unit on which a second laminate film of the laminate film is arranged and which has a switching mechanism for replacing the second laminate film. The manufacturing method of the laminate uses a laminating device including the above, and supplies the first laminate film and the second laminate film to which an adhesive is applied to the laminate object, laminates the front and back of the laminate object to create a front and back laminated object, and from the state of creating the front and back laminated object, replaces the second laminate film with a non-adhesive-applied one by the switching mechanism of the second unit, supplies the first laminate film to the laminate object, laminates the back surface of the laminate object, supplies the second laminate film to which no adhesive is applied to the laminate object, performs temporary lamination on the front surface of the laminate object, and creates a one-sided laminate object in which the first laminate film is adhered and the second laminate film is provided in a peelable state.

[0015] According to the above manufacturing method, usually, by supplying a second laminate film to which no adhesive is applied by a switching mechanism to a device that creates a laminate object laminated on both sides, a one-sided laminate object that is a one-sided laminated laminate object can be preferably manufactured.

[0016] <Embodiment> Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. In the following description, the direction indicated by arrow Z is the upward direction, the direction indicated by arrow X is the forward direction, and the direction indicated by arrow Y is the leftward direction. In the present embodiment, the left-right direction is an example of the first direction.

[0017] [Overall Configuration] As shown in FIG. 1, the laminating apparatus 1 of the present disclosure includes a housing 2, a supply mechanism unit 5, and a discharge mechanism unit 9. Specifically, the laminating apparatus 1 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 2, a supply tray 51 on which a laminate object 3, which is an object to be laminated by the laminating apparatus 1, is placed, an auxiliary supply tray 54, a pair of supply tray guides 56 on the supply tray that perform the positioning function of the laminate object 3, a supply port 52 opened on the side surface of the housing 2, a roll-up lever 21 located in front of the housing 2, a housing roller 22 that performs the moving function of the laminating apparatus 1, an operation unit 23 for the user to instruct operations, a laminate sheet discharge receiving portion 91, an openable cover body 61 disposed above the housing 2, and an upper film (second laminate film) 62 covered by the cover body 61. In the present embodiment, a laminate sheet discharge receiving portion 91 is provided on the right side of the housing 2, and an upper unit (second unit) 65 in which a laminate film for laminating the laminate object 3 is disposed is provided above the housing 2. The upper unit 65 has the upper laminate film of the laminate film disposed therein. Here, the upper film 62 refers to a laminate film that is disposed or stored in the upper unit 65. The upper film 62 corresponds to the second laminate film of the present disclosure.

[0018] As also shown in FIG. 2, the laminating apparatus 1 of the present disclosure includes a supply mechanism unit 5, a control mechanism unit (not shown), a laminating unit 6, a conveying means 7, a cutting processing unit 8, a discharge mechanism unit 9, and a switching mechanism 10 inside the housing 2. However, for the supply mechanism unit 5, the laminating unit 6, the discharge mechanism unit 9, and the switching mechanism 10, some of the members constituting each of these mechanism units are also members provided outside the housing 2.

[0019] The supply mechanism 5 comprises a supply tray 51, an auxiliary supply tray 54, a supply tray guide 56, a supply port 52, a supply clamping member 57, a retraction roller 53, and a retraction roller holding part 55 that holds the retraction roller at both ends of the winding central axis of the retraction roller 53 (see Figures 1 and 2). The supply mechanism 5 is open to the side of the housing 2 and has the function of continuously supplying the object to be laminated 3 into the housing 2. In detail, by having a control mechanism (not shown) and a supply mechanism 5, the laminating device 1 can continuously and automatically feed paper into the housing 2 when the user gives an operation instruction at the operation unit 23. In this embodiment, the supply port 52 is formed in a horizontal slit shape on the left side wall of the housing 2. When the user uses the laminating device 1, the object to be laminated 3 is placed on the supply tray 51. For example, the object to be laminated 3 may be made of printable paper or raw paper, or of a textured material such as Japanese paper or crepe paper (paper with an uneven surface). For example, the shape and size of the paper may be a roughly rectangular shape (for example, with a width of 182 mm to 330 mm, and the length is not particularly limited) or the size of Nippon Kogyo Standard A4. The supply tray 51 includes an auxiliary supply tray 54 located to the left of the supply tray 51, which has a plate-like shape and is extendable when the laminating device 1 is in use. The auxiliary supply tray 54 has a structure that allows it to be stored in the supply tray 51, for example, when the laminating device 1 is not in use. The portion of the supply tray 51 to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the supply opening 52 is located inside the housing 2.

