MACHINE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF PNEUMATICALLY FILLED INFLATABLE PACKAGING PILLOWS

摘要

A machine (40) and method for the manufacture of a continuous production of pneumatically filled packaging pillows (50) for use as void fill packaging for the safe shipping of articles. A strip of flattened preformed film material (10) with a repeated sealing pattern (14) is advanced along a path through the machine (40) and includes a common inflation channel (18) that is guided onto a longitudinally extending inflation tube (44) at a first station. The inflation tube (44) has an orifice (70) through which pressurized air is expressed in controlled fashion to inflate pillow chambers (16) that emanate off the common inflation channel (18) of the film material (10). The film material (10) is advanced to a second station where continuous longitudinally extending heat seals are formed in the film material (10) in a manner to trap and confine a quantity of air inside the inflated pillow chambers (16). The film material (10) is then advanced to a third station where the common inflation channel (18) is slit open in order to release the film material from the inflation tube (44) of the machine (40). An advantageous aspect of the invention is that the film material (10) is advanced along the path from station to station in a continuous motion.