Language selection

Search

Patent 2216124 Summary

Third-party information liability

Some of the information on this Web page has been provided by external sources. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of the information supplied by external sources. Users wishing to rely upon this information should consult directly with the source of the information. Content provided by external sources is not subject to official languages, privacy and accessibility requirements.

Claims and Abstract availability

Any discrepancies in the text and image of the Claims and Abstract are due to differing posting times. Text of the Claims and Abstract are posted:

  • At the time the application is open to public inspection;
  • At the time of issue of the patent (grant).
(12) Patent: (11) CA 2216124
(54) English Title: APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING OF COMPOSITE CUSHIONING PRODUCT
(54) French Title: APPAREIL DE FABRICATION DE PRODUIT DE REMBOURRAGE COMPOSITE
Status: Expired
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • B65D 81/03 (2006.01)
  • B31D 3/04 (2006.01)
  • B31D 5/00 (2017.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • GOODRICH, DAVID P. (United States of America)
(73) Owners :
  • GEAMI, LTD. (United States of America)
(71) Applicants :
  • GOODRICH, DAVID P. (United States of America)
(74) Agent: BLAKE, CASSELS & GRAYDON LLP
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued: 2006-09-12
(86) PCT Filing Date: 1996-02-08
(87) Open to Public Inspection: 1996-08-15
Examination requested: 2002-10-29
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): Yes
(86) PCT Filing Number: PCT/US1996/001743
(87) International Publication Number: WO1996/024540
(85) National Entry: 1997-09-22

(30) Application Priority Data:
Application No. Country/Territory Date
08/385,336 United States of America 1995-02-08

Abstracts

English Abstract



The invention relates to a composite cushioning system for protecting
articles, packaged within a box, from damage while being
transported in the box. The composite structure includes at least one expanded
slit sheet (304), in combination with a separator sheet (302).
The expanded sheet has a slit pattern which produces open cells, preferably of
a hexagonal configuration. The separator sheet precludes
the nesting of the slit sheet. A variety of combinations of separator sheets
and expansion sheets can be used, such as a pair of expansion
sheets with a separator sheet between the pair of expansion sheets, or two
such pairs of expansion sheets, with or without a separator sheet
between the pairs. The separator sheet can be unslit, or tear-perforated or
slit to accommodate expansion.


French Abstract

Cette invention concerne un système de rembourrage composite destiné à protéger les articles emballés dans une boîte des dommages qu'ils pourraient subir durant leur transport. Cette structure composite comprend au moins une feuille étirée (304) comportant des fentes, laquelle se trouve en combinaison avec une feuille de séparation (302). La feuille étirée comporte un système de fentes produisant des cellules ouvertes et de forme hexagonale de préférence. La feuille de séparation permet d'empêcher l'emboîtement de la feuille comportant des fentes. Il est possible d'obtenir diverses combinaisons de feuilles de séparation et de feuilles étirées, telles que deux feuilles étirées séparées par une feuille de séparation, ou encore deux feuilles étirées du même type sans feuille de séparation entre elles. Les feuilles de séparation peuvent ne pas comporter de fentes, ou encore être percées par déchirement ou fendues de manière à pouvoir être étirées.

Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.



14

CLAIMS:

1. A paper cushion wrap comprising a combination of at least one sheet of
slit expanded sheet material and a layer of substantially unexpended sheet
material, adjacent layers of expanded sheet material being separated by said
substantially unexpended sheet material, said expanded sheet having rows of
cells with semi-rigid peaks, said semi-rigid peaks having an incline such that
cells
of adjacent layers can nest and interlock, said peaks being prevented from
nesting in cells and interlocking with adjacent layers of expanded sheet
material
by said separator sheet.

2. The paper cushion wrap of claim 1, wherein said substantially unexpended
sheet material is tissue paper, said slit sheets material is at least forty
pound kraft
paper, and wherein said combination is folded flat in a flag fold to form a
triangular cushioning element, in which each layer is essentially flat and the
direction of said rows of cells are offset by about 90 degrees each fold and
adjacent layers of expanded sheet material are separated by a layer of tissue
paper.

3. The paper cushion wrap of claim 1, wherein the width of said separator
sheet is substantially less than the width of said expanded sheet material
when
fully expanded, thereby forming two outer regions in which the expanded sheet
material extends beyond said separator sheets, and in said two outer regions,
adjacent layers of expanded sheet materials are in contact in a nesting and
interlocking engagement.

4. The paper cushion wrap of claim 3, further comprising an article within
said paper cushioning wrap, wherein said article is fully contained within and
enclosed by said combination in a manner such that said outer regions extend
beyond said article, said outer region which extends beyond the article being
contracted and necked down, due to the contraction force of said expanded
sheet
material, said outer regions have an inner perimeter and said article having
an


15

outer perimeter, said outer region inner perimeter being substantially less
than
said outer perimeter of said article, thereby containing said article.

5. The paper cushion wrap of claim 3, wherein said paper cushion wrap is in
the form of a spiral and said separator sheet is a light weight sheet material
no
greater than forty pound paper.

6. The paper cushion wrap of claim 1, wherein said slit expanded sheet is
formed from a slit pattern which produces a cell wall incline of about 60
degrees.

7. The paper cushion wrap of claim 2, wherein said slit expanded sheet is
formed from a slit pattern which forms hexagonal cells.

8. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 1-7, wherein said separator
sheet is a light weight sheet material no greater than forty pound paper.

9. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 1-8, wherein said separator
sheet is tissue paper.

10. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 1-9, wherein said expanded
sheet material is at least forty pound kraft paper.

11. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 1-9, wherein said expanded
sheet material is about 70 pound kraft paper.

12. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 1-11, wherein said slit
expanded sheet is formed from a slit pattern which produces a cell wall having
an
incline produced by a slit pattern of one half inch slit, 3/16 slit spacing
and 1/8
inch row spacing.

13. The paper cushion wrap of claim 12, wherein said separator sheet is a
light weight sheet material no greater than forty pound paper, and said
cushion


16

wrap is in the form of a spiral.

14. A paper cushioning pad comprising a combination of two outer layers of
unexpanded sheet material, at least two inner layers of slit expanded sheet
material, and a light weight separator sheet between said two inner layers of
expanded sheet material, said expanded sheet having cells with semi-rigid
peaks, said semi-rigid peaks having an incline such that cells of adjacent
layers
can nest and interlock, said peaks being prevented from nesting in cells and
interlocking with adjacent layers of expanded sheet material by said separator
sheet at least said two outer layers of unexpanded sheet material being sealed
to
each other in a longitudinal line along two opposing edges, to form an
integrated
structure.

15. The paper cushioning pad of claim 14, wherein said pad is folded over to
form an envelope, having a folded edge and an open end opposite said folded
end, the remaining two edges being sealed together.

16. The paper cushion wrap of claim 14 or claim 15, wherein said slit sheets
material is at least forty pound kraft paper and has hexagonal cells.

17. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 14-16, wherein said slit
expanded sheet is formed from a slit pattern which produces a cell wall
incline of
about 60 degrees, and said separator sheet is tissue paper.

18. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 14-17, wherein said slit
expanded sheet is formed from a slit pattern which forms hexagonal cells and
said separator sheet is a light weight sheet material no greater than forty
pound
paper.

19. The paper cushion wrap of claim 18, wherein said separator sheet is
tissue paper.



17

20. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 14-18, wherein said
expanded sheet material is at least forty pound kraft paper.

21. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 14-18, wherein said
expanded sheet material is about 70 pound kraft paper.

22. The paper cushion wrap of any one of claims 14-21, wherein said slit
expanded sheet is formed from a slit pattern which produces a cell wall having
an
incline produced by a slit pattern of one half inch slit, 3/16 slit spacing
and 1/8
inch row spacing, and wherein said separator sheet is tissue paper.

23. The paper cushion wrap of claim 22, wherein said separator sheet is about
30 pound paper.

24. A composite cushioning material comprising a combination of at least one
sheet of slit, expanded paper sheet material and a layer of substantially
unexpanded sheet material, juxtaposed so that adjacent layers of expanded
sheet material are separated by a separator sheet defined by said
substantially
unexpanded sheet material.

25. A cushioning material according to claim 24, comprising the combination
of two layers of expanded paper sheet material separated by said separator
sheet.

26. A cushioning material according to claim 24 or claim 25, wherein the width
of said separator sheet is substantially less than the width of said expanded
paper sheet material when said expanded paper material is fully expanded,
whereby said expanded paper sheet material extends beyond said separator
sheet.



18

27. A cushioning material according to claim 26, wrapped around an article so
that said expanded paper sheet material interlocks in a region where it is not
separated by said separator sheet to secure the wrap about the article.

28. A cushioning material according to claim 24, further comprising the
combination of two layers of expanded paper sheet material separated by said
separator sheet, the width of said separator sheet being substantially less
than
the width of said two layers of expanded paper sheet material when fully
expanded, whereby the regions of said expanded paper sheet material which
extend beyond said separator sheet, are in contact with adjacent layers of
expanded sheet material in a nesting engagement and said separator sheet
prevents nesting of said two layers of expanded paper sheet material in the
region separated by said separator sheet.

29. A cushioning material according to claim 28, wrapped around an article so
that the region of expanded paper sheet material which extend beyond said
separator sheet are interlocked to secure the wrap around the article.

30. A cushioning material according to any one of claims 24, 25 or 26, wherein
said cushioning material is a cushioning pad having outer layers of unexpanded
sheet material and at least one seal at each edge of said combination to form
an
integrated structure having unslit outer layers and, between the outer layers,
at
least two layers of expanded sheet material separated by an unslit sheet which
is
of a lighter weight paper than said expanded sheet material.

31. A cushioning material according to any one of claims 24 to 30, wherein the
separator sheet is tissue paper.

32. A method of making a roll of a composite cushioning material as claimed
in claim 24, comprising the steps of:


19

applying expansion pressure to at least one sheet of slit, expandable sheet
paper material to form a sheet of expanded material, which is expanded in
length
and loft and reduced in width,
drawing a separator sheet of flexible material along with said expandable
sheet,
wrapping said composite of said at least one sheet of expanded material
and separator sheet around itself to form a roll in which all adjacent layers
of
expanded material have a separator sheet between them.

