Inflation and sealing device with release features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10500808-B2
Application number	US-201514630643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2015
Priority date	Feb 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to an inflation and sealing device that can include low or non-stick surfaces and bump-off elements to prevent sticking to a holding region proximal to the exit from the inflation and sealing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A web inflation device, comprising:
an inflation mechanism operable to inflate the web with a fluid by directing the fluid between superimposed plies of the web;
a sealing mechanism operable to seal the plies together to seal the fluid therein; and
a first post-seal control element comprising a first curved surface that forms part of a holding region operable to retain the sealed plies together downstream of the sealing mechanism, wherein the holding region is arranged to contact the web downstream of the sealing mechanism such that the web follows the first curved surface, and a material release element transversely adjacent to the first curved surface and configured to cause a portion of the inflated web transverse to the sealed plies to bend in a direction away from the first curved surface for releasing the sealed plies from the first post-seal control element as to the sealed plies exit the holding region.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the holding region compresses the sealed plies together.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the sealing mechanism includes a heating element that heats the plies to form the seal.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the holding region provides a region operable to cool the seal in order to improve the seal between the sealed plies.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the material release element is formed from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second post-seal control element comprising an opposing surface which contacts the web along a cooling region and presses the sealed plies against the first post-seal control element forming a first contact for a first portion of the sealed plies.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the material release element includes a second surface protruding with respect to the first curved surface in the direction away from the first curved surface such that as the sealed plies are compressed between the first post-seal control element and the second post-seal control element a transverse portion of the web at a longitudinal location of the first contact is caused, by the second surface, to bend away from the first curved surface.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the first curved surface on the first post-seal control element is a continuous curved surface.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the opposing surface of the second post-seal control element is a continuous curved surface.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the second surface of the material release element is a stationary ridge positioned adjacent the first curved surface of the first post-seal control element.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the second surface of the material release element is a ridge protruding from the first curved surface of the first post-seal control element.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first post-seal control element is a roller.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the sealing mechanism is operable to seal the plies together along a first longitudinal edge of the web or a second longitudinal edge of the web, and wherein the ridge is positioned on a side of the roller such that the ridge is between first and second longitudinal edges of the web.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the second post-seal control element is a second rotatable cylinder.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the ridge protruding from the first curved surface is an annular ridge extending around a roller forming the first post-seal control element with the ridge operably positioned to contact the transverse portion of the web.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first curved surface is positioned relative to the second surface such that the transverse portion of the web is forced to a second contact that is on a different plane or different cylinder diameter compared to the first portion of the sealed plies.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the annular ridge contacts the sealed plies along a location wherein the sealed plies are inflated such that due to an inflated shape of the sealed plies, the sealed plies have a degree of rigidity compared to an uninflated state of the sealed plies that allows the annular ridge to bump the sealed plies off of the first post-seal control element deflecting the sealed plies away from the first and second post-seal control elements.

18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the annular ridge and the material release element, which is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), work in concert reducing a force required to bump the sealed plies off of the first and second post-seal control elements.

19. A web inflation device, comprising:
an inflation mechanism configured to inflate a web with a fluid by directing the fluid between superimposed plies of the web;
a sealing mechanism comprising a heated drum configured to seal the plies together to form a longitudinal seal thereby sealing the fluid therein; and
a first post-seal control element that includes a first surface, which forms part of a holding region configured to retain the sealed plies together downstream of the heated drum, and a protrusion configured to release the sealed plies from the first post-seal control element as the sealed plies exit the holding region by causing a portion of the inflated web transverse to the longitudinal seal to bend away from the first surface.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the first surface is formed of a non-stick material polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

21. The device of claim 19 , further comprising a second post-seal control element downstream of the heated drum, the second-post seal control element comprising an opposing surface which contacts the web and presses the sealed plies against the first post-seal control element within the holding region to provide a cooling region for the longitudinal seal.

22. The device of claim 19 , wherein the first the first post-seal control element is a first roller having a first radius that defines the first surface and a second radius larger than the first radius that defines an annular ridge which provides the protrusion, wherein the second post-seal control element is a second roller, and wherein the first and second rollers are located downstream of the heated drum and arranged opposite one another, such that a distance between the axes of the first and second rollers is smaller than a sum of the second radius and the radius of the second roller.

23. The device of claim 19 , wherein the first surface of the first post-seal control element is a smooth curved surface.

24. The device of claim 19 , wherein the protrusion is a stationary ridge.

25. The device of claim 19 , wherein the first post-seal control element is a first roller and wherein the protrusion is an annular ridge of the first roller.

Assignees

• Pregis Innovative Packaging Llc

Inventors

• Wetsch Thomas D

Classifications

• B29L2022/025

  Bladders · CPC title

• B31D2205/0082

  General layout of the machinery or relative arrangement of its subunits · CPC title

• B29C66/439

  Joining sheets for making inflated articles without using a mould · CPC title

• B29C66/83433

  the contact angle between said rollers, cylinders or drums and said bands or belts being a non-zero angle · CPC title

• B31D2205/0023

  as web from a roll · CPC title