Flatbed lamination machine

Details Flatbed lamination machine Flatbed lamination machine

1999-09-23

2001-05-08

Sells, James (Department: 1734)

Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture

Surface bonding means and/or assembly means therefor

With work cooling means

C156S555000, C156S583500, C100S154000, C100S310000, C100S312000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06227271

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
(Not Applicable)
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT
(Not Applicable)
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to lamination equipment for adhesively heat laminating two or more lengths of material to each other to form a laminated product, and in particular, to a flat-bed lamination machine having individual heating and cooling zones each having dedicated tautly-maintained conveyor belt systems for moving material and having disposed between the zones a lamination pressure roller cooperatively aligned with a conveyor belt guide roller for laminate production.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Lamination is an extremely important process in the production of a myriad of goods. Such lamination generally involves the bonding of adjacent surfaces of two or more lengths of different textile products to each other with heat-sensitive adhesive. The two lengths typically are fed into a lamination machine where both heat and physical pressure are applied to consequently activate the adhesive and retain the lengths together as a laminated product. Non-limiting examples of such laminated products include garments with backings, wadding, or decorative panels, carpets and draperies with backings and linings, furniture upholstery and bedding covers, and scores of other domestic and industrial commodities.
While lamination machines are known in the art, these machines provide a single conveyor belt system of two opposing rotating belts between which two lengths of material travel and are laminated by opposing pressured rollers after the lengths of material are heated during belt travel in a heating zone to a lamination temperature. After such lamination, the resulting laminated product is cooled and made available for final use. Because of travel distance from initial entrance in the conveyor belt system to final exit after cooling, the two opposing belts thereof have a tendency to sag while moving fabric lengths and resultantly cause air gaps between heating components and the undersides of adjacent belt sites. These air gaps interfere with heat delivery, and therefore heat regulation, in the heating zone and can result in inferior lamination of two lengths of material. It is therefore apparent that a need is present for a lamination machine where heat delivery and regulation is- controlled. Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a lamination machine in which the spatial relation between heating components and respectively adjacent conveyor belts is maintained to deliver generally standardized heat quantities along the entire length of a heating zone of the machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lamination machine where a bank of upper heater components are positioned immediately above and in contact with the upper pre-lamination conveyor belt while a bank of lower heater components are positioned immediately below and in contact with the lower pre-lamination conveyor belt, with at least one of the banks being pneumatically pressure driven to be forced against the moving belts for non-air-gap belt position maintenance.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a lamination machine having a pre-laminating station and a cooling station served by separate opposing upper and lower conveyor belts, with the pre-laminating station having the banks of heater components.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a lamination machine wherein a pressure drivable lamination roller resides between the pre-laminating station and the cooling station and is pressured against a guide roller serving the lower conveyor belt of the lamination station.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a lamination machine for adhesively heat laminating adjacent surfaces of two lengths of material to each other. The machine comprises, first of all, a flatbed pre-laminating station comprising upper and lower continuous opposing pre-lamination conveyor belts disposed one above the other to form a lamination passage therebetween having an entrance through which two lengths of material can enter for continued travel through the lamination passage to a pre-laminating station exit. The upper conveyor belt of the pre-laminating station is independently vertically movable to thereby establish and adjust the height of gap between the upper and lower conveyor belts such that a wide range of thicknesses of materials to be laminated can be accommodated. A bank of upper heater components is positioned immediately above and in contact with the upper pre-lamination conveyor belt and a bank of lower heater components is positioned immediately below and in contact with the lower pre-lamination conveyor belt. The banks of heater components function to heat heat-sensitive adhesive disposed between two lengths of material when the lengths travel through the pre-laminating station, with at least one of the banks being pressuredly movable by a bank pressure driver toward the pre-lamination conveyor belts to thereby tightly maintain the belts spatially.
Situated immediately downstream from the pre-laminating station exit is a lamination pressure roller tensionable against a conveyor belt guide roller situated beneath the lower conveyor belt and in alignment with the lamination pressure roller. As with the upper conveyor belt of the pre-laminating station, the pressure roller is independently vertically movable to likewise adjust the height of the gap between it and the guide roller. The lamination pressure roller is also pressuredly movable against the guide roller to thereby accomplish lamination pressure on lengths of material traveling between the pressure and guide rollers. A flatbed cooling station is situated immediately downstream from the pressure roller and comprises upper and lower continuous opposing cooling station conveyor belts separate from those of the pre-laminating station and disposed one above the other to form a cooling passage therebetween having an entrance through which a laminated product can travel after emergence from beneath the pressure roller for continued travel to a cooling station exit. As with the upper conveyor belt of the pre-laminating station, the upper conveyor belt of the cooling station is likewise independently vertically movable to thereby establish and adjust the height of the gap between the upper and lower cooling station conveyor belts. Two respective banks of cooler components are positioned immediately above and immediately below the upper and lower cooling station conveyor belts for cooling a laminated product subsequent to lamination thereof when the product travels through the cooling zone. As with the heater component banks described above, at least one of the cooler component banks likewise is pressuredly movable toward the conveyor belts to thereby maintain a tight spatial relationship between the two opposing belts.
As is thus apparent, two types of vertical movement are provided to components of each of the pre-laminating station, the lamination pressure roller, and the cooling station. Specifically, the belts and roller are vertically movable first to establish and adjust gap height for layers of material to pass, and second to provide pressure against the layers during pre-lamination heating, lamination adhesion, and post-lamination cooling. Because the banks of heater components are pressure driven as described, the pre-lamination conveyor belts remain in a substantially flat position during belt operation and thereby do not experience air gap production and consequent production of temperature inconsistencies within the pre-laminating station. Further, because the lamination pressure roller is tensioned against an aligned conveyor belt guide roller situated beneath the lower conveyor belt, no air gap production occurs immediately preceding the interface of the rollers between which laminat

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