Air Packing Machine Using Ultrasonic Sealing And Methods And Products Relating To Same

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing inflatable packaging pillows having a gas dispenser for dispensing a gas within a partially sealed inflatable pouch and an ultrasonic welding assembly comprised of a horn and an anvil for sealing the pouch after inflation of the pouch. The apparatus includes a feeding mechanism for advancing inflatable packing across the ultrasonic welding assembly. The horn preferably seals the pouch continuously without interruption of the advancement of the pouch. A method of manufacturing inflatable packaging including the steps of providing an apparatus for manufacturing inflatable packaging pillows, inflating a pillow, and sealing the pillow using ultrasonic energy. An ultrasonically sealable inflatable packing cushion made of a polymer film web having two layers bonded together at a wall that defines an unsealed pocket. The packing cushion is readily weldable to itself at the unsealed portion of the pocket through the application of ultrasonic energy.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/844,727, filed Sep. 15, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if reproduced herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing air filled pillows for packing materials and methods and products relating to same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Air filled packing materials, such as pillows and bubble wrap, are known in the art. For example, air filled pillows are often used for void fill applications (e.g., to fill empty spaces in boxes and packages) and bubble wrap is often used to wrap fragile products. Such packing materials are typically manufactured using an apparatus that feeds a film through a machine which blows air into film pockets, and subsequently heat seals the pockets creating an air filled pillow. While devices for manufacturing air filled pillows of the prior art provide a number of advantageous features, they nevertheless have certain limitations. For example, heat sealing film can be time consuming, add increased service cost and parts related to on-demand heat sealing, and can delay the overall manufacturing process.

Most machines currently used in the marketplace implement a heating element to seal the air filled packaging. Machines with heating elements are limited in the velocity they may be run because of the melting properties of the film used. Machines currently known in the art are known to create air filled packaging at speeds of up to 49 feet per minute (fpm). This speed limitation can be inconvenient and costly for a user that requires a large amount of packaging pillows. If a user requires a greater amount of packaging pillows for their application, they may need to purchase or lease multiple machines. This can result in larger capital expenses to buy additional machines, require additional manpower to operate the additional machines, and may raise manufacturing and overhead costs.

In addition, many air filled packaging machines are relatively large in size. For example many machines cannot be moved about, let alone set on a workbench or table due to their construction, size, or weight. Many units implement separate stands with remotely held reels of film, and take up a relatively large space. As an example, one unit known in the art has the dimensions 32″×30″×58″ and weighs 200 lbs. Such machines are problematic because they cannot be easily moved from one assembly line or packing station in a plant to another assembly line or packing station. For example, a shipping warehouse may have multiple assembly lines for shipping different products, which may be continuously operational. Certain lines may be shut down from time to time due to maintenance or repair issues, employee shift changes, order demand, or work scheduling. Thus, air-filled packaging machines dedicated to each assembly line may sit unused for hours or days while the line is unused.

Ultrasonic sealing of thermoplastics is known. It is used in many applications, including sealing food and product packaging. However, to Applicants knowledge, ultrasonic sealing has never been implemented with air-filled packaging machines and methods and products relating to same. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 2004/0025474 A1 to Hiramoto and Japanese Patent Application 2005343496 to Midorikawa, ultrasonic sealing of the top and bottom of vacuum packed or pressurized product packaging is known. In both references, a horn as least as wide as the bag presses the entire upper or lower end of the bag between the horn and an anvil opposite the horn to melt and seal a seam on the packaging. In addition, the ultrasonic sealing is done in a direction transverse to the machine direction, or the direction in which the film is traveling as it proceeds through the machine. This has implications for the speed at which the sealing can be accomplished, because the film must temporarily be stopped while the horn and anvil compress and seal the film.

Furthermore, ultrasonic sealing of thin films is not known in the art. Prior art such as that mentioned above discloses sealing of packaging of thicker polymer product packaging bags. For example, the film welded in U.S. Patent Publication 2004/0025474 A1 is a plastic-aluminum-plastic laminate. Thicker plastics and laminates are easier to seal or weld together because of their stiffness. Ultrasonic sealing would not be done with the typical low density polyethylene (LDPE) film used in the art to form air-filled packing pillows.

Further, ultrasonic welding assemblies currently known in the art (as used in other applications) are generally relatively large in size. In most ultrasonic applications, many components are required, including a power source, a high frequency generator, and a converter for converting a high frequency electrical signal into high frequency mechanical vibrations. A horn for transmitting the high-frequency vibrational energy to the workpiece is generally combined with an amplitude modifying signal booster module to increase the energy level to a level to properly weld a plastic. The booster is connected to the horn and increases the size of the ultrasonic assembly. A typical ultrasonic welding assembly is quite large, and is not known to be readily movable or capable of being implemented in smaller, lighter weight and/or table-top type machinery. Thus, a smaller, more mobile and/or compact ultrasonic welding assembly is desirable.

The present invention is provided to solve the problems discussed above and other problems, and to provide advantages and aspects not provided by prior air pillow manufacturing devices of this type. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing air filled packing materials and methods and products relating to same. The apparatus has a support base which has a pair of panels. The panels have a receptacle for receiving a portion of a roller. The roller is configured to receive a roll of film for feeding into the apparatus. The apparatus has a gas supply unit. The gas supply unit has a blower that supplies a gas, such as air, and a wand that is operably connected to the blower. The wand directs air into a portion of the film. The apparatus has an ultrasonic welding assembly. The ultrasonic welding assembly comprises an ultrasonic generator to generate ultrasonic energy, and a horn to transfer the ultrasonic energy. The ultrasonic energy seals a portion of the film. The apparatus further has a controller. The controller has an on switch, an off switch, and a feed switch to regulate feeding the film into the apparatus. To form the air filled pillow, the roll of film is fed into the apparatus, where a portion of the film receives the wand. The wand fills a portion of the film with air supplied by the blower. The air filled film is received by the ultrasonic welding assembly and subsequently sealed using ultrasonic energy.

