Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
  • B65D81/05—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents
  • B65D81/051—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using pillow-like elements filled with cushioning material, e.g. elastic foam, fabric
  • B65D81/052—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents using pillow-like elements filled with cushioning material, e.g. elastic foam, fabric filled with fluid, e.g. inflatable elements
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
  • B65D81/03—Wrappers or envelopes with shock-absorbing properties, e.g. bubble films
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D2581/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D2581/02—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage
  • B65D2581/05—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents specially adapted to protect contents from mechanical damage maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents
  • B65D2581/051—Details of packaging elements for maintaining contents at spaced relation from package walls, or from other contents
  • B65D2581/052—Materials
  • B65D2581/055—Plastic in general, e.g. foamed plastic, molded plastic, extruded plastic

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a packaging material for wrapping an object for shipment. More specifically, it relates to a packaging material having a check valve which allows cushioning medium to flow into the cushioning medium storage portions of the packaging material, but prevents the cushioning medium from flowing backward from the cushioning medium storage portions.
• the conventional check valves such as those described above, are provided with a means for making complicated or narrow the passage, or passages, of the check valve to prevent the cushioning medium from flowing backward from the cushioning medium storage portion.
• these check valves are problematic in that they are low in the efficiency with which the cushioning medium is injected into the cushioning medium storage portions.
• As one of the means for preventing the provision of a check valve from losing the efficiency is to increase a check valve in size, and also, to increase in length. This means is problematic in that the employment of this means results in increase in the amount of the check valve material, which results in increase in the check valve cost.
• the primary object of the present invention is to provide a process cartridge packaging material, which is different from conventional process cartridge packaging materials in the pattern in which a check valve is welded to each of its cushioning medium storage portions, and also, is superior to conventional process cartridge packaging materials, in the efficiency with which cushioning medium can be injected into the cushioning medium storage portions.
• a packing member for packing an article, said packing member includes a medium accommodating portion accommodating medium; a nonreturn valve for passing the medium toward said medium accommodating portion along a longitudinal direction of said medium accommodating portion and for stopping the medium in an opposite direction away from said medium accommodating portion/ and a flow path, formed by welding said non-return valve to said medium accommodating portion, for passing the medium, said flow path including a reference flow path portion extending in the longitudinal direction and an expanded flow path portion having a width larger than that of said reference flow path portion.
• Figure 1 is a plan of a piece of packaging material in the first preferred embodiments of the present invention.
• Figure 2 is a sectional view of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the first preferred embodiment.
• Figure 3 is a plan of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the first preferred embodiment .
• Figure 4 is a plan of the cushioning medium passage of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the first preferred embodiment.
• Figure 5 is a sectional view of one of the cushioning medium storage portions of the packaging material in the first preferred embodiment.
• Figure 6 is a sectional view of one of the cushioning medium storage portions of a comparative packaging material.
• Figure 7 is a perspective view of a roll of packaging material in the first preferred embodiment, which is on a metallic rod K2.
• Figure 8 is a perspective view of a folded piece of packaging material in the first preferred embodiment, showing the method for wrapping a cartridge with the packaging material.
• Figure 9 is a plan of the folded piece of packaging material in the first preferred embodiment, showing the method for wrapping a cartridge with the packaging material.
• Figure 10 is perspective view of the folded piece of packaging material in the first preferred embodiment, showing the method for wrapping a cartridge with the packaging material.
• Figure 11 is a plan of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the first preferred embodiment .
• Figure 12 is a sectional view of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the first preferred embodiment.
• Figure 13 is a sectional view of one of the cushioning medium storage portions of the packaging material in the first preferred embodiment.
• Figure 14 is a sectional view of one of the cushioning medium storage portions of the comparative packaging material.
• Figure 15 is a plan of one of the cushioning medium storage portions of the packaging material in the third preferred embodiments.
• Figure 16 is a plan of the cushioning medium passage of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the third preferred embodiment.
• Figure 17 is a plan of the packaging portion proper of the packaging material in the fourth preferred embodiment.