33. A method of making a roll of a composite cushioning material as claimed
in claim 32, in which said separator sheet is of less width than the expanded
sheet, and the separator sheet lies between adjacent layers of expanded
material
and only edges of adjacent layers of expanded material form a nesting and
interlocking engagement.

34. An apparatus for producing a composite cushioning material comprising:
means for holding at least one roll of flexible separator sheet material;
means for holding first and second rolls of expandable paper slit material in
unexpanded form;
a first pair of guide rollers;
gripping means on said first pair of guide rollers for engaging said
expandable material from said first roll;
a first pair of expansion rollers;


20

said expandable material being adapted to extend from said first roll of
expandable paper slit material to said first pair of guide rollers, and from
said first
pair of guide rollers to said first pair of expansion rollers;
at least one of said expansion rollers in the first pair of expansion rollers
having slit material gripping means on its surface, said slit material
gripping
means having an effective peripheral rotational speed greater than the
effective
peripheral rotational speed of said first pair of guide rollers whereby
rotation of
said first pair of guide rollers draws slit material from said first roll of
slit material
and rotation of said first pair of expansion rollers at a rotational speed
greater
than the rotational speed of said first pair of guide rollers expands said
slit
material in length and loft;
a second pair of guide rollers;
gripping means on said second pair of guide rollers for engaging said
expandable material from said second roll;
a second pair of expansion rollers;
said expandable material extending from said second roll of expandable
paper slit material to said second pair of guide rollers, and from said second
pair
of guide rollers to said second pair of expansion rollers;
at least one of said expansion rollers in the second pair of expansion
rollers having slit material gripping means on its surface, said slit material
gripping means having an effective peripheral rotational speed greater than
the
effective peripheral rotational speed of said second pair of guide rollers,
whereby
rotation of said second pair of guide rollers draws slit material from said
second
roll of slit material and rotation of said second pair of expansion rollers at
a
rotational speed greater than the rotational speed of said second pair of
guide
rollers expands said slit material in length and loft; and


21

packaging material delivery means for delivering said first expanded material
in
juxtaposition with at least the first surface of the unexpended separator
material
and the second expanded material in juxtaposition with the second surface of
said unexpended separator material.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising means for delivering at
least
a second unexpended sheet material to the face of at least one of the first
and
second expanded sheet material remote from the separator sheet to form a
composite having at least two layers of expanded sheet material separated by a
separator sheet and at least one outer layer of unexpended sheet material.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising means for delivering two
outer layers of unslit sheet material and binding means to bind together said
outer layers of unslit sheet material longitudinally at their sides thereby
forming a
bound composite packaging material having at least two layers of expanded
sheet material separated by a separator sheet.

37. A method of wrapping an article which comprises:
(a) providing a composite cushioning material according to claim 30;
(b) wrapping said composite cushioning material about the article, so
that regions of the slit, expanded paper sheet material which extend beyond
the
width of the layer of substantially unexpended separator sheet material,
interlock
to secure the wrap around the article.

38. A method according to claim 37, in which the composite cushioning
material is a single layer of expanded paper sheet material and a single layer
of
separator sheet material.


22

39. A method according to claim 38, wherein the separator sheet material is
adjacent the article.

40. A method according to claim 38 or claim 39, in which the external layer of
said wrapping material is expanded paper sheet material.

41. A method according to any one of claims 37 to 40, in which the wrapping
about the article is done in a spiral fashion.

42. A method according to claim 41, in which the article has a dimension
larger than the width of the slit, expanded paper material and the spiral
wrapping
proceeds progressively until said cushioning material overhang the article
beyond
each end of said dimension.

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PCT/US96/01743
1
APPARATUB FOR MANUFACTURING OF
COMPOBITE CUBHIONING PRODUCT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the methods and apparatus to
automatically
produce a composite packaging material, from an expanded slit paper and a
separator sheet and to
the articles produced.
Brief Description of the Prior Art
The performance and ecological disadvantages of cellular foam styrene and/or
styrofoam
peanuts as a void fill material is well known. Starch products have been used,
but tend to be ex-
cessively dusty and frangible, while products made from corn husks and other
vegetation, are
prone to attracting vermin. Paper products tend to be low in bulk and thus
have a high cost per
cubic foot of void fill.
Expanded paper can be used to wrap articles and as void fill for packages.
Although the
expanded paper product is more expensive, on a volume basis than the commonly
used void fill
materials, its performance as a protective cushioning material is
substantially greater.
It is thus an object of the invention to reduce the cost, on a volume basis,
of expanded
paper packaging material.
It is another object of the invention, to produce a void fill product which
can be shipped in
the unexpanded form, and expanded at the user's site, at a cost competitive
with that of styrene
and/or styrofoam void fill.

