The present disclosure encompasses three-dimensional articles comprising flexible composite materials and methods of manufacturing said three-dimensional articles. More particularly, the present system relates to methods for manufacturing seamless three dimensional-shaped articles usable for such finished products as airbags/inflatable structures, bags, shoes, and similar three-dimensional products. A preferred manufacturing process combines composite molding methods with specific precursor materials to form flexible fiber-reinforced continuous shaped articles.

A system for active alignment of an inflatable web with respect to an inflation nozzle as the web is dispensed from a roll for serial inflation by the inflation nozzle, the inflatable web including top and bottom sheets sealed together by transverse seals to define a series of inflatable chambers having an opening between the terminal ends of the transverse seals and proximate a longitudinal edge of the web for receiving inflation fluid from the nozzle, the system comprising: a spool adapted to support the roll so that the roll rotates about the spool as the inflatable web is withdrawn from the roll; an actuator arranged to adjust the position of the roll along the length of the spool; an inflation nozzle adapted to provide inflation fluid into the openings of the inflatable chambers as the web travels along a path of travel past the inflation nozzle; a tracking sensor comprising: a sensor arm pivotally mounted at a pivot point at a given location relative the inflation nozzle, the sensor arm having a contact portion, the sensor arm adapted to pivot on the pivot point as the terminal ends of the transverse seals of the web contact the contact portion of the sensor arm; and an analogue sensor adapted to detect the movement of the sensor arm and to generate an analogue signal varying in relation to the movement of the sensor arm; and a controller operative to receive the analogue signal and based on the analogue signal to send output to the actuator to adjust the position of the roll on the spool to maintain the transverse position of the web within a predetermined range.

An internal tensioning structure for use in an inflatable product fulfills the basic function of maintaining two adjacent inflatable surfaces in a desired geometric arrangement when the inflatable product is pressurized. The tensioning structure is formed by connecting a pair of plastic strips sheets via spaced-apart strands, such as strings or wires. When pulled taut, the strands provide a high tensile strength between the two opposed plastic strips. At the same time, the plastic strips facilitate a strong, long-lasting weld between the tensioning structure and the inflatable product.

An internal tensioning structure for use in an inflatable product fulfills the basic function of maintaining two adjacent inflatable surfaces in a desired geometric arrangement when the inflatable product is pressurized. The tensioning structure is formed by connecting a pair of plastic sheets to spaced-apart strands, such as strings or wires. When pulled taut, the strands provide a high tensile strength. At the same time, the plastic sheets facilitate a strong, long-lasting weld between the tensioning structure and the inflatable product.

A protective packaging formation device is disclosed herein. The protective packaging formation device can include an inflation assembly having a fluid conduit that directs fluid between first and second overlapping plies of a web material and a sealing mechanism. The sealing mechanism can include a heating zone of the sealing mechanism operable to heat the plies to create a longitudinal heat seal that seals the first and second plies together as the web is driven over the heating zone in a downstream direction. The sealing mechanism can also include a pinch zone that overlaps longitudinally with the heating zone. The pinch zone defined by an isolation element that applies a first pressure to the web material along a first region. The pinch zone is also defined by a support structure and a compression element that applies a second pressure to the web material there-between along a second region transverse to the first region.

A method of forming a fluid-filled chamber for an article of footwear is provided and includes positioning a first sheet of material and a second sheet of material in a pressure chamber, increasing a fluid pressure within the pressure chamber to a first value, and coupling the first sheet of material to the second sheet of material within the pressure chamber to define a fluid-filled chamber defined by the first sheet of material and the second sheet of material and having a fluid pressure equal to the first value. The method also includes decreasing the fluid pressure within the pressure chamber to a second value.

A material joint connecting an internal spar or baffle to panel walls of inflatable structures. The material joint is formed by a folded center strip and a pair of side strips. The side edges of the center strip are folded to form an initial T-shaped cross-section having a middle section, two side sections formed by a first bend, and two overlapping end sections formed by a second bend. The middle section is fused directly to the facing surface of the panel wall and the overlapping end sections are fused together to extend perpendicularly from the middle section. The end strips overlap the center strip with part of the end strips fused to the side sections of the center strip and part fused directly to the panel wall. The spar or baffle is connected to the fused overlapping end sections of the center strip. Under the internal air pressure of the inflated structure, the side sections bow and arc under tension from the connected spar or baffle and the middle section acts as a bridge to lift and flatten the exterior surface of the panel wall across its width.

An exemplary air cushion inflation machine includes: a first terminal connected to a direct current input; a second terminal; a reference resistor powered by the direct current input; an op-amp; and a transistor. The first terminal of the op-amp is connected to a variable voltage source and the second terminal of the op-amp is connected to the reference resistor. The transistor has a base connected to an output of the op-amp, an emitter connected to the reference resistor, and a collector connected to a first terminal of a sealing band apparatus having first and second terminals. A meltable material placed between the first and second terminals is melted by resistance of current flowing between the first and second terminals. The variable voltage source changes voltage based on a voltage drop measured across the first and second terminals by a voltage measurement device and the constant current.

A control apparatus for controlling a packaging machine that includes a conveyance mechanism for conveying an item to be packaged includes: an acquirer configured to acquire a detection result from a sensor for detecting an item to be packaged; a determiner configured to obtain elapsed time from a predetermined time point until when the item to be packaged is detected by the sensor, based on the detection result acquired by the acquirer, and determine a shift direction in which the item to be packaged is shifted from a predetermined position, based on the elapsed time; and a controller configured to control, for the item to be packaged for which detection is performed by the sensor, implementation of any one of downstream units that are downstream of a unit in which the detection is performed by the sensor, based on the shift direction that is determined by the determiner.

A sealing device generally includes a rotatable support cylinder having an outer, circumferential surface and a heating element disposed about such surface and secured thereto such that the heating element rotates therewith. The heating element is coiled about the outer surface of the cylinder in the form of an overlapping helical pattern. Juxtaposed film plies may be sealed together by bringing the sealing device into rotational contact with the juxtaposed film plies and heating the heating element to a temperature sufficient to cause the film plies to seal together.