JP2007307787A - Laminating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laminating device capable of finely finishing a laminating treatment for a medium to be recorded without performing an end edge treatment of at least both end sides after the laminating treatment of the medium to be recorded. <P>SOLUTION: In the laminating device, a laminate layer is formed on a recording surface of the medium to be recorded by bonding a laminate material having a larger size than the medium to be recorded under heat and pressure so as to cover the medium to be recorded and transferring the laminate layer projecting from the medium to be recorded to the means to be transferred disposed at the opposite surface side to the recording surface of the medium to be recorded. The laminating device is characterized in that it is equipped with a pair of rollers interposing a laminated body overlapping at least the laminate material and the medium to be recorded at the both end edges position in the width direction of at least the medium to be recorded, and one side roller of the laminate material side of the pair of rollers is constituted to be softer than the other roller at the portion corresponding to the end edge in the width direction of at least the medium to be recorded. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laminating apparatus for forming a laminating layer on a recording surface of a recording medium on which an image is recorded.

  As a result of various improvements made to the recording apparatus (printer) and the recording medium, the recording system such as the ink jet recording system and the thermal transfer recording system can obtain an image quality comparable to a silver salt color photograph. In recent years, image information captured by a digital camera, digital video, scanner, or the like or electronic image information in a computer has been widely used as a technique for hard copying.

  In addition, in these recording methods, the recording surface of the recording medium is protected to give permanent durability, and the glossiness and smoothness of the recording surface are increased to further improve the image quality. For this purpose, a technique of laminating a laminate layer on a recording surface of a recording medium after image recording is also widely known.

  As an apparatus for laminating on the recording surface, a laminate material having a size larger than that of the recording medium is stacked and heat-pressed so as to cover the recording medium, and on the opposite side of the recording surface of the recording medium. There is a laminating apparatus provided with a pressure-bonding section that transfers a portion of a laminate layer that protrudes from a recording medium to a transfer-receiving means such as an under film that is disposed (for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, the pressure-bonding portion is configured by using a pair of rollers, and the laminate in which the laminate material, the recording medium, and the under film are stacked is thermocompression-bonded in such a manner as to be sandwiched between the pair of rollers. Is done.

  Then, in order to finish the recording medium as a finished product, a laminate in which the laminate layer is in close contact with the recording surface is applied by separating the transfer means such as an under film on the side opposite to the recording surface of the recording medium and applying a tensile force. The portion (Aa in FIG. 6 described later) and the non-laminate portion (Ab in FIG. 6 described later) where the laminate layer protrudes from the recording medium are separated. In the case where a long under film is used as the transfer target means, an operation is performed in which a separation portion is arranged on the downstream side of the crimping portion and the under film is separated from the separation portion.

  Here, the cross section of the laminate in which the laminate material, the recording medium, and the under film are heat-pressed is as shown in FIG. That is, the portion where the laminate layer A1 is in close contact with the recording medium P is the above-described laminate portion Aa, and the portion where the laminate layer A1 protrudes from the recording medium P is the non-laminate portion Ab. Here, most of the laminate layer A1 that protrudes from the recording medium P is in close contact with the under film B to form an adhesion portion Ab1, but since the recording medium P has a predetermined thickness, In a very small width region along the edge of the recording medium P, the laminate layer A1 does not adhere to the under film B, and there is a non-contact portion Ab2 in a state of floating from the under film B. 6 is composed of a laminate layer A1 and a base material A2 that is detachably laminated on the laminate layer A1, and the base material A2 is disposed on the downstream side of the pressure-bonding portion. It peels in the peeling part.

  By the way, at the time of the separation, on the leading end side of the recording medium P, the laminate material A (laminate layer A1) is cut cleanly along the edge. One of the reasons can be considered as follows. That is, the laminate (A + P + B) has different thicknesses in a portion where the recording medium P does not exist and a portion where the recording medium P exists, and when the laminate (A + P + B) passes through a pair of rollers, the thickness is different. The laminate material A at the part where the change occurs, that is, the part corresponding to the end edge, comes into impact contact with the roller. Accordingly, a local force acts to weaken the laminate material A (laminate layer A1) at the portion, so that the under film B is placed on the opposite surface (base surface) side of the recording surface of the recording medium P. When a force for separating is applied, it is conceivable that the laminate material A (laminate layer A1) is likely to be cut at the site, that is, the site corresponding to the edge.