[0020] The supply clamping member 57, the retraction roller 53, and the retraction roller holding part 55 are arranged inside the housing 2. The retraction roller 53 and the retraction roller holding part 55 are positioned below the right-hand portion of the supply tray 51. The supply clamping member 57 is positioned above the retraction roller 53. When an instruction is given by the operation unit 23, within the housing 2, the right-hand end portion of the object to be laminated 3 placed on the supply tray 51 is pressed against the circumferential surface of the movable retraction roller 53 from below, and also pressed against the supply clamping member 57 from above. In detail, the supply clamping member 57 and the retraction roller 53 wrap and transport the object to be laminated 3 placed on the supply tray 51 into the housing 2 while clamping it from above by the supply clamping member 57 and from below by the retraction roller 53. For example, the pull-in roller 53 is cylindrical in shape and made of materials such as nitrile rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, chloroprene rubber, EPDM, or natural rubber.

[0021] The control mechanism (not shown) includes an operating mechanism (not shown) that enables supply operation according to user operation, a control mechanism (not shown) that continuously laminates the object to be laminated 3 supplied in the laminating section 6, and a positional relationship control mechanism (not shown) that identifies the position of the processing section before cutting. The conveying means 7 includes conveying rollers 71. The conveying means 7 refers to the means and conveying path along which the object to be laminated 3 is conveyed while being held between the rollers in the conveying direction (first direction) from when it is supplied from the supply port 52 until it is discharged to the laminate sheet discharge receiving section 91 (see Figures 2, 3, and 5).

[0022] The laminating unit 6 includes a pair of film supply units 67 positioned above and below the housing 2 to supply laminating films 62 and 63 to both sides of the object to be laminated 3, a pair of heat-seal rollers 64 positioned above and below the housing 2 and in contact with each other in the vertical direction, an upper take-up roll 68 positioned above the upper heat-seal roller 64 that winds up the upper film 62 and feeds it to the upper heat-seal roller 64, and a lower take-up roll 69 positioned below the lower heat-seal roller 64 that winds up the lower film (first laminating film) 63 and feeds it to the lower heat-seal roller 64 (see Figures 1, 2, 3, and 5).

[0023] The film supply unit 67 includes a cover body 61, an upper film 62, a lower film 63, an openable upper unit (second unit) 65 which is an openable upper unit (second unit) 65 which is a switching mechanism 10 that allows the upper film 62 to be replaced, and a lower unit 66 (first unit) which includes the lower film 63 of the laminate film (see Figure 2). In the switching mechanism 10 that allows the upper film 62 to be replaced, the user can open the openable cover body 61 located above the housing 2 and replace the upper film 62 of the upper unit 65 with a different type of upper film. In the upper unit 65, the upper film 62 is detachable so that it can be removed upward from the housing 2. The switching mechanism 10, which will be described later, enables switching between the first mode D1 and the second mode D2, and the upper film 62 has an upper film shaft 43 and a bearing member 44 (see Figures 1, 7, and 8).

[0024] Here, the lower film 63 refers to a laminating film that is arranged in or housed in the lower unit 66 (see Figure 2). Here, the lower film 63 corresponds to the lower laminating film of this disclosure. The object to be laminated 3, supplied into the housing 2 from the supply port 52, is held between a pair of heat-pressure rollers 64. The pair of heat-pressure rollers 64 contact the object to be laminated 3 in a heated and pressurized state, with the object to be laminated 3 sandwiched between laminating films 62, 63 supplied from rollers located above and below the housing 2.

[0025] In a typical lamination process, the feeding speed of the object to be laminated 3 and the winding speed of the pair of heat-seal rollers 64 are approximately the same. The lower unit 66 is equipped with motors (not shown) (see Figure 2). For example, the rotational speed and torque of each motor are controlled by a control device (not shown) such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or PC (Personal Computer). Specifically, the heat-seal rollers 64 and the conveying means 7 are driven by motors; for example, the lower heat-seal roller 64 and the lower conveying means 7 are driven by motors, and the upper heat-seal roller 64 and the upper conveying means 7 are rotated accordingly. The distance between the upper and lower rollers of the pair of heat-seal rollers 64 is adjusted according to the shape of the object to be laminated 3, and the pressure applied to the upper roller toward the lower roller is adjusted according to the material of the object to be laminated 3. Immediately after the object to be laminated 3 passes through the heat-seal roller 64, the laminated sheet workpiece 60 is created.

