Cushioning wrap material and apparatus and methods of making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963283-B2
Application number	US-201314406176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2013
Priority date	Jun 5, 2012
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A cushioning wrap material includes an elongate layer of expanded sheet material comprising an array of openings, and an elongate layer of interleaf material secured to the layer of expanded sheet material in face-to-face relationship. The expanded sheet material is expanded in length and thickness, and the layer of interleaf material may have a width equal to or less than a width of the layer of expanded sheet material. Typically, the layer of interleaf material is secured to the layer of expanded sheet material such that respective longitudinal centerlines of each layer are substantially aligned. The layer of expanded sheet material and layer of interleaf material secured thereto are then wound into a roll. Typically, each layer is at least thirty feet in length.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. Cushioning wrap material, comprising:
an elongate layer of expanded sheet material including an array of openings, the expanded sheet material being expanded in length and thickness relative to an unexpanded form; and
an elongate layer of interleaf material mechanically secured to the layer of expanded sheet material in face-to-face relationship,
wherein the layer of interleaf material is mechanically secured to the layer of expanded sheet material via a plurality of tabs extending from the layer of interleaf material that interlock with a respective plurality of openings in the array, and
wherein the tabs each have a free end extending outwardly from a respective longitudinally-extending side edge portion of the layer of interleaf material, the free ends interlocking into the array.

2. The cushioning wrap material of claim 1 , wherein the layer of interleaf material is secured to the layer of expanded sheet material such that respective longitudinal centerlines of each layer are substantially aligned.

3. The cushioning wrap material of claim 1 , wherein the layer of expanded sheet material is die-cut slit paper and the layer of interleaf material is tissue paper.

4. An apparatus for forming a cushioning wrap material, the apparatus comprising:
a source of expandable material in an unexpanded form;
a source of interleaf material;
a winding station in communication with the expandable material;
first and second expander rolls located between the expandable material source and the winding station, wherein, in operation, the expandable material extends from the expandable material source to the winding station and passes between the first and second expander rolls; and
an adhesive station with at least one nozzle located downstream from the first and second expander rolls and configured to apply at least one longitudinally-extending bead of adhesive to the interleaf material or the expandable material in its expanded form;
first and second adjacent, spaced-apart guide bars located downstream from and proximate to the expander rolls, wherein the expandable material extends under the first guide bar and then over the second guide bar, and wherein the first guide bar has a downwardly-extending arcuate configuration extending along a center axis of the first guide bar and the second guide bar has an upwardly-extending arcuate configuration extending along a center axis of the second guide bar; and
a routing guide downstream from the adhesive station that forces the expandable material in its expanded form and the interleaf material together in face-to-face relationship to form a cushioning wrap material;
wherein the winding station is configured to wind the cushioning wrap material into a roll.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the expandable material passes between the expander rolls such that the expandable material is stretched to an expanded form in length and thickness.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a winding speed of the winding station is greater than a surface speed of the expander rolls.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one nozzle includes a pair of spaced-apart nozzles, each nozzle configured to apply a longitudinally-extending bead of adhesive to the interleaf material proximate a respective longitudinally-extending side edge portion thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the expandable material is stretched to an expanded form that is at least 1.4 times an initial length of the expandable material before the adhesive station.

9. A method of forming a cushioning wrap material, the method comprising:
expanding an elongate layer of expandable sheet material in thickness and length to form a layer of expanded sheet material having an array of openings; and
mechanically securing an elongate layer of interleaf material to the layer of expanded sheet material in face-to-face relationship therewith,
wherein securing the elongate layer of interleaf material to the layer of expanded sheet material includes interlocking a plurality of tabs extending from the layer of interleaf material with a respective plurality of openings in the array, and
wherein the tabs each have a free end extending outwardly from a respective longitudinally-extending side edge portion of the layer of interleaf material, the free ends interlocking into the array.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the layer of interleaf material is secured to the layer of expanded sheet material such that respective longitudinal centerlines of each layer are substantially aligned.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tabs are proximate respective longitudinally-extending side edge portions of the layer of interleaf material.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the layer of expanded sheet material is die-cut slit paper, and the layer of interleaf material is tissue paper.

13. The cushioning wrap material of claim 1 , wherein the layer of interleaf material has a width less than a width of the layer of expanded sheet material such that opposite, longitudinally-extending side edge portions of the layer of expanded sheet material are exposed.

14. The cushioning wrap material of claim 1 , wherein the layer of expanded sheet material and layer of interleaf material secured thereto are in a roll, and wherein the layer of expanded sheet material and layer of interleaf material in the roll are each at least about thirty feet (30 ft) in length.

15. The method of claim 9 , further including the step of winding the layer of expanded sheet material and layer of interleaf material secured thereto into a roll.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the layer of interleaf material has a width less than a width of the layer of expanded sheet material such that opposite, longitudinally-extending side edge portions of the layer of expanded sheet material are exposed.

17. The cushioning wrap material of claim 1 , wherein each of the tabs of the interleaf material extends from a base end at the respective longitudinally-extending side edge portion to the respective free end disposed opposite the base end, and wherein the free end has a length extending along the longitudinally-extending side edge portion that is greater than a length of the base end extending along the longitudinally-extending side edge portion.

Assignees

• Ranpak Corp
• Ranpak Corp

Inventors

• Page Brandon Cadette
• Furr Keith Alexander
• Passos Marcelo Miller
• Hillebrand Robert D
• Grupin Lev Semenovich
• Weslock Richard B
• Duncan Christopher L

Classifications

• B31D5/0065

  including slitting and expanding flat material · CPC title

• Y10T428/24306

  Diamond or hexagonal · CPC title

• Y10T428/24331

  including nonapertured component · CPC title

• B65D81/03 Primary

  Wrappers or envelopes with shock-absorbing properties, e.g. bubble films {(for thermal insulating purposes B65D81/3888)} · CPC title

• B65D65/22 Primary

  Details · CPC title