Patent Publication Number: US-2022234325-A1

Title: Guides for folded portions of inflatable webs

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure is in the technical field of automated formation of inflated packages. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to guides for use with folded portions of inflatable web material that improve the inflatability of the web material. 
     Consumers frequently purchase goods from mail-order or internet retailers, which package and ship the goods to the purchasing consumer via a postal service or other carrier. Millions of such packages are shipped each day. These items are normally packaged in small containers, such as boxes or envelopes. To protect the items during shipment, they are typically packaged with some form of protective dunnage that may be wrapped around the item or stuffed into the container to prevent movement of the item and to protect it from shock. 
     Common types of mailing envelope are sometimes referred to as “mailers.” In some cases, these mailers have cushioning to provide some level of protection for the objects transported therein. The outer walls of cushioned mailers are typically formed from protective materials, such as Kraft paper, cardstock, polyethylene-coated paper, other paper-based materials, polyethylene film, or other resilient materials. The inner walls of cushioned mailers are lined with cushioning materials, such as air cellular material (e.g., BUBBLE WRAP™ air cellular material sold by Sealed Air Corporation), foam sheets, or any other cushioning material. The outer walls are typically adhered (e.g., laminated) to the cushioning material when forming the mailers. 
     When goods are shipped in rigid containers, such as corrugated cardboard boxes, dunnage material is typically added to the containers to take up some of the void space within the containers. Inflated cushions, pillows, or other inflated containers are common void fill materials that are either placed loose in a container with an object or wrapped around an object that is then placed in a container. The cushions protect the packaged item by absorbing impacts that may otherwise be fully transmitted to the packaged item during transit, and also restrict movement of the packaged item within the carton to further reduce the likelihood of damage to the item. Another common form of void fill material is paper, such as Kraft paper, that has been folded or crumped into a low-density, three-dimensional pad or wad that is capable of filling void space without adding significant weight to the container. 
     It would be advantageous to automate the packaging process to minimize the amount of time required to package objects properly. However, given the wide variety of ways which objects can be packaged for shipping, automation of the packaging process can be challenging. 
     SUMMARY 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     In a first embodiment, a system includes a supply of a web material, an inflation and sealing system, and a guide. The web material includes chambers that are in fluid communication with a common channel. The web material in the supply is folded about a longitudinal fold such that lengths of the chambers are folded. The inflation and sealing system is configured to inflate and seal the chambers as the web material is fed from the supply. The guide has a guide mechanism that is configured to be located between portions of the web material as the web material is being fed from the supply. The guide mechanism is configured to at least partially unfold the longitudinal fold in the web material at a point in the system where the inflation and sealing system is configured to inflate the chambers. 
     In a second embodiment, the guide mechanism of the first embodiment includes rollers configured to contact the web material on either side of the longitudinal fold. 
     In a third embodiment, the rollers of the second embodiment are idle rollers configured to rotate from contact with the web material as the web material moves. 
     In a fourth embodiment, wherein the rollers of any of the second to third embodiments are driven such that the rollers impart a force to the web material as the rollers rotate. 
     In a fifth embodiment, the guide mechanism of any of the previous embodiments further comprises a guide structure configured to support the guide mechanism between sides of the folded web material. 
     In a sixth embodiment, the guide structure of the fifth embodiment includes a first end and a second end. The guide mechanism is coupled to the second end. 
     The guide mechanism is coupled to the guide structure such that the guide mechanism is configured to be located at one of a number of different locations with respect to the first end. 
     In a seventh embodiment, the system of the sixth embodiment is configured such that the guide structure comprises upper leg segments and lower leg segments and the upper leg segments and the lower leg segments are coupled to each other so that the guide mechanism capable of being located at the number of different locations with respect to the first end. 
     In an eighth embodiment, the guide of any of the fifth to seventh embodiments further comprises a power transmission system configured to couple a driving force to the guide mechanism in order to drive the guide mechanism. 