• Figure 18 is a sectional view of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the fourth preferred embodiment.
• Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of the cushioning medium storage portion of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the fourth preferred embodiment.
• Figures 20 (a) - 20 (c) are plans of the cushioning medium passage of the check valve of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the fifth preferred embodiment .
• Figures 21 (a) and 21 (b) are plans of the cushioning medium passage of the check valve of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the fifth preferred embodiment.
• Figures 22 (a) and 22 (b) are plans of the cushioning medium passage of the check valve of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material in the fifth embodiment.
• Figure 23 is a perspective view of the sealed packaging material in accordance with the present invention, which contains a cartridge.
• Figure 24 is a perspective view of the sealed packaging material in accordance with the present invention, which contains a cartridge.
• a packaging material Sl in this embodiment is made up of two pieces 1 and 2 of flexible plastic film, which are thermally welded in layers.
• the areas 6, 8, and 9 are the areas of the two films 1 and 2, by which the two films 1 and 2 are welded.
• the packaging material Sl has multiple cushioning medium storage portions 3, which are placed side by side.
• Each cushioning medium storage portion 3 is enabled to store cushioning medium, which in this embodiment is air. It is formed by welding the two flexible films 1 and 2 (which hereafter will be referred to simply as films 1 and 2) across the welding areas 8, 6, and 9. It is rectangular, with its longer edges being substantially longer than its shorter edges. Further, each cushioning medium storage portion 3 is separated from the next cushioning medium storage portions by the welding areas 9.
• One of the lengthwise ends of the packaging material Sl is provided with multiple cushioning medium entrances 5 for guiding the external air into each of the multiple cushioning medium storage portions 3 to inflate the cushioning medium storage portions 3. Further, the outward end of each of the cushioning medium (air) entrance 5 is provided with an air injection opening 11. Each air entrance 5 is separated from the next ones by the welding areas 7.
• the welding areas 9 are roughly parallel to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3, whereas the welding areas 6 and 8 extend in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the welding area 6 is on the opposite lengthwise end of the packaging material Sl from where the abovementioned air entrances 5 are present.
• the films 1 and 2 in this embodiment are flexible, and have three layers.
• each film is formed by sandwiching a Nylon layer with polyethylene and polypropylene layers.
• the Nylon layer is very difficult for the cushioning medium to flow through, whereas the polyethylene and polypropylene layers are easy to thermally weld together.
• the first lengthwise end of each cushioning medium storage portion 3 is provided with a check valve 4, which is positioned across the border between the cushioning medium storage portion 3 and the corresponding cushioning medium entrance 5. This check valve 4 is for allowing the air to pass only in the direction to enter the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the check valve 4 utilizes the air pressure in the cushioning medium storage portion 3 to prevent the air in the cushioning medium storage portion 3 from flowing backward, that is, toward the air entrance 5, as shown in Figure 2, which is a sectional view of one of the cushioning units of the packaging material Sl, at Line B-B in Figure 1.
• Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the combination of the cushioning medium storage portion 3 and corresponding air entrance 5.
• the details of the structure of the check valve 4 are as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
• the check valve 4 is manufactured through the following steps. To the film 2, the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b are thermally welded in advance by the welding areas 12a - 12c. Incidentally, the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b are also formed of plastic film.
• the top check valve 4a is attached to the air entrance portion (5) of the film 1 by the welding area 10, whereas the bottom check valve 4b is attached to the film 2 by the welding area 10.
• the top check valve 4a is provided with a seal portion 4al, which is coated or printed on the top check valve 4a.
• the seal portion 4al is formed of a material which does not melt at the temperature level at which the two films 1 and 2 are welded across the welding areas 8 and 10. Therefore, even if heat is applied to the films 1 and 2 across the welding area 10, it does not occur that the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b become welded to each other.
• the portions of the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b, across which the sealing portion 4al is present, do not become welded to each other. Therefore, an air passage Pl, which allows the external air to enter the cushioning medium storage portion 3 through the air entrance 5, remains secured.
