US 7,124,799 B2Granted

Lamination apparatus and method of use

AssigneePicture Rich LLC

InventorsEllen Waltz, Larry Waltz

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A lamination apparatus and method of use, and more particularly a lamination apparatus for automatically laminating photographs onto album pages is provided. The lamination apparatus includes a holder slidably mountable on a main body and having an exit region in communication with an input region of the main body. A staging tray is arranged to be in a transportation path with the exit region of the holder and the input region of the main body. A guide is arranged downstream from a transportation path of the staging tray. A lamination tray is arranged to have an exit portion downstream from the downstream transportation path of the staging tray such that the a support media will be provided to the guide and combined with media from the lamination tray and the holder at the exit portion of the lamination tray.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A laminating device, comprising:

a main body having an input region and an exit region;
a holder to provide at least one content media mountable on the main body, the holder having a holder exit region in communication with the input region of the main body to permit media content to leave the holder and enter the main body;
a support media tray to provide at least one support media;
a guide arrange in the flow path from a support media tray exit port to the exit region, wherein the guide assists in guiding the support media from the support media tray to the exit region along the flow path;
a staging tray arranged at the input region of the main body and having a staging exit region, the staging tray receiving the content media and creating a path for the content media from the input region to a location on the guide downstream from the support media tray exit port, whereby at least one content media from the staging tray is combine with a support media;
and
a lamination tray to provide at least one covering media and having a lamination exit portion, the lamination tray arranged such that the lamination exit portion is at a location on the guide and downstream from the staging exit region of the staging tray whereby a covering media is laminated to the combined at least one content media and the support media;
and
wherein the lamination combined at least one content media, covering media, and support media is transported to the exit region of the main body.

6 more elements

A laminating device, comprising:

a main body having an input region and an exit region;
a holder to provide at least one content media mountable on the main body, the holder having a holder exit region in communication with the input region of the main body to permit media content to leave the holder and enter the main body;
a support media tray to provide at least one support media;
a guide arrange in a flow path from the support media tray exit port to the exit region, wherein the guide assists in guiding the support media from the support media tray to the exit region along the flow path;
a staging tray arranged at the input region of the main body and having a staging exit region, the staging tray receiving the content media and creating a path for the content media from the input region to a location on the guide downstream from the support media tray exit port, whereby at least one content media from the staging tray is combine with a support media;
and
a lamination tray to provide at least one laminate and having a lamination exit portion, the lamination tray arranged such that the lamination exit portion is at a location on the guide and downstream from the staging exit region of the staging tray whereby the laminate is laminated to the combined at least one content media and the support media;
and
at least one heater positioned downstream the staging tray, the lamination tray and the support media tray to provide heat to the laminate exiting from the lamination tray for combination with the at least one content media and the support media;
and
wherein the laminated combined at least one laminate, content media, and support media is transported to the exit region of the main body.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/898,928Filed 27 Jul 2004
Published: US 2006/0021709 A12 Feb 2006
Granted: 24 Oct 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B32B 37/223
Involving the assembly of both discrete and continuous layers: one or more of the layers being plastic
Y10T 156/17
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture: surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
Y10T 156/1702
Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means: for plural parts or plural areas of single part
Y10T 156/1744
For plural parts or plural areas of single part: means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship