Laminating device

Abstract

Provided is a means such that, in a narrow space, it is possible to replace two rolls which can be individually mounted.　A laminating device 1 includes: a recording unit 30 for recording an image on a first member 101 drawn out from a first roll 111; a bonding unit 50 for bonding the first member 101 on which the image was recorded by the recording unit 30 and a second member 102 drawn out from a second roll 121; and a housing 11 which has an opening 17 in an upper section thereof and which houses the recording unit 30 and the bonding unit 50. The first roll 111 and the second roll 121 can be respectively mounted, from the outside of the housing 11 through the opening 17, at a first position 71 and a second position 72 in the housing 11.

Description

Laminating equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a laminating apparatus for laminating a plurality of members together.

[0002] Conventionally, laminating devices have been known that record an image on a first member pulled out from a first roll and then bond the first member with the image recorded to a second member pulled out from a second roll (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the device described in Patent Document 1, the printing unit forms a print image on a recording medium pulled out from a recording medium roll. The recording medium with the print image formed thereon is cut to a predetermined length by a first cutting unit, transported to a laminating unit, and superimposed on a laminating member pulled out from a laminating member roll by a guide roll in the laminating unit. The superimposed recording medium and laminating member are heated by a pressure and heating roll and separated by a second cutting unit. The recording medium roll, recording medium, laminating member roll, and laminating member correspond to the first roll, first member, second roll, and second member, respectively.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-211593

[0005] In a roll-mounting device such as that described in Patent Document 1, a configuration in which the roll is mounted from the side of the device is known. However, such a laminating device requires a large space for roll replacement, which limits the installation location.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a means for replacing two rolls that can be installed separately in a small space.

[0007] (1) A laminating device of the present invention includes a recording unit that records an image on a first member drawn from a first roll, a laminating unit that laminates the first member on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit to a second member drawn from a second roll, and a housing that has an opening at the top and accommodates the recording unit and the laminating unit. The first roll and the second roll can be installed at a first position and a second position within the housing, respectively, by passing through the opening from outside the housing.

[0008] According to the laminating device described above, two rolls can be attached through openings in the top of the housing, so that the user can replace the two rolls that can be attached separately in a small space.

[0009] (2) Preferably, the first roll has a first shaft around which the first member is wound and can be mounted at the first position with the first shaft extending horizontally, and the second roll has a second shaft around which the second member is wound and can be mounted at the second position with the second shaft extending horizontally.

[0010] (3) Preferably, the first roll may be mountable at the first position while housed in a first cartridge having a first handle portion, and the second roll may be mountable at the second position while housed in a second cartridge having a second handle portion.

[0011] (4) Preferably, when the first roll is attached to the first position, at least a portion of the first handle portion is located above the opening, and when the second roll is attached to the second position, at least a portion of the second handle portion is located above the opening.

[0012] (5) Preferably, the housing has a front wall on which an operating unit and an outlet for discharging a finished product in which the first member and the second member are bonded together are located, and when the first roll is attached to the first position, the first handle is located between the front wall and the first axis in the up-down direction and in the front-to-back direction intersecting the front wall, and when the second roll is attached to the second position, the second handle is located between the front wall and the second axis in the front-to-back direction.

[0013] (6) Preferably, one of the first cartridge and the second cartridge has a biasing member that biases the cartridge in a direction along a first direction that intersects the vertical direction and the front-to-rear direction, and a handle portion that is one of the first handle portion and the second handle portion, and when the first roll is attached to the first position and the second roll is attached to the second position, the biasing member and the handle portion may be located on the same side in the front-to-rear direction with respect to an axis around which the member contained in the cartridge is wound.

[0014] (7) Preferably, the housing has a front wall on which an operating unit and an outlet for discharging a finished product in which the first member and the second member are bonded together are located, and when the first roll is attached to the first position and the second roll is attached to the second position, the second roll may be located between the front wall and the first roll in the vertical direction and in the front-to-back direction intersecting the front wall.

[0015] (8) Preferably, when the first roll is mounted at the first position and the second roll is mounted at the second position, the first axis may be positioned above the second axis in the up-down direction.

[0016] (9) Preferably, at least a portion of the first roll when mounted at the first position may be located above the opening, and at least a portion of the second roll when mounted at the second position may be located above the opening.

[0017] (10) Preferably, the laminating device may further include a cover that covers a portion of the first roll that is located above the opening when the first roll is attached to the first position, a portion of the second roll that is located above the opening when the second roll is attached to the second position, and the opening.

[0018] (11) Preferably, when the first roll is mounted at the first position and the second roll is mounted at the second position, the first shaft and the second shaft may be positioned above the recording unit and the laminating unit in the up-down direction.

[0019] (12) Preferably, the housing has a front wall on which an operating unit and an outlet for discharging a finished product in which the first member and the second member are bonded together are located, and the laminating device may further include a first transport path that transports the first member pulled out from the first roll when the laminating device is attached to the first position, below the first roll in the vertical direction and behind the first axis in the front-to-rear direction that intersects with the front wall and the vertical direction, and a second transport path that transports the second member pulled out from the second roll when the laminating device is attached to the second position, below the second roll in the vertical direction and in front of the second axis in the front-to-rear direction.

[0020] (13) Preferably, the housing has a front wall on which an operating unit and an outlet for discharging a finished product in which the first member and the second member are bonded together are located, and when the first roll is attached to the first position, the first member wound on the first roll may be pulled out from in front of the first roll in the up-down direction and in the front-to-back direction intersecting the front wall.

[0021] (14) Preferably, the laminating device further includes a transport path for transporting the first member pulled out from the first roll mounted at the first position, and a transport roller located upstream of the recording unit on the transport path, and when the first roll is mounted at the first position and the second roll is mounted at the second position, the horizontal distance between the first shaft and the second shaft may be shorter than the horizontal distance between the transport roller and the bonding unit.

[0022] (15) Preferably, the entire first roll when attached to the first position and the entire second roll when attached to the second position may be located below the opening.

[0023] (16) Preferably, the first roll may be detachable at the first position with the second roll attached at the second position, and the second roll may be detachable at the second position with the first roll attached at the first position.

[0024] (17) Preferably, the first roll and the second roll may be attachable to the first position and the second position, respectively, by passing through one of the openings from outside the housing.

[0025] According to the present invention, two rolls that can be installed separately can be replaced in a small space.