• the sealing portion 4al may be coated or printed on the bottom check valve 4b instead of the top check valve 4a. Even if the sealing portion 4al is attached to the bottom check valve 4b, its functions and performance remains the same.
• the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3 is roughly the same as the direction in which the air passes through the check valve 4, enabling therefore the air to be efficiently introduced into the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the width Wl of each of the air injection openings 11 is narrower than the width W2 of the border area (connective area) between the cushioning medium storage portion 3 and air entrance 5.
• the multiple air injection openings 11 are positioned so that there is virtually no gap between the adjacent two air injection openings 11, making it possible to reduce in size the air injecting portion of an air injecting apparatus (unshown) for injecting the air into all the air injection openings 11 at the same time.
• the direction in which the cushioning medium passes through the check valve 4 toward the cushioning medium storage portion 3 is made roughly the same as the direction in which the cushioning medium is introduced through the air injection openings. Therefore, the air is efficiently introduced into the cushioning medium storage portion 3. Further, because of the above- described structural arrangement, the welding area 7 between the adjacent two air injection openings 11 is tilted, relative to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion, from the border area between the cushioning medium storage portion 3 and the corresponding air entrance 5 toward the central air injection opening 11. (Detailed Description of Check Valve Structure)
• the welding areas 12a - 12c, across which the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b are thermally welded to the film 2 will be described regarding their shapes.
• a cushioning medium (air) passage 20 for introducing air into the cushioning medium storage portion 3 is formed by thermally welding the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b to the film 2 across the welding areas 12a - 12c. Obviously, the width of the cushioning medium (air) passage 20 is less than the width of the check valves 4a and 4b. Referring to Figure 5, the cushioning medium (air) passage 20 is formed between the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b, and it is also obvious that the width of the cushioning medium (air) passage 20 is less than that of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the top check valve 4a becomes shaped as drawn with double-dot chain lines in Figure 5, which is a sectional view of one of the multiple cushioning units, at Plane A-A in Figure 3.
• the cushioning medium (air) passage 20 has a primary portion 20c, and wide portions 20a and 20b.
• the wide portions 20a and 20b extend from the primary portion 20c in the direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the primary portion 20c of the cushioning medium passage 20 is formed in the direction parallel to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 30. It is the cushioning medium passage for guiding air in the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion, and is less in width than the check valves 4a and 4b. It is formed by the welded areas 12al, 12a2, 12a ⁇ , and 12alO, and welding areas 12bl, 12b2, 12b6, and 12blO, respectively. Further, the wide portions 20a are formed of the portions 12a3 - 12a5, and portions 12a7 - 12a9, of the welded portion 12a, which extend in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the wide portions 20b are formed of the portions 12a3 - 12b5, and portions 12b7 - 12b9, of the welded portion 12b, which extend in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the presence of these wide portions 20a and 20b ensures that the check valves 4a and 4b remain airtightly in contact with each other even after the entering of air into the cushioning medium storage portion 3, preventing thereby the air from flowing backward.
• Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cushioning medium storage portion 103 of a comparative packaging material, the cushioning medium passage of which does not have the wide portions.
• the films 101 and 102 become arcuate in such a manner that the films 102 and 101 are smallest and largest, respectively, in curvature, as shown in Figure 6.
• the top and bottom valves 104a and 104b are welded in advance while the film 102 is flat, as described above.
• the portions 104al and 104bl of the top and bottom check valves 104a and 104b, respectively are made loose from the film 102 and bend inward of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the state of contact between the top and bottom check valves 104a and 104b becomes less airtight.
• the packaging material in this embodiment is provided with welded portions 12a3, 12a5, 12a7, 12a9, 12b3, 12b5, 12b7, and 12b9.
• the provision of the abovementioned welded portions, which extend in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3 generates such a force that works in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage 3, that is, the direction to extend the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage 3.
