WO1997018274A1

WO1997018274A1 - Laser printer laminating technology

Info

Publication number: WO1997018274A1
Application number: PCT/US1996/017514
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ghanshyam Popat
Original assignee: Avery Dennison Corporation
Priority date: 1995-10-31
Filing date: 1996-10-31
Publication date: 1997-05-22
Also published as: AU7529996A

Abstract

A laminating assembly and method laminates sheet material (22) by sandwiching the sheet material (22) within laminating material (12) coated with heat-activated adhesive (14, 46) and feeding the sandwiched material into a common office machine with heated rollers such as a laser printer (24). The laminating material (12) is either foldable about a central fold line (20) or cut along the fold line (20) to form two laminating material sheets (42, 44). The heat-activated adhesive (14, 46) is activated in a temperature range at which the laser printer (24) operates. Room-temperature-active, pressure-sensitive adhesive (30, 50) is applied to the laminating material (12) on the same side as the heat-activated adhesive (14, 46) so that the sheet material (22) may be securely positioned and held in place within the laminating material (12) during the laminating process.

Description

LASER PRINTER LAMINATING TECHNOLOGY

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an assembly and a method for laminating sheet material in a common office machine such as a laser printer or a photocopier using heat-activated adhesive.

Description of the Related Art

Generally speaking, most lamination processes involve enveloping an object to be laminated with a transparent plastic material and applying heat to meld the plastic material or adhesive coated on the plastic material together around the edges of the object and to the object itself. Various techniques have been developed with the goal to simplify this process and to make it more widely applicable.

One example of prior laminating technology is U.S. Patent No. 4,243,458 which issued January 6, 1981 , to J. D. Giulie and which describes a method for making a prefabricated laminating packet with a tab. The laminating packet according to Giulie has a pair of laminating sheets which are held together in a proper relationship by a pull-off tab attached by means which are not heat responsive such as special tape. The pull tab enables an operator to utilize such laminating packets with laminating machines having heated platens and rollers and either with or without a dedicated carrier. After the laminating sheets have been heated, the tab is removed and discarded. Drawbacks of such a laminating packet include the need to utilize a dedicated laminating machine as well as the specialized pull-tab structure for use with laminating machines, both drawbacks unnecessarily increasing the cost of utilizing such laminating technology.

Accordingly, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide laminating technology which is widely applicable and easily implemented.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an assembly and method for laminating sheet material without the use of a dedicated laminating machine. It is further object of the present invention to provide an assembly and method for laminating sheet material which allows a user to print on the laminating assembly either while the laminating assembly is in the process of laminating the sheet material or after the laminating assembly has already laminated the sheet material.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an assembly and method for laminating sheet material which holds the sheet material in place during the lamination process.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for laminating sheet material which employs a simple laminating assembly and does not require a dedicated laminating machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects are achieved by the laminating technology, including an assembly and a method for laminating sheet material, of the present invention. According to a broad aspect of the laminating technology of the present invention, a laminating assembly includes laminating material coated on one face thereof with heat-activated adhesive. Sheet material to be laminated is positionable or mountable within the laminating material against the heat-activated adhesive so that the sheet material (or other flat material to be laminated) is enveloped or sandwiched by the laminating material. The laminating material with the sheet material sandwiched therein may then be fed through a machine having heated rollers such as a laser printer, a photocopier, or other similar office machine to activate the heat-activated adhesive, thereby laminating the sheet material. One feature of the laminating assembly of the present invention is that the laminating material may be one single sheet of laminating material which is foldable about a central transverse fold line, or two sheets of laminating material. Another aspect of the present laminating technology is that room- temperature-active, pressure-sensitive adhesive may be applied to the laminating material to hold the sheet material in place during the lamination process. The room-temperature-active adhesive is applied in any desired pattern or position, but it is preferable for this adhesive to be applied along the fold line for easiest alignment and positioning of the sheet material to be laminated.

Unlike prior laminating technologies, one particular advantage of the present invention is that the laminating technology laminates sheet material by coating the laminating material with a heat-activated adhesive which is activated by temperatures common to the heated rollers of office machines such as laser printers or photocopiers, for example, an effective temperature of about 175 degrees to 250 or 300 degrees Fahrenheit for a sheet going through the rollers.

