Pregis Innovative Packaging LLC

Pregis Intellipack Corporation

Pregis Corporation

Pinnacle Design Technology

Pinnacle Design Technologies, Inc.

Thomas David Wetsch

Robert Tegel

Eric Charles Wright

William James Watts

Stephen J Milchuck

Paul F Ostwald

Thomas F McNellis

George T Bertram

Edward Eisenberger

Christopher M Rains

Paul A Selle

Keith Maranto

Mitchell J Hein

Vitoldas Karaliukas

Darren Keith Green

Michael Edward Ferringer

Kark Katsuhiko Yoshifusa

Christine S Laub

Jennifer Lawrence

David Joyce

Harrison W Francett

David Vincent Dobreski

Thomas Francis Mcnellis

A dunnage conversion machine includes a drive mechanism configured to deform a stock material into dunnage. The drive mechanism may include a roller with an outer surface having a first shape, and another roller having an outer surface with a second shape different than the first shape. The dunnage conversion machine also may include a cutting mechanism that includes an anvil having a curvilinear surface, and a cutting portion, with the anvil and the cutting portion being configured to cut the dunnage. The dunnage conversion machine also may include an inlet chute configured to feed the stock material to the dunnage conversion machine. The inlet chute may include a protrusion located within an interior channel of the inlet chute and configured to restrict larger objects, such as the fingers and hands of an operator, from moving down the interior channel.

Systems for producing dunnage

A bagger device is provided. The bagger device can include a bag handler configured to handle packaging material configured to define a bag that has first and second walls enclosing an interior cavity configured to contain an object therein for shipping, the first wall including an expansion material that has an expandable configuration and that is expandable to an expanded configuration for providing padding to the first wall to protect the object contained within the interior cavity. The bagger device can further include an expansion device configured to apply expanding conditions to the packaging material, the expanding conditions configured to cause the expandable material to expand from the expandable configuration to the expanded configuration.

Bagger with padding expansion

A dunnage conversion machine includes a drive mechanism configured to deform a stock material into a continuous length of dunnage. The machine also includes a cutting device configured to sever a piece of the dunnage from the continuous length of dunnage. The cutting device includes a grip configured to move to a closed position at which the grip exerts a force on the piece of dunnage to retain the piece on the machine until the piece is pulled away from the machine, at which point the grip moves to an open position and the machine advances the continuous length of dunnage to commence another cutting cycle.

Dunnage systems with automated feeding capability

A conversion apparatus is provided herein. The conversion apparatus includes a cutting member having an edge configured for cutting the dunnage material. The conversion apparatus also includes a biasing member that is located adjacent to the cutting member such that the dunnage material passes between the biasing member and the cutting member. The biasing member operably contacts the dunnage material thereby biasing the dunnage material against the cutting member. The position of the biasing member relative to the cutting member is such that in response to the dunnage material being retracted back into the conversion apparatus the cutting member begins to sever the dunnage material, but in response to the dunnage material traveling in the dispensing direction the cutting member does not begin to sever the dunnage material due to the relative position.

Dunnage cut-assist biasing member

A protective packaging web is disclosed. The web includes a first film web having a plurality of extended portions including a base perimeter enclosing an open base region and an extended surface protruding in one direction from a plane defined by the first film web. The extended surface has a larger surface area than the open base region. The web also includes a second film web sealed to the first film web around a portion of the open base region to form sub-chambers on a side of the first film web opposite the protruding direction. The first film web and the second film web remain unsealed across the open base region defining regions within the sub-chambers suitable to contain a fluid volume. The plurality of sub-chambers are interconnected via one or more intra-chamber channels, allowing each of the sub-chambers to receive and release fluid in response to external pressures.

Deflatable inflatable web

A dunnage crumpling apparatus is provided having first and second entry-side crumpling members and first and second exit-side crumpling members. The first and second entry-side crumpling members define an entry therebetween. The first and second exit-side crumpling members define an exit therebetween that is disposed along the longitudinal path downstream of the entry. A crumpling zone being defined between the entry and exit. The first entry-side crumpling member is configured for moving at an first rate and is associated with the second entry-side crumpling member for moving sheet material through the entry in a first direction along a longitudinal path at an entry rate. The first exit-side crumpling member is configured for moving at an second rate and is associated with the second exit-side crumpling member for moving the sheet material through the exit in the first direction along the path at a exit rate that is slower than the entry rate to crumple the sheet material for producing dunnage. The entry and exit-side crumpling members are displaced laterally along the path with respect to each other to cause shearing of the sheet within the crumpling zone.