[0026] FIG. 1(A) is an external perspective view of a laminating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(B) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a finished laminated product 100 produced by the laminating apparatus 1. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the laminating apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the laminating apparatus 1 with the cover 12 open. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the laminating apparatus 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the mounting positions of a first roll 111 and a second roll 121 in the laminating apparatus 1. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view seen from the opposite side of FIG. 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the positions of springs 118 and 128 in the laminating apparatus 1. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a laminating process performed by a control unit 90 of the laminating apparatus 1. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a laminating apparatus 2 according to a modified example.

[0027] The following describes a laminating apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment described below is merely an example of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the embodiment of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In the following description, the direction of travel is expressed as the direction from the start point of an arrow to the end point, and the direction of travel on the line connecting the start point and end point of an arrow. Furthermore, the up-down direction 7 is defined based on the state in which the laminating apparatus 1 is installed and ready for use (the state shown in FIG. 1A ). The front-to-back direction 8 is defined with the surface on which the operation unit 13 and display unit 14 are provided as the front. The left-to-right direction 9 is defined when viewing the laminating apparatus 1 from the front. The up-to-down direction 7, the front-to-back direction 8, and the left-to-right direction 9 are perpendicular to one another.

[0028] [Overview of Laminating Apparatus 1] As shown in Fig. 1(A), the laminating apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has a housing 11 and a cover 12. The housing 11 has a rectangular box shape with no top surface. As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 11 has an opening 17 at the top. The cover 12 is positioned on top of the housing 11 and closes the opening 17. The rear wall of the housing 11 and the rear wall of the cover 12 are connected by a hinge 18.

[0029] A user opens and closes the cover 12. When the cover 12 is closed (FIG. 1A), the housing 11 and the cover 12 define the internal space of the laminating device 1. Various components of the laminating device 1 (described in detail below) are located in the internal space of the laminating device 1. When the cover 12 is open (see FIG. 3), the user can replace the roll of the laminating device 1.

[0030] An operation unit 13 and a display unit 14 are located on a front wall 15 of the housing 11. An outlet 16 is located on the front wall 15 of the housing 11 below the operation unit 13 and the display unit 14. The laminating device 1 bonds two types of members together to create a laminated finished product 100. The laminated finished product 100 is an example of a finished product.

[0031] A tape-like first member 101 and a second member 102 are supplied to the laminating apparatus 1. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first member 101 is wound around a cylindrical first shaft 112 having a flange 113 to form a first roll 111. The first roll 111 is housed in a first cartridge 114 and attached to a first position 71 (see FIG. 5 ) of the laminating apparatus 1. The second member 102 is wound around a cylindrical second shaft 122 having a flange 123 to form a second roll 121. The second roll 121 is housed in a second cartridge 124 and attached to a second position 72 (see FIG. 5 ) of the laminating apparatus 1.

[0032] The first member 101 is, for example, a transparent film. As shown in Fig. 1(B) , the second member 102 is a member having an adhesive layer on at least one surface. The second member 102 is, for example, a backing sheet having a first adhesive layer 103 on one surface of a tape layer 104 (the surface facing the first member 101 in the finished laminate 100) and a second adhesive layer 105 on the other surface of the tape layer 104. A release sheet 106 is provided on the opposite side of the tape layer 104 with the second adhesive layer 105 sandwiched therebetween.

[0033] The first member 101 and the second member 102 may be made of any material. The second member 102 may be made of, for example, a resin material such as PET or PVC (polyvinyl chloride), synthetic paper such as Yupo paper (registered trademark), or a metal material. The second member 102 may be transparent or opaque. The first member 101 and the second member 102 may have an adhesive layer on one surface, an adhesive layer on the other surface, or both surfaces, or neither surface may have an adhesive layer. When a material without an adhesive layer is used, the first member 101 and the second member 102 may be bonded together after an adhesive is applied, or may be bonded together by heat welding, pressure bonding, or the like.

[0034] 2 , the recording surface 107 is the surface of the first member 101 on which an image is recorded. The back surface 108 is the surface of the first member 101 opposite the recording surface 107. The bonding surface 109 is the surface of the second member 102 that has the first adhesive layer 103.

[0035] The laminating device 1 bonds the first member 101 and the second member 102 by bringing the recording surface 107 of the first member 101 into close contact with the bonding surface 109 of the second member 102. The laminating device 1 cuts the bonded members to a predetermined size. This creates a finished laminated product 100 shown in FIG. 1(B). The created finished laminated product 100 is discharged from the discharge port 16.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2, the laminating apparatus 1 includes a recording unit 30, first to fourth conveying rollers 41 to 44, a laminating unit 50, a first cutting unit 61, and a second cutting unit 62. Additionally, the laminating apparatus 1 includes a control unit 90 and various motors (see FIG. 4). Guide members (not shown) supporting the first member 101 are provided at necessary positions within the housing 11. This forms a first conveying path 48 that runs from the first roll 111 to the second cutting unit 62 via the recording unit 30, the first cutting unit 61, and the laminating unit 50. A second conveying path 49 runs from the second roll 121 to the second cutting unit 62 via the laminating unit 50. The first conveying path 48 is an example of a conveying path.

[0037] [First Cartridge 114 and Second Cartridge 124] The first cartridge 114 accommodates a first roll 111 around which the first member 101 is wound. The first roll 111 is detachable from the first cartridge 114. The second cartridge 124 accommodates a second roll 121 around which the second member 102 is wound. The second roll 121 is detachable from the second cartridge 124.

[0038] When replacing the first roll 111, the user opens the cover 12 and removes the first cartridge 114 from the housing 11. The user removes the old first roll 111 from the removed first cartridge 114 and inserts a new first roll 111 into the first cartridge 114. The user then installs the first cartridge 114 after replacing the first roll 111 in a predetermined position within the housing 11. The user performs the same operation when replacing the second roll 121. As a result, the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 are installed at the first position 71 and the second position 72 within the housing 11, respectively. The first member 101 is pulled out from the first roll 111, and the second member 102 is pulled out from the second roll 121.

[0039] As will be described later, the first cartridge 114 has one (second roller 412) of the two rollers that make up the first conveying roller 41. The second cartridge 124 has one (first laminating roller 51) of the two rollers that make up the laminating unit 50.

[0040] [Recording Unit 30] The recording unit 30 is located downstream of the first roll 111 on the first transport path 48. The recording unit 30 is located below the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 in the up-down direction 7 and behind the first cutting unit 61 in the front-rear direction 8. The recording unit 30 includes a carriage 31 and a recording head 32. Two guide rails (not shown) are located inside the housing 11, extending in the left-right direction 9 and having both ends fixed to the housing 11 or to members fixed to the housing 11. The carriage 31 is placed on the two guide rails. The carriage 31 receives driving force from a CR motor 85 (see FIG. 4 ) and moves in the left-right direction 9.