• the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b are not made loose like the portions 104al and 104bl of the top and bottom check valves 104a and 104b of the comparative packaging material ( Figure 6) as shown in Figure 5. Therefore, it is ensured that the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b remain airtightly in contact with each other.
• the cushioning medium passage 20 is provided with two wide portions 20a and 20b on each side of the primary portion 20c. However, the wide portion count on each side may be only one. Further, there is a regulating portion 12c on the downstream side of the outlet 20cl of the primary portion 20c of the cushioning medium passage 20.
• the regulating portion 12c turns the air low so that the air flows in the widthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3. It is also formed by welding in advance the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b to the film 2.
• the regulating portion 12c which is formed by welding, also extends in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3. Therefore, it also functions to ensure that the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b remain airtightly in contact with each other.
• the regulating portion 12c being structured as described above, as the external introduced through the air entrance 5 is smoothly filled into the cushioning medium storage portion 3; the provision of the regulating portion 12c does not interfere with the efficiency with which the external air is introduced into the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the regulating portion 12c changes the direction of the air flow on the downstream side of the outlet 20cl of the primary portion 20c of the cushioning medium passage 20 so that the air flows in the widthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 30, it improves the check valves 4 in terms of the prevention of the back flow of the air from the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus for forming an image on recording medium, with the use of an electrophotographic image forming method.
• the examples of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (laser beam printer, LED printer, etc., for example), a facsimile apparatus, a wordprocessor, etc.
• a process cartridge is a cartridge in which at least one processing means among a charging means, a developing means, and a cleaning means, and an electrophotographic photosensitive member, are integrally disposed, and which is removably mountable in the main assembly of an image forming apparatus.
• the packaging material Sl that is, a piece of packaging material S, which is wide enough to completely wrap (package) a process cartridge 35 (which will be described later) , is cut away from a long roll of packaging material S, which is made up of multiple packaging units having the above described cushioning medium storage portion, check valve 4, and cushioning medium (air) entrance 5.
• a pair of scissors Kl is used to cut the packaging material S to obtain the packaging material Sl with a proper width.
• a cutter, or a cutting apparatus dedicated to the cutting of the packaging material S may be used to cut the packaging material S.
• the packaging material Sl After the cutting of the packaging material Sl away from the roll of the packaging material S, the packaging material Sl is folded in half roughly at the center line in terms of the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3 so that the rear end portion 53 of the cushioning medium storage portion 3, in terms of the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3, is placed in the position shown in Figure 8.
• the top and bottom layers of the folded packaging material Sl are thermally welded together along both edges (welding areas 12 and 13) in terms of the direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3, as shown in Figure 9.
• the packaging material Sl becomes a pouch, which is open at one of its lengthwise ends.
• the welding areas 12 and 13 extend in the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the opening 18 is sealed by thermally welding the top and bottom layers of the packaging material Sl across the welding area 14, as shown in Figure 23, to prevent the cartridge 35 from popping out of the pouch during the cartridge shipment.
• the location of the welding area 14 is to be selected so that its position overlaps with the sealing portion 4al, which was described referring to Figure 2.
• Welding the top and bottom layers of the packaging material Sl so that the welding seam runs across the sealing portion 4al makes it possible to inject the cushioning medium into the cushioning medium storage portion 3 even after the closing of the opening 18.
• (4) Injection of Cushioning Medium ( Figure 9)
• the air which is the cushioning medium in this embodiment, is to be injected into all the cushioning medium storage portions 3 through the cushioning medium injection openings 11 of the cushioning medium (air) entrances 5; the air is introduced into each of the cushioning medium storage portions 3 through the corresponding check valve 4.
• the reason why the air is introduced after the placement of the cartridge 35 in the pouch made of the packaging material Sl is that the air introduction into each cushioning medium storage portion 3 inflates the cushioning medium storage portion 3, which in turn reduces the pouch in internal measurements, which in turn makes it virtually impossible to insert the cartridge 35 into the pouch.
• the cartridge 35 is securely held in the pouch.