In another form, an apparatus according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic apparatus for continuous sealing of inflatable packaging. A web of inflatable packaging film is held on a roller supported by the frame of the apparatus. The inflatable packaging has an opening for being threaded onto an elongate shaft or wand. Adjacent the wand is a feeding mechanism for advancing the inflatable packaging in a machine direction from the roller across the ultrasonic sealing apparatus. The wand has a gas dispensing outlet for dispensing a gas into the packaging, causing the packaging to inflate. Immediately after being inflated, the ultrasonic sealing apparatus seals the inflatable packaging. The ultrasonic sealing apparatus is comprised of a horn for transferring the ultrasonic energy to the inflatable packaging, and an opposed annular anvil for providing a abutment surface for the horn. The packaging is pulled between the anvil and the horn by the feeding mechanism and is sealed due to localized melting of the packaging material caused by the ultrasonic energy. As a result, a seam is formed along the edge of the packaging, trapping the gas inside the packaging, creating an inflated pouch (e.g., a pillow, bubble or multiples of same). In order to free the wand from the uninflated edge of the inflatable packaging, a cutting implement, such as a blade, cooperates with the wand to cut the edge of the packaging before it is pulled through the feeding mechanism. In one form, the blade is operably connected to the frame of the apparatus, and is at least partially disposed within the wand, such that there is little or no gap between the wall of the wand and the blade. This form prevents the packaging material from getting caught or bunching up as it is pulled across the blade.

In another embodiment, a method of manufacturing inflatable packaging comprises providing a partially sealed and uninflated film having at least one inflatable pouch and a packing material manufacturing device, the device having a gas dispensing outlet for directing a gas into the partially sealed uninflated film to inflate the film pouch and an ultrasonic welding assembly for creating high frequency ultrasonic energy for sealing the inflated pouch. The film is then inflated with a gas from the gas dispensing outlet. The inflated film is then sealed using the ultrasonic energy from the ultrasonic welding assembly.

In another form, an ultrasonically sealable inflatable cushion is comprised of a polymer film web having two layers bonded to each other at least at one wall that defines partially sealed pockets. The pockets are unsealed along a portion of the pocket and the film is formulated to be readily weldable to itself at the unsealed portion of the pocket through the application of ultrasonic energy.

In yet another embodiment, the air packing machine may have two or more ultrasonic sealing assemblies to produce more air packing material. For example, an apparatus may be provided with dual air dispersing mechanisms, ultrasonic sealing assemblies and drive mechanisms to produce dual wide sheets of bubble wrap or other air pouch configurations. The apparatus may further have a wheel or winding stand located at the end of the apparatus or external to the apparatus for winding the dual wide sheets of bubble wrap into columns of bubble wrap. Such a configuration would allow the apparatus to be used in bubble-on-demand applications. An optional cutting assembly may also be provided in order to cut and/or perforate the sheets into sections of a desired length so that a user can break portions of the sheet off at desired or predetermined lengths.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating the control panel and mounted roll or web of film;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the interior of the apparatus of FIG. 1, with the side panel and cover removed and a portion of the roll of film shown as transparent in order to illustrate one configuration of the roller, motor, ultrasonic welding assembly, blower and drive assembly;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the apparatus of FIG. 3 illustrating the configuration of the roller, ultrasonic welding assembly support panel, motor and blower;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 3 illustrating the configuration of the motor, ultrasonic welding assembly, blower, wand and drive assembly;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the roll of film as transparent in order to illustrate the alignment of the ultrasonic welding assembly and a possible configuration for an accessory power outlet;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the roll of film as transparent in order to illustrate the alignment of the ultrasonic welding assembly and the roll of film;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the roller and roll of film partially exploded from the roller receptacle;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing the roller and roll of film positioned on the roller receptacle;

FIG. 10 is a top enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating the roll of film as positioned on the roller;

FIG. 11 is a top enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 1 illustrating the roller with the roll of film removed therefrom;

FIG. 12A is a schematic perspective view of a film used with the apparatus of the present invention illustrating how the film can be folded over on itself to form a sealed end;

FIG. 12B is a schematic perspective view of the film of FIG. 12A illustrating how the film would appear after the side opposite the folded end is sealed;

FIG. 13 is a schematic front view of the film of FIGS. 12A-12B illustrating one configuration for the inflatable pouches and perforations on same;

FIG. 14 is a schematic side view of additional features of the invention illustrating how the roll of film is fed under the guide, over the wand and through the ultrasonic welding assembly and drive assembly;

FIG. 15 is a schematic top view of additional features of the invention illustrating the alignment of the roll of film, wand and ultrasonic welding assembly and drive assembly;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another embodiment or apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of the ultrasonic welding assembly, gas dispenser, and drive mechanism of the apparatus of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged side view of the ultrasonic welding assembly and drive mechanism of the apparatus of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 16 in operation with the cover for the ultrasonic welder assembly and drive assembly removed to further illustrate how the film passes through these components;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 16 in operation;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 16 with the cover and side wall removed to show the internal components of the apparatus;

FIG. 22 is an exploded view of the drive assembly or mechanism components along with the gas dispenser and blower assembly;

FIG. 23 is an exploded view of the actuator assembly and ultrasonic welding assembly; and

FIGS. 24A-24C are top views of different embodiments of inflatable packaging according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show an apparatus for manufacturing air filled packing materials of the present invention, generally designated with reference numeral 10. The apparatus 10, generally has a support base 12, a gas or air supply unit 14, an ultrasonic welding assembly 16, and a controller 18. The apparatus 10 is generally designed to feed a roll of film 20 through the apparatus 10, in which a portion of the film 22 is filled with a gas, such as air, and subsequently sealed to form an air filled pillow 24. Such air filled pillows can be used when packing or shipping fragile items. In one preferred embodiment, the apparatus 10 is configured to fit on a standard table.

As shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 10 generally has a support base 12 with a platform 26. The platform 26 supports the gas supply unit 14, the ultrasonic welding assembly 16, and the controller 18. The support base 12 further comprises a pair of panels 28, 29 extending perpendicular to the platform 26. Each panel 28, 29 has a receptacle 30 for receiving a portion of a roller 19. The receptacles 30 allow a user to readily secure the roller 19, with a roll of film 20, into the apparatus 10 for production. In addition to securing the roller 19 into the receptacles 30, the panels 28, 29 enclose the platform 26, along with the gas supply 14 and the ultrasonic welding assembly 16, creating a protective housing as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus 10 has a gas supply unit 14 with a blower 40 that supplies a suitable gas, such as air, to fill a portion of the film 22. Further shown in FIG. 3 is a wand 42 operably connected to the blower 40, which channels air from the blower 40 into a portion of the film 22 to create an air filled pillow 24. Although a wand 42 is disclosed, it is understood that the present invention contemplates any such structure capable of channeling the flow of air into a portion of the film 22 to create the air filled pillow 24. In one preferred embodiment, the wand 42 is part of the gas supply unit 14.

FIG. 3 shows the apparatus 10 having an ultrasonic welding assembly 16, which generally comprises an ultrasonic generator 46 and a horn 48. The ultrasonic generator 46 generates ultrasonic energy in the form of vibratory energy as known in the art. The horn 48 is used to transfer the vibratory energy through a joint area 50, where the vibrations are converted to heat through friction, thereby sealing the film 22. It is understood that there may be other components associated with the ultrasonic welding assembly 16 as are known. Ultrasonic welding is advantageous because it can melt through rigid plastics, as well as various fabrics and films. Additionally, ultrasonic welding is much faster than traditional heat sealing.

Apparatus 10 also has a controller 18 located on the support base 12 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The controller 18 comprises a series of switches, including an on switch 54, an off switch 56, and a jog switch 58. When activated, the jog switch 58 feeds the film into the apparatus 10. Upon activating the on switch 54, the apparatus 10 can begin filling the film 22 pockets 36 with air subsequently sealing it with the ultrasonic welding assembly 16. To terminate production of the apparatus 10, a user can press the off switch 56. It is understood that the controller 18 has other components such as a power supply and other known components to operate the apparatus 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the support base 12 which supports the gas supply unit 14 is connected to the ultrasonic welding assembly 16. As discussed above, the support base 12 has a pair of panels 28, 29 that receives the roller 19. The roller 19 is wound with a roll of film 20 that is fed into the apparatus 10. The gas supply unit 14 has a wand 42 that is operably connected to the blower 40. The blower 40 is located on the platform 26, with the wand 42 extending from the blower 40. The ultrasonic welding assembly 16 is positioned adjacent the gas supply unit 14, so once the film is filled with air, it passes along to the ultrasonic welding assembly 16 where it is sealed. The controllers 18, are operably connected to the roller 19, the blower 40 and the ultrasonic generator 46.

In operation, a user loads the apparatus 10 with a roll of film 20. The air filled pillows may be made from a flexible, sealable film such as high density polyethylene. In one preferred embodiment, the film is of a type that can be sealed using ultrasonic techniques. In one preferred embodiment, the roll of film 20 is pre-folded and perforated in a manner so that the film, after being filled with air, results in a long chain of air filled pillows 24 that can be separated from one another by tearing along the perforations. FIGS. 12A-12B and 13 depict a schematic of the pre-folded and perforated roll of film 20.

As shown in FIGS. 12A-12B, in one preferred embodiment, the roll of film 20 begins with a single sheet of film 32 that is folded in half lengthwise creating a crease 34 along one side of the folded sheet of film 32. The film 32 is sealed intermittently, generally transverse to the crease 34 at certain portions of the film 32 to form lateral side walls 33, as shown in FIG. 13, resulting in a series of pockets 36 throughout the film 32. The free, lengthwise ends of the film may also be sealed if desired. However, it is understood that the transverse seals do not extend completely across the film to allow for insertion of the wand 42. Thus, a portion of the film remains unsealed, as is designated by the area proximate the reference number 44. As further shown in FIG. 13, between the intermittent sealed portions of the film is a perforation 38. The perforation 38 allows portions of the film to be detached from the long chain of film. The film disclosed above, results in a film that can be wound onto a supply roll, and fed into the apparatus 10.

As can be understood from FIGS. 3 and 13, upon feeding the roll of film 20 into the apparatus, each pocket 36 is filled with air by the wand 42 and the blower 40. As each portion of the film 20 passes the wand 42, air is directed into the compartments of the film 20. It is understood that the pockets are formed by the film being folded and pre-sealed in certain areas. Only one portion of the film remains open, which is then directed to the ultrasonic welding assembly 16. After the pocket 36 of the film is filled with air, the film proceeds to the horn 48 of the ultrasonic welding assembly 16 where the unsealed portion 44 is sealed using ultrasonic techniques. This process is repeated along the peripheral edge of the film 20 resulting in a chain of air filled packing pillows. It is understood that the wand 42 and ultrasonic welding assembly 16 are positioned to not interfere with the moving film 20. For example, the peripheral edges of the film can be cut and removed from the chain of air filled pillows. Once production of the air pillows 24 is complete, the user can simply remove the empty roll of film and replace it with a new roll of film to continue production. The chain of sealed air pillows can be directed to other locations using additional conveyor assemblies where the pillows can be used in packaging operations.