     In a ninth embodiment, the system of the eighth embodiment is further configured such that the guide structure includes an upper cross piece and a lower cross piece, the power transmission system includes a driveshaft that passes through the upper and lower cross pieces, and the power transmission system includes a first gear coupled to a first end of the driveshaft above the upper cross piece and a second gear coupled to a second end of the driveshaft below the lower cross piece. 
     In a tenth embodiment,  10 . the system of the ninth embodiment is further configured such that the guide mechanism includes rollers coupled to a spindle and the spindle includes a third gear configured to engage the second gear such that rotation of the first gear causes rotation of the driveshaft, the second gear, the third gear, the spindle, and the rollers. 
     In an eleventh embodiment, the guide of the tenth embodiment is configured to be located in the system such that at least a portion of the first gear is located above the web material. 
     In a twelfth embodiment, the rollers of any of the tenth to eleventh embodiments are in contact with the web material so that rotation of the rollers imparts a force on the web material. 
     In a thirteenth embodiment, the force imparted by the rollers of the twelfth embodiment has a substantially similar magnitude to a second force imparted on the web material by the inflation and sealing system. 
     In a fourteenth embodiment, the power transmission system of the thirteenth embodiment is coupled to a driving force that also drives the inflation and sealing system such that the rollers apply the force applied by the rollers at substantially any time that the inflation and sealing system applies the second force. 
     In a fifteenth embodiment, the guide mechanism of any of the previous embodiments contacts the web material to cause the web material to have a U-shaped cross-section at the point in the system where the inflation and sealing system is configured to inflate the chambers. 
     In a sixteenth embodiment, the guide is located in the system downstream of the inflation and sealing system such that the guide mechanism contacts the web material at a location other than the point in the system where the inflation and sealing system is configured to inflate the chambers. 
     In a seventeenth embodiment, the guide of any of the previous embodiments is a static guide and the guide mechanism is a static guide mechanism. 
     In an eighteenth embodiment, the static guide mechanism of the seventeenth embodiment includes a foot that has a contoured shape. 
     In a nineteenth embodiment, the foot of the eighteenth embodiment has a front end and a back end, and wherein the front end is narrower than the back end. 
     In a twentieth embodiment, the guide of any of the seventeenth to nineteenth embodiments further comprises a guide structure configured to support the guide mechanism between sides of the folded web material, and wherein the guide mechanism is coupled to the guide structure by a biasing mechanism. 
     In a twenty first embodiment, a guide is usable with an inflatable web material. The web material includes chambers that are in fluid communication with a common channel. The web material in a supply of the web material is folded about a longitudinal fold such that lengths of the chambers are folded. The guide includes a guide structure and a guide mechanism supported by the guide structure. The guide mechanism is configured to be located between portions of the web material as the web material is being fed from the supply. The guide mechanism is configured to at least partially unfold the longitudinal fold in the web material at a point where the inflation and sealing system is configured to inflate the chambers. The guide mechanism is configured to contact the web material to cause the web material to have a U-shaped cross-section. 
     In a twenty second embodiment, the guide of the twenty first embodiment is position able with respect to the inflation and sealing system to cause the web material to have the U-shaped cross-section at the point where the inflation and sealing system is configured to inflate the chambers. 
     In a twenty third embodiment, the guide mechanism of any of the twenty first to twenty second embodiments includes one or more of a belt, a slider mechanism, a bearing, or a continuous track. 
     In a twenty fourth embodiment, the guide of any of the twenty first to twenty third embodiments further includes a power transmission system configured to couple a driving force to the guide mechanism in order to drive the guide mechanism. 
     In a twenty fifth embodiment, the guide mechanism of any of the twenty first to twenty fourth embodiments is a static guide mechanism. 
     In a twenty sixth embodiment, the static guide mechanism of the twenty fifth embodiment includes a foot that has a contoured shape. 