[0026] In the laminating section 6, the objects to be laminated 3 are laminated one by one continuously by means of a control mechanism (not shown) and a supply mechanism 5. The objects to be laminated 3 transported from the laminating section 6 are in a laminated state (laminated sheet processed object 60) (see Figure 9). The laminated sheet processed object 60 is transported to the cutting section 8, which is located in the transport direction from the laminating section 6. In the cutting section 8, the laminated sheet processed object 60 is cut or trimmed into a predetermined shape. In the cutting section 8, the laminated sheet processed object 60 is cut using a processing device such as a blade, heated wire, or laser beam.

[0027] By having a cutting unit 8, the laminating device 1 has the function of automatically cutting the unnecessary upper film 62 and lower film 63 on all four sides surrounding the laminate sheet workpiece 60. Furthermore, by having this automatic cutting function, the laminate sheet 4, from which the unnecessary joints of the upper film 62 and lower film 63 surrounding the laminate sheet workpiece 60 have been cut, can be finished in a state where the positional relationship between the joints of the laminate films 62 and 63 surrounding the object to be laminated 3 and the object to be laminated 3 is uniform. For example, the joints of the margins surrounding the laminate sheet workpiece 60 that are cut or trimmed in the cutting unit 8 may be left uncut on at least one side, or all four sides surrounding the object to be laminated 3 may be uniformly cut.

[0028] The shape of the laminate sheet workpiece 60 cut out by the cutting unit 8 may be determined by cutting based on a shape pre-input prior to the cutting process, or by cutting based on a shape read from a sensor. Here, the laminate sheet corresponds to the front-to-back laminated material or the one-sided laminated material of this disclosure.

[0029] In the cutting section 8, after the object to be laminated 3 is processed from the laminate sheet workpiece 60 into a laminate sheet 4, the laminate sheet 4 is discharged from the discharge mechanism 9 to the outside of the housing 2 in the transport direction (see Figures 1 and 2). The discharge mechanism 9 includes a discharge port (not shown) and a laminate sheet discharge receiving section 91. The laminate sheet 4 transported from the cutting section 8 is discharged from the discharge port which opens to the side of the housing 2. The laminate sheet 4 discharged from the discharge port is placed on the laminate sheet discharge receiving section 91.

[0030] [Mode 1 and Mode 2] The laminating device 1 has two operating modes: a first mode D1 (see Figures 3 and 4) and a second mode D2 (see Figures 5 and 6). The first mode D1 and the second mode D2 can be switched by a switching mechanism 10. Figure 3 illustrates the process of creating a laminated sheet using the laminating device 1 in the first mode D1, and Figure 4 illustrates the front-and-back laminated product 41, which is the laminated sheet 4 created in the first mode D1.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the upper film 62 used in the first mode D1 consists of an upper film layer 31 positioned above the object to be laminated 3, and an upper adhesive layer 34 having an adhesive 33 for attaching the upper film layer 31 to the object to be laminated 3. The films 62 and 63 can be made of polyolefin films such as polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene, as well as polyamides, polyurethanes, etc. The adhesive 33 is a thermoplastic resin. The adhesive 33 melts with heat and has adhesive properties. Examples of adhesives 33 include those whose main components are polyolefin resins such as EVA, EEA, EMMA, and PE, as well as polyamides, polyurethanes, etc.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the lower film 63 used in the first mode D1 consists of a lower film layer 35, a lower adhesive layer 36 having an adhesive 33 for attaching the lower film layer 35 to the object to be laminated 3, a seal layer 37 having an adhesive 39 below the lower adhesive layer 36, and a release sheet layer 38 made of a sheet that protects the seal layer 37. The release sheet layer 38 is attached to the seal layer 37 in a removable state. For example, the release sheet layer 38 may be a release film. For example, when a user attaches a double-sided laminated object 41, which is laminated on both the front and back surfaces of the object to be laminated 3, to an acrylic plate for display with information on both sides, the adhesive surface 37A of the seal layer 37 is exposed by peeling off the release sheet layer 38. The adhesive surface 37A of the seal layer 37 is attached to the surface at a predetermined position on the acrylic plate. The adhesive surface 37A of the front-and-back laminate 41 comes into contact with the surface of the acrylic plate, allowing the front-and-back laminate 41 to be attached.

