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 web includes an inflation zone, a first inflatable panel in fluid communication with the inflation zone, and a second inflatable panel in fluid communication with the inflation zone. The first inflatable panel includes a first sheet juxtaposed on a second sheet. The first and second sheets are sealed together to form inflatable chambers. The second inflatable panel include a third sheet juxtaposed on a fourth sheet. The third and fourth sheets are sealed together to form inflatable chambers. The inflatable film is configured to be inflated by an inflation and sealing machine configured to direct gas into the inflatable chambers of the first and second inflatable panels via the inflation zone and to individually seal the inflatable chambers of the first and second inflatable panels.

A dunnage product has a length dimension with a first end and a second end opposite the first end. A plurality of segments are distributed along the length dimension between the first end and the second end, including an uncrumpled segment of uncrumpled sheet stock material. The uncrumpled segment is positioned between at least one randomly-crumpled segment of randomly-crumpled sheet stock material on each side of the uncrumpled segment. The uncrumpled segment facilitates easier insertion of the dunnage product into a container and allows for layering a crossing dunnage product without increasing the thickness of the products in the area of overlap.

A conversion assembly for a dunnage conversion machine includes both a downstream pair of rotatable members and an upstream pair of rotatable members upstream of the downstream rotatable members. The downstream rotatable members include a pair of gears, and each gear has a plurality of teeth and is rotatable about a respective axis. The gears are positioned so that the teeth of one gear are sequentially interlaced with the teeth of the other gear as the gears rotate. The upstream rotatable members include a pair of feed wheels, and the gears and the feed wheels define a path for a sheet stock material from between the upstream pair of feed wheels to between the downstream pair of gears. The rate at which the sheet stock material is advanced by the feed wheels is the same as the rate at which the sheet stock material is advanced by the gears.

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.

An inflatable packaging structure, including at least one inflatable panel made of a plurality of layers of thermoplastic material, the at least one inflatable panel includes a plurality of fluid chambers, whereas a one-way check valve is incorporated into at least one of the plurality of fluid chambers, an air supply line, configured to commonly communicate with each of the one-way check valves to supply fluid into the fluid chambers; and at least two heat sealed edges formed on the at least one inflatable panel, each of which is configured to attach a portion of the at least one inflatable panel to another portion thereof; and wherein the at least two heat sealed edges extend generally in parallel with respect to each other and configured to form the inflatable packaging structure with at least partially rectangular cross-section, having at least four faces.

In accordance with a broad embodiment of the invention, a novel paper product is comprised of two or more slit sheet packing material layers, each layer having its own slit pattern design to create interlocking layers of expansion sheet packaging materials. Each layer expands to create a three dimensional open netting of cells of hexagons, and the like, and is designed to have limited nesting with its opposing layer, thereby maximizing the thickness of the combined layers as compared to nested layers. Adjacent layers have differing slit patterns and can be expanded through expander type machinery such that the expansion rates of the differing slit pattern layers can be varied to deliver the same width of exiting expanded material from each layer. Preferably the differing slit pattern produce when expanded, inclined land areas that have the same number of rows per inch, but different angles of inclination of the land areas, such that adjacent layers can interlock, that is, have a restricted amount of nesting.

A bundle of packing material includes at least two strips of packing material folded into a compact configuration. The strips of packing material include a top strip having a length dimension between first and second end portions and a central portion between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a bottom strip having a length dimension between first and second end portions and a central portion between the first end portion and the second end portion. The central portion of the top strip overlays the central portion of the bottom strip and the length dimension of the top strip is oriented orthogonal to the length dimension of the bottom strip. The first and second end portions of top strip are folded over the central portions, and the first and second end portions of the bottom strip are folded over the central portions.

A machine for making insulation may include two or more rotatory members configured to pull a precut insulation product at a first rate, wherein the precut insulation product comprises a first paper layer, a second paper layer, and a continuous paper core sheet, a first restraint and a second restraint spaced apart a predetermined distance to create a first space therebetween, and two or more second rotary members configured to feed a continuous paper sheet at a second rate into the first space such that the continuous paper sheet forms a plurality of flexible loops defining a plurality of air channels that extend in a direction that is substantially perpendicular with a machine direction. The first rate may be slower than the second rate.

The presently disclosed subject matter generally relates to recyclable insulation material for shipping containers, groceries bags, etc., machines for making the recyclable insulation material, and methods for the making the recyclable insulation material. In one aspect, an insulation product may include a first layer and a first continuous paper sheet formed into a first plurality of flexible loops disposed on and attached to the first layer and defining a first plurality of air channels that extend in a direction that is substantially perpendicular with a machine direction of the insulation product. A take up factor of the first continuous paper sheet to the first layer may be greater than 1:1.