JP 2005-280157 A

  However, since the thickness of the portion where the recording medium P exists is naturally constant, the force on the both ends of the recording medium P does not act as much as the leading end while passing between the pair of rollers. For this reason, even if the under film B is spaced apart from the recording surface of the recording medium P, the tensile force cannot always be applied intensively along the edge of the recording medium P. Is cut at the boundary between the laminate portion Aa and the non-laminate portion Ab or torn at the boundary between the contact portion Ab1 and the non-contact portion Ab2 in the non-laminate portion Ab, so that the edge of the laminate layer A1 is covered in some places. There has been a problem that the recording medium P has a non-uniform shape that protrudes from the edge of the recording medium P, and the edge processing of the recording medium P that has been laminated has been forced.

  In addition to using the under film B as the transfer target, the roller on the opposite side of the recording surface of the recording medium P in the crimping part is used as the transfer target, and the laminate layer A1 protruding from the recording medium is the roller surface. There are some that let you transcribe. In such a laminating apparatus, as a result of rotation of the roller of the pressure bonding portion, the roller surface and the base surface of the recording medium P are separated from each other. As a result, the laminating layer A1 transferred to the roller surface and the laminating layer transferred to the recording medium P A1 is separated. Also in this case, there is a non-contact portion Ab2 in which the laminate material A floats from the roller surface in a very small width region along the edge of the recording medium P, and there is a problem similar to the case where the under film B is used.

  Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-described problems, and a laminate that can finish the laminating process on the recording medium neatly without performing the edge process on at least both ends after the laminating process of the recording medium. It is an object to provide an apparatus.

  The laminating apparatus according to the present invention includes a laminate material having a size larger than that of the recording medium, and heat-pressing the laminated material so as to cover the recording medium, and is disposed on the side opposite to the recording surface of the recording medium. In a laminating apparatus for transferring a laminate layer that protrudes from a recording medium to form a laminate layer on a recording surface of the recording medium, at least a laminate in which at least a laminate material and the recording medium are stacked is recorded. A pair of rollers sandwiched between both end positions in the width direction of the medium, and one of the rollers on the laminate material side of the pair of rollers has at least a portion corresponding to an end edge in the width direction of the recording medium It is characterized by being configured to be softer than the roller.

  According to the above configuration, the laminated body is sandwiched between the pair of rollers at least at both end positions in the width direction of the recording medium. However, since one roller is softer than the other roller, the laminated body is elastic. Since it is easy to deform (that is, one roller has a larger amount of elastic deformation than the other roller), the sandwiched laminate is buried more in one roller than in the other roller.

  In this case, in a portion where the laminate material is in contact with some member (for example, a recording medium), the pressing force from one roller (or the restoring force when attempting to restore from the elastically deformed state) ) Is received by the member through the laminate material. On the other hand, in the portion where the laminate material is floated as described above, there is no object that receives the pressing force on the opposite side, so that the laminate material is deformed as one roller is restored. For this reason, the laminate material is pressed so as to bite into the edges on both ends of the recording medium (or wrap around the edges), and a portion that is vulnerable to tension is formed along the edges. Therefore, during the separation, a tensile force acts locally on that portion. In addition, as an example in which the part weak to the tension is formed, it is conceivable that a crease or a streak is formed along the edge, or the thickness of the laminate material in the part along the edge is reduced.

  The pair of rollers sandwich the laminate over a region longer than the width of the recording medium, and the one roller is configured to be softer than the other roller over the region. It is preferable that

  In this way, a portion that is vulnerable to tension is formed in the laminate material not only at both ends but also across the entire width of the edge at the rear end, and during separation, a tensile force is locally applied to that portion. Can act. Here, since the recording medium passes through a pair of rollers from the front end side, the rear end side is an aspect in which the laminated body moves away from the roller in the direction opposite to the direction in which the laminate material is deformed (that is, the end edge is a roller). In other words, it is difficult to apply the pressing force from one roller compared to the tip side or both end sides, but one roller is restored from the elastically deformed state, and the downstream side of the edge. It is possible to follow the movement and to perform pressing.

  Further, the transfer means is a long under film having a size larger than that of the recording medium, and includes a pressure-bonding portion that performs the thermocompression bonding and transfer to the laminate material, the recording medium, and the under film, In order to separate the laminate in which the laminate material, the recording medium, and the under film are heat-pressed into a laminate portion in which the laminate layer is in close contact with the recording surface and a non-laminate portion in which the laminate layer protrudes from the recording medium, It is preferable that a separation unit that is spaced apart from the recording surface of the recording medium is further provided, and the pair of rollers is disposed between the pressure-bonding unit and the separation unit.

  If it does in this way, since the laminated body heat-pressed in the crimping | compression-bonding part is pressed in the front | former stage of a isolation | separation part, isolation | separation with the said laminate part and a non-laminate part can be performed suitably.