[0041] The recording head 32 is mounted on a carriage 31. A plurality of nozzles 33 are formed on the underside of the recording head 32. As the carriage 31 moves, the recording head 32 moves in the left-right direction 9. A platen 34 is located below the movement range of the carriage 31. The recording head 32 ejects ink downward from the nozzles 33 while moving in the left-right direction 9. This causes an image to be recorded on the recording surface 107 of the first member 101 being transported on the platen 34. In this way, the recording unit 30 records an image on the first member 101 pulled out from the first roll 111.

[0042] [First to fourth conveyance rollers 41 to 44] The first conveyance roller 41 is located above the second conveyance roller 42 in the up-down direction 7 and behind the second conveyance roller 42 in the front-rear direction 8. The second conveyance roller 42 is located behind the recording unit 30 in the front-rear direction 8. The third conveyance roller 43 and the fourth conveyance roller 44 are located between the recording unit 30 and the laminating unit 50 in the front-rear direction 8. The fourth conveyance roller 44 is located in front of the third conveyance roller 43 in the front-rear direction 8.

[0043] The first conveyor rollers 41 include a first roller 411 and a second roller 412. The first roller 411 is provided in the housing 11, and the second roller 412 is provided in the first cartridge 114. When the first cartridge 114 is installed in a predetermined position in the housing 11, the first roller 411 is positioned diagonally below the second roller 412. The first member 101 passes between the first roller 411 and the second roller 412. At this time, the first conveyor rollers 41 grip the first member 101. The second roller 412 receives a driving force from the conveyor motor 83 (see FIG. 5 ) and rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction 9. Accordingly, the first roller 411 also rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction 9. At this time, a force acting from the first conveyor rollers 41 acts on the first member 101 in a direction pulling the first member 101 away from the first roll 111 or a force acting in a direction bringing the first member 101 closer to the first roll 111.

[0044] In the first cartridge 114, the first member 101 pulled out from the first roll 111 is set below the second roller 412. Meanwhile, before the first cartridge 114 is installed in the housing 11, the upper surface of the first roller 411 is exposed inside the housing 11. Therefore, the first member 101 is sandwiched between the first roller 411 and the second roller 412 as soon as the first cartridge 114 is installed in the housing 11. Therefore, the user does not need to perform an operation to sandwich the first member 101 between the first roller 411 and the second roller 412.

[0045] The second conveyor rollers 42 include a third roller 421 and a fourth roller 422. The third roller 421 is located directly above the fourth roller 422. The first member 101 passes between the third roller 421 and the fourth roller 422. At this time, the second conveyor rollers 42 grip the first member. The fourth roller 422 receives a driving force from the conveyor motor 83 and rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction 9. Accordingly, the third roller 421 also rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction 9. At this time, the second conveyor rollers 42 apply a force to the first member 101 in a direction pulling the first member 101 away from the first roll 111 or a force in a direction bringing the first member 101 closer to the first roll 111.

[0046] The third conveyor rollers 43 include a fifth roller 431 and a sixth roller 432. The fourth conveyor rollers 44 include a seventh roller 441 and an eighth roller 442. The configurations and functions of the third conveyor rollers 43 and the fourth conveyor rollers 44 are the same as those of the second conveyor rollers 42, and therefore will not be described here.

[0047] Here, of the two rollers included in the first to fourth conveying rollers 41 to 44, the roller that contacts the back surface 108 of the first member 101 receives the driving force from the conveying motor 83. Alternatively, the roller that contacts the recording surface 107 of the first member 101 may receive the driving force from the conveying motor 83, or both of the two rollers may receive the driving force from the conveying motor 83.

[0048] The first member 101 pulled out from the first roll 111 passes between two rollers included in the first conveyor roller 41, between the guide member 45 and the guide roller 46, and between two rollers included in the second to fourth conveyor rollers 42 to 44, before reaching the laminating unit 50. On the other hand, the second member 102 pulled out from the second roll 121 is guided by the guide roller 47 and reaches the laminating unit 50.

[0049] [Laminating Unit 50] The laminating unit 50 is located downstream of the recording unit 30 on the first conveying path 48. The laminating unit 50 is located between the first cutting unit 61 and the second cutting unit 62 in the front-rear direction 8. The laminating unit 50 includes a first laminating roller 51 and a second laminating roller 52. The second laminating roller 52 is housed within the housing 11, and the first laminating roller 51 is provided in a second cartridge 124. When the second cartridge 124 is installed in a predetermined position within the housing 11, the first laminating roller 51 is located diagonally above the second laminating roller 52. The first member 101 and the second member 102 pass between the first laminating roller 51 and the second laminating roller 52. At this time, the recording surface 107 of the first member 101 faces upward, and the laminating surface 109 of the second member 102 faces downward.

[0050] In the second cartridge 124, the second member 102 pulled out from the second roll 121 is set below the first laminating roller 51. Meanwhile, before the second cartridge 124 is mounted in the housing 11, the upper surface of the second laminating roller 52 is exposed inside the housing 11. Therefore, the second member 102 is sandwiched between the first laminating roller 51 and the second laminating roller 52 at the same time as the second cartridge 124 is mounted in the housing 11. Therefore, the user does not need to perform an operation to sandwich the second member 102 between the first laminating roller 51 and the second laminating roller 52.

[0051] The second laminating roller 52 receives a driving force from a laminating motor 84 (see FIG. 4 ) and rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction 9. Accordingly, the first laminating roller 51 also rotates about an axis extending in the left-right direction 9. The first laminating roller 51 and the second laminating roller 52 bond the first member 101 and the second member 102 together by bringing the recording surface 107 of the first member 101 and the laminating surface 109 of the second member 102 into close contact with each other. Note that the first laminating roller 51 may receive a driving force from the laminating motor 84, or both the first laminating roller 51 and the second laminating roller 52 may receive a driving force from the laminating motor 84.

[0052] Furthermore, the laminating unit 50 does not necessarily have to bond the first member 101 and the second member 102. For example, if the laminating apparatus 1 has a section downstream of the laminating unit 50 where heat welding or pressure bonding is performed, the laminating unit 50 is a pair of rollers that are arranged before the section and that overlap the first member 101 and the second member 102.

[0053] [First cutting unit 61 and second cutting unit 62] The first cutting unit 61 is located downstream of the recording unit 30 on the first conveying path 48. The first cutting unit 61 is located between the third conveying roller 43 and the fourth conveying roller 44 in the front-to-rear direction 8. The first cutting unit 61 cuts the first member 101 between the second conveying roller 42 and the bonding unit 50. The second cutting unit 62 is located downstream of the bonding unit 50 on the first conveying path 48. The second cutting unit 62 is located in front of the bonding unit 50 in the front-to-rear direction 8. The second cutting unit 62 simultaneously cuts the first member 101 and the second member 102 that have been bonded together in the bonding unit 50.