Crumpling mechanism for creating dunnage

A connective protective packaging element is provided. The connective protective packaging element may include a protective body in a high-density supply configuration. The protective body may be configurable into a low-density configuration for cushioning packaged products. The body may include an exposed surface in the low-density configuration. The connective protective packaging element may also include a bonding element attached to the exposed surface that operably bonds the exposed surface to an abutting surface by contact with the bonding element.

Connective protective packaging

A protective packaging formation device is disclosed herein. The protective packaging formation device can include an inflation assembly having a fluid conduit that directs fluid between first and second overlapping plies of a web material and a sealing mechanism. The sealing mechanism can include a heating zone of the sealing mechanism operable to heat the plies to create a longitudinal heat seal that seals the first and second plies together as the web is driven over the heating zone in a downstream direction. The sealing mechanism can also include a pinch zone that overlaps longitudinally with the heating zone. The pinch zone defined by an isolation element that applies a first pressure to the web material along a first region. The pinch zone is also defined by a support structure and a compression element that applies a second pressure to the web material there-between along a second region transverse to the first region.

Isolation device in a heating and sealing system

Provided herein is a furniture wrapping system. The furniture wrapping system includes a film roll support configured to unroll a first film across a path of the furniture article in a first direction, such that the film roll support positions a film barrier across the path. The furniture wrapping system includes a conveyor mechanism configured to carry the furniture article along the path and into the barrier. The furniture wrapping system includes a sealer configured to extend across the path to form a seal such that the furniture article is partially enclosed in the first film.

Automated furniture bagger and material therefor

A packaging material web stock is provided. The packaging material web stock can include first and second plies overlaid and sealed to each other at a plurality of seals that include a plurality of transverse seals extending transversely across the plies, wherein a plurality of interior cavities are defined between the plies and the transverse seals, the first and second plies arranged in a web that includes a plurality of packaging units arranged longitudinally in a series along the web, wherein the first and second plies form walls of the packaging units, and at least some of the packaging units include at least one of the interior cavities, and an expansion material disposed in the interior cavities in an unexpanded configuration, wherein the expansion material is arranged within the inner cavities such that, when expanded to the expanded configuration, the expansion material is configured to provide cushioning in the walls.

User-expandable packaging

A dunnage system may include a converting station including a converter configured for pulling in a stream of sheet material and converting the material into dunnage, and an inlet guide having an inlet surface that is coiled such that first and second ends of the inlet surface are discontinuous with each other to define a gap therebetween, the inlet surface configured to channel the sheet material into the converter. A cutter for a dunnage system may include a blade with first and second phases of serrations that are coextensive over at least a portion of the blade, the first phase providing cutting serrations for cutting the dunnage, and the second phase comprising ledges for focusing the cutting and preventing or reducing bunching of the dunnage towards a side of the blade. A method of converting dunnage may also be provided.

Center-fed dunnage system feed and cutter

A method for making an expansion wall is provided. The method can include applying a matrix to a first ply and applying an expansion element to the surface of the matrix. A second ply is applied over the first ply to trap the matrix and expansion element therebetween. The applied expansion element is entrained into the applied matrix to provide an expansion material that is configured to expand to, and solidify in, an expanded condition upon activation.

Expandable web with in-situ combination of expansion material components

Disclosed is a dunnage apparatus, including a converting station and a deflector. The converting station converts a line of high-density supply material into low-density dunnage and ejects the dunnage at an exit in an exit trajectory along a path. The deflector is repositionable with respect to the exit between a first position, in which the deflector is interposed in the path to deflect the path of the dunnage from the exit trajectory to a first deflected trajectory, and a second position. The deflector is retained in each position during the ejection of the dunnage.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, IL, United States of America

Thomas David Wetsch