Method for hot laminating sheet material, laminating foil, and laminating unit for performing the method

Abstract

The invention relates to a laminating foil having an initial roughness on at least one side, which makes the laminating foil matte, wherein the laminating foil has a marking configured as a surface pattern with surface portions on the matte side or at least on one of the matte sides, wherein the roughness of the surface portions is different from the initial roughness. The invention furthermore relates to a laminating foil set comprising the laminating foils, a method for hot laminating sheet material using such laminating foils, a laminating unit for using the laminating foil, and eventually a laminating system including the laminating unit and the laminating foils.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the roughness of the surface portions is less than the initial roughness, but not less than the end roughness, wherein the surface portions are configured as straight and parallel line portions extending with an offset from one another, wherein the line portions are configured, so that they extend transversally to the pass-through movement through the laminating unit, wherein the offset and/or the width of the line portions is configured the greater, the thicker or the thinner the laminating foil is. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the offset of the line portions is configured the greater, and the width of the line portions is configured the smaller, the thicker or the thinner the laminating foil is. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein a laminating foil is used, which is made of a pair of foil sheets, between which the sheet material is inserted. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one foil sheet has the initial roughness on the side oriented towards the other foil sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein a laminating foil is used, whose foil sheets are connected to one another at least at one edge. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein only one of the two foil sheets is provided with the marking. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the marking is read out through an optical sensor, in particular a laser sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the height of a laminating gap in the laminating unit is also adjusted through the signal. 
     
     
         10 . A laminating foil for performing the method according to  claim 25 , wherein the laminating foil has an initial roughness at least on one side, which makes the laminating foil matte, wherein the laminating foil has a marking configured as a surface pattern with surface portions on the matte side or at least on one of the matte sides, wherein the roughness of the surface portions is different from the initial roughness, 
     
     
         11 . The laminating foil according to  claim 10 , wherein the surface portions are configured as straight and parallel line portions which extend at an offset from one another, the line portions extend parallel to an edge of the laminating foil, wherein the offset and/or the width of the line portions is the greater, the thicker or the thinner the laminating foil is. 
     
     
         12 . The laminating foil according to  claim 11 , wherein the offset of the line portions is the greater and the width of the line portions is the smaller, the thicker or the thinner the laminating foil is. 
     
     
         13 . The laminating foil according to  claim 10 , wherein the laminating foil is made of a pair of foil sheets, wherein one foil sheet has the initial roughness on the side facing the other foil sheet and the surface pattern is provided there. 
     
     
         14 . The laminating foil according to  claim 13 , wherein the foil sheets are connected with one another at least at one edge. 
     
     
         15 . The laminating foil according to  claim 13 , wherein only one of the two foil sheets is provided with the surface pattern. 
     
     
         16 . A laminating foil set with laminating foils with different thicknesses and/or different materials, wherein the laminating foils have respective markings according to  claim 10 , which are characteristic for their thicknesses and/or their materials. 
     
     
         17 . A laminating unit for hot laminating sheet material and laminating foil comprising a housing, through which a pass-through channel extends, starting at a feed opening for passing through a combination of sheet material and laminating foil, and in which a laminating apparatus is disposed, which is associated with the pass-through channel and in which the combination can be laminated under the impact of pressure and increased temperature, wherein a transport apparatus is disposed in the housing for transporting the combination in the pass-through channel with a particular pass-through velocity, and wherein the temperature and/or the pass-through velocity is adjustable, wherein the laminating unit comprises a sensor, which is configured for reading out a marking configured as a surface pattern on the laminating foil, which surface pattern comprises surface portions, whose roughness differs from an initial roughness at least on one side of the laminating foil, wherein the sensor generates a signal for a display apparatus and/or for a control apparatus as a function of the read out marking, which control apparatus is connected to the laminating apparatus and/or the transport apparatus and configured, so that the control apparatus adjusts the temperature of the laminating apparatus and/or the pass-through velocity of the transport apparatus as a function of the read out marking. 
     
     
         18 . The laminating unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the laminating apparatus comprises at least one roller pair with two laminating rollers forming a laminating gap, wherein at least one of the rollers is heatable through a heater, wherein at least one of the laminating rollers is part of the transport apparatus and the transport apparatus has an electrical drive through which the laminating roller(s) is or are rotatable. 
     
     
         19 . The laminating unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the sensor is disposed in pass-through direction in front of the laminating apparatus, in particular outside of the housing, wherein a sheet support is provided beyond the feed opening at the housing as an extension of the pass-through channel, and the sensor is associated with the sheet support, integrated into the sheet support. 
     
     
         20 . The laminating unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the sensor is configured as an optical sensor. 
     
     
         21 . The laminating unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the sensor is configured to read out surface portions with different reflectivity and/or absorption. 
     
     
         22 . The laminating unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the sensor is supported, so that it is movable transversal to the pass-through direction in the pass-through channel, in particular, wherein the laminating unit has two movable side stops for centric insertion of the laminating foils, wherein the sensor is connected with one of the side stops. 
     
     
         23 . The laminating unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the laminating apparatus comprises a laminating gap in the pass-through channel, in which laminating gap the combination is loaded with pressure and temperature, and the height of the laminating gap is adjustable as a function of the signal of the sensor, or automatically adjusted through a control apparatus. 
     
     
         24 . A laminating system, comprising a laminating unit according to  claim 17 . 
     
     
         25 . A method for hot laminating sheet material and laminating foil through at least one laminating unit configured as a piece of office equipment, the method comprising the following steps:
 joining sheet material and laminating foil;   inserting a combination formed thereby into the laminating unit;   hot sealing the combination together under the influence of pressure and increased temperature and through adaptation of temperature and/or pass-through velocity to a thickness and/or a material of the laminating foil,   wherein laminating foil is used, whose initial roughness at least on one side is greater than an end roughness after laminating,   wherein the laminating foil is provided on the at least one side with a marking in the form of a surface pattern, which comprises surface portions, whose roughness differs from the initial roughness,   wherein the marking is configured to be read out by a sensor of the laminating unit,   wherein the laminating foil with its marking is run past the sensor,   wherein the sensor reads out the marking and generates a signal which is characteristic for the marking, and a temperature and/or a pass-through velocity is adjusted as a function of the signal.   
     
     
         26 . A laminating system, comprising a laminating foil set according to  claim 16 .