FIGS. 14 and 15 disclose generally schematically additional features of the invention. As discussed, the roll of film 20 is fed around the air wand 42. The wand 42 is supplied with compressed air. It is understood that the apparatus may include a plurality of air compressors as desired. The apparatus 10 may also include a pair of drive rollers 100 to pull the film 20 through the ultrasonic welding apparatus 16. The welding apparatus may also include an anvil 49 that rotates to enhance cooperation with the horn 48. It is further understood that the horn 48 may be connected to an actuator 102 (shown schematically in FIG. 14). The actuator 102 raises and lowers the horn 48 for during operation of the apparatus 10 as shown by arrow A. When the apparatus 10 is idle, the horn 48 is in a lowered position and substantially spaced from the anvil 49. Upon actuation by the controller 18, the actuator 102 raises the horn 48 in confronting relation to the anvil 49 wherein the film 20 is positioned between the horn 48 and the anvil 49. The horn 48 may also be biased towards the anvil 49 by an adjustable spring. The horn 48 subjects the film 20 to ultrasonic energy to weld an ultrasonic seam in the film after the wand 42 fills the pocket. As shown in FIG. 15, a blade 104 is provided that cuts a peripheral edge 110 off of the film 20 to eliminate any interference with the wand 42. Additional features can be incorporated into the controller 18 such as a sensor that immediately shuts off the ultrasonic welding assembly 16 once the sensor detects that the film 20 has run out. A supply of air can also be redirected from the supply unit 14 and used to help cool the horn 48 to enhance operation. An additional fan may also be used for cooling.

The film 20 utilized in the apparatus 10 can be sealed easily with ultrasonic energy. As the film 20 has a minimal thickness, an additional booster module is not required to be used with the horn 48 as in many other conventional ultrasonic sealing applications. With only a horn 48 required, the apparatus 10 has a more compact design. In one preferred embodiment, the film 20 used has an outer layer of polypropylene and an inner layer of polyethylene.

An alternate embodiment of the apparatus 10 for manufacturing inflatable packaging is disclosed in FIGS. 16-23. For convenience, this embodiment will be referred to using reference numeral 200. The apparatus 200 has a base 202, two opposing side walls 204, 206 attached to the base 202, and a cover 208 disposed between the side walls 204, 206 for protecting the internal components of the apparatus 200. A pair of rearward-opening roller supports 210 are disposed in each of the side walls 204, 206 for supporting the roller 212. The roller 212 in turn supports a roll of film 214 comprised of a composite web 216 of two layers of film 218 (FIGS. 12A-12B) forming preformed pouches, such as pillows 220, and a sleeve 222 extending along one side of the web 216. The roll 214 is held in place by end stops 224 on the roller 212. The end stops 224 may be adjustable, in order to accommodate rolls 214 of different width. In a preferred embodiment, a roll of film 214 may hold approximately 2800 linear feet of film. In a preferred form, each layer of film 218 has a thickness of about 0.0012 inches, such that the total thickness of the web 216 is 0.0024 inches. Although any thickness of film 218 may be used, most applications will implement films 218 less than 0.005 inches thick.

Referring now to FIGS. 12A-12B and 13, the film layers 218 are preferably pre-sealed and pre-perforated to maximize the speed at which inflated packaging 226 may be produced. In a preferred embodiment, the web 216 is formed of a polymer film 218 folded over on itself, as shown in FIGS. 12A-12B. The edges 228 opposite the folded edge 34 are sealed together, as illustrated in FIG. 12B, to form the packets to be filled with air. In an alternate embodiment, the film may be pre-formed in the shape of a sleeve and then sealed and perforated to form the inflatable packing material illustrated in FIG. 12B and FIGS. 24A-24C. Regardless of which method is used to form the inflatable packing material, a channel will be formed between one of the sealed ends and the lateral side walls into which the wand may be inserted and moved through when inflating the pouches of the roll of film.

Referring now to FIGS. 24A-24C, partially sealed pockets 220 are bounded by lateral side walls 230 formed by sealing the layers 218 together transversely across the web 216 from the folded edge to near the opposite edge 228. A passage or sleeve 222 slightly wider than the wand 232 extends continuously between the pockets 220 adjacent the lateral side walls 230 to allow the wand 232 to pass through the web 216 to inflate each pocket 220. A perforation 336 is made between each pair of side walls 230 to allow the packing pillows 220 to be torn apart by the user. The web 216 is preferably made from a cast film formulated to be readily weldable to itself at the unsealed portion 234 of the pocket through the application of ultrasonic energy. The film 216 is preferably stiffer than low density polyethylene film currently used in the art for heat sealing applications.

Inflatable pillows or pouches 220 according to the present invention can be of practically any size or shape. In a preferred form, the pillows are 8 to 10 inches wide and have a length of 2-10″. Pillows 220 may take a variety of shapes, depending on user preference and application.

In one form, shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, pillows 220 are formed in rectangular shapes and are detachably connected end to end in a continuous web 216. Pillows 220 of this form are especially useful for blocking and void-filling applications for shipping. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 24A, the pillows 220 may be formed in the web 216 without perforations between every pair of side walls 230. Instead, sheets 236 having multiple pouches 220 can be formed with one wall 230 between each pouch 220. Sheets 236 of varying sizes and/or with one or more pouches 220 on each sheet may be formed, depending on user preference. Alternatively, smaller interconnected chambers may be provided forming a sheet of bubbles or bubble wrap for wrapping applications.

