In the preferred embodiments, the present invention provides substantially improved slit sheet cushioning products by advantageously combining novel paper properties with novel slit patterns for improved features and characteristics. In some illustrative and non-limiting example embodiments, cushioning products of the present invention can include, e.g., a novel slit sheet material in combination with extensible paper employed as, e.g., a cushioning pad or as cushioning within an envelope product, wherein the cushioning product can be substantially more resilient, but, yet, e.g., thinner for better utilization of space.

A dunnage conversion machine includes a frame, a supply support coupled to the frame for supporting a supply of expandable sheet stock material, and a pair of opposed expansion members rotatably coupled to the frame for rotation about respective axes. The expandable sheet stock material is gripped between the expansion members while it is drawn between the expansion members. Tension provided between a downstream pulling force downstream of the expansion members and the gripping force of the expansion members causes expansion of the expandable sheet stock material. Portions of the expansion members are periodically recessed to provide more uniform expansion of the expandable sheet stock material while reducing or altogether preventing jamming of expanding sheet stock material between the expansion members or tearing of the expanding sheet stock material adjacent the expansion members.

An extensible slit sheet paper product is produced having an expandable slit pattern that forms open cells upon expansion of the paper product. The paper product is an extensible paper having an extensibility in the range from 1-9% in the machine direction and 1-5% in the cross direction. The expansion produces an array of hexagonal cells. The expanded extensible paper can be used to wrap an object for shipping by wrapping and cushioning the object in the expanded slit sheet material. The extensible, expandable slit sheet paper can be wrapped around itself to produce a void fill product.

According to some illustrative embodiments, novel and advantageous systems, products and methods are provided employing novel folded multi-layer expandable slit-sheet paper. For example, in some illustrative embodiments, systems and methods can include, e.g., providing a sheet of paper, folding the sheet of paper at a fold line such as to form two adjacent layers, and cutting slits into said elongated sheet of paper with a cutting die having blades that penetrate each of said two adjacent layers such that said elongated sheet of paper forms an expandable slit sheet.

A dunnage conversion system (20) for expanding an unexpanded slit sheet stock material (23) to form an expanded dunnage product (26). The dunnage conversion system includes a converging chute (28) to inwardly gather laterally-extending edges of sheet stock material towards one another, causing random crumpling of the sheet stock material to form a modified ply. The conversion system also includes feed wheels (120) that advance the modified ply through the converging chute and pinch rollers (122) that cooperate with the feed wheels to expand the modified ply traveling between the feed wheels and the pinch rollers to form a dunnage product. The expanded dunnage product is expanded both in a longitudinal feed direction and in thickness as compared to the unexpanded slit sheet stock material, and thus is a three-dimensional product having increased volume and lower density per unit of length as compared to the unexpanded slit sheet stock material.

The present disclosure relates generally to tension-activated, expanding articles, films, and sheets. In some embodiments, these articles, films, and/or sheets are used as cushioning films and/or packaging materials. The present disclosure also relates to methods of making and using these tension-activated, expanding articles, films, and sheets.

A protective product, such as, e.g., an envelope or pouch, is provided that includes at least one expanded slit paper sheet in an expanded state, and an embossed paper sheet facing the expanded slit paper sheet and fixed to the expanded slit paper sheet along at least a portion of a length in an expansion direction of the expanded slit sheet paper. In the preferred embodiments, the embossed paper sheet has a plurality of embossings that increase the rigidity of the embossed paper sheet, thereby inhibiting deformation of the embossed paper sheet that is fixed to the expanded slit sheet paper.

In the preferred embodiments, the present invention provides substantially improved slit sheet cushioning products by advantageously combining novel paper properties with novel slit patterns for improved features and characteristics. In some illustrative and non-limiting example embodiments, cushioning products of the present invention can include, e.g., a novel slit sheet material in combination with extensible paper employed as, e.g., a cushioning pad or as cushioning within an envelope product, wherein the cushioning product can be substantially more resilient, but, yet, e.g., thinner for better utilization of space.

According to some illustrative embodiments, a protective product is provided that includes: at least one expandable slit paper sheet, said at least on expandable slit paper being expanded between opposing ends of said slit paper; a first embossed paper sheet facing said expanded slit paper sheet and a second paper sheet facing an opposite side of said at least one expanded slit paper sheet, at least one of said first embossed paper sheet and said second paper sheet being fixed to said expanded slit paper sheet at the opposing ends of said expanded slit paper sheet and thereby maintaining said expanded paper in its expanded state, said first embossed paper sheet having a plurality of embossings that increase the rigidity of said embossed paper sheet, whereby inhibiting deformation of said embossed paper sheet that is fixed to said expanded slit sheet paper.

According to some embodiments, methods of adjusting frictional resistance of an expandable slit sheet paper dispensed from a manual dispenser include, e.g.: supporting a roll of expandable slit sheet paper on a frame of the dispenser, said roll of expandable slit sheet paper having an initial diameter; manually pulling a distal end of the roll of expandable slit sheet paper from a perimeter of said roll such that the expandable slit sheet paper extends along an arc around a portion of a periphery of at least one bar that extends across a width of said expandable slit sheet paper, whereby applying a frictional resistance to the expandable slit sheet paper that causes said expandable slit sheet paper to expand and form open cells; and after dispensing expandable slit sheet paper from said roll such that a diameter of said roll is reduced from said initial roll diameter, adjusting said frictional resistance to the expandable slit sheet paper that causes said expandable slit sheet paper to expand and form open cells by altering a path of the expandable slit sheet paper around said at least one bar such as to increase the frictional resistance applied to the expandable slit sheet paper.