• the cushioning medium may be nitrogen gas, oxygen gas, or the like. Nitrogen gas may be a good choice because nitrogen is large in molecular weight, being therefore unlikely to leak from the cushioning medium storage portion 3, which is made of plastic film or the like. Further, the cushioning medium may be a liquid or a fluid substance other than gaseous substances.
• the check valve 4 had two portions, that is, the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b. In this embodiment, however, the check valve 4 has only one valve 4d.
• Figure 11 is a plan of one of the multiple cushioning units of packaging material Sl, as seen from the direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the unit. It shows the central cushioning medium entrance 5 and corresponding cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• Figure 12 is a sectional view of one of the multiple cushioning units of packaging material Sl, shown in Figure 11, at Plane C-C in Figure 11, after the introduction of the air into the unit .
• the film 2 has the check valve 4d, which was welded in advance to the film 2 by thermally melting the film 2 across welding areas 12a - 12c.
• the check valve 4d when the films 1 and 2 are welded to each other to create the packaging material S, the check valve 4d is welded to the film 2 across the welding area 10, in the cushioning medium entrance 5.
• the check valve 4d has a sealing portion 4dl made up of a material which does not melt even at the temperature level at which the films 1 and 2 are thermally welded to each other across the welding areas 8 and 9.
• the sealing portion 4dl is coated or printed on the check valve 4d.
• the welding areas 12a - 12c, across which the check valve 4d is thermally welded to the film 2 are the same in shape as those in the first preferred embodiment.
• a passage 20 for introducing the air into the cushioning medium storage portion 3 is formed between the check valve 4d and film 2.
• the width of this passage 20 is obviously less than that of the cushioning medium storage portion 3, and is formed between the check valve 4d and the film 2. That is, when the air passes through the passage 20, the check valve 4d becomes shaped as indicated by a pair of double-dot chain lines as shown in Figure 13, which is a cross-sectional view of the single cushioning unit, at Plane D-D in Figure 11.
• Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the cushioning medium storage portion 203 of a comparative packaging material, the cushioning medium passage portion of which has no wide portion.
• the films 201 and 202 are arcuately bent as shown in Figure 14, in such a manner that the film 202 and check valve 204d become smallest and largest, respectively, in curvature.
• the check valve 204d is welded in advance when the film 202 is flat, as described before. Therefore, as the cushioning medium storage portion 203 is filled with the air, the check valve 204d is made to loosely bent inward of the cushioning medium storage portion 203 across its portion 204dl.
• the check valve 204d fails to remain airtightly in contact with the film 202.
• the films 1 and 2 in this embodiment are welded to each other across the welding areas 12a3, 12a5, 12a7, 12a9, 12b3, and 12b5, 12b7, and 12b9 of each of the cushioning units of the cushioning material, as the films 1 and 2 in the first preferred embodiment are welded to each other as shown in Figure 4.
• the provision of the welded portions which extend in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3 generates such a force that works in the direction to extend the check valve 4 in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• the provision of the welded portions can keep the interface between the check valve 4 and film 2 airtightly sealed as shown in Figure 13; it prevents the formation of loose portions, such as those formed in the case of the comparative example as shown in Figure 14. In other words, it keeps the check valve 4d and film 2 airtightly in contact with each other.
• the other structural features and effects are the same as those of the packaging material in the first preferred embodiment .
• each cushioning unit is provided with two cushioning medium passages 21 and 22.
• the patterns of the welding areas 24a - 24c across which the check valve 4e is thermally welded to the film 2 are such that each cushioning unit is provided with the two cushioning medium passages 21 and 22, which are positioned side by side.
• the central welding area 24b is integration of the welding areas 12a and 12b in the first preferred embodiment, and is shaped as such.
• the primary portion 21c of the passage 21 is created by welded portions 24al, 24a2, 24a ⁇ , and 24alO, and welded portions 24bl, 24b2, 24b6, and 24blO.
• the primary portion 22c of the passage 22 is created by welded portions 24cl, 24c2, 24c ⁇ , and 24clO, and welded portions 24bl, 24b2, 24b ⁇ , and 24blO.