Accordingly, a dedicated laminating machine is not required. Furthermore, while the laminating assembly is being fed through a laser printer or a photocopier, a user may print alphanumeric text onto the laminating material at the same time or at some time in the future after the sheet material has already been laminated. This is particularly advantageous for customizing exhibits and the like.

According to yet another aspect of the laminating technology of the present invention, a method for laminating sheet material includes coating laminating material with heat-activated adhesive, mounting sheet material within the laminating material, and feeding the sandwich structure of laminate and sheet material into a laser printer.

The invention may also include the application of room-temperature-active, pressure-sensitive adhesive to the laminating material to hold the sheet material in place during the lamination process.

One advantage of the inventive method is that sheet material may be laminated by a common office machine such as a laser printer or a photocopier.

Therefore, a user may also print on the laminating material during or after the lamination process. This also results in eliminating the need for a dedicated laminating machine and trained personnel to operate such a machine, and accordingly provides a more economical and convenient laminating method.

Other aspects, features, and advantages of the laminating technology of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a laminating assembly illustrating the principles of laminating technology of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a laminating assembly shown with sheet material to be laminated mounted or sandwiched therein;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a laminating assembly with the sandwiched sheet material being fed into a laser printer;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a laminating assembly with sheet material laminated therein, particularly showing printing on the laminating assembly; and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a laminating assembly illustrating the principles of laminating technology of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, exemplary heat-activated laminating assemblies are shown and illustrate the principles of the laminating technology of the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of this technology may take many different forms; however, the disclosure herein will detail only specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention and will not provide an exhaustive description of all other embodiments within the scope of the laminating technology set forth herein and in the appended claims.

Particularly referencing FIG. 1 of the drawings, a laminating assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown. The laminating assembly 10 generally includes laminating material 12 coated on one side or face thereof with heat-activated adhesive 14. The sheet of laminating material 12 may be divided into two substantially equal portions 16 and 18 along a central fold line 20 transversely defined substantially across the middle of the laminating material 12.

The laminating material 12 may be made from any suitable laminating material. Laminating material is generally plastic-like and is nonreactive or inert up to relatively high temperatures in order for a laminating machine to activate the adhesive with heat while not damaging the laminating material itself. An example of such laminating material is polyethylene terephthalate, commonly known as mylar.

Referring to FIG. 2, the laminating assembly 10 is shown with the laminating material 12 folded substantially in half along the fold line 20. Stock to be laminated, e.g., sheet material 22 such as paper, is positioned between the portions 16 and 18 of the laminating material 12 with the heat-activated adhesive

14 directed toward the sheet material 22. The laminating material 12 is preferably at least twice as large in dimensional as the sheet material 22 to be laminated, whereby each portion 16 and 18 is at least the same size as and preferably a little larger than the sheet material 22 so that opposing edges of the halves 16 and 18 meet and align with each other. Further, the sheet material 22 should be centered within the folded laminating material 12 between the portions 16 and 18. At room temperatures, the heat-activated adhesive 14 is not active so that the adhesive 14 is not substantially tacky; therefore, the sheet material 22 may be moved freely around on the laminating material 12 against the adhesive 14 for desired positioning.

With additional reference to FIG. 3, the laminating material 12 with the centrally positioned, enveloped sheet material 22 is fed into a laser printer 24 as shown by arrow 26. The laminate-material/sheet-material combination is preferably fed into the printer 24 by means of a single-load tray 28, which is common to laser printers or other office machines, but may also be fed by means of a dedicated paper tray as well. It is also preferable for the fold line 20 to define the leading edge of the laminating assembly 10 during the printing operation to minimize the possibility of the laminating material 12 folding back and catching on different internal parts of the laser printer 24. With the fold line 20 defining the leading edge of the laminating assembly 10, the laminating assembly 10 is then fed through the laser printer 24 along the longitudinal axis of the laminating material 12, with the fold line 20 defining a transverse axis.

Laser printers such as the one shown in FIG. 3 typically employ rollers to advance printing stock therethrough. The temperature of these rollers and other heated elements within the printer 24 is typically in the range of about 375 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the effective temperature of the rollers relative to sheet material fed through them is estimated to be in the range of 175 degrees Fahrenheit to 250 or 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, the adhesive 14 used to coat the laminating material 12 is preferably heat activatable around the latter temperature range, i.e. , approximately 150 degrees to 275 degrees and, more generally, below the effective temperature of the office printing machine to be used. Further, the laminating material 12 is then preferably nonreactive or inert to heat within the temperature range at which the laser printer operates.