In another form, the pillows 220 may be non-rectangular. For example, the pillow walls 230 can have an undulating form, or may have larger chambers 238 connected by narrower channels 240, as shown in FIG. 24B. Sheets 236 of this form may be especially useful for wrapping applications, due to their increased flexibility.

In yet another form, a plurality of pillows 220 may be manufactured simultaneously. Referring to FIG. 24C, the film layers 218 may be presealed and perforated to form two pillows 220 adjacent one another, such that two pillows 220 may be inflated and then sealed at the same time by providing a second ultrasonic welding assembly on the opposite side of the apparatus. More particularly, the apparatus may be provided with two or more ultrasonic sealing assemblies to produce more air packing material. For example, an apparatus may be provided with dual air dispersing mechanisms, ultrasonic sealing assemblies and drive mechanisms to produce dual wide sheets of bubble wrap or other air pouch configurations. The apparatus may further have a wheel or winding stand located at the rear or end of the apparatus or external to the apparatus (e.g., off the rear of the unit) for winding the dual wide sheets of bubble wrap into columns of bubble wrap. Such a configuration would allow the apparatus to be used in bubble-on-demand applications. An optional cutting assembly may also be provided in order to cut and/or perforate the sheets into sections of a desired length so that a user can break portions of the sheet off at desired or predetermined lengths.

Alternatively, in other embodiments a second ultrasonic welding assembly may be provided to create a second welded seal adjacent a first welded seal 242 for providing extra strength to the seal 242. In another form, a second ultrasonic welding assembly may be positioned to cut off excess material, such as a portion of the sleeve 222, from the inflatable pouch 220 after the pouch 220 is sealed. Furthermore, in the film configuration of FIG. 24C, the apparatus could include a vertical blade extending up from a surface of the cover 208 in order to separate the dual wide sheets of air packing material into two separate webs of pillows.

As shown in FIG. 20, the apparatus 200 has a web guide 244 spanning between the side walls 204, 206. The web guide 244 is a narrow shaft that extends between the side walls 204, 206 of the apparatus 200 and is disposed between the roll supports 210 and the wand 232 for guiding the web 216 onto the wand 232 and preferably ensuring that the film is at a height that matches the height of the wand.

Referring to FIG. 21, a gas dispenser or vent in the form of the wand 232 has one or more outlets or orifices 246 for expelling a gas into the preformed pouches 220 of the web 216 to inflate the pouches 220. A blower 248 is connected to the wand 232 via flexible hose or tubing 250. The wand 232 is preferably made with ⅜″ stainless steel tubing and, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 22, the end of the wand 232 has a slight bend 252 towards the closest side wall 204. Referring to FIG. 19, this bend 252 helps align the web 216 as it is fed onto the wand 232 and prevents the web 216 from bunching as the wand 232 passes through the web 216 (e.g., the bend 252 also helps ensure the wand 232 will pass between the ends of the lateral side walls 33, 230 without catching or snagging).

As shown in FIG. 21, adjacent the wand 232 is the ultrasonic welding assembly 254, which is comprised of an annular anvil 256 and a horn 258 attached to a horn actuator 260 for moving the horn 258 between operating and non-operating positions. In an operating position shown in FIG. 18, the horn 258 is biased against the anvil 256 by the horn actuator 260, with the web 216 between the anvil 256 and the horn 258. In a non-operating position shown in FIG. 17, the horn 258 is lowered away from the anvil.

In one form, the horn actuator 260 moves the ultrasonic welding assembly 254 into operating position by actuating an arm 262 with a motor 264, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 23. The arm 262 is attached at one end to a pivot joint 266. The ultrasonic welding assembly 254 is attached to a bracket 268 with a pair of fasteners, such as U-bolts 270, and the bracket 268 is attached to the arm 262 between the pivot joint 266 and the opposite end. At the other end, the arm 262 is operably connected to a damping system 272 comprising a piston 274 and spring 276 assembly for adjusting the pressure at which the horn 258 will contact the anvil. A proper pressure setting is important because if the pressure is too high, the ultrasonic welding assembly 254 will score or cut the web 216, and the pouch 220 will not be sealed. If the pressure setting is too low, the seal 242 may be weak and prone to leakage, or the pouch 220 will not seal at all. A threaded fastener 278 is thread into the damping system 272 to adjust the pressure exerted on the anvil 256 by the horn 258 by adjusting the compression of the spring 276. As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, a motor 264 with a camming shaft 338 is operably connected to the arm 262 and damping system 272 to move the arm 262 in a controlled manner upwards or downwards about the pivot joint 266.

