Claims
- 1. A device for inflating collapsed air cell dunnage including a flattened bubble sheet having a bubble layer, a base layer connected thereto and gas expelled from the bubbles in the bubble sheet, the bubble layer further including conduits interconnecting selected groups of bubbles and a common channel extending longitudinally on the sheet and in fluid communication with each of the groups through the conduits, comprising:
a nozzle including an exterior blade with a cutting edge, the nozzle being inserted into the leading edge of the channel in order to introduce gas under pressure into the channel; a heat sealing device including two rollers constructed to seal the conduits in between the bubbles in the selected groups after the bubbles have been inflated; and the exterior blade adapted to cut the channel so that the inflated air cell dunnage can be separated from the nozzle for use.
- 2. A method for inflating collapsed air cell dunnage including a flattened bubble sheet having a bubble layer, a base layer connected thereto and gas expelled from the bubbles in the bubble sheet, the bubble layer further including conduits interconnecting selected groups of bubbles and a common channel extending longitudinally on the sheet and in fluid communication with each of the groups through the conduits, comprising:
inserting a nozzle into the leading edge of the channel in order to introduce gas under pressure into the channel; sealing the conduits in between the bubbles after the bubbles have been inflated; and cutting the channel so that the inflated air cell dunnage can be separated from the nozzle for use.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a division of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/296,363 filed Apr. 22, 1999, the specification of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09296363 |
Apr 1999 |
US |
Child |
10064089 |
Jun 2002 |
US |