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PCT/US96/01743
2
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for producing a composite packaging material comprises at least
one roll of
separator sheet material, with a first and a second surface and at least one
roll of expandable slit
sheet material in its unexpanded form. The slit material positioned to be
proximate the first sur-
face of the separator material. A first pair of drive rollers are provided A
first pair of expander
rollers are provided with gripping means to engage the expandable material.
Delivery means are provided to deliver the expandable material extends from
the roll to a
first pair of drive rollers, and from the drive rollers to the expander
rollers. The expander rollers
have an effective peripheral rotational speed greater than the effective
peripheral rotational
speed of the drive rollers. Rotation of the drive rollers draws slit material
from the roll and the
faster rotation of the expander rollers expands the slit material in length
and thickness. A com-
posite packaging material is delivered consisting of expanded material in
combination with a
separator sheet.
A second roll of expandable slit sheet material can be provided in its
unexpanded form
along with a second pair of drive rollers and a second pair of expander rolls.
The expandable
material extends from the second paper roll to the second pair of drive
rollers, and from the
second pair of drive rollers to the second pair of expander rollers. Rotation
of the second pair
drive rollers draws material from the second roll and rotation of the second
pair of expander
rollers expands the second sheets of expandable material. The sheets of
expanded material are
separated by the separator sheet.
At least one second separator sheet can be included to produce a composite
having at least
two layers of expanded sheet material separated by a separator sheet and at
least one outer layer
separator sheet. Two outer layers of unslit sheet material can be bound
together longitudinally
along their edges to form a bound composite packaging material having at least
two layers of ex-
panded sheet material separated by a separator sheet enclosed within two outer
layers.

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96!24540 PCT/US96/01743
3
The paper cushion wrap comprises' at least -one paper sheet of slit, expanded
sheet material
and a layer of substantially unexpended paper sheet material. The paper
cushion wrap can fur-
ther combine two layers of expanded sheets separated by a separator sheet. The
width of of the
separator sheet being substantially less than the width of the two fully
expanded sheets. The
regions of the expanded sheets which extend beyond the separator sheet, are in
contact with ad-
jacent layers of expanded sheet material in a nesting engagement. The
separator slieet prevents
nesting of the two layers of expanded sheets in the region separated by said
separator sheet. The
cushioning wrap can be used as a cushioning pad with outer layers of
unexpended sheet material.
At least one seal at each edge forms an integrated structure having unslit
outer layers and at least
two layers of expanded sheet material separated by an unslit sheet. The unslit
sheet is a lighter
weight paper than the expanded sheet material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The advantages of the instant disclosure will become more apparent when read
with the
specification and the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a side view of a mufti-layer expander for production of a three
layer product;
Figure 2 is a schematic of a mufti-layer expander for product of a seven layer
product;
Figure 3 is a schematic of a mufti-layer expander for product of pads and
envelopes;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the protective envelope produced from the
product
produced by the expander of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the completed envelope of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a side view of the expanded paper and separator paper
combination;
Figure 7 is side view of two sheets of expanded paper having reverse inclines
in combina-
tion with a separator paper;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a slit paper, separator paper combination;
Figure 9 is is a perspective view of an article wrapped in the combination of
Figure 8; and
FIGURE 10 is a end view of expanded and separator paper rolled into a
cylinder.

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PCT/US96/01743
4
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The term expanding, as used herein, refers to a three-dimensional expansion,
or a volume
expansion, as disclosed in PCT/LTS93/02369, WO 93/18911 published 30 September
1993.
While any slit pattern for expanding the paper can produce an effective
packaging
material, when used in combination with an unexpended sheet, the use of a
pattern which
produces hexagonal cells is preferred due to the high rigidity of the
hexagonal cells. Hexagonal
cells are rigidly self supporting as compared to oval cells which close
readily under load.
Positioning an unexpended sheet of material between each layer of expanded
hexagonal
sheets results in a final thickness which is equal to the full thickness of
the sum of the thickness
of each individual unexpended and expanded sheet. To retain the
biodegradability of the
material, paper or biodegradable plastic should be used, although any flexible
material can be sub-
stituted. Economically it is advantageous to use lightweight kraft or tissue
paper as a separator
sheet, keeping the paper weight at the minimum required for the desired
cushioning. The resultant
cushioning is different from the highly resilient cushioning which is produced
by the interaction
of nested sheets. The highly resilient, high loft, stiff cushioning, is highly
suited to void fill ap-
plications due at least in part, to the very thick product having spongy
cushioning which is
produced when the expanded sheet layers is interlayered with an unexpended
sheet.
The mufti-layer, separator sheet structure's stiffness and resiliency results
in it's being ex-
ceptionally suited for use with lighter weight paper than it's single-ply
counterpart, thereby in-
creasing the volume yield per gram and reducing the price per cubic meter. A
greater amount of
energy is required to collapse the mufti-ply structure than is required to
collapse the single ply
counterpart.
The separator sheet does not nest with the lands and/or legs of the expanded
sheet, but
rather, distributes impact from the expanded sheets to from the legs and/or
lands to at least cell
sized regions of the next layer of expanded sheet. The separator sheet causes
each leg and land to