When the apparatus 200 is operating, the arm 262 is moved upwards about the pivot 266 to move the horn 258 into engagement with the anvil 256. When the apparatus 200 is in standby mode, the arm 262 is moved downwards to remove the horn 258 from the anvil 256, to prevent the anvil 256 from rubbing against the tip 280 of the horn 258 and causing damage to the horn 258 due to metal on metal contact. Now referring to FIG. 21, an infrared (“IR”) sensor 282 is positioned in front of the ultrasonic welding assembly 254 for sensing the presence of the web 216. In the embodiment shown, the IR sensor 282 emits IR radiation and looks for the reflection of the IR radiation off of a reflector located on the underside of the cover 221 (FIGS. 16 and 20) covering anvil 256 and drive wheel 292. If IR radiation is detected by the IR sensor 282, meaning that the IR radiation has been reflected by the reflector, the web 216 is not present. If the web 216 is not present, the horn 258 will be removed from the anvil 256, to prevent damage to the horn 258 caused by friction between the horn 258 and the anvil 256. Once the web 216 is sensed when the apparatus 200 is running, the horn 258 will be moved up by the actuator 260 to press the web 216 between the horn 258 and the anvil 256, causing the film layers 218 to be sealed together due to the localized transmission of ultrasonic energy to the film 218 by the horn 258. It should be noted that when cover 221 is in place over the ultrasonic welding assembly 254 and drive assembly 288, the apparatus has a clean design with no externally exposed moving parts or wheels. The apparatus 200 may also be provided with safety glass or other enclosure extending over the apparatus at least while in operation to further separate the user from the apparatus and its moving parts. For example, a plexiglass safety cover may extend over the top of the apparatus and be required to be put into position over the apparatus prior to an operator being able to operate the unit.

Now referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, the ultrasonic welding assembly 254 in operation creates a continuous and uninterrupted welded seam 242 along the edge of the web 216 as it slides across the horn and anvil interface 284. Importantly, the web 216 does not need to be stopped or slowed down to seal the inflatable pouch 220. The horn 258 seals the inflatable pouch 220 as it advances continuously and uninterruptedly along the horn 258. The film layers 218 are welded together through the ultrasonic energy transferred from the horn tip 280 to the film 218, combined with the pressure between the horn tip 280 and the anvil 256. The horn tip 280 itself is flat, while the anvil 256 has a convex circumferential surface 286. The convex surface 286 of the anvil 256 helps channel the ultrasonic energy to create a narrow seam 242 about the same width as the surface of the anvil 256 that addresses the horn 258. The anvil 256 rotates at the same speed as the drive system 288 to help direct the film across the horn 258 to minimize slippage between the anvil 256 and the web 216 to avoid excessive bunching or catching. To further reduce the potential for bunching, the film can be stiffened or a LDPE film that is more stiff can be used.

The anvil 256 may have a smooth surface, or may be patterned to impart a patterned seal 242 on the film to give the seal 242 a more finished appearance. As shown in FIG. 24B, the seal 242 created by the ultrasonic welding assembly 254 creates a fully enclosed pillow 220 by crossing over the lateral side walls 230 that are generally transverse to the seal 242.

As shown in FIG. 19, the wand 232 is preferably located directly adjacent the horn and anvil interface 284 to minimize the distance between the welded seam 242 and the edge of the web 228 which slides over the wand 232. By minimizing the distance between the wand 232 and the horn and anvil interface 284, the width of the sleeve 222 on the edge of the web 216 can be minimized, which reduces material and results in a cleaner looking packaging pillow 220. It also allows for a maximum amount of the web 216 to be used as a pouch or pocket if desired. In a preferred embodiment, sleeve 222 is less than 16 mm wide from the web edge 228 to the lateral wall 230, as shown in FIG. 24A.

Now referring to FIGS. 15 and 21, a cutting implement in the form of a razor 104 is used to continuously cut a seam 290 near the inflatable packaging edge 228 to free it of the wand 42 after the pillow 24 is sealed by the ultrasonic welding assembly 16. In a preferred embodiment, the razor 104 is connected to the support wall 316 of the apparatus 200 at one end and is disposed in a slot in the wand 42 at the other end. This ensures that there is little or no gap between the razor 104 and the wand 42 and no dull surface at the razor-wand interface for the web edge 228 to get caught on as it passes over the wand 42. Alternatively, the razor 104 may be integrally formed on the wand 42 or attached by other means such as welding. Preferably, however, the razor 104 is replaceable, as it will eventually dull from use. In another form, the cutting implement may be omitted if the edge 228 of the web is perforated, such that the edge 228 would tear open upon the exertion of pressure on the seam by a portion of the apparatus 10.

Adjacent the ultrasonic welding assembly 254 is a driving or feeding mechanism 288, shown in FIG. 22, which includes an upper and lower drive wheel 292, 294 in engagement with one another for pulling the web 216 from the roll 214, onto the wand 232, and across the ultrasonic welding assembly 254. The wheels 292, 294 are driven in opposite directions to pull the web 216 between them. One or both of the wheels 292, 294 may be covered with a frictional coating, such as rubber, or a tire 296 for increased traction on the web 216. In addition to, or in lieu of, the frictional coating or tire, at least one of the drive wheels may be provided with a pattern, such as the teeth illustrated on drive wheel 292 (FIGS. 17 and 18), to minimize slippage and/or increase traction on the web 216.

With the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 16-18, the apparatus 200 may be built with only one drive system 288 or set of drive wheels 292, 294, rather than requiring a set of drive wheels or mechanisms on each side of the ultrasonic welding assembly 16. However, should it be desired, the apparatus 200 can be made with a second drive assembly positioned before or after the ultrasonic welding assembly 16. Furthermore, the drive system 288 can be configured with both wheels 292, 294 being driven by a motor or with only one wheel 292 or 294 being driven by the motor and the other operating as a roller or freewheel freely rotating in response to the driven wheel.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 16-22, the wheels 292, 294 are driven by a drive motor 298 with a belt 300 disposed about a driving gear 302 on the motor shaft 304 and a driven gear 306 on the upper wheel drive shaft 308. An upper intermediate gear 310 disposed on the upper drive shaft 308 drives a lower intermediate gear 312 disposed on a lower wheel drive shaft 314 to drive the lower wheel 294. The upper and lower drive shafts 308, 314 are rotatably supported by a support wall 316. The anvil 256 is disposed on an anvil drive shaft 318 rotatably supported by the support wall 316. In addition, a driven gear 320 is disposed on the anvil drive shaft 318 and is also driven by the belt 300.