  As described above, according to the laminating apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to finely finish the laminating process on the recording medium without performing the edge process on at least both ends after the laminating process of the recording medium.

  Hereinafter, a laminating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the laminating apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured integrally with a printer apparatus 1 that performs printing on a recording medium P, and the recording medium that is printed by the printer apparatus 1. Lamination can be performed continuously on P. In the drawing, the right side is the printer device 1 and the left side is the laminating device 2 with the boundary line L as a boundary.

  The printer device 1 includes a roll storage unit 10 that stores a roll around which a long recording medium P is wound, a transport system 11 that transports the recording medium P drawn from the roll storage unit 10 in the longitudinal direction, A printing unit 12 that performs printing on the recording medium P supplied from the roll housing unit 10 and a cutter device 13 that cuts the recording medium P printed by the printing unit 12 into a sheet shape.

  The roll accommodating portion 10 is configured to be able to attach and detach a roll holder (not numbered) configured to be capable of pivotally supporting the roll, and configured to be able to exchange the roll together with the roll holder. The roll holder is driven by a drive mechanism provided in the roll accommodating portion 10 and can rotate the pivotally supported roll to feed the recording medium P in the longitudinal direction.

  The transport system 11 is composed of a plurality of roller pairs (not numbered) arranged at intervals in the transport direction of the recording medium P, and the recording medium P is intermittently moved by the plurality of roller pairs. It is comprised so that it may carry out crimp conveyance.

  The printing unit 12 supports and guides one surface of the recording medium P conveyed by the conveying system 11 (a base surface opposite to the recording surface on which an image is drawn), And a print head 131 disposed to face the printing stand 130.

  The printing stand 130 is formed with a guide surface extending in the conveyance direction of the recording medium P, and the print head 131 is disposed to face the guide surface. The print head 131 according to this embodiment employs a so-called ink jet type that ejects minute ink droplets toward the recording medium P. The print head 131 is configured to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium P, and in a stopped state of the recording medium P that is intermittently conveyed, the print head 131 ejects ink droplets while moving to form a line shape. The drawing is done. As a result, the printing unit 12 repeats intermittent conveyance of the recording medium P and line-shaped drawing of the print head 131 so as to perform drawing extending in the surface direction on the recording surface of the recording medium P. It has become.

  Since the printer apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment employs an ink jet type as the print head 131, in addition to the above configuration, a cleaner unit 132 for cleaning the print head 131 and ink for the print head 131 are used. Ink supply means (not shown) for supplying the ink, a waste ink tank 133 for collecting unnecessary ink, and the like. In addition, the printer device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a dot impact printer unit 134 that prints various information (so-called collection values) on the base surface of the recording medium P, and the recording medium P includes the printer device 1 and the laminating device 2. And a relay tank 135 for accommodating a recording medium P (so-called loop) that is temporarily bent to absorb the difference in processing speed between the printer device 1 and the laminating device 2. Etc. are also provided.

  The laminating apparatus 2 is configured to receive the recording medium P sent from the printer apparatus 1 through the receiving port 50, and includes a laminating unit 3 that performs a laminating process on the received recording medium P. . The laminating apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment can switch the transport path between when the recording medium P is laminated and when the laminating process is not performed. That is, the laminating apparatus 2 records the recording medium P into the first path R1 for discharging the recording medium P that has been fed in without being laminated, and the second path R2 for laminating the recording medium P that has been fed in. A sorting mechanism 4 for switching the P transport path is provided.

  The distribution mechanism 4 is composed of a plurality of rollers 4a, 4b..., Switching of the driving directions of the rollers 4a, 4b..., Switching of an allowable rotation direction of the rollers 4a, 4b. The transport path of the recording medium P is switched between the first path R1 and the second path R2 by a combination of changes and the like. As a result, when the conveyance path of the recording medium P is set to the first path R1, the recording medium P is discharged as it is to the first tray T1 provided outside without being subjected to the laminating process. When the conveyance path of the medium P is set to the second path R2, the recording medium P is sent to the laminating unit 3, and after being laminated, is discharged onto the second tray T2 provided outside. It has become.

  Before specifically explaining the laminating unit 3, the laminating material A used in the laminating apparatus 2 and the under film B as a transfer means will be described briefly. The laminating material A is as shown in FIG. A laminating layer A1 is a long sheet composed of a laminating layer A1 for laminating the recording surface of the recording medium P and a sheet-like base material A2 laminated so as to be peelable from the laminating layer A1. Is formed in an area wider than the plane area (recording surface) of the recording medium P to be laminated. That is, the laminate layer A1 is formed wider than a pair of substantially parallel side edges of the recording medium P, and the size (width) of the laminated layer A1 protrudes from both sides of the recording medium P in a state of being superimposed on the recording medium P. Is set to The laminate material A is formed in a long direction in a direction orthogonal to the width of the laminate layer A1, and is superimposed on the recording medium P from a pair of edges orthogonal to the pair of side edges. Also, the laminate layer A1 protrudes.