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 . PCT/US96/01743
operate independently, rather than in nested groups. The change in effect is
not a loss of impact
absorption capacity, but a change in the type of impact absorption which the
cushioning material
is undergoing.
The separator sheet can be a simple sheet of paper freely fed along with one
or more ex-
panded slit sheets. By unwinding along with the wrapping motion, the separator
sheet can accom-
modate and keep up with the rate at which the expanded sheet is being fed. The
separator sheet
can be coupled to a single expanded sheet, or placed between expanded sheets.
When drawing on
the expanded sheets during the wrapping operation, the expanded sheet is
elongated beyond the
initial expansion produced by a powered expander, requiring the separator
sheet to accommodate
a feed rate greater than that of the expansion rollers. Where the separator
sheet is between ex-
panded sheets, it is preferred to simultaneously feed the composite through a
single pair of expan-
sion rolls. Since the feed rate of the separator sheet is limited to that of
the expanded sheets, the
separator sheet restricts the further expansion required to wrap with an
interlocking action. To
accommodate this, the separator sheet can have a tear line formed by a line of
perforations, such
as small, closely spaced holes, large holes or elongated slits, transverse to
the machine direction of
the paper.
Alternatively, the separator sheet can be provided with a narrow region of
slit patterns
transverse to the machine direction of the paper. The expansion region is
designed to provide the
same degree of expansion from region to region, as is obtained from the
pulling of the expanded
sheet taut during the wrapping operation. The additional expansion used to
spring load the ex-
panded sheet, is less than 25% of the length of the region, and generally is
on the order of five to
ten percent. The slit pattern to produce this criteria can vary dependent upon
manufacturing
preferabilities. The slits can be longer than those used for cushioning
expansion at intervals along
the length of the sheet rather than uniformly distributed along the sheet. If
the resultant cells are
twice as large as those for the expanded cushioning layer, half as many cell
should be used, with
the critical factor being the achievement of equal expansion for the slit and
functionally "unslit"
layer. The expansion region of the separator sheet can be conveniently spaced
at one or two foot

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PCT/US96/01743
6
intervals to provide from about one to four inches of expansion. Expansion of
about one inch per
foot generally provides sufficient extension to permit the required pulling of
the expansion sheet
to the taut condition. Obviously, providing for more expansion than necessary
is not detrimental,
though providing insufficient expansion is undesirable and can interfere with
the interlocking fea-
tore. Where the composite is used to produce a pad or envelope, the expanded
slit sheet is not
pulled taut and an expansion or tear region is unnecessary.
The slit pattern ratio in the separator sheet cannot be the equivalent to the
slits pattern as
disclosed for the slit paper, as this would result in nesting. If the slit
pattern is used, the slit size
and ratios must be different from those used in the expanded paper. It is
preferable that any slit
pattern used does not form the resilient hexagons, thereby providing the
firmer support provided
by unslit paper.
The weight of the expanded sheet material can be selected based on the
required perfor-
mance, generally in the 40 to 50 pound range. The weight of the separator
sheet need not be
greater than 30 or 40 pound kraft paper, since its function is strictly as a
separator.
The expansion is preferably performed in a modified expander of the type
disclosed in
copending patent application, Serial Number PCT/US94/10209, WO-95/07225,
published 16 March
1995, used for producing single or dual webs of expanded sheet material. This
basic expander is
redesigned herein to allow for the production of the mufti-layer combination.
The expansion
process, as well as hardware, is disclosed in detail in the foregoing PCT
application.
Two layers of expandable sheet material separated by a light weight, unslit
separator sheet,
can be processed in a single pair of rollers. By offsetting the hook and loop
fabric windings of
the two rollers, crushing of the expanded material is precluded, even when
multiple expandable
sheets are separated by a separator sheet. The thickness of material passing
between the expansion
rollers is about 50% greater when two pairs of unseparated slit sheets are
simultaneously
processed. The hook filaments must be positioned close enough to one another
to apply sufficient
pressure to the double webs to grip unexpanded lead material and transform it
into expanded
material.

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PCT/US96/01743
7
The expander is preferably provided with the ability to automatically readjust
on the other
of the thickness of one or more layers of expanded sheet material. This
provides the ability to
have a closer position at start-up to provide substantial gripping of the
unexpended paper and a
further apart position after a momentary, start-up period. The rollers are
preferably provided
with high and low settings for optimum performance. The displacement can be
adjusted as re-
quired, to adjust to different slit row spacing and can be adjusted downwardly
to compensate for
nesting or upwardly to compensate for the use of a separator sheet.
Where mufti-layer or webs of expanded sheet material having 20.3 centimeter
slit row spac-
ing, are fed through a single pair of expansion rollers, the spacing between
the expansion roller is
increased about 4.8 centimeters per expanded sheet. The expansion rollers are
preferably powered
for parallel movement, in order to regulate the spacing between the rollers.
Where expanded
sheets are not separated, the spacing of the pair of parallel expansion rolls
will be less than where
the expanded sheets have a separator between them to prevent nesting. Thus,
where two sheets of
expanded paper and two outer shcets of kraft paper are fed through the
expansion rollers, the
roller spacing is less than where a separator sheet is used between the pair
of expanded sheets.
In Figure 1 the tri-layer expander 10 positions slit rolls 12 and 14 above and
below the
separator roll 16. The slit rolls 12 and 14 are each expanded through dual
pairs of expansion
rollers. As the expansion rollers used are identical, only one set will be
described. The separator
paper 20 is fed from the separator roll 16 located between the slit rolls 12
and 14. The separator
roll 16 is free floating on the roller support 28 allowing the separator paper
20 to freely unroll as
it is pulled. To prevent the separator paper 20 from continuing to unroll due
to momentum, any
restraining method, such as a friction fit between the roller support 28 and
the core of the
separator roll 16, can be used.
Figure 2 illustrates one example of an alternate expander 50 with multiple
delivery areas
which comprises slit paper rolls 52 and 56 and separator roll 54. The rolls
are placed to allow for
the separator roll 54 to be delivered between the slit paper rolls 52 and 56.
The separator paper 72
is removed from the roll 54 and held in position for delivery by positioning
bar 58. One or more

