Lamination process and roller for use therein
AssigneeUnited Solar Ovonic LLC
InventorsArthur Myatt, Gregory Demaggio, Kevin Beernink, Kermit Jones, Kenneth Lord
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Abstract
A web of a first sheet material and a web of a second sheet material are laminated together by a process wherein the sheet materials are wound, in an interleaved relationship, upon a roller having a radially displaceable outer surface. The roller and webs and then subjected to heating and/or a low-pressure environment so as to complete the lamination. A body of adhesive material, such as a hot melt adhesive, may be interposed between the webs and the heating or low pressure environment can activate this adhesive. Further disposed are particular configurations of rollers with radially displaceable surfaces.
Claims12
A method for laminating elongated webs of sheet material, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a first elongated web of sheet material;
- providing a second elongated web of sheet material;
- providing a roller having a radially displaceable outer surface, said roller comprising:
- a roller core having a cylindrical outer surface, and a plurality of leaf springs supported upon at least a portion of the outer surface of said roller core;
- wherein each of said leaf springs is an elongated spring having a length dimension which is greater than a width dimension, and wherein each of said leaf springs is disposed upon said cylindrical surface with its length dimension aligned with the length dimension of said cylindrical surface and its width dimension aligned with the circumference of said cylindrical surface so that said width dimension defines a line which is tangent to the cylindrical surface of said roller core;
- wherein a first portion of each of each of said leaf springs is affixed to said surface, so that in the absence of an external bias, a second portion of each of said leaf springs is spaced from said surface and is capable of being biased towards said surface by the application of an external biasing force thereupon;
- rolling said first and said second webs onto said roller in an interleaved relationship;
- and
- heating the roller having said webs rolled thereupon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.