  In this embodiment, in order to transfer the laminate layer A1 to the recording surface of the recording medium P by thermocompression bonding, the laminate layer A1 is a heat that exhibits viscosity or adhesiveness when heated to a predetermined temperature. A resin film having a softening temperature higher than that of the laminate layer A1 is adopted as the base material A2 made of a plastic resin. Thereby, the base material A2 protects the laminate layer A1 during thermocompression bonding. The laminate material A is formed in a long shape as described above to be a roll, and is used by being pulled out from the roll in the longitudinal direction.

  Unlike the laminate material A, the under film B is composed of a single-layer resin sheet. The under film B is set to a size that protrudes from the recording medium P in a state where it is overlapped with the recording medium P to be laminated, in the same manner as the laminating layer A1. A laminate material A having the same size is used. The under film B is also formed into a roll after being formed long like the laminate material A, and is used by being drawn out from the roll in the longitudinal direction.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the laminating section 3 is assumed to use the laminating material A and the under film B having the above-described configuration, and as shown in FIG. A laminate material supply unit 30 that supplies the laminate material A in the longitudinal direction from the recording surface side (left side in the drawing) of the recording medium P, and the base surface side (right side in the drawing) opposite to the recording surface of the recording medium P ), The under film supply unit 31 for supplying the under film B in the longitudinal direction, and the laminated body (A + P + B) in which the supplied laminate material A, recording medium P and under film B are stacked while being thermocompression bonded. The pressure-bonding part 32 fed to the pressure-bonding part 32, the pressure-carrying part 33 sandwiching the laminate (A + P + B) fed from the pressure-bonding part 32, and the separation part 3 for separating the under film B from the laminate (A + P + B). And the movement direction of the base material A2 on the laminate (A + P + B) sent out from the crimping portion 32 is different from the movement direction of the laminate (A + P + B). It switches to direction and is provided with the peeling part 36 which peels the base material A2 from the laminate layer A1, and the base material collection | recovery part 37 which collect | recovers the peeled base material A2.

  The laminate material supply unit 30 includes a first holder 300 that pivotally supports the roll of the laminate material A, and can supply the laminate material A as a continuous sheet from the roll held by the first holder 300. . The laminate material supply unit 30 is configured to draw the laminate material A so that the laminate layer A1 faces the recording surface of the recording medium P on the second path R2.

  The under film supply unit 31 includes a second holder 310 that supports the under film B while supporting a roll of the under film B, and can supply the under film B as a continuous sheet from the roll held by the second holder 310. Yes. In the under film supply unit 31 according to the present embodiment, the under film B is drawn out so as to face the base surface of the recording medium P on the second path R2.

  The pressure-bonding part 32 includes a driving roller 320 and a pressure-bonding roller 321. The driving roller 320 is disposed on the base surface side of the recording medium P, and the pressure roller 321 is disposed on the recording surface side of the recording medium P. Between the rollers 320 and 321, the laminate material A, the recording medium P, and the under film B are heat-pressed in this order.

  Both rollers 320 and 321 are heating rollers with a heater built in the shaft core. The heating temperature on the surfaces of the rollers 320 and 321 is set in the range of 60 to 130 ° C. for the driving roller 320 and is set in the range of 80 to 130 ° C. for the pressure roller 321. The roller on the under film B side (driving roller 320) in the pressure bonding part 32 is also a heating roller, and the lower film is set at a temperature lower than the heating temperature on the roller surface of the roller (pressure bonding roller 321) on the laminate material A side. It is for activating the heat-welding property between the laminate layer A1 and the under film B while suppressing the thermal influence on B.

  The peeling portion 36 is disposed in the vicinity of the peeling roller 360 facing the second path R2 and the upstream side of the peeling roller 360, and is a step for increasing the winding angle of the substrate A2 around the peeling roller 360. A roller 361. The peeling roller 360 is disposed at a position sufficiently separated from the pressure-bonding portion 32 on the downstream side, and the laminate layer A1 that is activated (exemplifies viscosity) by being heat-pressed by the pressure-bonding portion 32 is in a normal equilibrium state. An external force is applied to the laminate material A (laminate layer A1) after the adhesive strength is increased.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the base material recovery unit 37 includes a third holder 370 that winds and recovers the continuous sheet-like base material A2 peeled off from the laminate layer A1 in a roll shape. The third holder 370 is arranged so that its winding surface is on the upstream side of the second path R2 relative to the peeling roller 360, thereby winding the base material A2 to be peeled around the peeling roller 360. The peeling angle of the base material A2 with respect to the second path R2 is determined.