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PCT/US96/01743
8
positioning bars can be provided to place the paper in the position required
for smooth entry into
the guide rollers 60 and 62. The slit paper 68 and 70 passes through the guide
rollers 60 and 62
and expansion rollers 64 and 66, expanding as described in the aforenoted PG'T
application. The
separator paper 72 also runs through the guide rollers 60 and 62 and expansion
rollers 64 and 66,
subjecting the separator paper 72 to the same physical pulling as the slit
paper 68 and 70. In order
to prevent the separator paper 72 from tearing during the expansion stage, the
separator paper 72
is provided with slits. The second delivery area is the center separator roll
74 which separates the
first and third delivery areas. The center separator sheet 76 prevents the
expanded paper 70 from
nesting with the expanded paper 78. The third delivery area is the same as the
first delivery area,
although the positioning of the rolls may differ. This configuration provides
cushioning in a
more bulky, rigid form and is preferable for wrapping larger objects. It
should be noted that any
number of delivery areas can be combined in the same manner as disclosed in
this Figure.
The expander 100 of Figure 3 has the delivery systems arranged to provide the
capability
of producing envelopes. The rolls 102 and 106 are unslit kraft paper, at least
one of which has a
weight sufficient to provide exterior envelope protection. The exterior paper
104 and 108 is
placed through dual guide rollers 110 and 112 which are utilized to maintain
alignment of the
paper 104 and 108. The expanded paper rolls 114 and 116 are positioned to
deliver expanded
paper adjacent to the exterior paper 104 and 108. The slit paper 118 and 120
is expanded through
use of dual guide rollers 122 and 124 and expansion rollers 126 and 128. A
center separator sheet
132, fed off a center separator roll 130, is used to prevent the expanded
paper 118 and 120 from
nesting.' The center separator sheet 132 can be provided with one or more
positioning rollers 134
to maintain the positioning of the center separator sheet 132. The mufti-layer
combination 152
can be used for either wrapping, a cushioning pad or envelope.
The combination produced by the expander 100 is ideal for use as a protective
envelope.
The combination 152 is cut at a predetermined length, approximately two and
1/4 the length of
the desired size envelope 150 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4
the mufti-layer com-
bination 152 has been folded over onto itself, leaving closure flap 154 as a
single layer of the

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PCT/US96/01743
9
mufti-layer combination 152. The envelope 150 is sealed along the peripheral
edges 158 and 160
by means known in the art. Alternatively, the cut pad of combination 152 can
be folded to
produce an envelope which does not incorporate the closure flap 154 and is
sealed through sta-
pling. The advantage to using the exterior weight kraft paper for the exterior
paper 104 and 108
is in the ability to fold the combination 154 to either expose exterior paper
104 or exterior paper
108. Alternatively, either paper 104 or 108 can be replaced with a lighter
weight paper, however
the direction of folding must correspond accordingly.
The cushioning pad can consist of the output from two or more pairs of rollers
combined to
form a unity structure. The final structure can consist of four layers of
expanded slieet material
separated by light weigh separator sheets and covered top and bottom, by outer
layers of unslit
kraft paper, providing extreme loft as a result of the separation of the
sheets of expanded paper.
The two inner layers of expanded sheet material can be unseparated to provide
greater resiliency,
or separated by a separator sheet to provide greater stiffness. The structural
demands of the
separator sheets is so minimal that paper weights normally unsuited to
producing a cushioning
material can used.
The above disclosed mufti-layer combination can be folded in the standard flag
fold as
known in the art. The folding of the triangle back on itself, diagonally, is
repeatedly until the
desired thickness of material is produced. The cell pattern is rotated forty-
five degrees between
layers, thus producing reduced nesting in mufti-layer combination where the
expanded paper
comes in contact with itself. However, even with the ninety degree rotations
of the cell pattern,
nesting does occur.
Figure 6 illustrates, from a side view, how the separator sheets 250 and 252
prevent the ex-
panded sheets 254 and 256 from nesting. The peaks of the expanded paper 256
and 254 rest on the
separator sheet 250 and 252 thereby causing impact to be transmitted through
the separator sheets
250 an 252 as described heretofore.

