Laminating apparatus and laminating method therefor, and printing apparatus

1. A laminating apparatus for laminating a laminate material provided on a film onto a card comprising:

means for transporting the card;

means for supplying the film so as to overlap the film with the card transported by the means for transporting the card;

means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material on the film overlapped with the card onto the card;

means for driving the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material on the film to move from a standby location where the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material is separated from the film to a compression bonding location where the laminate material is thermally compression bonded on the card;

means for taking up the film overlapped with the card;

a first guide for guiding the film in a supply side of the film before the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material;

a second guide for guiding the film in a take-up side of the film behind the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material; and

a movable third guide for guiding the film in an upstream side of the second guide and in a downstream side of the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material, wherein the movable third guide moves in accordance with movement of the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material that is driven by the means for driving the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material.

2. The laminating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

means for detecting a film mark provided on the film,

wherein the means for detecting a film mark detects the film mark when the means for driving the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material drives the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material to be at a positioning location between the standby location and the compression bonding location.

3. The laminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the card is passed through the laminating apparatus without laminating while the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material remains at the standby location.

4. The laminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the means for supplying the film, the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material, the means for driving the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material and the means for taking up the film is provided above and below the card respectively, and

wherein either one of the means for driving the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material respectively provided above and below the card drives the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material to move by means of an elastic body.

5. The laminating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the one means for driving a means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material on the film provided with the elastic body shifts the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material to the compression bonding location after the other means for driving another means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material provided with no elastic body shifts the other means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material to the compression bonding location.

6. The laminating apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein tension of the film caused by the means for taking up the film while laminating a laminate film on one surface of the card is set to be higher than that of laminating on both surfaces of the card when laminating a laminate material on only one surface of the card by removing the film from either one of the means for supplying the film provided above and below the card.

7. The laminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tension of the film caused by the film taking-up means is 5 to 10 N.

8. The laminating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a curvature radius of a contacting surface contacting with the film of the first guide is 5 mm or more.

9. A laminating apparatus for laminating a laminate material provided on a film onto a card comprising:

means for transporting the card;

means for supplying the film so as to overlap the film with the card transported by the means for transporting the card;

means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material on the film overlapped with the card onto the card;

means for driving the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material to approach or leave the card;

means for taking up the film overlapped with the card; and

means for detecting a film mark provided on the film so as to position the laminate material,

wherein the means for driving the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material drives the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material to move to a first location separated from a transporting path of the card when transporting the card, and

wherein the means for driving the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material drives the means for thermally compression bonding the laminate material to move to a second location close to the transporting path of the card more than the first location when detecting the film mark by the means for detecting a film mark.

10. A printing apparatus comprising:

the laminating apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

a card printer conducting a printing process to a card and supplying the printed card to the laminating apparatus.