[0033] The first mode D1 is a mode for creating a front-and-back laminated object 41 having the configuration shown in Figure 4. In detail, the first mode D1 is one of the modes of the laminating apparatus 1 in which laminate films 62, 63 having a seal layer 37 and a release sheet layer 38 and coated with adhesive 33 are supplied to the object to be laminated 3, and a front-and-back laminated object 41 is created.

[0034] Figure 5 illustrates the process of creating a laminate sheet using the laminating device 1 in the second mode D2, and Figure 6 illustrates the one-sided laminated product 42, which is the laminate sheet 4 created by the second mode D2.

[0035] As shown in Figure 6, the upper film 62 used in the second mode D2 consists of an upper film layer 31 located above the object to be laminated 3. The lower film 63 used in the second mode D2 consists of a lower film layer 35, a lower adhesive layer 36 having an adhesive 33 for attaching the lower film layer 35 to the object to be laminated 3, a seal layer 37 having an adhesive 39 below the lower adhesive layer 36, and a release sheet layer 38 made of a sheet that protects the seal layer 37. The release sheet layer 38 is attached to the seal layer in a removable state. For example, the release sheet layer may be made of a release film.

[0036] The second mode D2 is a mode for creating a one-sided laminated object 42 having the configuration shown in Figure 6. Specifically, the second mode D2 is one of the modes of the laminating apparatus 1 in which an upper film 62 without adhesive 33 and a lower film 63 with adhesive 33 are supplied to the object to be laminated 3, with the configuration of a seal layer 37 and a release sheet layer 38, and a one-sided laminated object 42 is created.

[0037] In the second mode D2, there is no upper adhesive layer 34 between the upper film layer 31 and the object to be laminated 3, as in the first mode D1. Therefore, the upper film layer 31 and the object to be laminated 3 are not physically bonded by an adhesive that melts with heat during heat-pressing. The upper film layer 31 above the object to be laminated 3 has the function of temporary lamination, which is a covering that does not peel off the object to be laminated 3. When the laminate sheet 4 created in the second mode D2 is used by the user, the upper film layer 31 is peeled off, revealing the upper surface of the object to be laminated 3 (see Figure 5).

[0038] In the first mode D1 and second mode D2 cases, the laminating process of the laminating device 1 (Figures 3 and 5) is initiated when the user sets the operation unit 23 located in the housing 2 to either the first mode D1 or the second mode D2 and then performs the start operation. Alternatively, the switching between the first mode D1 and the second mode D2 may be done by setting the upper film 62, or the mode may be switched by setting it on the operation unit 23. Once the process is started, the object to be laminated 3 is supplied into the housing 2 in the transport direction as described above, and the process proceeds in the order of the supply mechanism 5, the control mechanism (not shown), the laminating unit 6, the transport means 7, the cutting unit 8, and the discharge mechanism 9.

[0039] Here, the upper film used in the laminating section 6 of the first mode D1 is a film consisting of an upper film layer 31 and an upper adhesive layer 34, as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, a front-and-back laminated object 41 is created from the laminate sheet workpiece 60 that is cut in the cutting section 8. Also, the upper film used in the laminating section 6 of the second mode D2 is a film consisting of an upper film layer 31, as shown in Figure 6. Therefore, a one-sided laminated object 42 is created from the laminate sheet workpiece 60 that is cut in the cutting section 8.

[0040] [Switching mechanism] This disclosure provides a laminating device that can produce a front-and-back laminated object 41 and a single-sided laminated object 42 using a single laminating device 1 by switching between the first mode D1 and the second mode D2 described above.

[0041] Switching between the first mode D1 and the second mode D2 is mainly done by the switching mechanism 10. Modes D1 and D2 are switched by attaching and detaching the upper film 62 of the upper unit 65 (see Figures 7 and 8). In the first mode D1, a double-sided laminated object 41 can be created. In the second mode, a single-sided laminated object 42 can be created. The upper unit 65 is equipped with a pair of bearing members 44 for upper film shafts 43, which are provided on the front and rear side walls of the housing 2. The diameter of the hole in each bearing member 44 when closed is approximately the same as the diameter of the upper film shaft 43, and it is approximately square in shape with a predetermined thickness. The upper film 62 is attached to the upper unit 65 by attaching each film shaft 43 to each bearing member 44. For example, the case of switching from the first mode D1 to the second mode D2 is described below (Figures 1, 7, and 8).