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PC'T/US96/01743
Decreased nesting can also be obtained by reversing the incline of the lands
of the cells as
shown in Figure 7. Separator sheet 270 is used in this Figure in combination
with the expanded
sheets 274 and 272, however the incline reversing can be used without the
separator sheet 270. If
the inclines are about 60 degrees, reversing the direction of the inclines of
each layer of expanded
sheets 272 and 274, reduces the nesting. Ten sheets of expanded paper having
an individual ex-
panded thickness of about 4 mm, will have a combined, nested thickness of
about 63.5 mm. Nest-
ing can also be substantially negated by wrapping the expanded paper in the
flag fold.
Figure 8 illustrates the ratio between the separator sheet 302 and the
expanded sheet 304 for
use in wrapping bottles and the like. The separator sheet 302 preferably has a
width less than that
of the expanded sheet 304 to allow the cells to interlock when wrapped about
an article as shown
in Figure 9. The wrap extends beyond both ends of the article being wrapped
and is fully
stretched, or necked down, remaining that way due to the interlocking action.
In this format, a
single layer of expanded sheet material can be interleaved with a single layer
of unslit sheet
material, with the outer end regions of the slit sheet providing the desired
interlocking effect. It
may be necessary to use glue or tape in some instances to preclude unwrapping
of the cushioning
material, since the separator sheet precludes interlocking along the "body" of
the article. Where
the article is wider than the paper, the wrapping starts with the article
inwardly of one edge of
the paper and the composite is wrapped with a spiral action progressing toward
the other side, un-
til composite overhangs both sides of the article. The final product is
similar to that achieved
where the article is narrower than the composite. By allowing for the cells to
interlock, the use of
tape or other means to secure the wrap around the article is eliminated.
Figure 8 also illustrates
how the paper is expanded between the guide rollers 308 and the expansion
rollers 306. In the ex-
passion process of Figure 8, only the slit paper 304 is fed off the roll (not
shown) through the
guide rollers 308. The separator paper 302 is brought in from another roll
(not shown) and fed
only through the expansion rollers 306. This method eliminates separator sheet
302 from being
exposed to the pulling force which expands the slit paper 304 and the need for
any type of slit pat-
tern in the separator paper 302. Additionally, an expander can contain a
second sheet of slit

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PCT/US96/01743
11
paper (not shown) that can be fed through its own set of guide rollers into
the expansion rollers
306, thereby producing a mufti-layer combination having a separator sheet 302
sandwiched be-
tween two expanded sheets 304. In the event two expanded sheets are used, the
separator sheet
302 can have the same width as the expanded sheet 304. Other combinations of
separator sheets
and expanded sheets can be used, as disclosed heretofore, with each expanded
sheet having its own
set of guide rollers.
To form a cylinder from the mufti-layer combination, as illustrated in Figure
10, the slit
paper is expanded in combination with a separator paper, as disclosed
heretofore, and rolled into a
cylindrical spiral. The raised cells of the expanded paper interlock with
cells in adjacent layers
of slit paper as the paper spirals outward. The use of a separator sheet 1244
prevents the cells
from interlocking with one another, thereby limiting locking to adjacent
expanded sheets and re-
quiring tape to maintained the cylinder 1200 in a closed position. The spiral
cylinder 1200 of
Figure 10 is as illustration of an end view showing the expanded paper 1242 in
combination with
the separator sheet 1244. By combining the separator sheet 1244 with the
expanded sheet 1242, the
cylinder 1200 has substantially greater bulk than cylinders made from only a
single sheet of ex-
panded paper. The tighter the cylinder is wound, the greater the amount of
sheet material re-
quired to form a cylinder. Although the tighter the cylinder, the firmer the
cushion effect which
is achieved, winding the cylinder too tightly will have the effect of removing
air from the
cylinders and lessening their cushioning qualities. Hence, winding forces on
the slit paper
material and the quantity of slit paper material used to produce a cylinder
are critical. The
cylinders can be customized to meet specific system requirements.
Whereas hexagonal cells are preferred for the expansion sheets, oval cells are
preferred for
the separator sheet. Hexagonal cells facilitate nesting, even where the cells
of adjacent layers are
of substantially unequal size, or the incline pattern is rotated 45 or 90
degrees. Oval cells will flat-
ten readily, collapsing rather than nesting. It should be apparent, that the
novel use of dissimilar
layers, provides a wide range of potential cushioning characteristics for the
composite structure.
The degree of thickening, or loft can be varied, as well as the stiffness, and
the relationship be-

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96!24540 PCTlUS96101743
12
tween deflection and load. The response to high impact, as measured by G-force
test equipment,
can be customized through the selection of the combination of slit patterns,
total absence of slits
for the separator sheets and weights of the expansion sheets and separator
sheets.
The variables are as follows:
1 Paper weight for expansion sheet
2 Paper weight for separator sheet
3 Slit pattern for expansion sheet
A- Absence of slit pattern
B- Perforated to provide discrete sections
C- Slit to provide expansion equal to expansion sheet
a- Slits periodic to provide expansion
b- Slits uniform, but of different pattern from
expansion sheet to preclude nesting.
4 Ratio of number of expansion sheets to separator sheets.
Number of expansion sheets nested with an adjacent expansion sheet.
The system thus provides customization comparable to that which is attainable
with cel-
!afar foam plastics. The compression characteristics of the mufti-layer
structure differ from that
of multiple layers of single-ply expanded wrap.
The structures can take the following forms:
A- A single layer of expanded slit sheet material with a single layer of a
separator sheet;
B- separator sheet is narrower than necked down width of expanded slit sheet;
C- separator sheet has spaced apart tear lines;
D- separator sheet is manually fed, unrestricted;
v
E- separator sheet has expansion slits is able to permit expansion equal to
that of expanded
sheet; ,
F- separator sheet is slit, but with a longer slit than slits of expanded slit
sheet and greater
space between rows of slits, to provide fewer cells, but larger cells than in
the expanded sheet;