  The separation unit 34 includes a separation roller 340 disposed to face the second path R2. Like the peeling roller 360, the separation roller 340 is disposed at a position sufficiently separated from the pressure-bonding portion 32 on the downstream side, and is a laminate layer that is activated (exhibits viscosity or the like) by being heat-pressed by the pressure-bonding portion 32. An external force is applied to the laminate material A (laminate layer A1) after A1 reaches a normal equilibrium state (a state in which the adhesive force is increased).

  The under film collection unit 35 includes a fourth holder 350 that winds and collects the continuous sheet-like under film B, onto which the excess laminate layer A1 is transferred, in a roll shape. The fourth holder 350 is arranged so that its winding surface is on the upstream side of the second path R2 with respect to the separation roller 340, whereby the under film B separated from the laminate (A1 + P + B) is transferred to the separation roller 340. At the same time, the separation angle of the under film B with respect to the second path R2 is determined.

  The pinching portion 33 includes a pair of rollers 330 and 331 that are arranged to face each other across the second path R2. In the following, of the pair of rollers 330 and 331, one roller disposed on the laminate material A side is referred to as a first nipping roller 330, and is on the surface (base surface) side opposite to the recording surface of the recording medium P. The other roller that is disposed is a second pinching roller 331. The pair of rollers 330 and 331 sandwich the laminate (A + P + B) at least at both end positions in the width direction of the recording medium P. Further, the first pinching roller 330 is configured so that at least a portion corresponding to the edge in the width direction of the recording medium P is softer than the second pinching roller 331.

  Moreover, the said clamping part 33 is provided in the downstream of the crimping | compression-bonding part 32, and while the laminate material A heated by the crimping | compression-bonding part 32 is still in a heating state (state whose temperature is higher than normal temperature), with respect to the laminate material A The pressing force is applied. Preferably, it is provided at a position near the downstream side of the crimping portion 32 and is pressed at a higher temperature.

  Specifically, the pair of rollers 330 and 331 is formed such that at least the axial length of the roller is longer than the width dimension of the recording medium P, and the stacked body (A + P + B) is formed into the width dimension of the recording medium P. More than a long region. That is, the pair of rollers 330 and 331 sandwich the laminate (A + P + B) in a manner that protrudes from both ends of the recording medium P. More specifically, the first pinching roller 330 is configured to be softer than the second pinching roller 331 over the region. That is, the surface of the first pressure roller 330 is configured to be more elastically deformed than the surface of the second pressure roller 331. The rollers 330 and 331 are arranged so as to be in contact with each other on a straight line connecting the respective shaft centers or opposed to each other with a distance smaller than the thickness of the stacked body (A + P + B). For this reason, when the laminate (A + P + B) is sandwiched between the rollers 330 and 331, the rollers 330 and 331 are compressed so that the surfaces are separated from each other, and the restoring force is applied in the direction in which the surfaces are close to each other. Generated and pressed against the laminate (A + P + B).

  By the way, as for the material of the pair of rollers 330 and 331, a material (for example, rubber or urethane) having a hardness of about 70 to 80 according to JIS K 6249 is used as the first pinching roller 330. On the other hand, as the second pressing roller 331, for example, a material (for example, rubber) having a hardness of about 50 to 60 according to JIS K 6249 is used. The drive roller 320 and the pressure roller 321 are made of a material having the same hardness, for example, a rubber having a hardness of about 50-60 according to JIS K 6249.

  The laminating apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment has the above configuration. Next, the operation will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the laminating material A is drawn in advance from the laminating material supply unit 30 and is bonded to the pressure bonding unit 32 (drive roller 320). And the pressure roller 321), and the leading end is wound around the third holder 370 of the base material recovery unit 37. Further, the under film B is also drawn out from the under film supply unit 31 and inserted into the pressure bonding unit 32 (between the driving roller 320 and the pressure roller 321), and the tip is wound around the fourth holder 350 of the under film collection unit 35. It is done. In this state, the laminate material A and the under film B are overlapped in the second path R2 between the crimping part 32 and the peeling part 36.

  And not only the driving roller 320 of the crimping part 32 but also all of the holders 370 and 350 of the base material collecting part 37 and the under film collecting part 35 by known driving force transmission means such as sprockets, chains, gear trains, etc. A driving force of a motor (not shown) is transmitted simultaneously. By these synchronous driving, the laminate material A is pulled out from the laminate material supply unit 30 and fed out, and the under film B is pulled out from the under film supply unit 31 and fed out.