[0054] The first cutting unit 61 has any configuration capable of cutting the first member 101. The second cutting unit 62 has any configuration capable of cutting the first member 101 and the second member 102. The first cutting unit 61 and the second cutting unit 62 may include, for example, a cutter carriage that receives driving force from a cutting motor 86 (see FIG. 4 ) and moves in the left-right direction 9, and a cutter mounted on the cutter carriage, or may include a movable blade that receives driving force from the cutting motor 86 and moves in the up-down direction 7, and a fixed blade facing the movable blade.

[0055] [Control Unit 90 and Its Peripheral Parts] As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 90 includes a CPU 91, a ROM 92, a RAM 93, and an EEPROM 94. The ROM 92 stores programs for controlling various operations of the laminating device 1. The EEPROM 94 stores various data used when the above programs are executed. The RAM 93 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording various data used when the CPU 91 executes the above programs, and as an area for expanding data and programs. When the laminating device 1 is powered on, the programs stored in the ROM 92 are copied and transferred to the RAM 93. The CPU 91 executes the programs stored in the RAM 93. This allows the control unit 90 to perform various controls.

[0056] The ASIC 95 is connected to the operation unit 13 and the display unit 14. The operation unit 13 detects when an operation key is pressed and outputs a signal corresponding to the pressed operation key. The control unit 90 identifies the pressed operation key based on the output signal of the operation unit 13. The display unit 14 displays information related to the operation of the laminating device 1 on its screen based on instructions from the control unit 90.

[0057] The recording head 32 is connected to the ASIC 95. The control unit 90 outputs a signal corresponding to image data to the recording head 32 via the ASIC 95. The recording head 32 ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles 33 provided in the recording head 32 in response to the signal output from the control unit 90.

[0058] [Various Motors] The first roll motor 81, the second roll motor 82, the conveying motor 83, the laminating motor 84, the CR motor 85, and the cutting motor 86 are connected to the ASIC 95. Drive circuits that control these motors are incorporated into the ASIC 95. The control unit 90 outputs drive signals for rotating each motor to the drive circuits corresponding to each motor. The drive circuits output drive currents corresponding to the drive signals output from the control unit 90 to the corresponding motors. This causes the corresponding motors to rotate.

[0059] The first roll motor 81 generates power to rotate the first roll 111. The second roll motor 82 generates power to rotate the second roll 121. The conveying motor 83 generates power to rotate the second roller 412, the fourth roller 422, the sixth roller 432, and the eighth roller 442. The laminating motor 84 generates power to rotate the second laminating roller 52. The CR motor 85 generates power to move the carriage 31 in the left-right direction 9. The cutting motor 86 generates power to operate the first cutting unit 61 and the second cutting unit 62. Note that some of these motors may be configured by the same motor.

[0060] [Installation of the First Roll 111 and the Second Roll 121] The opening 17 located at the top of the housing 11 has a size that allows the first cartridge 114 and the second cartridge 124 to pass through simultaneously. Therefore, the first cartridge 114 and the second cartridge 124 can be installed at predetermined positions within the housing 11 by passing through the single opening 17 from outside the housing 11. The first roll 111 and the second roll 121 are configured to be independently attachable to and detachable from the housing 11. The first cartridge 114 and the second cartridge 124 are supported from below by, for example, a support member (not shown) within the housing 11. The opening 17 may be divided into two openings. More specifically, the opening 17 may be two openings, one having a size that allows the first cartridge 114 to pass through and the other having a size that allows the second cartridge 124 to pass through. The two openings are located at the top of the housing 11. The opening 17 may also be divided into three or more openings.

[0061] Some components of the laminating apparatus 1 are omitted from Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, when the first cartridge 114 is attached to the housing 11, the first roll 111 is located at the first position 71. When the second cartridge 124 is attached to the housing 11, the second roll 121 is located at the second position 72. Hereinafter, the state in which the first roll 111 is located at the first position 71 will be referred to as the "attached state of the first roll 111," the state in which the second roll 121 is located at the second position 72 will be referred to as the "attached state of the second roll 121," and the state in which the first roll 111 is located at the first position 71 and the second roll 121 is located at the second position 72 will be referred to as the "attached state of two rolls."

[0062] As shown in Figure 5, when the first roll 111 is installed, the first shaft 112 of the first roll 111 extends in the left-right direction 9. When the second roll 121 is installed, the second shaft 122 of the second roll 121 extends in the left-right direction 9. The left-right direction 9 is an example of the horizontal direction. In this way, the first roll 111 is housed in the first cartridge 114 and is installed at the first position 71 with the first shaft 112 extending in the horizontal direction. The second roll 121 is housed in the second cartridge 124 and is installed at the second position 72 with the second shaft 122 extending in the horizontal direction.

[0063] The first cartridge 114 has a handle 115 for a user to grasp. The second cartridge 124 has a handle 125 for a user to grasp. The handles 115, 125 have different shapes so that the user can easily distinguish them. When the first roll 111 is attached, the handle 115 is located between the front wall 15 of the housing 11 and the first shaft 112 in the front-rear direction 8. Almost the entire handle 115 is located above the opening 17. When the second roll 121 is attached, the handle 125 is located between the front wall 15 and the second shaft 122 in the front-rear direction 8. The upper end of the handle 115 is located above the upper end of the handle 125. The upper end of the handle 115 is also located above the upper ends of the second roll 121 and the flange 123. A portion of the handle 125 is located above the opening 17. The handles 115, 125 may have the same shape. Also, at least a portion of the handles 115 and 125 may be located above the opening 17. The handle 125 is an example of a first handle portion. The handle 125 is an example of a second handle portion.

[0064] The front-rear direction 8 is a direction intersecting the up-down direction 7 and the front wall 15. When two rolls are installed, the second roll 121 is located between the front wall 15 and the first roll 111 in the front-rear direction 8. The first shaft 112 is located above the second shaft 122 in the up-down direction 7. A portion of the first roll 111 and a portion of the second roll 121 are located above the opening 17. The cover 12 covers the portion of the first roll 111 located above the opening 17 when the first roll 111 is installed, and the portion of the second roll 121 located above the opening 17 when the second roll 121 is installed, as well as the opening 17. When two rolls are installed, the first shaft 112 and the second shaft 122 are located above the recording unit 30 and the laminating unit 50 in the up-down direction 7.