• the welding area 24a is made up of portions 24a3 - 24a5, and portions 24a7 - 24a9
• the welding area 24b is made up of portions 24b3 - 24b5, and portions 24b7 - 24b9.
• the welding area 24c is made up of portions 24c3 - 24c5, and portions 24c7 - 24c9, and the welding area 24b is provided with portions 24b3 - 24b5, and portions 24b7 - 24b9.
• the check valve 4e is welded across the areas 23cl and 23c2, which are on the downstream end sides of the primary portion 21c and 22c, respectively, creating a pair of cushioning medium flow regulating portions 23cl and 23c2.
• the provision of two cushioning medium passages 21 and 22 improves each cushioning unit in cushioning medium injection efficiency.
• the number of the cushioning medium passages does not need to be limited to two; it may be three or more.
• Figure 17 is a plan of one of the multiple cushioning units of the packaging material, as seen from above.
• Figure 18 is a sectional view of one of the multiple cushioning units of the packaging material, which is inflated with air, at Plane H-H in Figure 17.
• Figure 19 is a sectional view of one of the multiple cushioning units of the packaging material, which is inflated with air, at Plane G-G in Figure 17.
• the reason why the check valve in this preferred embodiment is made up of a top check valve 4f and a bottom check valve 4g is the same as the check valve in the first preferred embodiment is made up of the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b.
• the manner in which the top and bottom check valves 4f and 4g are thermally welded in advance to the film 2 across the welding areas 12a - 12c of the cushioning medium storage portion 3 is the same as the manner in which the top and bottom check valves 4a and 4b are thermally welded to the film 2 in the first preferred embodiment .
• the fourth preferred embodiment is different from the first preferred embodiment only in that the packaging material in the fourth embodiment is not provided with a cushioning medium entrance passage, and that the top and bottom check valves 4f and 4g themselves have the function of the cushioning medium entrances.
• the top and bottom check valves 4f and 4g are welded to the film 2 not only across the welding areas 34a - 34c, but also, across the welding areas 34d - 34e, being thereby provided with a cushioning medium (air) injection opening 34g.
• the air is directly injected into the top and bottom check valves 4g and 4g. Therefore, the packaging material in this embodiment is superior in cushioning medium injection efficiency to those in the preceding embodiments .
• the shape of the cushioning medium (air) passage 34f is the same as that in the first embodiment. [Embodiment 5]
• the fifth preferred embodiment is different from the preceding embodiments in the shape of the cushioning medium passage.
• the various shapes for the cushioning medium passage in the fifth embodiments are shown in Figures 20 - 22.
• each of the primary portions 25d - 32d of cushioning medium passages 25 - 32, respectively, is made parallel to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3. It is the passage formed between two check valves, or between a check valve and film 2, to guide the air in the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• Each of the cushioning medium passages 25 - 32 in this embodiment is provided with portions wider than the primary portions 25d - 32d.
• the check valve is welded to the film 2 across the welding areas, which extend in the directions intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3.
• cushioning medium flow regulating portions 25c - 32c for causing the air to flow in the widthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion 3 are provided on the downstream side of the outlet of the primary portions 25d - 32d.
• These cushioning medium flow regulating portions 25c - 32c are also formed by welding the check valve, or check valves, to the film 2. They are also provided with the portions which extend in the direction intersectional to the lengthwise direction of the cushioning medium storage portion.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Buffer Packaging (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

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Publications (1)

Family

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Family Applications (1)

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Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2008
  • 2008-09-19 JP JP2008241019A patent/JP2010070232A/ja active Pending
• 2009
  • 2009-09-18 WO PCT/JP2009/066876 patent/WO2010032883A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2009-09-18 CN CN2009801358637A patent/CN102159470B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2009-09-18 EP EP09737478.9A patent/EP2340218B1/en not_active Not-in-force
  • 2009-09-18 US US12/562,356 patent/US20100072103A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2014
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