  In this state, the recording medium P printed by the printer device 1 is sequentially supplied from the receiving port 50. When the recording medium P is not laminated, the sorting mechanism 4 selects the first path R1, and the recording medium P is discharged onto the first tray T1 via the first path R1.

  On the other hand, when the lamination process is performed on the recording medium P, the distribution mechanism 4 selects the second path R2, and the received recording medium P is transported toward the second path R2. .

  The recording medium P intervened between the laminating material A and the under film B in this way is conveyed downstream as it is sandwiched between the laminating material A and the under film B. A laminate (A + P + B) in which A, the recording medium P, and the under film B are stacked is conveyed downstream while being thermocompression bonded. Thereby, the laminate layer A1 of the laminate material A is transferred to the recording surface of the recording medium P and the under film B. That is, the laminate layer A1 is transferred to the recording surface of the recording medium P, and the portion protruding from the recording surface is transferred to the under film B.

  Next, the laminated body (A + P + B) is conveyed to the pressing unit 33 and is inserted between the pair of rollers 330 and 331 constituting the pressing unit 33 as shown in FIG. Then, since the first nipping roller 330 is softer than the second nipping roller 331 and is easily elastically deformed (that is, the elastic deformation amount is large), the sandwiched laminate (A + P + B) is The first nipping roller 330 is buried more (or deeper) than the nipping roller 331. (That is, the laminate (A + P + B) is supported by the second pressure roller 331 and pressed against the first pressure roller 330.)

  In this case, in the portion corresponding to the recording surface of the recording medium P (laminate portion Aa) and the portion corresponding to the under film B (contact portion Ab1), the pressing force (elastically deformed) from the first pressing roller 330 is applied. The restoring force when attempting to restore from the original state) is received by the recording surface of the recording medium P and the second pinching roller 331 through the laminate material A. On the other hand, the non-contact portion Ab2 (from the end of the recording medium P to the contact boundary between the laminating material A and the under film B) where the laminating material A floats from the under film B in the minimum width region along the end edge of the recording medium P. In the middle portion), since there is no object that receives the pressing force on the opposite side, the laminate material A is deformed as the first pinching roller 330 is restored. Therefore, the laminate material A is in a state of being pressed so as to bite into the edge of the recording medium P (or wrap around the end surface side), and a portion that is vulnerable to tension is formed along the edge. That is, a crease or a streak is formed along the edge of the laminate material A. In addition, since the laminate material A is in a heated state, it is easily plastically deformed and becomes thin along the edge of the recording medium P.

  When the laminate (A + P + B) passes through the pressure-carrying portion 33, it is first received and pressed by the pair of rollers 330 and 331 from the edge on the leading end side of the recording medium P, and then the recording medium. Both end sides of P are pressed, and finally the rear end side of the recording medium P is pressed. The tip side is a part that first contacts the pair of rollers 330 and 331, and the direction in which the laminate material A is deformed (the direction close to the end surface of the recording medium P and the transfer target) and the laminate ( Since the direction in which A + P + B) approaches the pair of rollers 330 and 331 is opposed to each other, the largest pressing force acts. At both ends, as described above, the laminate material A is deformed by pressing the laminate material A against the edge while the second pinching roller 331 is elastically deformed. The rear end side has a mode in which the laminate (A + P + B) moves away from the roller in a direction opposite to the direction in which the laminate material A is deformed (that is, a mode in which the end edge escapes from the pair of rollers 330 and 331). Although it is difficult to apply the pressing force from the first pinching roller 330 as compared to the side and both ends, the edge of the first pinching roller 330 is restored from the state of being elastically deformed to move the edge downstream. It is possible to follow and press.

  And the laminated body obtained in this way by the crimping | compression-bonding part 32 is conveyed to the peeling part 36, and base material A2 peels from laminate layer A1.

  And a laminated body (A1 + P + B) is further conveyed by the separation part 34, and the underfilm B is isolate | separated. At this time, the recording medium P and the under film B move relative to each other so that the base surface of the recording medium P and the under film B are separated from each other. That is, the laminate (A1 + P + B) tends to move further downstream in the second path R2, whereas the under film B has a direction (recording medium P) different from the moving direction of the laminate (A1 + P + B). (In a direction away from the base surface). Therefore, since the laminate layer A1 from which the substrate A2 has been peeled also tends to move in the same direction as the under film B, a tensile force is generated at a portion that is weak to the tension (that is, the boundary between the laminate portion Aa and the non-adhered portion Ab2). It will work intensively. Then, the non-laminate portion Ab is separated from the laminate portion Aa in a state where the non-contact portion Ab2 remains on the close contact portion Ab1 side. Therefore, the edge of the laminate portion Aa is clean along the edge of the recording medium P. Note that the laminate layer A1 of the non-laminate portion Ab separated from the laminate portion Aa is collected by the underfilm collection unit 35 together with the underfilm B.