As stated above, the anvil 256 is preferably driven at the same speed as the drive wheels 292, 294. The driven gears 306, 320 are disposed on their respective drive shafts 308, 318 on the opposite side of the support wall 316 from the wheels 292, 294 and anvil 256. The driven gears 306, 320 and intermediate gears 310, 312 are confined on their sides opposite the support wall 316 by a rear mounting plate 322. In another form, a direct gear connection may be used to transfer rotational energy from the motor shaft 304 to the wheels 292, 294 and the anvil 256. The motor 298 may operate at a plurality of speeds, or the drive shaft speed may be geared down using gears with different gear ratios. In a preferred embodiment, the driving mechanism 288 pulls the web 216 through the apparatus 200 at a speed of about 75 fpm. This represents a 53 percent increase in speed over the prior art.

Now referring to FIG. 21, the apparatus 200 is controlled by a controller 322, comprising an integrated circuit as currently known in the art. Alternatively the apparatus 200 may comprise a programmable logic controller (“PLC”) or relay-logic controlled. The controller 322 may control any of the systems of the apparatus 200, including the actuator 260, the ultrasonic welding assembly 254, the drive system 288, and the blower 248. As shown in FIG. 20, the unit 200 preferably has a run switch 326, a stop switch 328, a jog switch 330, and an emergency stop switch 332. The jog switch 330 is used to temporarily run the drive wheels 292, 294 without engaging the ultrasonic welding assembly 254. This feature is used when loading on a new roll of film 214, because the web 216 must be fed through the drive wheels 292, 294 before the apparatus 200 is started. The controller 324 may also have a speed control to adjust the speed of the drive wheels 292, 294. Speed adjustment is desirable when gas flow from the gas dispenser is constant. For example, the fill volume of the pillows 220, can be adjusted by varying the speed of the drive system 288. A slower speed will result in fuller pillows 220, because each pillow 220 will spend a longer time on the wand 232 prior to sealing. Likewise, running the apparatus 200 at a faster speed will result in a less full pillow 220. In a similar manner, a larger volume pillow 220 will take longer to fill with constant gas flow. Therefore, speeds may be reduced to fill larger pillows 220 to the desired volume. In a preferred embodiment, the pillows 220 are filled between 85 to 90 percent of their capacity. However, any volume may be filled depending on user preference and/or packaging application.

In an alternate embodiment, the air flow may be controlled instead of, or in addition to, controlling the web speed. The air flow may be varied using a control valve, such as a ball valve or gate valve. Alternatively, the blower speed may be varied using the controller 324. Controlling both the air flow and web speed naturally results in the greatest degree of flexibility. For example, if it is desired to continue to run the film through at a high rate of speed, the air flow can be increased to render the desired fill volume. Alternatively if an intricate pocket design is used on the film, the speed and air flow can both be adjusted in order to find the setting that provides the desired fill volume.

The apparatus 200 preferably has a separate blower or fan 334 for cooling the horn 258, as shown in FIG. 21. Alternatively, air from the blower 248 or an external source could be directed towards the horn 258 to achieve the same result. In addition, the apparatus 200 may also include a vent and/or fan assembly (FIG. 16) connected to one of the side panels 204, 206 or cover 208 in order to circulate air throughout the internal compartment of the apparatus to cool off the electronics and equipment therein.

Thus, an apparatus for manufacturing air filled packing materials is disclosed herein which utilizes ultrasonic sealing to create a variety of different air filled packing materials, including but not limited to air pillows, bubble wrap, etc. The apparatus is capable of creating intermittent or continuous ultrasonic welds along the longitudinal axis or length of a web of film to seal a plurality of air-filled pockets thereon at a rate of speed or velocity that is not currently available in the marketplace. There are distinct advantages to implementing ultrasonic welding for air-filled packing materials. For example, ultrasonic welding is quicker than traditional heat sealing. In addition, due to the way in which the ultrasonic welds are performed existing ultrasonic welders require a slower manufacturing process, such as for example those that require the packaging to stop while passing through the sealing machine so that the ultrasonic welder can complete transverse welds. However, with the apparatus disclosed herein, ultrasonically sealing of plastic films can be accomplished at higher velocities due at least in part to the machines ability to intermittently and/or continuously ultrasonically weld the plastic film without requiring the film to stop to perform transverse welds. Therefore, while known air-filled packaging machines are currently limited to operating speeds of 49 fpm, the ultrasonic welding apparatus disclosed herein can operate at speeds up to 75 fpm. Thus, the apparatus disclosed herein satisfies a need for an air-filled packaging machine that can operate more quickly to increase efficiencies.

The apparatus has further been designed to provide a small generally light weight ultrasonic sealing table top or bench top unit that can be easily moved from one packing station to another as needed. Table-top units are advantageous because they may be moved from location to location within a warehouse as the demand arises. Although some table-top air filled packaging machines do exist, they are generally for low volume applications, and produce packaging pillows at a slower rate. Thus, the apparatus disclosed herein satisfies a need for a table-top sized unit that can produce a high volume of air-filled packing materials.

In addition, the design of the apparatus disclosed herein provides for a flexible machine that can manufacture air filled packing materials of different shapes and sizes, including allowing operators to customize the fill volume and quantity of air filled pouches for any given application. For example, the apparatus may be configured to fit one roll of film to generate sheets of air pillows of a desired fill volume for one packing station, and may then be moved to another packing station and configured to fit a different size roll of film to generate sheets of bubble wrap of a different fill volume (e.g., bubble-on-demand) to accommodate the needs for this particular packing station.

