GB2084005A - Preliminary shape for a document-coating laminate - Google Patents

Abstract

A preliminary shape for a document-coating laminate has two like transparent cover foils 1, 1' of polymer material, each connected to the other along one edge 4 and each coated on opposed internal surfaces with a thin transparent layer of thermoplastic adhesive material. Between these cover foils is provided a foil folded at 3 of transparent material, of which the outer folded surfaces 2, 2' are coated with like adhesive material and are connected at their coincident free edges at or near the connecting edge 4. This leaves a pocket which may be open top and bottom or closed off at one end.

Description

SPECIFICATION Preliminary shape for a document-coating laminate, and laminate made of this shape The invention relates to a preliminary shape for a document-coating laminate, with two transparent cover foils of polymeric e.g. thermosetting material connected with one another along one edge, the internally opposed surfaces of which foils are each coated with a thin layer of transparent thermoplastic adhesive material.

Preliminary shapes of this general type are known and are already used e.g. with automatic laminating devices. If one wishes to laminate a document (e.g.

an admission pass, a credit card or an identification card) it is placed between the two cover foils so as to leave a surrounding margin. This assembly is placed in the input slot of an automatic laminating device. In this the assembly is pressed while being heated (e.g.

by means of heated pressure rollers) and the thermoplastic material flows. After cooling, a document laminated over its entire surface, as a protection against air, pollution, and damage from frequent handling, is discharged from the output side.

The thermosetting material is typically a highgrade polyester, and the thermoplastic adhesive material may be for example ethylvinylacetate hot melt. The preliminary shapes can be simply obtained by for example (a) cutting to size long strips of polyester coated on tne surface with the adhesive (b) placing the cut pieces face to face at the adhesivecoated surface and (c) welding one of the edges. As these operations can be carried out in a simple fashion by machinery the preliminary shapes are relatively cheap.

Document-coating laminates of this type have advantages over loose protective covers that they are completely airproof and not otherwise prone to damage. Such laminates, however, do not provide a protective cover to add additional documentation.

This would be possible if the laminate were provided with an open pocket, into which such additional documentation, e.g. a code or an identification could be slid. In order to obtain such a "kangaroo" type of laminate, eitherthe pocket must be applied after laminating (which has the drawback that simple one-step automatic laminating is no longer possible) or the preliminary shape must be such that it yields in a one-step lamination a product which is equipped with the pocket. Hitherto no preliminary shape has been developed which meets these requirements and is simple and cheap to manufacture. For exam- .

ple if a case is provided on the outer surface of the preliminary shape it ensures that the initial manufacture becomes extended by a series of steps which will make the preliminary shape relatively more expensive.

The present invention sets out to provide a preliminary shape which can be manufactured in a simple manner and which can be processed by the usual laminating devices in the same way as known preliminary shapes.

The invention consists in a preliminary shape for a document-coating laminate comprising; (a) two like transparent cover foils of polymeric material each connected to the other along one edge, and face to face with other edges at least substantially coincident to provide internal opposed surfaces, each of which surfaces is coated with a thin transparent layer of thermoplastic adhesive material; (b) an inner foil folded about a single fold line to give a folded foil smaller than the cover foil, having two straight edges thereof which at least substantially coincide so that two outer surfaces are defined, each such outer surface being coated with a thin transparent layer of thermoplastic adhesive material; the at least substantially coincident straight edges ofthe innerfoil being connected ator nearthe connected edges of the cover foils so that the folded foil defines an internal pocket not extending beyond the cover foils; the internal pocket itself having unconnected edges on each fold portion which are at least substantially coincident with one another and with the unconnected but at least substantially coincident edges of the cover foil.

By "at least substantially coincident" is meant that the edges must be coincident enough to fulfil their primary functions, and may be (and preferably are) exactly coincident.

The preliminary shape as defined meets two important requirements, namely (i) it is easy to laminate and (ii) it is easy to manufacture. Since the inner foil adheres on its at least substantially coincident straight edges at or near the connected edges of the cover foils, a document to be laminated can be inserted easily within these cover foils without affecting the pocket formed by the inner foil. Since moreover the inner folded foil is coated entirely with the thermoplastic adhesive material at its outer faces, the inserted document will meet adhesive thermoplastic material over the whole of its two surfaces, and during laminating will therefore be completely coated in the same way as with known preliminary shapes.However, as the folded inner foil has no thermoplastic adhesive material inside, the inside surfaces will not adhere and since at least one of the pair of coincident unconnected edges of the folded inner foil is itself at least substantially coincident unconnected edges of the cover foils, a pocket will remain during laminating, being open at the or each edge.

