초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for the production of air cell cushioning dunnage material, for protective cushioning purposes in packaging or other purposes, with the air cell product possessing substantial strength, and the ability to retain its original thickness under load. The method and apparatus are s

A method and apparatus for the production of air cell cushioning dunnage material, for protective cushioning purposes in packaging or other purposes, with the air cell product possessing substantial strength, and the ability to retain its original thickness under load. The method and apparatus are such that the apparatus can be halted in its operation without injurious effects to the dunnage product being produced, and can be restarted to again commence production of the cushioning dunnage product. The apparatus and method utilize flexible thermoplastic sheets or film of material, to produce the air cell product, with the plastic sheets being preferably formed of a composite of an intermediate stratum of relatively high density high melting point plastic, and exterior stratums of relatively low density, low melting point thermoplastic bonded to the intermediate stratum. Various other embodiments of flexible air cell sheeting are also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

In an apparatus for producing the cell cushioning dunnage from flexible thermoplastic sheet stock, each sheet of which comprises a composite of an intermediate stratum of high density high melting point thermoplastic material generally impervious to the passage of air therethrough, and exterior stra

In an apparatus for producing the cell cushioning dunnage from flexible thermoplastic sheet stock, each sheet of which comprises a composite of an intermediate stratum of high density high melting point thermoplastic material generally impervious to the passage of air therethrough, and exterior stratums formed of low density, low melting point thermoplastic material, with said intermediate stratum being of a higher density, higher melting point material as compared to that of the exterior stratums, comprising a rotatable forming drum having a plurality of recesses formed therein for vacuum forming the air cells in a first sheet of the thermoplastic material fed onto the drum, said drum including means for cooling the drum to a predetermined temperature, and a series of spaced rollers spaced with respect to said forming drum, said series of rollers having means providing for heating the first sheet prior to its being fed onto said drum, to a temperature above the melting point of the exterior stratums of the first sheet but below the melting point temperature of the intermediate stratum, and a second series of rollers spaced from said first series and having means adapted to heat a second sheet of the thermoplastic stock material to a temperature above the melting point of the exterior stratums of the second sheet but below the melting point of the intermediate stratum of the second sheet, and means coacting with said second series for applying the second sheet to the first sheet on said drum during rotation of the latter to seal the air cells, with said first series and said second series of rollers and said applying means being so arranged with respect to the circumference of said drum that said applying means is spaced from the point of application of the first sheet to the drum sufficiently that said drum during rotation thereof can cool the first sheet to a temperature approaching the softening point temperature of the exterior stratum of the first sheet prior to application of the second sheet thereto.