[0042] First, the user confirms that the laminating device 1 is stopped, and then opens the left side wall of the housing 2 where the supply port 52 is located, and the cover of the cover body 61 of the upper unit 65. The user then manually cuts the upper film 62 of the first mode D1 that is being supplied to the heat-seal roller 64 at a position near the upper take-up roll 68.

[0043] Here, Figures 7(A) and 8(A) show the upper film 62 of the first mode D1 in a roll film shape, with a cylindrical upper film shaft 43 longer than the roll film inserted through a gap created at the center of the roll film's winding, and mounted on the upper unit 65 of the laminating device 1. In other words, the upper film 62 of the first mode D1 is attached to the upper unit 65 through a pair of upper film shafts 43. The upper film shafts 43 are housed in the housing through a pair of bearing members 44 equipped with locking members. After the upper film shafts 43 are housed, each bearing member 44 is locked by its respective locking member. Next, the locking members are released, and the bearing members 44 are opened. Then, as shown in Figures 7(B) and 8(B), the upper film shafts 43 are removed from the laminating device 1.

[0044] Next, as shown in Figures 7(C) and 8(C), the upper film 62 for the second mode D2 is placed on a pair of open bearing members 44 via a pair of upper film shafts 43. By locking the locking members provided on each bearing member 44, the upper film 62 for the second mode D2 is stored in a fixed state on the pair of bearing members 44 (Figures 7(D) and 8(D)). Then the cover body 61 is closed. Thus, the user can open the openable cover body 61 located above the housing 2 and replace the upper film 62 of the upper unit 65 with a different type of upper film. With this series of operations, the replacement of the upper film 62 is completed, and the second mode D2 is selected on the operation unit 23 of the laminating device 1. This switches from the first mode D1 to the second mode D2 and starts operation. Thus, the user can create a one-sided laminated object 42.

[0045] In this embodiment, the lower film 63 is pre-installed in both the first mode D1 and the second mode D2, and there is no removal procedure required in either mode D1 or D2.

[0046] [Laminated sheet processed material] When executing the second mode D2, the laminate sheet workpiece 60, which is transported from the laminating section 6 to the cutting section 8 via the transport means 7 in the transport direction, has the structure shown in Figure 9. In detail, an upper film layer 31 is laminated above the object to be laminated 3. Below the object to be laminated 3, there is a lower film layer 35, a lower adhesive layer 36 having adhesive 33, a seal layer 37 having adhesive 39, and a release sheet layer 38. Since there is no upper adhesive layer 34 between the upper film layer 31 and the object to be laminated 3, the upper film layer 31 above the object to be laminated 3 has the function of temporary lamination.

[0047] In both the first mode D1 and the second mode D2, the lamination target area 3 is laminated in the lamination section 6. After the process in the lamination section 6 and before cutting in the cutting section 8, the laminated sheet workpiece 60 is in that state. Specifically, in the process in the lamination section 6 where the lamination target area 3 is sandwiched between the upper film 62 and the lower film 63, a joint is formed between the lamination target area 3, the upper film 62 and the lower film 63. This joint is larger in size than the lamination target area 3 and is positioned to cover the lamination target area 3. Therefore, in the heat-pressing process, the adhesive 33 of the lower adhesive layer 36 is made to protrude to the periphery of the lamination target area 3. In this manner, the adhesive 33 of the lower adhesive layer 36 adheres to the periphery of the upper film 62. In the second mode D2, the size of the lower film 63 can be adjusted to take into account the adhesion area of ​​the adhesive 33 on the lower film 63 that is in contact with the upper film 62. Also, for example, the adhesion to the peripheral edge of the upper film 62 can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of adhesive 33 on the lower film 63. The adhesive 33 of the lower adhesive layer 36 temporarily laminates the peripheral edge of the upper film layer 31 to the outer edge of the object to be laminated 3 (see Figure 9).

[0048] According to this disclosure, by having a switching mechanism 10, it is possible to provide a laminating apparatus and a method for manufacturing laminated sheets that can produce both a double-sided laminated object (laminated sheet) having a laminated structure in which laminating film is layered on both sides of the object to be laminated 3, and a single-sided laminated object (laminated sheet) having one printable side, using a single laminating apparatus 1. Here, the front-and-back laminated object 41 of this disclosure corresponds to a double-sided laminated object.