As the laminate-material/sheet-material combination or sandwich structure passes through the laser printer 24, the heat from the rollers, printing heads, heating elements, and/or other internal heated structures activate the adhesive 14, causing the adhesive 14 to adhere to the sheet material 22 and to the corresponding opposing overlapping edge portions of the laminating material 12. The sheet material 22 is therefore laminated within the laminating material 12 and protected from moisture, dust, and so on.

In order to apply the laminating technology of the present invention conveniently to laser printers and other office printing machines with heating elements, the overall thickness of the laminate-material/sheet-material structure must be on the order which a laser printer can handle without jamming or malfunctioning. This operating thickness range for most laser printers is approximately 2 mils to 15 mils. Therefore, the thickness of the laminate- material/sheet-material structure should also be in this approximate operating thickness range. Generally speaking, paper for use with laser printers and photocopiers has a thickness approximately in the range of 2 mils to 5 mils. The heat-activated adhesive 14 is preferably coated onto the laminating material 12 with a thickness in the range of approximately '/. mil to 1 mil. The thickness of the laminating material 12 is preferably in the range of approximately l '/ mils to 3 mils. Accordingly, the overall thickness of the laminating assembly 10 with the sheet material 22 sandwiched therein may be in the range of approximately 6 mils to 12 mils, depending upon the specific application, but will most often be in the range of approximately 10 mils to 12 mils. Although the laminating technology disclosed herein is shown in relation to a laser printer, any other machines with heating elements may be used with the laminating assembly 10, including other office machines, such as photocopiers, facsimile machines, and multifunction machines with facsimile and photocopy capability, or dedicated laminating machines, if desired. However, because of the proliferation of laser printers in offices and homes today, laser printers offer a convenient and widely applicable heat source for the laminating assembly. With further reference to FIG. 1 , room-temperature-active adhesive 30 is preferably applied to the laminating material 12 on the same face as the heat- activated adhesive 14. The room-temperature-active adhesive 30 is active, i.e. , tacky, at room temperatures and is preferably pressure sensitive. More specifically, the room-temperature-active adhesive 30 is applied to at least one of the portions 16 or 18 of the laminating material 12 defined by the fold line 20. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 , the room-temperature-active adhesive 30 is applied to the laminating material 12 on portion 18 along the fold line 20, extending transversely from one longitudinal edge to the other. Although any suitable application may be employed, it is preferable for the room-temperature- active adhesive 30 to be applied or layered directly onto the heat-activated adhesive

14 in the form of a strip. Alternatively, the room-temperature-active adhesive 30 may be applied directly to the laminating material 12 without the heat-activated adhesive 14 extending over the strip 30, depending upon the particular laminating application or production technique. Further referencing FIG. 2, with the application of the room-temperature- active adhesive 30, when the sheet material 22 to be laminated is placed, positioned, or mounted on one of the portions 16 or 18, the room-temperature- active, pressure-sensitive adhesive 30 aids in holding the sheet material 22 in place while the other portion 16 or 18 is folded over to sandwich the sheet material 22 within the laminating material 12. The room-temperature-active adhesive 30 further aids in holding the sheet material 22 in place while the laminate-material/sheet- material combination is being handled prior to and during the lamination process. It has been found that a single strip of adhesive 30 applied along the fold line 20 is effective in holding one of the edges of the sheet material 22 in alignment with the fold line 20, as well as generally aligning the sheet material 22 with the other edges of the laminating material 12. Also according to the laminating technology disclosed herein is the application of additional room-temperature adhesive to other areas of the laminating material 12, if desired, to further secure the sheet material 22 or to secure other areas of the sheet material 22 within the laminating material 12.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4 in which is shown the sheet material 22 laminated within the laminating material 12. As mentioned above, it is preferable for the top edge of the sheet of material 24 to abut the fold line 20, particularly if the room-temperature-active adhesive 30 is applied along the fold line 20. As the laminating assembly according to the laminating technology described thus far may employ common office machines such as laser printers, photocopiers, and multifunction facsimile/photocopy machines to provide the necessary heat to activate the heat-activated adhesive, then it is further preferable to be able to print indicia or other text onto the laminating material 12. The printing of alphanumeric text may take place while the lamination process initially takes place, as shown in FIG. 3, or after the sheet material 22 is already laminated within the laminate sheet 12. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, the sheet material 22 laminated by the laminating material 12 may be a letter serving as an exhibit in, for example, a legal proceeding. Therefore, a user may desire to print corresponding indicia on the laminating material 12 by means of a computer word- processing program and the laser printer 24 or by means of a photocopier. An additional exemplary embodiment of a laminating assembly 40 according to the principles of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5. Instead of a single sheet of foldable laminating material, the laminating assembly 40 according to this embodiment includes two separate laminating material sheets 42 and 44 coated with heat-activated adhesive 46 on one side or face thereof. The laminating material sheets 42 and 44 may be coated with the heat-activated adhesive 46 individually or may be formed by cutting the laminating material 12 shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 along the fold line 20, such that the portions 16 and 18 substantially form the laminating material sheets 42 and 44.

