# US 2014/0193615 A1 · Lamination apparatus and method for sheet materials having temperature-sensitive elements, and documents produced thereby > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193615 A1 - Document ID: US20140193615A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/129,671 - Filed: 2012-06-04 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-28 - Assignees: U-NICA Technology AG - Inventors: Ulrich Ritter; Samuel Schindler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193615A1 ## CPC - B42D 25/45: Associating two or more layers - B32B 37/06: characterised by the heating method - B32B 41/00: Arrangements for controlling or monitoring lamination processes; Safety arrangements - B42D 25/00: Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof (printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14) - B42D 25/21: for multiple purposes - B42D 25/29: Securities; Bank notes - B32B 2425/00: Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards - B32B 2429/00: Carriers for sound or information - B42D 25/24: Passports - B42D 25/455: using heat - B42D 2035/24 - Y10T 428/24826: Spot bonds connect components - B42D: BOOKS; BOOK COVERS; LOOSE LEAVES; PRINTED MATTER CHARACTERISED BY IDENTIFICATION OR SECURITY FEATURES; PRINTED MATTER OF SPECIAL FORMAT OR STYLE NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DEVICES FOR USE THEREWITH AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MOVABLE-STRIP WRITING OR READING APPARATUS - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The invention specifies an apparatus for applying a film (7) to a substrate (2) by lamination. This apparatus has a heating device (12, 19), which makes it possible for different regions of the film (7) and/or the substrate (2) to be exposed specifically to different temperatures. It is thus also possible to process substrates or films which contain temperature-sensitive elements, e.g. security elements based on bacteriorhodopsin. For this purpose, the heating device comprises a plurality of heating elements (19) which can be activated separately, and therefore different regions of a heating surface (12) can be subjected specifically to different levels of heating power. In order to compensate for irregularities on the surface of the substrate or of the film, the apparatus may have a flexible mating surface (21) which is arranged opposite the healing surface and can be subjected to pressure pneumatically by way of a pressure chamber (22). Overall, this makes it possible to produce high-security documents with temperature-sensitive security features, the properties of which meet extremely stringent requirements relating to prevention of manipulation and forgery. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for applying a film to a substrate by lamination, comprising: a heating device defining a heating surface for heating at least one of the film and the substrate, the heating device comprising a plurality of heating elements; a pressing device for pressing the film onto the substrate in a heated state; and a control device comprising a plurality of independent controllers in order to separately thermostatically control different heating elements of the heating device such that different regions of the heating surface are acted on selectively with different heating powers, so as to selectively expose different regions of at least one of the film and the substrate to different temperatures. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (canceled) ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device activates the heating device in such a way that the heating surface in a first region has at least one predetermined first temperature while the heating surface in a second region has a temperature that is at least 10° C. lower, preferably at least 20° C. lower, than the first temperature. ### Claim 5 (canceled) ### Claim 6 (canceled) ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating surface has a plurality of regions, wherein in each case one or more of the heating elements cooperates with one of these regions of the heating surface in order to heat said heating surface, and wherein the regions are arranged in a regular two-dimensional pattern. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating elements are formed by power semi-conductors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing device comprises a pliant opposing surface arranged opposite the heating surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the opposing surface defines a pressure chamber configured to be acted on pneumatically with pressure. ### Claim 11 A method for providing a substrate with a film by lamination, comprising: pressing the film onto the substrate under the action of heat while different regions of at least one of the film and the substrate are selectively exposed to different temperatures by means of a heating device defining a heating surface, wherein the heating device comprises a plurality of heating elements, and wherein different heating elements of the heating device are separately thermostatically controlled such that different regions of the heating surface are acted on selectively with different heating powers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein a first region of at least one of the film and the substrate is exposed to at least one first predetermined temperature in order to connect the film in the first region to the substrate in a permanent manner, and wherein a second region of at least one of the film and the substrate is exposed to a temperature that is at least 10° C. lower, preferably at least 20° C. lower, than the first temperature. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the film and the substrate comprises at least one temperature-sensitive element, and wherein at least one of the film and the substrate is selectively exposed to different temperatures during the pressing process in different regions, in such a way that the function of the temperature-sensitive element is retained. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the temperature-sensitive element contains a retinal protein, and wherein at least one of the film and the substrate, in a region containing the temperature-sensitive element, is exposed to a temperature of at most 95° C. and is exposed in a region not containing the temperature-sensitive element to a temperature of at least 110° C. ### Claim 15 A document, comprising a substrate and a film connected thereto by lamination, said document being produced by a method comprising: pressing the film onto the substrate under the action of heat while different regions of at least one of the film and the substrate are selectively exposed to different temperatures by means of a heating device defining a heating surface and comprising a plurality of heating elements, wherein different heating elements of the heating device are separately thermostatically controlled such that different regions of the heating surface are acted on selectively with different heating powers. ### Claim 16 A document, comprising a substrate and a film connected thereto by lamination, wherein at least one of the film and the substrate comprises at least one temperature-sensitive element, the film and the substrate, in a region containing the temperature-sensitive element, being connected in a manner different from in a region not containing the temperature-sensitive element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The document according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the film and the substrate comprises at least one temperature-sensitive element which contains a retinal protein. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The document according to claim 15, wherein the document is one of the following documents: an identity card, a driving license, a health card, a charge card, a transaction card or another card-like document; or a booklet-like passport having at least one personalised page, in particular a holder page and/or at least one visa page, wherein the personalised page comprises the substrate and the film. ### Claim 19 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the heating elements are formed by power transistors. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the retinal protein is bacteriorhodopsin. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The document according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the film and the substrate comprises at least one temperature-sensitive element which contains a retinal protein. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The document according to claim 21, wherein the retinal protein is bacteriorhodopsin. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The document according to claim 17, wherein the retinal protein is bacteriorhodopsin. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The document according to claim 16, wherein the document is one of the following documents: an identity card, a driving license, a health card, a charge card, a transaction card or another card-like document; or a booklet-like passport having at least one personalized page, in particular a holder page and/or at least one visa page, wherein the personalised page comprises the substrate and the film.