Such a preliminary shape can be simply manufactured. The inner foil can be manufactured from a long strip of thermosetting material coated on one surface with a thin thermoplastic adhesive film by cutting this strip at regular intervals and folding the cut portions along a single fold line. Thesefolded portions are placed between two cover foils, which are then welded together, so that the inner foil is also adhered to the outside foils in the manner explained above. Thus preliminary shapes of any desired outline can be manufactured in a simple and cheap manner. In general one inner folded foil is used between two cover foils, but it is also possible to place two or more such inner foils within the cover, so that two or more pockets are obtained after laminating.

Preferably, the foldedinner foil extends over only a minor proportion of the internal opposed surfaces of the cover foils. This gives a laminate where the pocket is suitable to hold a relatively small identifier or label.

Usually, for ease of manufacture, the cover foils are substantially rectangular and the folded foil is substantially rectangular.

It will be apparent that for ease of manufacture of a preferred embodiment there may be two sets of at least substantially coincident unconnected edges of each fold portion, each set being at least substantially coincident with different unconnected but at least substantially coincident edges of the cover foils. This is easierto manufacture since only one standard width of off-cut need be chosen for both the cover foils and the inner foil.

To facilitate in such an instance the position of a pocket open from one end only it is envisaged to provide at least substantially coincident perforations provided towards one unconnected pair of fold portion edges through both fold portions.

Where it is desired to have pockets opening to each side, perforations as above can be arranged in a line parallel to the fold portion edges.

In such an instance the line of perforations will generally be somewhere in the central region of the laminate shape.

Another possibiiity is to provide a line of such perforations parallel to the fold line to give a double pocket with separate but adjacent portions.

It is particularly valuable in facilitating use ofthe laminated document if a recess is provided in the position, or one or both of the positions, where fold portion unconnected edges and cover foil unconnected edges at least substantially coincide, to facilitate use of the pocket; provided that when coincident perforations are present towards one such at least substantially coincident position the recess is provided in the other such position. This may also be embodied in such a way that the or each recess is formed in one cover foil, and the adjacent folded foil portion only.

Of course, the cover foils themselves may be two like folded portions of a single integral cover. This gives the advantage that the folding of such a cover foil, and the inner foil, can take place simultaneously.

The innerfoil may be thinner than the cover foil. If this is the case the eventual laminate is thinner overall.

Another aspect of the present invention consists in the combination of the preliminary shape as described above with a document laminated within the adhesive-coated inner surfaces of the cover foils.

Such a combination may of course further possess additional identifying material within the or each pocket inside the folded portion.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure lisa side view of one embodiment of a preliminary shape according to the invention; and Figure 2 shows the same embodiment in top view.

The preliminary shape comprises two cover foils 1 and 1' of transparent polyester, which are provided at their internally opposed faces with a thin layer of ethylvinylacetate adhesive material and adhered to one another at their rear edges 4. If the device possessed only these features it would constitute the known type of preliminary shape for a coating laminate, into which a document can be placed and slid up to the connecting edge 4, prior to placing in a laminating device where the cover foils 1 and 1' are pressed against one another on and around the document.

In the present embodiment, however, there is a second foil, located inside the cover foils 1 and 1', also of transparent polyester, but slightly thinner, which is folded into two portions over its own folding line 3. These portions 2 and 2' are coated at the outside with a thin layer of ethylvinylacetate adhesive material and adhere at their free ends to the two cover foils at the connecting edge 4. Connecting together of the cover foils 1 and 1' and the two portions 2 and 2' of the folded foil can be simply effected by carrying out a single hot pressing operation at 4, so that the thermoplastic adhesive material melts and and adheres the layers, it being understood that portions 2, 2' do not quite reach the outer edge at 4 so that the good adhesion between foils 1 and 1' is still maintained.

In the embodiment shown the cover foils 1 and 1' and the second (inner) foil 2 and 2' are of the same width i.e. so that the edges of the second foil 2 and 2' are aligned with the edges of the coverfoils 1 and 1'.