According to this embodiment, a sheet of material 48 to be laminated is positioned or placed between the laminating material sheets 42 and 44 with the layered or sandwiched combination of sheets being fed into, for example, a laser printer as shown and described in relation to FIG. 3. As previously described, it is preferable for the laminating material sheets 42 and 44 to be slightly larger than the sheet of material 48 to be laminated so that the sheet of material 48 is completely protected on all sides from the elements.

In addition to the coating of heat-activated adhesive 46, room-temperature- active adhesive 50 may be applied to at least one but preferably both of the laminating material sheets 42 and 44. Although the room-temperature-active adhesive 50 may be applied in any desired pattern or position on the laminating material sheets 42 and 44, it is preferable for the adhesive 50 to be applied along edges of the laminating material sheets 42 and 44 to stably secure the sheet of material 48 between the laminating material sheets 42 and 44 prior to applying heat for lamination. Furthermore, it is desirable to apply the room-temperature-active, pressure-sensitive adhesive strips 50 in the form of strips at least along the edges of the laminating material sheets 42 and 44 which define the leading and trailing edges of the laminate assembly 40 while being fed into a heat-providing machine such as a laser printer.

According to alternative embodiments of the laminating technology of the present invention, only one laminating material sheet 42 (or 44) may be used to laminate only one side of the sheet material 48 with the other side of the sheet material 48 remaining not laminated or exposed. Alternatively, multiple sheets of the laminating material sheets 42 and 44 may be used to create a desired laminating effect or layered sheet-material/laminating-material structure; or the upper layer and/or the lower layer of laminating material may be formed of two or more adjacent or slightly overlapping sheets.

With general reference to the drawings, an exemplary method of the laminating technology of the present invention generally includes the steps of coating the heat-activated adhesive 14 or 46 onto one face of the laminating material 12 or 42 and 44; placing, positioning, mounting, or enveloping the sheet material 12 or 48 onto or within the laminating material against the heat-activated adhesive to form a layered or sandwich structure; and feeding the laminate-and- sheet-material sandwich structure into a heat-providing machine such as a laser printer. The method may further include the steps of applying room-temperature- active, pressure-sensitive adhesive 30 or 50 to the face of the laminating material coated with the heat-activated adhesive; and printing text onto the face of the laminating material which does not have the heat-activated adhesive coated thereon. Alternatively, the sheet material 12 or 48 may be placed, positioned, or mounted against or on only one sheet of the laminating material 42 or 44 so as to laminate only one side of the sheet material. In addition, the sheet material 12 or

48 may be mounted or enveloped by more than two sheets of laminating material 12 or 42 and 44, depending upon the particular effect desired by an individual user, with the plural sheets of laminating material forming a layered structure.

Regarding the two types of adhesive according to the laminating technology disclosed herein, the heat-activated adhesive 14 and 46 is preferably an amorphous polyhexane adhesive which is substantially clear at least upon activation and also resistant to ultraviolet light so as not to discolor or deteriorate over time. However, other suitable heat-activated adhesives may be used as well, including hot-melt adhesives or thermoplastic cements such as polyamide resins. Further, depending upon the temperature of the heat-supplying machine like a laser printer, modifiers such as plasticizers, polymers, resinous materials, and waxes may be added to the heat-activated adhesive so that the heat-activated adhesive will be active at lower or higher temperatures or at a specific temperature below the temperature at which a particular office machine operates. Furthermore, the heat-activated adhesive 14 and 46 is inactive at room temperatures which may be as high as approximately

130 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, particularly in areas which are typically not air conditioned such as storage areas and transportation containers.

