Steered vacuum-assisted laminating apparatus and methods of use
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsConrad V. Anderson, Brett A. Behnke, John R. David, Anne M. DePalma, Ronald S. Steelman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Steered vacuum-assisted laminating apparatus and methods of using the same are disclosed. The apparatus includes a vacuum-assisted laminator for applying large format films to substrates where lamination pressure is generated at least partially by a vacuum drawn in a vacuum cavity. The apparatus also includes a steering system to control the vertical position the laminator and a vehicle to move the laminator along the substrate in a desired direction.
Claims16
A steered vacuum-assisted laminating apparatus for laminating a film to a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a laminator comprising spaced-apart first and second laminating rolls mounted parallel to each other, a seal mechanism extending between the first and second rolls, wherein the seal mechanism roll forms a seal with each of the first and second rolls, a vacuum cavity formed between the seal mechanism and the first and second rolls, and a vacuum port in fluid communication with the vacuum cavity;
- and
- a steering system for guiding the laminator over the substrate, the steering system comprising:
- a vertical control mechanism maintaining a selected vertical position of the laminator relative to a reference line;
- and
- a vehicle moving the laminator along the substrate in a travel direction.
A steered vacuum-assisted laminating apparatus for laminating a film to a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a laminator comprising spaced-apart first and second laminating rolls mounted parallel to each other, a seal mechanism extending between the first and second rolls, wherein the seal mechanism forms a seal with each of the first and second rolls, a vacuum cavity formed between the seal mechanism and the first and second rolls, and a vacuum port in fluid communication with the vacuum cavity;
- and
- means for guiding the laminator over the substrate comprising:
- means for maintaining a selected vertical position of the laminator relative to a reference line;
- and
- means for moving the laminator along the substrate in a travel direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.