[0049] <Other Embodiments> This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and drawn, but is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as shown, and equivalents thereof. The technical scope of this disclosure also includes, for example, the following embodiments:

[0050] In this embodiment, a switching mechanism from the first mode to the second mode is described, but it may also be a mechanism for switching from the second mode to the first mode. In this embodiment, the upper unit that houses the upper film has a switching mechanism, but the lower unit that houses the lower film may also have a switching mechanism. In this embodiment, the objects to be laminated are supplied automatically and continuously, but the objects to be laminated may also be supplied manually. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1: Laminating device, 2: Enclosure, 3: Object to be laminated, 4: Laminating sheet 5: Supply mechanism section, 6: Laminating section, 7: Conveying means, 8: Cutting section, 9: Discharge mechanism section, 10: Switching mechanism 21: Roll-up lever 22: Housing roller 23: Control panel 31: Upper film layer, 33: Adhesive, 34: Upper adhesive layer, 35: Lower film layer, 36: Lower adhesive layer, 37: Seal layer, 37A: Adhesive surface, 38: Release sheet layer, 39: Adhesive, 41: Laminated on both sides, 42: Laminated on one side, 43: Top film shaft, 44: Bearing member, 51: Supply tray, 52: Supply port, 53: Pull-in roller, 54: Auxiliary supply tray, 55: Retraction roller holding part, 56: Supply tray guide, 57: Supply clamping member 60: Laminated sheet processed body, 61: Cover body, 62: Top film (second laminate film), 63: Lower film (first laminating film), 64: Heat-press roller, 65: Upper unit (second unit), 66: Lower unit (first unit), 67: Film supply unit, 68: Upper winding roll, 69: Lower winding roll, 71: Conveyor roller 91: Laminate sheet discharge receiving section D1: First mode, D2: Second mode

Claims

1. The system includes a laminating section that laminates a laminating film onto the supplied object to be laminated. The laminating unit comprises a pair of film supply units capable of supplying the laminating film to both sides of the object to be laminated, and a heat-pressure roller that presses the supplied laminating film against the object to be laminated under heated and pressurized conditions while sandwiched between the supply and the object to be laminated. The film supply unit includes a first unit on which a first laminate film is arranged, and an openable second unit on which a second laminate film is arranged and which has an opening / closing mechanism for replacing the second laminate film. The laminating device is A first mode involves supplying the first laminating film and the second laminating film, to which adhesive has been applied, to the object to be laminated, laminating both sides of the object to be laminated, and creating a double-sided laminated object. A second mode is a one-sided laminated object created by replacing the second laminating film with one without adhesive using the switching mechanism of the second unit from the state of the first mode, supplying the first laminating film to the object to be laminated, laminating the back surface of the object to be laminated, and supplying the second laminating film without adhesive to the object to be laminated, performing temporary lamination on the surface of the object to be laminated, thereby bonding the first laminating film and attaching the second laminating film in a peelable state. A laminating machine that can switch between different modes of operation.

2. When executing the second mode described above, The laminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive applied to the first laminating film is made to protrude over the outer edge of the object to be laminated, and the second laminating film is temporarily laminated by the protruding adhesive.

3. The system includes a laminating section that laminates a laminating film onto the supplied object to be laminated. The laminating unit comprises a pair of film supply units capable of supplying the laminating film to both sides of the object to be laminated, and a heat-pressure roller that presses the supplied laminating film against the object to be laminated under heated and pressurized conditions while sandwiched between the supply and the object to be laminated. The film supply unit is a laminating device that includes a first unit on which a first laminating film is arranged, and an openable second unit on which a second laminating film is arranged and which has an opening / closing mechanism for replacing the second laminating film, and is a laminating device that provides a method for manufacturing a laminated product. A method for manufacturing a laminated object, comprising: supplying the first laminate film and the second laminate film, which have adhesive applied to them, to the object to be laminated, and laminating both sides of the object to be laminated to create a front-and-back laminated object; then, with the second laminate film replaced with one that does not have adhesive applied by the switching mechanism of the second unit, the first laminate film is supplied to the object to be laminated, and the back side of the object to be laminated is laminated; and the second laminate film, which does not have adhesive applied, is supplied to the object to be laminated, and temporary lamination is performed on the surface of the object to be laminated, so that the first laminate film is adhered and the second laminate film is attached in a peelable state, thereby creating a one-sided laminated object.

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