One example of a commercially available adhesive is Adcote^® 33G 1AM heat seal coating produced by Morton International, Inc. , of Chicago, Illinois. Adcote 33G1AM is a solvent-based gel lacquer and may be used as a heat seal coating on polyester film, oriented polypropylene films, primed aluminum foil, and paper. Adcote 33G1AM is formulated to seal to oriented polystyrene, HIPS, rigid polyvinylchloride, high-density polyethylene, or polypropylene. Coatings made from Adcote 33G 1AM are clear, have good blocking resistance, and good hot tack properties. Typical properties of Adcote 33G1AM generally include: solids of about 28.5 % , viscosity of 450 cps at 125 °F, density of about 7. 1 lbs./gal. at 125 °F, solvents of Toluene/VM&P Naphtha, and a minimum heat-activation range of about 200°F to 250°F. Another example of a suitable adhesive is Adcote^® 37T77 water-based heat seal coating also produced by Morton International, Inc. , which is resistant to higher levels of moisture than is Adcote 33G1AM. Typical properties of Adcote 37T77 generally include: solids of about 35% , viscosity of less than 350 cps at 77°F, density of about 8.2 lbs. /gal., and a minimum heat- activation range of about 180°F to 250°F.

The room-temperature-active adhesive 30 and 50 may be a propylene- hexene copolymer with a melting point of about 250 degrees Fahrenheit and a peel force of about two-and-a-half pounds to five pounds for a one-inch strip pulled off stainless steel. This type of room-temperature-active, pressure-sensitive adhesive is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,262,216 issued on November 16, 1993, to G. H. Popat et al. , which is incorporated herein by reference.

Further referencing the laminating material 12 and the laminating material sheets 42 and 44, the size of the laminating material should be at least slightly larger than the sheet material 22 and 48 to be laminated. As the most common size of paper in the United States is 8'/₂ inches by 1 1 inches, the laminating material 12 should be at least 8V2 inches by 22 inches and preferably 8% inches by 22 V* inches so that there is at least an eighth of an inch overlap around the edges of the sheet material 22. More generally, the laminating material should be at least one- and-a-half percent larger than the sheet material 22 and 48 to be laminated. In addition, the laminating material 12 and the laminating material sheets 42 and 44 may be suitable adapted for use with other sizes of sheet material which are readily used in heat-providing office machines such as laser printers, for example, A4 (8.27 inches by 11.69 inches), legal (8V2 inches by 14 inches), and so on. Finally, it is preferable for the laminating material 12, 42, and 44 to be clear or translucent so that the sheet material 22 and 48 is viewable therethrough, and to be an ultraviolet-light retardant to provide further protection for the heat-activated adhesive 14 and 46 applied thereon.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the preceding exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide foundation for numerous alternatives and modifications. These other modifications are also within the scope of the laminating technology of the present invention. Thus, by way of example but not of limitation, the laminating assembly and method of the present invention may be configured for various types of stock or material to be laminated such as a document or a leaf from a tree, for example, and for various heat-providing devices such as heat presses used for mounting photographs or even household irons. Furthermore, the heat-activated adhesive may be suitable modified to be active in any particular temperature range. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to that precisely shown and described herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for protecting sheet material by laminating, comprising the steps of: coating two sheets of plastic laminating material at least one of which is transparent, with high temperature activated adhesive; coating one of said sheets of plastic laminating material with at least one stripe of room temperature active pressure sensitive adhesive; mounting a special sheet to be protected between said two sheets of plastic laminating material and engaging said stripe of pressure sensitive adhesive to locate said special sheet relative to said sheets of plastic laminating material with the high temperature activated adhesive coatings facing said special sheet to form a three layer sandwich assembly; and feeding said three layer sandwich assembly through a copier or a printer having heated rollers to activate said heat activated adhesive to bond said layers of plastic sheet material together and to said special sheet and to optionally apply additional indicia to said assembly.

2. A method as defined in Claim 1 , including the step of forming said two plastic sheets from a single large sheet folded substantially in half.

3. A method as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein said first coating step includes coating with a heat activated adhesive which has an activation temperature on the order of 160 degrees to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. A method as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein said first coating step includes coating with a heat activated adhesive which is ultraviolet ray discoloration resistant.