CA 02216124 1997-09-22
WO 96/24540 PCT/US96/01743
13
G- single layer sheet of thin, flexible material such as tissue, with expanded
material tb keep
' all layers of expanded material from nesting;
H- pairs of expanded sheet separated by separator sheet;
I- separator sheet between expanded sheet and outer unslit sheets;
J- separator sheet between expanded sheet and outer unslit sheets folded and
sealed into en-
velope form;
K- a plurality of pairs of expanded sheet separated by separator sheet, where
each set of pairs
is separated by a separator sheet;
L- single layer expanded sheet and single layer separator sheet rolled into
cylinder form, as a
void fill, either end glued and/or separator sheet is narrower than expanded
sheet;
M- pair of expanded sheets separated by separator sheet and rolled into
cylinder form for use
as void fill; or
N- expanded sheet preferably with hexagonal cells for optimum rigidity.
Since other modifications and changes varied to fit particular operating
requirements and
environments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is
not considered limited to
the example chosen for the purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and
modifications which
do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Administrative Status , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date 2006-09-12
(86) PCT Filing Date 1996-02-08
(87) PCT Publication Date 1996-08-15
(85) National Entry 1997-09-22
Examination Requested 2002-10-29
(45) Issued 2006-09-12
Expired 2016-02-08

Abandonment History

There is no abandonment history.

Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Application Fee $150.00 1997-09-22
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 2 1998-02-09 $50.00 1997-09-22
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 3 1999-02-08 $50.00 1999-02-05
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 4 2000-02-08 $50.00 2000-02-02
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 5 2001-02-08 $75.00 2001-01-29
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 6 2002-02-08 $150.00 2001-12-11
Request for Examination $400.00 2002-10-29
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 7 2003-02-10 $150.00 2002-10-29
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 8 2004-02-09 $200.00 2004-01-27
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 9 2005-02-08 $200.00 2005-01-26
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2005-03-10
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 10 2006-02-08 $250.00 2006-02-03
Final Fee $300.00 2006-06-22
Expired 2019 - Corrective payment/Section 78.6 $375.00 2006-06-29
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 11 2007-02-08 $250.00 2007-02-06
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 12 2008-02-08 $250.00 2008-01-30
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 13 2009-02-09 $250.00 2009-01-29
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 14 2010-02-08 $250.00 2010-02-03
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 15 2011-02-08 $450.00 2011-02-04
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 16 2012-02-08 $450.00 2012-02-07
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 17 2013-02-08 $450.00 2012-11-26
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 18 2014-02-10 $450.00 2014-01-20
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 19 2015-02-09 $450.00 2015-01-26
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
GEAMI, LTD.
Past Owners on Record
GOODRICH, DAVID P.
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
Documents

To view selected files, please enter reCAPTCHA code :



To view images, click a link in the Document Description column. To download the documents, select one or more checkboxes in the first column and then click the "Download Selected in PDF format (Zip Archive)" or the "Download Selected as Single PDF" button.

List of published and non-published patent-specific documents on the CPD .

If you have any difficulty accessing content, you can call the Client Service Centre at 1-866-997-1936 or send them an e-mail at CIPO Client Service Centre.


Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Claims 1997-09-22 3 114
Representative Drawing 1997-12-29 1 13
Drawings 1997-09-22 6 136
Abstract 1997-09-22 1 61
Description 1997-09-22 13 549
Cover Page 1997-12-29 1 59
Claims 2005-05-10 9 332
Drawings 2005-05-10 6 135
Claims 2005-12-15 9 341
Representative Drawing 2006-08-10 1 18
Cover Page 2006-08-10 1 54
Fees 2004-01-27 1 30
Fees 1999-02-05 1 38
Fees 2001-12-11 2 66
Correspondence 1998-11-06 3 65
Assignment 1997-09-22 4 116
PCT 1997-09-22 12 390
Correspondence 1997-12-16 1 35
Correspondence 1999-06-23 1 1
Correspondence 1999-06-23 1 1
Prosecution-Amendment 2002-10-29 1 34
Fees 2002-10-29 1 31
Fees 2001-01-29 1 36
Fees 2000-02-02 1 33
Prosecution-Amendment 2004-11-10 2 67
Fees 2005-01-26 2 48
Assignment 2005-03-10 3 103
Prosecution-Amendment 2005-05-10 17 528
Prosecution-Amendment 2005-11-28 2 37
Prosecution-Amendment 2005-12-15 11 400
Fees 2006-02-03 1 30
Correspondence 2006-06-22 1 25
Prosecution-Amendment 2006-06-29 4 128
Correspondence 2006-07-14 1 16
Fees 2007-02-06 1 34
Fees 2008-01-30 1 31
Correspondence 2012-12-19 12 839
Fees 2012-11-26 1 163
Correspondence 2013-01-14 1 25