[0065] The first transport path 48 transports the first member 101 pulled out from the first roll 111 when it is attached to the first position 71, below the first roll 111 in the up-down direction 7 and behind the first shaft 112 in the front-rear direction 8. The second transport path 49 transports the second member 102 pulled out from the second roll 121 when it is attached to the second position 72, below the second roll 121 in the up-down direction 7 and in front of the second shaft 122 in the front-rear direction 8. When the first roll 111 is attached, the first member 101 wound around the first roll 111 is pulled out from in front of the first roll 111 in the front-rear direction 8.

[0066] The second transport roller 42 is located upstream of the recording unit 30 in the first transport path 48. When two rolls are mounted, the horizontal distance d1 between the first shaft 112 and the second shaft 122 is shorter than the horizontal distance d2 between the second transport roller 42 and the laminating unit 50.

[0067] The user moves the first cartridge 114 downward when attaching the first roll 111 to the housing 11, and moves the second cartridge 124 downward when attaching the second roll 121 to the housing 11. At this time, the movement path of the first cartridge 114 and the movement path of the second cartridge 124 do not overlap. Therefore, the first roll 111 can be attached to and detached from the first position 71 with the second roll 121 attached. The second roll 121 can be attached to and detached from the second position 72 with the first roll 111 attached.

[0068] [Springs 118, 128] As shown in Figure 6, the first cartridge 114 has a protrusion 117 on the right wall 116. The second cartridge 124 has a protrusion 127 on the right wall 126. The protrusions 117, 127 are hollow inside. A spring 118 that expands and contracts in the left-right direction 9 is located in the hollow portion of the protrusion 117. A spring 128 that expands and contracts in the left-right direction 9 is located in the hollow portion of the protrusion 127.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 7 , the left end of the spring 128 is fixed to the right surface of the right wall 126 of the second cartridge 124. The right end of the spring 128 abuts against the left surface of the right wall of the protrusion 127. The right surface of the right wall of the protrusion 127 abuts against the right frame 78 fixed to the housing 11. A spring 129 attached to the second shaft 122 is located between the right flange 123 of the second roll 121 and the right wall 126 of the second cartridge 124. The second roll 121 is biased leftward by the spring 129. Therefore, the left flange 123 of the second roll 121 abuts against the right surface of the left wall of the second cartridge 124. The second cartridge 124 is biased leftward by the spring 128. Therefore, the left surface of the left wall of the second cartridge 124 abuts against the left frame 77 fixed to the housing 11. As a result, the second roll 121 is positioned in the left-right direction 9 .

[0070] As shown in Figure 6, the spring 128 is located forward of the second shaft 122 in the front-rear direction 8. The handle 125 of the second cartridge 124 is also located forward of the second shaft 122 in the front-rear direction 8. In this way, the spring 128 and the handle 125 are located on the same side of the second shaft 122 in the front-rear direction 8. The spring 128 is an example of a biasing member. The left-right direction 9 is an example of a first direction. Facing left is an example of an orientation along the first direction.

[0071] [Lamination Process by Control Unit 90] The lamination process by control unit 90 will be described with reference to Figure 8. The lamination process shown in Figure 8 is performed by control unit 90 executing a program stored in RAM 93. The control unit 90 performs the lamination process when, for example, an instruction to perform the lamination process is received from operation unit 13. Note that the third conveyance roller 43 and the fourth conveyance roller 44 play a minor role in the lamination process, and therefore, description of the third conveyance roller 43 and the fourth conveyance roller 44 will be omitted below.

[0072] Before starting to use the laminating apparatus 1, the user installs the first roll 111 at the first position 71 by installing the first cartridge 114 in a predetermined position within the housing 11. The user also installs the second roll 121 at the second position 72 by installing the second cartridge 124 in a predetermined position within the housing 11. Furthermore, the user inserts the leading end of the first member 101 pulled out from the first roll 111 between the first roller 411 and the second roller 412, and inserts the leading end of the second member 102 pulled out from the second roll 121 between the first laminating roller 51 and the second laminating roller 52.

[0073] At the beginning of the lamination process, the control unit 90 corrects skew of the first member 101 and the second member 102 (S11). In S11, the control unit 90 drives the first roll motor 81 and the conveyance motor 83 to alternately perform one or more cycles of pulling out the first member 101 from the first roll 111 and one or more cycles of rewinding the first member 101 onto the first roll 111, thereby correcting the skew of the first member 101.

[0074] In addition, in S11, the control unit 90 drives the second roll motor 82 and the laminating motor 84, and corrects the skew of the second member 102 by alternately performing the process of pulling out the second member 102 from the second roll 121 and the process of rewinding the second member 102 onto the second roll 121 one or more times each.

[0075] In addition, in S11, the control unit 90 may perform the skew correction of the first member 101 and the skew correction of the second member 102 in parallel, or may perform either the skew correction of the first member 101 or the skew correction of the second member 102 first and then the other.

[0076] Next, the control unit 90 causes the second conveyance roller 42 to grip the first member 101 (S12). In S12, the control unit 90 drives the conveyance motor 83 to apply a force to the first conveyance roller 41 that acts in a direction to pull out the first member 101. When the leading end of the first member 101 reaches the second conveyance roller 42, the second conveyance roller 42 grips the first member 101. In S12, the control unit 90 drives the first roll motor 81 to apply a force to the first roll 111 that acts in a direction to rewind the first member 101. However, the force that acts in the direction to rewind the first member 101 is smaller than the force that acts in the direction to pull out the first member 101.

[0077] Next, the control unit 90 causes the first member 101 to be conveyed (S13). In S13, the control unit 90 drives the conveying motor 83 to rotate the first conveying rollers 41 and the second conveying rollers 42, thereby causing the first conveying rollers 41 and the second conveying rollers 42 to convey the first member 101.

[0078] Next, the control unit 90 stops the conveyance of the first member 101 and drives the recording unit 30 to record an image on the first member 101 (S14). In S14, the control unit 90 stops the drive of the conveyance motor 83, stops the rotation of the first conveyance roller 41 and the second conveyance roller 42, and stops the first member 101. While the first member 101 is stopped, ink is ejected from the recording head 32 of the recording unit 30 onto the recording surface 107 of the first member 101. As a result, an image is recorded on a portion of the recording surface 107 of the first member 101.

[0079] Next, the control unit 90 determines whether or not to continue recording the image (S15). If the control unit 90 determines to continue recording the image (S15: Yes), the control unit 90 proceeds to S13. The control unit 90 repeatedly executes S13 and S14 until it determines No in S15. As a result, images are recorded on the first member 101 in order from the downstream side to the upstream side in the transport direction.