5. A method as defined in any of the preceding claims, including the step of printing additional indicia onto said assembly as it is fed through a printer or copier. 6. A method as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein said two sheets of plastic laminating material are separate, and including the step of coating a stripe of room temperature active pressure sensitive adhesive onto both said two sheets of plastic laminating material to hold said assembly together as it is fed through the printer or copier.

An assembly for laminating sheet material, the assembly consisting of: laminating material; and heat-activated adhesive coated on one face of said laminating material; said laminating material being nonreactive to heat up to a predetermined temperature; said laminating material having a fold line defined across approximately a middle of said laminating material defining a first portion and a second portion of said laminating material; and said heat-activated adhesive being substantially inactive at room temperature and being activated within a temperature range less than said predetermined temperature.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein said laminating material is cut along said fold line such that said first and second portions of said laminate assembly define separate laminating material sheets.

9. The assembly of claim 7 or 8, further consisting of room- temperature-active adhesive applied to said face of said laminating material having said heat-activated adhesive.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said room-temperature-active adhesive is applied along said fold line on at least one of said portions of said laminating material.

1 1. The assembly of any of claims 7 to 10, wherein said heat-activated adhesive is activated in a temperature range of approximately 150 degrees to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

12. The assembly of any of claims 7 to 11 , wherein said laminating material is able to be printed upon.

13. The assembly of any of claims 7 to 12, wherein said laminating material has a thickness in the range of approximately one-half mil to five mils.

14. The assembly of any of claims 7 to 13, wherein said heat-activated adhesive is coated in a thickness of approximately one mil.

15. The assembly of any of claims 7 to 14, wherein said heat-activated adhesive is amoφhous polyhexane.

16. The assembly of any of claims 7 to 15, wherein said heat-activated adhesive is substantially nonreactive to ultraviolet light.

17. The assembly of any of claims 7 to 16, wherein said laminating material is polyethylene terephthalate.

18. A method for laminating comprising the steps of: coating one face of laminating material with heat-activated adhesive, said laminating material being nonreactive to heat up to a predetermined temperature; mounting sheet material in engagement with said laminating material; and feeding said laminating material with said sheet material through a machine capable of printing and having heating elements heated to a temperature which activates said heat-activated adhesive and which is lower than said predetermined temperature.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said mounting step comprises the steps of: positioning sheet material on one portion of said laminating material against said heat-activated adhesive; and folding the remaining portion of said laminating material over said sheet material.

20. The method of claim 18 or 19, wherein said coating step comprises the step of: coating one face of laminating material with heat-activated adhesive, said laminating material being nonreactive to heat up to a predetermined temperature, said laminating material comprising a pair of laminating material sheets.

21. The method of any of claims 18 to 20, further comprising the step of cutting said laminating material into two laminating material sheets.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said mounting step comprises the steps of: positioning sheet material on one of said pair of laminating material sheets against said heat-activated adhesive; and positioning the other of said pair of laminating material sheets against the sheet material.

23. The method of any of claims 18 to 22, further comprising the step of: applying room-temperature-active adhesive to said face of said laminating material coated with said heat-activated adhesive on at least one portion of said laminating material.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said applying step comprises the step of: applying room-temperature-active adhesive to said face of said laminating material coated with said heat-activated adhesive, said room-temperature-active adhesive being located across approximately a middle portion of said laminating material.

25. The method of claim 23 or 24, wherein said mounting step comprises the step of: engaging said room-temperature-active adhesive with sheet material to be laminated on one portion of said laminating material; and positioning the remaining portion of said laminating material over the sheet material.

26. The method of any of claims 18 to 25, wherein said feeding step comprises the step of: feeding said laminating material with said sheet material through a laser printer having heating elements heated to a temperature which activates said heat- activated adhesive and which is lower than said predetermined temperature.

27. The method of any of claims 18 to 26, further comprising the step of printing on said laminating material with said machine capable of printing.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein said mounting step comprises the step of: mounting sheet material in engagement with only one sheet of said laminating material so that one side of said sheet material is not laminated.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein said mounting step comprises the step of: mounting sheet material in engagement with more than two sheets of said laminating material.

30. An assembly for laminating sheet material, the assembly comprising: laminating material nonreactive to heat up to a predetermined temperature; heat-activated adhesive coated on one face of said laminating material, said heat-activated adhesive being substantially inactive at room temperature and being activated within a temperature range less than said predetermined temperature; and room-temperature-active adhesive applied on said face of said laminating material coated with said heat-activated adhesive.

