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.
Claims22
A method of laminating a film to a substrate comprising:
- providing a steered vacuum-assisted laminating apparatus comprising a laminator and a steering system comprising:
- a laminator comprising spaced-apart first and second 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, and a vacuum cavity formed between the seal mechanism and the first and second rolls;
- 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;
- locating a film between the substrate and at least one of the first and second rolls;
- drawing a vacuum in the vacuum cavity formed by the seal mechanism and the first and second rolls, wherein the first and second rolls are drawn against the substrate;
- and
- moving the laminator along the substrate in a travel direction while maintaining the laminator in a selected vertical position relative to a reference line, wherein the film is laminated to the substrate.
A method of laminating a film to a substrate comprising:
- locating a film between a substrate and a first laminating roll;
- drawing a vacuum in a vacuum cavity formed by the first laminating roll in combination with a seal mechanism and a second laminating roll, wherein the first and second laminating rolls are drawn against the substrate;
- and
- moving the first laminating roll along the substrate in a travel direction while maintaining the first laminating roll in a selected vertical position relative to a reference line using a vertical control mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.