[0080] After executing S13, the control unit 90 determines whether the leading end of the first member 101 has reached the laminating unit 50 based on an output signal from a sensor (not shown). When the control unit 90 determines that the leading end of the first member 101 has reached the laminating unit 50, the control unit 90 starts driving the laminating unit 50. Thereafter, the control unit 90 drives the laminating motor 84 to apply a force to the laminating unit 50 that acts in a direction to pull out the second member 102. At this time, the control unit 90 drives the second roll motor 82 to apply a force to the second roll 121 that acts in a direction to rewind the second member 102. However, the force that acts in the direction to rewind the second member 102 is smaller than the force that acts in the direction to pull out the second member 102. After the control unit 90 starts driving the laminating unit 50, the laminating unit 50 bonds the recording surface 107 of the first member 101 and the laminating surface 109 of the second member 102 together.

[0081] If the control unit 90 determines in S15 not to continue recording the image (S15: No), the process proceeds to S16. In this case, the control unit 90 conveys the first member 101 until the cutting position upstream of the range where the image is recorded on the first member 101 reaches below the first cutting unit 61 (S16).

[0082] Next, the control unit 90 causes the first cutting unit 61 to cut the first member 101 (S17). In S17, the control unit 90 drives the cutting motor 86 to operate the first cutting unit 61. The first cutting unit 61 cuts the first member 101 at the cutting position.

[0083] Next, the control unit 90 causes the first member 101 and the second member 102 after being bonded to be transported (S18). In S18, the control unit 90 drives the bonding motor 84 to cause the first member 101 and the second member 102 after being bonded to be transported until the cutting position of the first member 101 and the second member 102 after being bonded reaches below the second cutting unit 62.

[0084] Next, the control unit 90 causes the second cutting unit 62 to cut the bonded first member 101 and second member 102 (S19). In S19, the control unit 90 drives the cutting motor 86 to operate the second cutting unit 62. The second cutting unit 62 cuts the bonded first member 101 and second member 102 at the cutting position.

[0085] Next, the control unit 90 causes the first member 101 to be rewound onto the first roll 111 (S20). In S20, the control unit 90 drives the conveyance motor 83 in the reverse direction to rotate the first conveyance roller 41 and the second conveyance roller 42 in the reverse direction. The first conveyance roller 41 and the second conveyance roller 42 apply a force in a direction to wind up the first member 101. At this time, the force acting in the direction to wind up the first member 101 is also applied to the first roll 111 from the first roll motor 81.

[0086] [Operation and Effects of the Embodiment] As described above, the laminating device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 11, a cover 12, a recording unit 30, and a laminating unit 50. The housing 11 has an opening 17 at the top, and houses the recording unit 30 and the laminating unit 50. In the laminating device 1, the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 can be attached to a first position 71 and a second position 72 inside the housing 11 from the outside through the single opening 17. The first roll 111 and the second roll 121 are configured to be independently attachable to and detachable from the housing 11. Therefore, the laminating device 1 according to the present embodiment allows a user to replace two individually attachable rolls (the first roll 111 and the second roll 121) in a small space.

[0087] Furthermore, the first roll 111 can be attached to the first position 71 with the first shaft 112 extending horizontally, and the second roll 121 can be attached to the second position 72 with the second shaft 122 extending horizontally. Therefore, the user can attach the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 individually with the first shaft 112 and the second shaft 122 lying horizontally.

[0088] Furthermore, the first roll 111 can be attached to the first position 71 while housed in a first cartridge 114 having a handle 115 (first handle portion), and the second roll 121 can be attached to the second position 72 while housed in a second cartridge 124 having a handle 125 (second handle portion). Because the first cartridge 114 and the second cartridge 124 each have their own handles 115, 125, the user can easily attach and detach the first cartridge 114 using the handle 115, and can easily attach and detach the second cartridge 124 using the handle 125. This allows the user to easily replace only one of the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 without any unnecessary effort.

[0089] Furthermore, when the first roll 111 is attached (when the first roll 111 is attached at the first position 71), at least a portion of the handle 115 is located above the opening 17, and when the second roll 121 is attached (when the second roll 121 is attached at the second position 72), at least a portion of the handle 125 is located above the opening 17. Therefore, the user can easily attach and detach the first cartridge 114 using the handle 115, and easily attach and detach the second cartridge 124 using the handle 125.

[0090] The housing 11 also has a front wall 15 on which the operation unit 13 and the discharge port 16 are located. When the first roll 111 is attached, the handle 115 is located between the front wall 15 and the first shaft 112 in the front-rear direction 8 (a direction intersecting the up-down direction 7 and the front wall 15), and when the second roll 121 is attached, the handle 125 is located between the front wall 15 and the second shaft 122 in the front-rear direction 8. Because the handle 115 of the first cartridge 114 and the handle 125 of the second cartridge 124 are located on the front side, the user can easily grasp the handle 115 and the handle 125 from the front side, which is where the user normally operates the cartridges. This allows the first cartridge 114 to be easily attached or detached using the handle 115, and the second cartridge 124 to be easily attached or detached using the handle 125.

[0091] The second cartridge 124 also has a spring 128 (biasing member) that biases the second cartridge 124 leftward (in the direction along the first direction), and when the second roll 121 is attached, the spring 128 and the handle 125 are located on the same side of the second shaft 122 in the front-to-rear direction 8. Therefore, a user can easily attach or detach the second cartridge 124 to or from the laminating apparatus 1 using the handle 125 without being hindered by the spring 128. Note that the spring 128 does not necessarily have to be located on the same side of the second shaft 122 in the front-to-rear direction 8. The spring 128 that biases the second cartridge 124 leftward (in the direction along the first direction) may be located in the housing 11 instead of the second cartridge 124.

[0092] Furthermore, when two rolls are installed (the first roll 111 is installed in the first position and the second roll 121 is installed in the second position), the second roll 121 is located between the front wall 15 and the first roll 111 in the front-to-rear direction 8. Therefore, a user can easily reach the second roll 121 located at the front. The first roll 111 is a roll of transparent film on which an image is recorded, and the second roll 121 is a roll that serves as a base for the transparent film on which no image is recorded. The base second roll 121 is available in a wider variety of materials than the first roll 111, such as paper, magnets, plastic, and holograms. Therefore, the second roll 121 is easily replaced by the user. Therefore, by having the second roll 121 located in front of the first roll 111, the effort required for user replacement is reduced.