Holes 5 are cut at one edge of both folded second foil portions 2, 2'. A larger hole or recess 6 is provided through one of the cover foils 1 or 1' and one of the inside layers 2 or 2' adjacent thereto, also at the edge of the material. In use, a document is inserted between coverfoils 1 and 1', with one edge near the connecting edge 4. The edge of the document is placed to lie between the cover foil and part 2 of the folded second foil.

The preliminary shape with the document inserted therein is then slid into the slot of a laminating device, in which the cover foils 1 and 1' are pressed on one another while being heated. The upper face of the document comes into complete contact with the thin layer of adhesive material on the inside of the cover foil 1, whereas the underside ofthe document is brought into contact (a) with the layer of adhesive material on the outside surface 2 of the folded second foil and (b) with the layer of adhesive material on the inside surface of the cover foil 1'.

Outside the edges of the document two layers of adhesive material meet and ensure complete coating and sealing of the document.

The folded innerfoil 2, 2', however, is not sealed at the inside of the fold since there is no adhesive material at this location. Therefore the folded second foil will constitute a pocket after laminating. This pocket is open at the upper edge, as shown in Figure 2, by virtue of hole 6 in the marginal region to which the edges of the document do not extend. It is however adequately closed at the lower edge of Figure 2 since perforations 5 allow the cover foils 1 and 1' to come into contact with one another by their layers of adhesive material at these edge regions to which the document does not extend. Thus a pocket is obtained, open at one edge only, into which or from which an additional document in the shape of e.g. a code, an extra identification or the like can be inserted or removed through hole or recess 6.

While the use of the preliminary shape has been described with a document placed with one edge between foils 1 and 2, it can equally well be used with one edge between foils 1' and 2'. In all cases the document does not obstruct the marginal holes 5 and 6.

Numerous variations and modifications of the invention are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (14)

1. A preliminary shape for a document-coating laminate comprising: (a) two like transparent cover foils of polymeric material each connected to the other along one edge, and face to face with other edges at least substantially coincident to provide internal opposed surfaces, each of which surfaces is coated with a thin transparent layer of thermoplastic adhesive material; (b) an inner foil folded about a single fold line to give a folded foil smallerthan the cover foil, having two straight edges thereof which at least substantially coincide so that two outer surfaces are defined, each such outer surface being coated with a thin transparent layer of thermoplastic adhesive material; the at least substantially coincident straight edges of the inner foil being connected at or near the connected edges of the cover foils so that the folded foil defines an internal pocket not extending beyond the cover foils; the internal pocket itself having unconnected edges on each fold portion which are at least substantially coincident with one another and with the unconnected but at least substantially coincident edges of the cover foil.

2. A preliminary shape as claimed in claim 1 in which the folded inner foil extends over only a minor proportion of the internal opposed surfaces of the cover foils.

3. A preliminary shape as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the cover foils are substantially rectangular and the folded foil is substantially rectangular.

4. A preliminary shape as claimed in claim 3 in which there are two sets of at least substantially coincident unconnected edges of each fold portion, each set being at least substantially coincident with different unconnected but at least substantially coincident edges of the cover foils.

5. A preliminary shape as claimed in claim 4 in which at least substantially coincident perforations are provided towards one unconnected pair of fold portion edges through both fold portions.

6. A preliminary shape as claimed in claim 4 or 5 in which at least substantially coincident perforations are arranged in a line parallel to the fold portion edges.

7. A preliminary shape as claimed in any one preceding claim wherein a line of at least substantially coincident perforations through both fold por tionsoftheinnerfoil is provided parallel to the fold line.

8. A preliminary shape as claimed in any one preceding claim in which a recess is provided in the position, or one or both of the positions, where fold portion unconnected edges and cover foil unconnected edges at least substantially coincide, to facilitate use of the pocket: provided that when coincident perforations are present towards one such at least substantially coincident position the recess is provided in the other such position.

9. A preliminary shape as claimed in claim 8 in which the or each recess is formed in one cover foil, and the adjacent folded foil portion, only.

10. A preliminary shape as claimed in any one preceding claim in which the cover foils themselves are two like folded portions of a single integral cover.

11. A preliminary shape as claimed in any one preceding claim in which the innerfoil is thinner than the cover foil.

12. A preliminary shape as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

13. The combination of a preliminary shape as claimed in any one preceding claim with a document laminated within the adhesive-coated inner surface of the cover foils.

14. The combination as claimed in claim 13 having additional identifying material within the or each pocket inside the folded portion.