  As a result, the recording target is laminated with the laminate layer A1 that has a clean edge along the edge of the recording medium P and is in close contact with the recording surface without air or the like being interposed between the recording medium P and the recording medium P. The medium P is discharged onto the second tray T2.

  As described above, according to the laminating apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, the laminating process on the recording medium P can be finished finely without performing the edge process on at least both ends after the laminating process of the recording medium.

  In addition, the pair of rollers sandwich the laminate over a region longer than the width of the recording medium, and the one roller is configured to be softer than the other roller over the region. In addition, not only on both ends but also on the entire width of the edge on the rear end side, a portion that is vulnerable to tension is formed in the laminate material, and when separating, a tensile force can be applied locally to the portion. .

  In addition, since the clamping portion 33 is disposed between the crimping portion 32 and the separation portion 34 and in the vicinity of the crimping portion 32 in the conveyance direction, the laminate (A + P + B) that is heat-pressed at the crimping portion 32 is still present. It is pressed in a high temperature state, and the laminate part Aa and the non-laminate part Ab can be suitably separated.

  Furthermore, since the clamping part 33 is provided separately from the crimping part 32, each component can be specialized for a specific function, and a laminating process can be suitably performed. Specifically, for example, in the case where the pressure-bonding portion 32 functions as a pinching portion, that is, when the pressure-bonding roller 321 constituting the pressure-bonding portion 32 is configured to be softer than the driving roller 320, the laminate material A and Although the situation where the inconvenience that the under film B shift | displaces may also be considered, this is avoided by providing the said clamping part 33 and the crimping | compression-bonding part 32 separately. However, as long as such inconvenience does not occur or does not become a problem, or when the inconvenience can be solved by other means, the crimping portion 32 can also function as a pinching portion as described later.

  The present invention is not limited to any of the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  For example, in each of the above embodiments, the pair of rollers 330 and 331 is formed such that at least the axial length of the roller is longer than the width dimension of the recording medium P, and the laminate (A + P + B) is used as the recording medium. Although the description has been made on the assumption that it is sandwiched over an area longer than the width dimension of P, the present invention is not limited to this, and the laminate (A + P + B) is sandwiched at least at the edge position in the width direction of the recording medium P. Anything is acceptable.

  Accordingly, the pair of rollers may be provided on one end side and the other end side in the width direction of the recording medium P, respectively. The other roller is formed to have an axial length longer than the width dimension of the recording medium P, and only one roller is separately provided on one end side and the other end side in the width direction of the recording medium P. May be provided.

  In addition, the first nipping roller 330 has been described as being configured to be softer than the second nipping roller 331 over its entire length, but is not limited thereto, and one roller As long as at least a portion corresponding to the edge in the width direction of the recording medium P is configured to be softer than the other roller.

  Therefore, the portion other than the portion corresponding to the edge in the width direction of the recording medium P is not limited in its hardness, and may be as hard or hard as the other roller. Even in this case, at least both ends of the laminate A are weakly affected by the tensile force, and when the tensile force acts on the rear end, the rear end is also cut cleanly along the edge. obtain.

  And in the said embodiment, although the underfilm B is functioned as a to-be-transferred means, the underfilm supply part 31, the underfilm collection | recovery part 35, and the isolation | separation part 34 are eliminated, instead, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the roller (drive roller 320) of the crimping portion 32 may be used as a transfer means, and the crimping portion 32 may function as a separating portion that divides the laminated portion Aa and the non-laminated portion Ab. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, when the outer peripheral surface of the drive roller 320 is separated from the base surface, the boundary between the laminate portion Aa where the laminate layer A1 is in close contact with the recording surface of the recording medium P and the non-contact portion Ab2. Thus, the non-laminate portion Ab is separated from the laminate portion Aa in a state where the non-contact portion Ab2 remains on the contact portion Ab1 side. Therefore, the edge of the laminate portion Aa is clean along the edge of the recording medium P. However, in this case, since the laminate layer A1 that protrudes from the periphery of the recording medium P is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drive roller 41, the outer periphery is positioned upstream from the point where the laminate material A is pressure-bonded to the recording medium P. In order to scrape and remove the residue of the laminate layer A1 adhering to the surface, it is preferable to provide a scraper (removing means) 60 whose tip is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the driving roller 320 with a predetermined pressure.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the pair of rollers 330 and 331 that configure the clamping unit 33 is provided separately from the rollers 320 and 321 that configure the crimping unit 32. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the pressure-bonding portion 32 may function as a pinching portion. Specifically, the pressure roller 321 is configured to be softer than the driving roller 320. If it does in this way, it will become possible to perform the press simultaneously with performing thermocompression bonding and transfer. In this case as well, an independent clamping unit may be further arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction.