In addition to the apparatus 10 and 100, a variety of methods have been disclosed for producing air filled packing materials. For example, a method has been disclosed for providing intermittent ultrasonic welds along a longitudinal axis or length of a web of film to seal a plurality of air-filled pockets thereon at a rate of speed or velocity that is not currently available in the marketplace. In addition, a similar method has been disclosed for providing continuous ultrasonic welds along a longitudinal axis or length of such a web of film to seal a plurality of air-filled pockets thereon at a rate of speed or velocity no known in the art. These methods include forming a channel in the web of film into which a wand or gas dispenser is inserted in order to inflate at least one pouch and then feeding the web through an ultrasonic welding assembly to seal the inflated pouch to retain the gas or fill volume thereof. The methods may also include controlling the speed of the travel of the film and/or the amount of gas dispensed in order to produce air filled packing materials of a desired fill volume or with certain desired characteristics (e.g., size, shape, fill volume, etc.).

In addition to the apparatus and methods disclosed herein, there is disclosed air filled packing materials of a particular design. For example, there is disclosed a variety of air filled packing materials having either intermittent or continuous ultrasonic welds. There has also been disclosed a variety of different shaped and sized air filled packing materials having ultrasonic welds and a variety of unfilled film patterns and web patters in accordance with the invention.

While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing inflatable packaging pillows, comprising:

a gas dispenser adapted to dispense a gas within an opening of a partially sealed inflatable pouch for inflating the pouch;

an ultrasonic welding assembly comprising a horn for transmitting ultrasonic energy to the inflatable pouch to seal the opening of the pouch after inflation of the pouch by the gas dispenser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas dispenser comprises a wand having an orifice for dispensing a gas for inflating the pouch.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic welding assembly further comprises an anvil disposed opposite the horn for compressing the inflatable pouch between the anvil and the horn to promote sealing of the inflatable pouch.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the anvil is rotatable to provide for continuous rotatable contact with the inflatable pouch to promote sealing of the inflatable pouch.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a base and a roll support connected to the base for supporting a continuous roll of inflatable pouches prior to inflation and sealing of the inflatable pouches.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a drive wheel operably connected to a motor for advancing the inflatable pouch along the horn with the drive wheel and the horn seals the inflatable pouch as it advances continuously and uninterruptedly along the horn.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein an annular anvil is operably connected to the drive motor to rotate the anvil to promote sealing of the inflatable pouch by minimizing slippage between the anvil and the inflatable pouch.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the gas dispenser is inserted into a portion of the inflatable packaging as it is advanced by the driving mechanism and the apparatus further comprises a cutting implement for continuously cutting a portion of the inflatable pouch to free the pouch from the gas dispenser.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic welding assembly is moveable by an actuator into and out of an operating position, wherein the horn is positioned to seal the inflatable pouch.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a controller operably connected to the actuator for controlling the actuator to move the ultrasonic welding assembly into and out of an operating position.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting the presence of the inflatable pouch.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic welding assembly comprises a plurality of horns for simultaneously welding a plurality of seams on the inflatable pouch.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of horns are disposed across a lateral axis of the apparatus to weld a plurality of seams to seal a plurality of inflatable pouches simultaneously.

14. An apparatus for manufacturing inflated packing cushions comprising:

a gas distribution vent for directing a gas into the packing cushion to inflate the packing cushion;

an ultrasonic welding assembly including a horn for creating and distributing ultrasonic energy for sealing the inflated packing cushion; and

a packing cushion feeding mechanism comprising a wheel for advancing the packing cushion across the ultrasonic welding assembly.

15. An apparatus for manufacturing gas-filled packaging comprising:

a gas dispensing outlet for dispensing a gas into a preformed pouch;

a feeding mechanism for advancing the pouch in a machine direction; and

an ultrasonic sealing assembly including a horn and an anvil disposed opposite the horn for sealing the pouch along the machine direction.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the horn seals the pouch continuously without interruption of the advancement of the pouch.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the ultrasonic sealing assembly operates without an amplitude modifying signal booster module.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is sized to operate on a table top.

19. A method of manufacturing inflatable packaging, comprising:

providing a partially sealed and uninflated film pillow and a packaging pillow manufacturing device, the device having a gas dispensing orifice for directing a gas into the partially sealed uninflated film pillow to inflate the pillow and an ultrasonic welding assembly for creating high frequency ultrasonic energy for sealing the inflated pillow;

inflating the film pillow with the gas dispensing orifice; and

sealing the inflated film pillow using ultrasonic energy from the ultrasonic welding assembly.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the packaging pillow manufacturing device further comprises a drive mechanism for advancing the film pillow across the ultrasonic welding assembly.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the inflated film pillow is sealed by the ultrasonic welding assembly continuously as it advances uninterruptedly across the ultrasonic welding assembly.

22. An ultrasonically sealable inflatable packing cushion, comprising:

a polymer film web comprised of at least two layers of film bonded to each other at least at one wall that defines a partially sealed pocket, the pocket being unsealed along a portion of the pocket, the film formulated to be readily weldable to itself at the unsealed portion of the pocket through the application of ultrasonic energy.

23. The ultrasonically sealable inflatable cushion of claim 22, wherein the polymer film web is provided on a roll, wherein a plurality of pockets are formed on the web and are divided by perforations in the web to allow the pockets to be removed from one another.

24. The inflatable cushion of claim 22, wherein the polymer film web is created by folding a single layer of film over on itself to form the at least two layers of film.

25. The inflatable cushion of claim 22, wherein the web has a thickness of less than 0.005 inches.