[0093] Furthermore, when the two rolls are attached, the first shaft 112 is positioned higher than the second shaft 122 in the vertical direction 7. Since the first roll 111 located on the rear side is positioned higher than the second roll 121 located on the front side, the user can easily reach the first roll 111.

[0094] Furthermore, at least a portion of the first roll 111 when attached to the first position 71 is located above the opening 17, and at least a portion of the second roll 121 when attached to the second position 72 is located above the opening 17. Therefore, the distance required to pull out the first roll 111 and the distance required to pull out the second roll 121 are shortened, allowing the user to easily attach and detach the first roll 111 and the second roll 121. Furthermore, because portions of the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 are located above the opening 17 when the cover 12 is opened, the user can easily check the remaining amount and type of each roll without having to look inside the housing 11 through the opening 17.

[0095] Furthermore, cover 12 covers a portion of first roll 111 located above opening 17 when first roll 111 is attached, and a portion of second roll 121 located above opening 17 when second roll 121 is attached, and also covers opening 17. Therefore, cover 12 can protect first roll 111, second roll 121, first member 101 wound around first roll 111, and second member 102 wound around second roll 121.

[0096] Furthermore, when two rolls are attached, the first shaft 112 and the second shaft 122 are positioned above the recording unit 30 and the laminating unit 50 in the vertical direction 7. Therefore, the user can replace the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 without being obstructed by the recording unit 30 and the laminating unit 50.

[0097] Furthermore, the first transport path 48 of the laminating apparatus 1 transports the first member 101 pulled out from the first roll 111 attached at the first position 71 below the first roll 111 in the up-down direction 7 and behind the first shaft 112 in the front-rear direction 8. The second transport path 49 transports the second member 102 pulled out from the second roll 121 attached at the second position 72 below the second roll 121 in the up-down direction 7 and in front of the second shaft 122 in the front-rear direction 8. Therefore, the first member 101 can be transported below the first roll 111 and behind the first shaft 112, and the second member 102 can be transported below the second roll 121 and in front of the second shaft 122.

[0098] Furthermore, in the mounted state of the first roll 111, the first member 101 wound around the first roll 111 is pulled out from the front of the first roll 111 in the front-rear direction 8. Therefore, the first member 101 wound around the first roll 111 can be pulled out from the front of the first roll 111 and transported to the laminating unit 50.

[0099] The laminating apparatus 1 also includes a first transport path 48 (transport path) that transports the first member 101 pulled out from the first roll 111, and a second transport roller 42 (transport roller) that is located upstream of the recording unit 30 on the first transport path 48. When two rolls are installed, the horizontal distance d1 between the first shaft 112 and the second shaft 122 is shorter than the horizontal distance d2 between the second transport roller 42 and the laminating unit 50. Therefore, by arranging the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 closer to the second transport roller 42 and the laminating unit 50, the laminating apparatus 1 can be made smaller.

[0100] Furthermore, the first roll 111 can be attached and detached to the first position 71 with the second roll 121 attached, and the second roll 121 can be attached and detached to the second position 72 with the first roll 111 attached. Therefore, the user can freely attach and detach the second roll 121 without being hindered by the already-attached first roll 111, and can freely attach and detach the first roll 111 without being hindered by the already-attached second roll 121.

[0101] In order to make the device in which two rolls are attached and detached from above as compact as possible, it is preferable to arrange the two rolls near the front, rear, left, and right walls of the housing 11. Furthermore, the most important factor in making the device compact is to arrange the various components of the laminating device 1 (such as the recording unit 30, the first to fourth conveying rollers 41 to 44, and the laminating unit 50) in positions that overlap the two rolls in a plan view. However, in a configuration in which the first conveying roller 41 and the first roll 111 overlap in a plan view, after the first roll 111 is installed in the housing 11, the first roll 111 gets in the way, making it difficult for a user to perform an operation to have the first conveying roller 41 grip the first member 101 from above. Similarly, in a configuration in which the laminating unit 50 and the second roll 121 overlap in a planar view, after the second roll 121 is installed in the housing 11, the second roll 121 gets in the way, making it difficult for the user to perform an operation to grasp the second member 102 between the first laminating roller 51 and the second laminating roller 52 from above.

[0102] Therefore, a method of providing a door or the like on a side wall of the housing 11 for accessing the inside of the housing 11 is conceivable. However, this method has the problem of making user operations cumbersome and requiring a large work space. In the laminating apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, one of the two rollers constituting the first conveying roller 41 (the second roller 412) is included in the first cartridge 114. When the first cartridge 114 is installed in the housing 11, the first member 101 is sandwiched between the first roller 411 and the second roller 412. Furthermore, one of the two rollers constituting the laminating unit 50 (the first laminating roller 51) is included in the second cartridge 124. When the second cartridge 124 is installed in the housing 11, the second member 102 is sandwiched between the first laminating roller 51 and the second laminating roller 52. This allows the laminating apparatus 1, in which two rolls are individually installed from above, to be both compact and require a smaller work space, thereby improving user operability.

[0103] [Modifications] Various modifications can be made to the laminating device 1 according to the above embodiment. In a laminating device 2 according to a modification shown in Fig. 9, the entire first roll 111 when attached to the first position 71 and the entire second roll 121 when attached to the second position 72 are located below the opening 17. Therefore, with the laminating device 2 according to the modification, the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 can be protected even if the laminating device 2 is dropped during transportation.

[0104] The housing 11 of the laminating device according to the modified example may have a shape other than a rectangular box-like shape without a top surface. For example, the housing 11 may have a box-like shape without a portion of the top surface. The housing 11 may have multiple openings 17 at the top. In this case, the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 may be able to pass through one of the multiple openings 17 and be attached to a predetermined position within the housing 11. The opening 17 through which the first roll 111 passes and the opening 17 through which the second roll 121 passes may be the same or different. Furthermore, the cover 12 may have a shape other than that shown in FIG. 3 . The cover 12 may, for example, be slidable in the left-right direction 9 or rearward (sliding structure), or may have a left portion that opens to the left and a right portion that opens to the right (double door structure).

[0105] In a laminating apparatus according to a modified example, the first roll 111 may be mounted at a predetermined position with the first shaft 112 extending in a direction other than horizontal, and the second roll 121 may be mounted at a predetermined position with the second shaft 122 extending in a direction other than horizontal. The entire handles 115 and 125 may be located below the opening 17. The handles 115 and 125 may be located rearward of the first shaft 112 and the second shaft 122, respectively, in the front-to-rear direction 8. The spring 118 and the handle 115 may be located on the same side of the first shaft 112, and the spring 128 and the handle 125 may be located on different sides of the second shaft 122. The first cartridge 114 and the second cartridge 124 may not have handles. The first roll 111 may be located between the front wall 15 and the second roll 121 in the front-to-rear direction 8. The second axis 122 may be located above the first axis 112 in the up-down direction 7 .