  In each of the above embodiments, the laminate material A in which the base material A2 is detachably laminated with respect to the laminate layer A1 is used. However, only the laminate material A1 without the base material A2 is used. You may make it use (the peeling part 36 and the base-material collection | recovery part 37 become unnecessary). In this case, the laminate layer A1 is directly heat-pressed and pressed at the pressure-bonding portion 32 and the pinching portion 33.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the roll-shaped thing formed in elongate was used as the laminate material A and the under film B, it is not limited to this, The film-like shape cut into sheet form A laminate material A and an under film B may be used. In this case, it is considered that the base material A2 and the under film B of the laminate material A are peeled and separated manually.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a laminating apparatus and a printer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing of the laminating material used for the laminating apparatus which concerns on the embodiment is shown. The schematic sectional drawing of the lamination apparatus which concerns on the same embodiment is shown. It is a figure which shows the laminated body of the state pinched | interposed by the clamping part of the laminating apparatus which concerns on the embodiment, Comprising: (a) shows sectional drawing of a laminated body, (b) is a lamination part and a non-laminate part The enlarged view of (a) is shown. The schematic partial side view for demonstrating the relationship between the supply state of a recording medium and the peeling state of the base material in a peeling part is shown. The schematic perspective view for demonstrating the action | operation of the crimping | compression-bonding part and separation part of the lamination apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention is shown. Sectional drawing of the laminated body by which the laminate material, the to-be-recorded medium, and the under film were heat-pressed is shown.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer apparatus, 2 ... Laminating apparatus, 3 ... Laminating process part, 4 ... Distributing mechanism, 4a, 4b ... Roller, 10 ... Roll accommodating part, 11 ... Conveyance system, 12 ... Printing part, 13 ... Cutter apparatus, 30 ... Laminate supply part, 31 ... Under film supply part, 32 ... Crimp part, 33 ... Clamping part, 34 ... Separation part, 35 ... Under film recovery part, 36 ... Peeling part, 37 ... Base material recovery part, 41 ... Drive roller, 50 ... receiving port, 130 ... printing stand, 131 ... print head, 132 ... cleaner unit, 133 ... waste ink tank, 134 ... dot impact printer unit, 135 ... relay tank, 300 ... first holder, 310 ... first Two holders, 320 ... driving roller, 321 ... pressure roller, 330 ... first nipping roller, 331 ... second nipping roller, 340 ... separation roller, 3 0 ... 4th holder, 360 ... peeling roller, 361 ... step roller, 370 ... third holder, A ... laminate material, A1 ... laminate layer, A2 ... base material, Aa ... laminate portion, Ab ... non-laminate portion, Ab1 ... Adhering portion, Ab2 ... non-adhering portion, B ... under film, L ... boundary line, P ... recording medium, R1 ... first route, R2 ... second route, T1 ... first tray, T2 ... second tray

Claims (3)

A laminate material larger in size than the recording medium is stacked and heat-pressed so as to cover the recording medium, and the portion protruding from the recording medium to the transfer means disposed on the opposite side of the recording surface of the recording medium In the laminating apparatus for transferring the laminating layer and forming the laminating layer on the recording surface of the recording medium,
A pair of rollers that sandwich at least a laminate in which the laminate material and the recording medium are stacked at least at both edge positions in the width direction of the recording medium;
One of the pair of rollers on the side of the laminating material is characterized in that at least a portion corresponding to the edge in the width direction of the recording medium is configured to be softer than the other roller. The pair of rollers sandwich the laminate over a region longer than the width of the recording medium,
The laminating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one roller is configured to be softer than the other roller over the region. The transferred means is a long under film having a size larger than the recording medium,
While having a pressure bonding part for performing the heat pressure bonding and transfer to the laminate material, the recording medium and the under film,
In order to separate the laminate in which the laminate material, the recording medium, and the under film are heat-pressed into a laminate portion in which the laminate layer is in close contact with the recording surface and a non-laminate portion in which the laminate layer protrudes from the recording medium, A separation unit for separating the recording medium on the side opposite to the recording surface;
The laminating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pair of rollers are disposed between the pressure-bonding portion and the separation portion.

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