31. A method for laminating sheet material comprising the steps of: sandwiching sheet material to be laminated within a laminate assembly comprising material which is nonreactive to heat up to a predetermined temperature and which is coated with adhesive activated in a temperature range lower than said predetermined temperature; and feeding the sheet material enveloped in said laminate assembly into a common office machine having heating elements heated to a temperature which activates said adhesive.

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 5 March 1997 (05.03.97); original claims 7, 15, 18, 30 and 31 amended; new claims 32-36 added; remaining claims unchanged (7 pages)]

5. A method as defined in any of the preceding claims, including the step of printing additional indicia onto said assembly as it is fed through a printer or copier.

AMEN TI 1 6. A method as defined in any of the preceding claims, wherein said two sheets of plastic laminating material are separate, and including the step of coating a stripe of room temperature active pressure sensitive adhesive onto both said two sheets of plastic laminating material to hold said assembly together as it is fed through the printer or copier.

An assembly for laminating sheet material, the assembly consisting of: laminating material; and heat-activated adhesive coated on one face of said laminating material; said laminating material being nonreactive to heat up to a predetermined temperature; said laminating material having a fold line defined across approximately a middle of said laminating material defining a first portion and a second portion of said laminating material; said heat-activated adhesive being substantially inactive at room temperature and being activated within a temperature range less than said predetermined temperature; and said temperature range not exceeding an effective temperature range of an office printing machine.

11. The assembly of any of claims 7 to 10, wherein said heat-activated adhesive is activated in a temperature range of approximately 150 degrees to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

15. The assembly of any of claims 7 to 14, wherein said heat-activated adhesive is amoφhous propylene-hexene.

18. A method for laminating comprising the steps of: coating one face of laminating material with heat-activated adhesive, said laminating material being nonreactive to heat up to a predetermined temperature; mounting sheet material in engagement with said laminating material; and feeding said laminating material with said sheet material through an office machine capable of printing and having heating elements heated to a temperature which activates said heat-activated adhesive and which is lower than said predetermined temperature.

30. An assembly for laminating sheet material, the assembly comprising: laminating material nonreactive to heat up to a predetermined temperature; heat-activated adhesive coated on one face of said laminating material, said heat-activated adhesive being substantially inactive at room temperature and being activated within a temperature range less than said predetermined temperature; and room-temperature-active adhesive applied on said face of said laminating material coated with said heat-activated adhesive; said temperature range not exceeding an effective temperature range of an office printing machine.

31. A method for laminating sheet material comprising the steps of: sandwiching sheet material to be laminated within a laminate assembly comprising material which is nonreactive to heat up to a predetermined temperature and which is coated with adhesive activated in a temperature range lower than said predetermined temperature; and feeding the sheet material enveloped in said laminate assembly into a common office printing machine having heating elements heated to a temperature which activates said adhesive.

32. A method of using an office printing machine for laminating sheet material, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing an office printing machine including heating elements having an effective temperature range; b) sandwiching sheet material to be laminated within a laminate assembly; the laminate assembly including laminating material and heat-activated adhesive coated on one face of the laminating material; and the heat-activated adhesive being activatible at temperatures not exceeding the effective temperature range of the office printing machine; and c) feeding the laminate assembly with the sandwiched sheet material into the office printing machine.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising the step of printing on the laminate assembly with the office printing machine.

34. The method of claim 32 or 33 wherein the providing step includes the step of providing a laser printer.

35. The method of claim 32 or 33 wherein the providing step includes the step of providing an office printing machine having an effective temperature range of approximately 175 degrees Fahrenheit to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

36. A method of using an office printing machine for performing two functions, including laminating sheet material and printing, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing an office printing machine including heating elements having an effective temperature range; b) sandwiching sheet material to be laminated within a laminate assembly; the laminate assembly including laminating material and heat-activated adhesive coated on one side of the laminating material; and the heat-activated adhesive being activatible at temperatures not exceeding the effective temperature range of the office printing machine; c) feeding the laminate assembly with the sandwiched sheet material into the office printing machine; and d) printing on the laminating material with the office printing machine as the laminate assembly with the sandwiched sheet material travels through the office printing machine; whereby the office printing machine performs two functions, including laminating the sheet material and printing on the laminating material of the laminate assembly.