[0106] In the laminating apparatus according to the modified example, the first transport path 48 may transport the first member 101 pulled out from the first roll 111 below the first roll 111 in the up-down direction 7 and in front of the first shaft 112 in the front-rear direction 8, and the second transport path 49 may transport the second member 102 pulled out from the second roll 121 below the second roll 121 in the up-down direction 7 and behind the second shaft 122 in the front-rear direction 8. Furthermore, the first member 101 pulled out from the first roll 111 may be pulled out from behind the first roll 111 in the front-rear direction 8. Furthermore, the horizontal distance d1 between the first shaft 112 and the second shaft 122 may be equal to or greater than the horizontal distance d2 between the second transport roller 42 and the laminating unit 50.

[0107] When attaching the first roll 111 to the housing 11, the user may move the first cartridge 114 mainly downward while moving it in the front-rear direction 8 or the left-right direction 9, and when attaching the second roll 121 to the housing 11, the user may move the second cartridge 124 mainly downward while moving it in the front-rear direction 8 or the left-right direction 9. In this case, as long as the movement path of the first cartridge 114 and the movement path of the second cartridge 124 do not overlap, the first roll 111 and the second roll 121 can be attached and detached to predetermined positions with the other roll attached.

[0108] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2... Laminating device 7... Up-down direction 8... Front-rear direction 9... Left-right direction (horizontal direction, first direction) 11... Housing 12... Cover 13... Operation unit 15... Front wall 16... Discharge outlet 17... Opening 30... Recording unit 48... First transport path (transport path) 49... Second transport path 50... Bonding unit 71... First position 72... Second position 90... Control unit 100... Laminated finished product (finished product) 111... First roll 112... First shaft 114... First cartridge 115... Handle (first handle portion) 118, 128... Spring (urging member) 121... Second roll 122... Second shaft 124... Second cartridge 125... Handle (second handle portion) 128... Spring (urging member)

Claims

1. A lamination device comprising: a recording unit which records an image on a first member pulled out from a first roll; a laminating unit which bonds the first member on which the image has been recorded by the recording unit to a second member pulled out from a second roll; and a housing which has an opening at the top and which contains the recording unit and the laminating unit, wherein the first roll and the second roll can pass through the opening from outside the housing and be attached to a first position and a second position within the housing, respectively.

2. The laminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first roll has a first shaft about which the first member is wound and can be mounted in the first position with the first shaft extending horizontally, and the second roll has a second shaft about which the second member is wound and can be mounted in the second position with the second shaft extending horizontally.

3. A laminating apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein the first roll can be attached to the first position while being housed in a first cartridge having a first handle portion, and the second roll can be attached to the second position while being housed in a second cartridge having a second handle portion.

4. The laminating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the first roll is attached to the first position, at least a portion of the first handle portion is positioned above the opening, and when the second roll is attached to the second position, at least a portion of the second handle portion is positioned above the opening.

5. The laminating device described in claim 3, wherein the housing has a front wall in which an operating section and an outlet for discharging a finished product in which the first member and the second member are bonded together are located, and when the first roll is attached to the first position, the first handle section is located between the front wall and the first axis in the up-down direction and in the front-to-back direction intersecting the front wall, and when the second roll is attached to the second position, the second handle section is located between the front wall and the second axis in the front-to-back direction.

6. A laminating device as described in claim 5, wherein one of the first cartridge and the second cartridge has a biasing member which biases the cartridge in a direction along a first direction intersecting the vertical direction and the front-to-rear direction, and a handle portion which is one of the first handle portion and the second handle portion, and when the first roll is attached to the first position and the second roll is attached to the second position, the biasing member and the handle portion are located on the same side in the front-to-rear direction with respect to an axis around which the material contained in the cartridge is wound.

7. The laminating device of claim 2, wherein the housing has a front wall in which an operating section and an outlet for discharging a finished product in which the first member and the second member are bonded together are located, and when the first roll is attached to the first position and the second roll is attached to the second position, the second roll is located between the front wall and the first roll in the up-down direction and in the front-to-back direction intersecting the front wall.

8. The laminating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the first roll is mounted at the first position and the second roll is mounted at the second position, the first axis is positioned above the second axis in the vertical direction.

9. The laminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first roll when mounted in the first position is located above the opening, and at least a portion of the second roll when mounted in the second position is located above the opening.

10. A lamination apparatus as described in claim 9, further comprising a cover that covers a portion of the first roll that is located above the opening when the first roll is installed in the first position, a portion of the second roll that is located above the opening when the second roll is installed in the second position, and the opening.

11. A laminating apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein when the first roll is mounted at the first position and the second roll is mounted at the second position, the first shaft and the second shaft are positioned above the recording section and the laminating section in the vertical direction.

12. The laminating device of claim 2, wherein the housing has a front wall in which an operating unit and an outlet for discharging a finished product in which the first member and the second member are bonded together are located, and further comprises: a first transport path for transporting the first member pulled out from the first roll when the roll is attached to the first position, below the first roll in the vertical direction and behind the first axis in the vertical direction and in the front-to-rear direction intersecting with the front wall; and a second transport path for transporting the second member pulled out from the second roll when the roll is attached to the second position, below the second roll in the vertical direction and in front of the second axis in the front-to-rear direction.

13. The laminating device of claim 1, wherein the housing has a front wall in which an operating section and an outlet for discharging a finished product in which the first member and the second member are bonded together are located, and when the first roll is attached to the first position, the first member wound on the first roll is pulled out from the front of the first roll in the vertical direction and in the front-to-back direction intersecting the front wall.

14. A laminating apparatus as described in claim 2, further comprising: a transport path for transporting the first member pulled out from the first roll mounted at the first position; and a transport roller located upstream of the recording unit on the transport path, wherein when the first roll is mounted at the first position and the second roll is mounted at the second position, the horizontal distance between the first axis and the second axis is shorter than the horizontal distance between the transport roller and the bonding unit.

15. The laminator of claim 1, wherein the entire first roll when mounted at the first position and the entire second roll when mounted at the second position are positioned below the opening.

16. The laminating apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the first roll is removable at the first position with the second roll attached at the second position, and the second roll is removable at the second position with the first roll attached at the first position.

17. The laminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first roll and said second roll are mountable at said first position and said second position, respectively, by passing through one of said openings from outside said housing.

Images