LAMINATING ROLLERS

Abstract

A laminator is described. The laminator includes a laminating roller. A cylindrical outer surface of the laminating roller comprises a reflective (e.g., chrome plated) surface region and a non-reflective surface region. A non-contact temperature sensor is spaced apart from the laminating roller in the radial direction and aligned with the non-reflective surface region of the laminating roller in the axial direction to provide accurate temperature measurements of the non-reflective surface region.

Claims

1. A laminating roller for a laminator, the laminating roller comprising a cylindrical outer surface with a reflective surface region and a non-reflective surface region.

2. The laminating roller of claim 1, wherein the non-reflective surface region extends completely around the circumference of the cylindrical outer surface.

3. The laminating roller of claim 1, wherein the laminating roller comprises an axial end and the non-reflective surface region is at the axial end.

4. The laminating roller of claim 1, wherein the reflective surface region comprises a layer or coating of metal or metal alloy and the non-reflective surface region comprises a layer or coating of non-reflective material.

5. The laminating roller of claim 4, wherein the reflective surface region comprises chromium or chromium alloy.

6. The laminating roller of claim 4, wherein the metal or metal alloy and the non-reflective material have substantially the same thermal conductivity.

7. The laminating roller of claim 5, wherein the metal or metal alloy and the non-reflective material have substantially the same thermal conductivity.

8. A laminator comprising: a laminating roller comprising a cylindrical outer surface with a reflective surface region and a non-reflective surface region, the laminating roller comprising a longitudinal axis; and a non-contact temperature sensor spaced apart from the laminating roller in a radial direction that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and aligned with the non-reflective surface region of the laminating roller in an axial direction that is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis.

9. A laminator according to claim 8, wherein the non-contact temperature sensor is an infrared temperature sensor.

10. A method of controlling heating of a laminating roller comprising a cylindrical outer surface with a reflective surface region and a non-reflective surface region, based on a measured temperature of the non-reflective surface region.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a laminator with a laminating roller according to the present invention.

[0018] A laminator 1 comprises a heated laminating roller 2 for contacting a workpiece, e.g., a sheet of material to be laminated by adhering a film of laminating material in contact with a surface of the sheet.

[0019] The cylindrical outer surface 4 of the laminating roller 2 includes a chrome plated surface region 4a which is hard wearing and highly reflective. A non-reflective (or matt) surface region 4b is provided at one axial end of the laminating roller 2. The non-reflective surface region 4b can comprise a strip or band of suitable non-reflective material that is located in an annular recess or channel (not shown) in the outer surface of the laminating roller 2 so that the outer surface of the non-reflective material is flush with the outer surface of the chrome plated surface region 4a. The strip or band of non-reflective material is about 1-2 cm wide. Alternatively, the non-reflective surface region 4b can comprise a thin layer or coating of suitable non-reflective material applied over an axial end part of the chrome plated region. In other words, the laminating roller 2 can be substantially identical to a conventional chrome plated laminating roller but with the addition of a thin layer or coating of suitable non-reflective material applied to its outer surface in a strip or band that extends completely around the circumference of the laminating roller 2 as shown. This can be cost-effective because conventional chrome plated laminating rollers can be used without the need for substantial modification and there is no significant reduction in lamination quality if the non-reflective layer or coating that is applied to the outer surface is sufficiently thin. In one arrangement, the non-reflective material can be a paint with a high opacity, non-reflective matt finish and which is resistant to the maximum operating temperature of the laminator (e.g., 120°) and is suitable for direct application to the outer surface of a conventional chrome plated laminating roller.

[0020] The laminator 1 includes an infrared temperature sensor 6 that is spaced apart from the laminating roller 2 in the radial direction and is axially aligned with the non-reflective surface region 4b as shown. The infrared temperature sensor 6 provides temperature measurements of the non-reflective surface region 4b of the laminating roller 2 which the laminator 1 uses to control heating of the laminating roller. The non-reflective material that defines the non-reflective surface region 4b is selected to have substantially the same thermal conductivity (or heat transfer capability) as the chrome plated surface region 4a and/or is applied in a thin layer or coating such that both regions of the outer surface 4 of the laminating roller 2 are at substantially the same temperature. The temperature of the chrome plated region 4a which contacts the workpiece during the laminating process can therefore be determined accurately by measuring the infrared energy emitted by the non-reflective surface region 4b using the infrared temperature sensor 6.