A method of making an inflatable panel that includes the steps of: superimposing a second layer of a material of low gas permeability upon a first layer of a material of low gas permeability; creating a plurality of first elongated seals by intermittently sealing together the first and second layers, thereby defining a plurality of first tubes between adjacent pairs of the first elongated seals. The method also includes sealing rear ends of the first tubes; inflating the first tubes from front ends thereof with a gas; and then sealing the front ends of the first tubes, such that the gas within each of said tubes is prevented from flowing between the first tubes.

A conversion apparatus is provided herein. The conversion apparatus includes a cutting member having an edge configured for cutting the dunnage material. The conversion apparatus also includes a biasing member that is located adjacent to the cutting member such that the dunnage material passes between the biasing member and the cutting member. The biasing member operably contacts the dunnage material thereby biasing the dunnage material against the cutting member. The position of the biasing member relative to the cutting member is such that in response to the dunnage material being retracted back into the conversion apparatus the cutting member begins to sever the dunnage material, but in response to the dunnage material traveling in the dispensing direction the cutting member does not begin to sever the dunnage material due to the relative position.

The present disclosure is directed to an inflatable-cushion inflation and sealing device. The device includes an inflation assembly configured for insertion between first and second overlapping film plies. The inflation assembly includes a fluid conduit configured to direct a fluid in between the plies to form one or more cushions. The fluid conduit includes a nozzle. The inflation assembly includes a cutting member. The cutting member includes a blade holder with a blade and a blade guard mounted thereon. The blade guard has a safety position in which the blade is covered and a retracted position in which the blade is exposed. Installation of the blade holder onto the inflation assembly automatically positions the blade in the working position with the blade guard retracted. Removing the tray from the inflation assembly automatically positions the blade in the safety position by covering the blade with the blade guard.

An inflatable-cushion inflation and sealing device is provided. The device includes an inflation assembly that inflates with a fluid a cushion cavity disposed between overlapping portions of first and second plies of a film, which plies form a flexible structure. The device also includes a sealing mechanism having a first compression element having a curved surface operable to bend the flexible structure about a bend axis, a second compression element positioned such that the first and second compression elements are operable to receiving the flexible structure at a first pinch area in which the first compression element and the second compression element are positioned against the flexible structure to pinch the flexible structure, and a third compression element configured for receiving the flexible structure at a second pinch area in which the first compression element and the third compression element contact the flexible structure.

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 conversion apparatus is provided herein. The conversion apparatus includes a cutting member having an edge configured for cutting the dunnage material. The conversion apparatus also includes a biasing member that is located adjacent to the cutting member such that the dunnage material passes between the biasing member and the cutting member. The biasing member operably contacts the dunnage material thereby biasing the dunnage material against the cutting member. The position of the biasing member relative to the cutting member is such that in response to the dunnage material being retracted back into the conversion apparatus the cutting member begins to sever the dunnage material, but in response to the dunnage material traveling in the dispensing direction the cutting member does not begin to sever the dunnage material due to the relative position.

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.

Disclosed is a buffering air cushion machine, wherein the angle between a heat-sealing cooling transmission module as a core component of the buffering air cushion machine and a horizontal plane is between 20-50 degrees, thus greatly decreasing the transverse dimension of the buffering air cushion machine, so as to decrease the size of the whole machine and decrease the space occupied by the buffering air cushion machine; an inflation guide rod of a bent type may release some tension on a sealing side (an inflating passage) of a air cushion film, and may prevent wrinkles and bends from forming on the sealing side of the air cushion film during heat-sealing, so as to improve the quality of heat-sealing; furthermore, an upper coiling film guide rod and a lower coiling film guide rod may block the inflating passage connecting two air cushion films, and may prevent the air in the air cushion film which is filled with air but not sealed yet from travelling forward, so as to form a sealed high-pressure region and maintain the pressure in an inflation region, thus maintaining the pressure in the air cushion film after heat-sealing.

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 improved expandable slit-sheet stock material is configured to aid in temporarily restricting opening of a plurality of slits of the slit-sheet stock material, such as during winding of the unexpanded stock material or during expansion of the stock material. Each slit of the plurality of slits includes one or more un-slit reinforcement portions, such as reinforcement ties, extending fully between opposite longitudinal sides of the slit, and disposed between opposed transverse endpoints of the slit. The reinforcement ties minimize or prevent tearing of the stock material during the winding or expansion. A dunnage conversion system for expanding the slit-sheet stock material includes an expander having a pair of opposed rollers. The rollers engage the stock material to effect breaking of the un-slit reinforcement portions and expansion of the slit-sheet stock material.