The present disclosure is directed to a web control guide for an inflation and sealing assembly of a protective packaging formation device for inflating a web material into a chain of inflated cushions. The web control guide is positioned along a material path at a transverse spacing from a first compression element and constrains a first thickness of the material path measured normal to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the material path. The transverse spacing and constrained thickness dimension are sufficiently small to prevent transverse movement of the flexible material towards the first compression element to avoid excessive heating of the web material outside a sealing zone.

Intravascular inflatable medical devices and their methods of manufacture and use. The inflatable medical devices may include a conduit that includes an inflatable wall, with the inflatable wall defining a lumen therein. The inflatable wall may include an outer layer and an inner layer, and optionally an intermediate layer between the inner and layers. Intermediate layers may include one or more couplings between the outer and inner layers, and may include radial connectors extending between the outer layer and the inner layer.

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.

Process for manufacturing inflatable bodies capable of assuming a desired complexly curved shape comprising two, around their circumference hermetically bonded opposing membranes (3, 4), which are internally linked by a plurality of link tapes (1), which tapes are bonded at an exact length and inclination angle at an exactly determined position. By numerical instructions, a continuous tape is fed and bonded alternately on the insides of the membranes by means of a roboticized tape positioning head, creating bond lines (2) between the tape and a membrane. Any fold occurring through local inclination, or planar angle variation of the tape relative to a membrane is kept between two bond lines on a membrane (3,4). A roboticized tape positioning and bonding head inside, and a bond activation head outside of a membrane can position relative to a membrane (3,4) by means of printed positioning marks, optical and proximity sensors to create the bond lines (2).

A packaging apparatus with an improved pinch roller apparatus, fluid supply apparatus, and/or a sealing apparatus. The pinch roller apparatus (e.g., comprising one or more guide and/or pinch rollers) is used to deliver film material to the fluid supply apparatus (e.g., nozzle and blower apparatus, or the like) that fills one or more chambers of the film material with fluid (e.g., air, gas, or other like fluid), and the film material is then sealed by a sealing apparatus (e.g., using one or more heating elements with an improved temperature sensor configuration) that seals the fluid within the one or more chambers in order to form the inflated article (e.g., inflated packaging material). In particular, the sealing apparatus provides improved sealing through the improved accuracy of the temperature reading in the heating zone, in part, by locating a sensor between a heating element and a protective member that covers the sensor.

Inflatable membranes may include a pattern layer, a fluorescent layer, and a window, the pattern layer comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, the pattern layer comprising a pattern on the inner surface of the pattern layer, and at least a portion of the pattern layer formed by a transferrable material transferred from a casting plate to the inner surface. The fluorescent layer may include an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface of the fluorescent layer abutting the outer surface of the pattern layer and comprising a fluorescent material which, upon receiving of light, causes the fluorescent material to emit fluorescent light and causing the pattern to be detectable by a detector. The window may include a transparent material that spans an aperture formed in a distal end of the inflatable membrane.

A welding process of an inflatable product is provided that includes using isolating members between first and second portions of weldable tensioning members to resist the first and second portions of the weldable tensioning structures being welded together during welding of the first portions to a first sheet of weldable material and welding of the second portions to a second sheet of weldable material.

A packaging apparatus with an improved pinch roller apparatus, fluid supply apparatus, and/or a sealing apparatus. The pinch roller apparatus (e.g., comprising one or more guide and/or pinch rollers) is used to deliver film material to the fluid supply apparatus (e.g., nozzle and blower apparatus, or the like) that fills one or more chambers of the film material with fluid (e.g., air, gas, or other like fluid), and the film material is then sealed by a sealing apparatus (e.g., using one or more heating elements with an improved temperature sensor configuration) that seals the fluid within the one or more chambers in order to form the inflated article (e.g., inflated packaging material). In particular, the sealing apparatus provides improved sealing through the improved accuracy of the temperature reading in the heating zone, in part, by locating a sensor between a heating element and a protective member that covers the sensor.

A multilayer sealed skin, in particular for an inflatable structure and that includes a first polymer film, a reinforcing fabric disposed on the first polymer film and a second polymer film disposed on the reinforcing fabric and adhered by means of an adhesive to the first polymer film through cavities in the reinforcing fabric. The skin can be applied to the production of an inflatable structural element such as an inflatable beam for which the skin forms an outer wall of the structural element and for which the first film of the skin forms an inner face of the outer wall of the structural element, and the second film forms an outer face of the wall.

An inflatable stacked tube assembly may comprise a first panel and a second panel. The first panel may form a first portion of a top tube and a first portion of a bottom tube. The second panel may form a second portion of the top tube and a second portion of the bottom tube. A first seam tape may be bonded to a first top tube interior surface portion of the first panel and a second top tube interior surface portion of the second panel. The first seam tape may be located along a first fold formed by the first panel and along a second fold formed by the second panel.