A packing material including a plurality of discrete cushioning elements and methods for making the same. The discrete cushioning elements may be cellulosic cushioning elements. A flexible linkage may connect the plurality of discrete cushioning elements in the packing material. The packing material may also include a bottom cellulosic sheet connected to a top cellulosic sheet with the plurality of cellulosic cushioning elements positioned between the top cellulosic sheet and the bottom cellulosic sheet. The packing material may also be a molded packing material that includes bonds comprising adhesive and cellulosic fibers. The adhesive and cellulosic fibers of the bonds may be dispersed between the folds of each of the cellulosic cushioning elements.

A machine for converting two different types of webs of inflatable material to two different types of inflated cushioning material includes an inflation arrangement, a sealing arrangement, and a tensioning device. The inflation arrangement is configured to provide air at a lower pressure to a first web of a first type of inflatable material to inflate the first type of inflatable material, and to provide air at a higher pressure to a second type of inflatable material to inflate the second type of inflatable material. The inflation arrangement includes a guide pin configured to the first and second webs and align the first and second webs on the machine. The sealing arrangement is configured to seal the first type of inflatable material and the second type of inflatable material to create the two different types of inflated cushioning material. The tensioning device is configured to provide a lower tensioning force to the first web as the first web moves between the inflation arrangement and the sealing arrangement, and to provide a higher tensioning force to the second web as the second web moves between the inflation arrangement and the sealing arrangement.

A web of uninflated scented air pillows and a method of forming an air pillow filled with scented air. A scented material is applied to a first surface of a sheet of film material. The sheet of film material is formed into a two-ply web of film material with the first surface positioned as an inner surface within that web. A series of uninflated air chambers are formed in the two-ply web of film material, each of the uninflated air chambers bounded transversely and at a bottom edge and having an open upper longitudinal edge. In this manner, each of uninflated air chambers has scented material on an interior surface thereof. Each uninflated air chambers can be inflated and sealed to form an air pillow. The scented material on the inner surface of the inflated air chambers evaporates upon filling and the air within each inflated air pillow becomes scented.

A connective protective packaging element is provided. The connective protective packaging element may include a protective body in a high-density supply configuration. The protective body may be configurable into a low-density configuration for cushioning packaged products. The body may include an exposed surface in the low-density configuration. The connective protective packaging element may also include a bonding element attached to the exposed surface that operably bonds the exposed surface to an abutting surface by contact with the bonding element.

An inflatable packaging material includes two outer films, a plurality of valve films, and a non-sealable material positioned between the valve films. The films are sealed together by a plurality of seals, including a valve seal extending across the material. The seals define a plurality of air columns and an inflation passage in communication with the columns. The non-sealable material is arranged to form valve portions positioned along the valve seal and spaced passage portions positioned along the inflation passage. The valve portions provide valve passages through the valve seal, to allow airflow into each air column. The passage portions are arranged such that one side seal passes through a space between the passage portions to seal one end of the inflation passage, and the other side seal passes through one of the passage portions to create an open inflation port. The valve films allow air to pass through from the inflation passage to the columns, and prevent reverse flow of air from the columns into the inflation passage.

An inflatable cellular cushioning article has a plurality of inflatable chambers with each chamber comprising a plurality of inflatable cells connected in series with one another by connecting channels. The article is made from a first multilayer film sealed to itself or to a second film. The first film comprises a plurality of microlayers. At least 50 percent of the microlayers comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene homopolymer, ethylene copolymer, propylene homopolymer, and propylene copolymer.

The present disclosure is directed to a compression belt for inflation and sealing devices. The device may include an inflation assembly, a heating assembly, and a drive mechanism. The inflation assembly may direct fluid between first and second overlapping plies of a flexible web material to inflate chambers between the plies. The heating assembly may be operable to heat the first and second plies of the web material to create a longitudinal heat seal that seals the fluid in the inflated chambers. The drive mechanism may drive the web material in a downstream direction. The drive mechanism may tension the web material against the heating assembly. The drive mechanism may include a first belt including a high grip material on a surface that contacts the web material to grip the web material during heating by the heating assembly.

A packing material including a plurality of discrete cushioning elements and methods for making the same. The discrete cushioning elements may be cellulosic cushioning elements. A flexible linkage may connect the plurality of discrete cushioning elements in the packing material. The packing material may also include a bottom cellulosic sheet connected to a top cellulosic sheet with the plurality of cellulosic cushioning elements positioned between the top cellulosic sheet and the bottom cellulosic sheet. The packing material may also be a molded packing material that includes bonds comprising adhesive and cellulosic fibers. The adhesive and cellulosic fibers of the bonds may be dispersed between the folds of each of the cellulosic cushioning elements.

A method and device for sealing gas in a gas compartment-equipped bag, in which pressurized gas discharge outlets are provided in the distal ends of a horn and an anvil of an ultrasonic sealing device, and such horn and anvil used for ultrasonic sealing are also used as gas-discharging nozzles. The distal ends of the horn and the anvil are placed against a cutout of a gas compartment of a bag, a gas is discharged into the gas compartment from the discharge outlets, the films surrounding the cutout are being clamped by the horn and the anvil while gas discharging is in progress, and then the gas compartment is ultrasonically sealed by the horn and the anvil to trap the gas inside.

An inflation device for pressurized inflation of an un-inflated package, the package comprising two layers, which are generally flat prior to inflation, and an inflation opening, the inflation device comprising an inflation tool, for contacting the package at the inflation opening to inflate the package through the inflation opening using inflation fluid from a pressure source, the inflation tool having an enclosing surface to enclose the inflation opening externally of the package. The inflation tool is larger than the inflation opening so as to ensure that the inflation opening is actually enclosed.