Laminating Apparatus and Method of Using the Same

Abstract

An apparatus for laminating a film to a substrate and a method of using the same is described. The apparatus comprises a) a heated laminating roller and a second roller, wherein said heated laminating roller and said second roller are opposably mounted and form a nip; b) a drive mechanism for rotating the heated laminating roller and second roller; c) a film supply roller adapted to support a roll of film and supply the film over an outer surface of the heated laminating roller and into the nip, wherein the film is contactable with a top surface of the substrate at a point where the substrate advances through the nip; and d) a splitter bar in contact with the film supplied from the supply roller, wherein the position of the splitter bar controls a wrap angle between the film and the heated laminating roller.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus for laminating a laminating film to a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
 a. a heated laminating roller and a second roller, wherein said heated laminating roller and said second roller are opposably mounted and form a nip therebetween for receiving the substrate to be laminated;   b. a drive mechanism for rotating the heated laminating roller and second roller, wherein the heated laminating roller is rotated in a first direction and the second roller is rotated in an opposite direction to advance the substrate through the nip formed between the heated laminating roller and second roller;   c. a laminating film supply roller adapted to support a roll of laminating film and supply the laminating film over an outer surface of the heated laminating roller and into the nip formed between the heated laminating roller and the second roller, wherein the laminating film is contactable with a top surface of the substrate at a point where the substrate advances through the nip; and   d. a splitter bar positioned at a suitable location between the laminating film supply roller and the heated laminating roller and in contact with the laminating film supplied from the supply roller, wherein the position of the splitter bar controls a wrap angle between the laminating film and the heated laminating roller as measured between a point where the laminating film first contacts the outer surface of the heated laminating roller and a point where the laminating film first contacts the top surface of the planar substrate.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the wrap angle between the laminating film and the heated laminating roller as measured between a point where the laminating film first contacts the outer surface of the heated laminating roller and a point where the laminating film first contacts the top surface of the planar substrate is at least 125°. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the wrap angle between the laminating film and the heated laminating roller as measured between a point where the laminating film first contacts the outer surface of the heated laminating roller and a point where the laminating film first contacts the top surface of the planar substrate is at least 145°. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the wrap angle between the laminating film and the heated laminating roller as measured between a point where the laminating film first contacts the outer surface of the heated laminating roller and a point where the laminating film first contacts the top surface of the planar substrate is at least 180°.