     In a twenty seventh embodiment, the guide mechanism of any of the twenty first to twenty sixth embodiments is coupled to the guide structure by a biasing mechanism. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of the disclosed subject matter will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  depicts an example of a web material that can be formed into a pouch for packaging an object, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIGS. 1B and 1C  depict front and side cross-sectional views, respectively, of an embodiment of the web material shown in  FIG. 1A  in a folded state before inflation of the chambers, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 2A  depicts a top view of a portion of an embodiment of an automated packaging station that includes a supply of the web material shown in  FIGS. 1B and 1C , in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 2B  depicts a cross-sectional view of the web material  100  as it is held by the automated packaging station shown in  FIG. 2A  for inflation and sealing of the chambers, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  depict perspective and front views, respectively, of an embodiment of a guide that can be positioned inside of the web material to improve inflatability of the web material, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 4A  depicts a top view of an embodiment of the guide shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  located in a portion of the automated packaging station shown in  FIG. 2A , in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 4B  depicts a cross-sectional view of the web material as it is held in  FIG. 4A  by the automated packaging station and the guide for inflation and sealing of the chambers, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
       Depicted in  FIG. 5  is a side view of an example of improper feeding of the web material that can result from the use of a guide with idle rollers; 
         FIGS. 6A and 6B  depict perspective and partial front views, respectively, of an embodiment of a driven guide that can be positioned inside of the web material to improve inflatability of the web material while avoiding skewing of the web material, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 7A  depicts a top view of an embodiment of the driven guide shown in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  located in a portion of the automated packaging station shown in  FIG. 2A , in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 7B  depicts a cross-sectional view of the web material as it is held in  FIG. 7A  by the automated packaging station and the driven guide for inflation and sealing of the chambers, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 7C  depicts a side view of an example of proper feeding of the web material that can result from the use of the driven guide in the position shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C  depict perspective, front, and side views, respectively, of an embodiment of a static guide that can be positioned inside of the web material to improve inflatability of the web material, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 9A  depicts a top view of an embodiment of the guide shown in  FIGS. 8A to 8C  located in a portion of the automated packaging station shown in  FIG. 2A , in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein; and 
         FIG. 9B  depicts a cross-sectional view of the web material as it is held in  FIG. 9A  by the automated packaging station and the guide for inflation and sealing of the chambers, in accordance with the embodiments disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure describes embodiments of guides that can be used to improve inflatability of web material. In some embodiments, a guide can be located in a system that also includes a supply of a web material and an inflation and sealing system. The web material includes chambers that are in fluid communication with a common channel. The web material in the supply is folded about a longitudinal fold such that lengths of the chambers are folded. The inflation and sealing system is configured to inflate and seal the chambers as the web material is fed from the supply. The guide has a guide mechanism configured to be located between portions of the web material as the web material is being fed from the supply. The guide mechanism is configured to at least partially unfold the longitudinal fold in the web material at a point in the system where the inflation and sealing system is configured to inflate the chambers. Other variations and embodiments of guides are described in greater detail herein. 
     Depicted in  FIG. 1A  is an example of a web material  100  that can be formed into a pouch for packaging an object. In the depicted embodiment, the web material  100  is an inflatable air cellular material. As used herein, the term “air cellular material” herein refers to bubble cushioning material, such as BUBBLE WRAP® air cushioning material sold by Sealed Air Corporation, where a first film or laminate is formed (e.g., thermoformed, embossed, calendared, or otherwise processed) to define a plurality of cavities and a second film or laminate is adhered to the first film or laminate in order to close the cavities. Examples of air cellular materials are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,142,599, 3,208,898, 3,285,793, 3,508,992, 3,586,565, 3,616,155, 3,660,189, 4,181,548, 4,184,904, 4,415,398, 4,576,669, 4,579,516, 6,800,162, 6,982,113, 7,018,495, 7,165,375, 7,220,476, 7,223,461, 7,429,304, 7,721,781, and 7,950,433, and U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 2014/0314978 and 2015/0075114, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     As used herein, an “object” may comprise a single item for packaging or grouping of several distinct items where the grouping is to be in a single package. Further, an object may include an accompanying informational item, such as a packing slip, tracking code, a manifest, an invoice, or printed sheet comprising machine-readable information (e.g., a bar code) for sensing by an object reader (e.g., a bar code scanner). In some embodiments, each of the objects includes an object identifier. In some examples, the object identifier includes one or more of a barcode, a quick response (QR) code, a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, any other form a machine-readable information, human-readable information, or any combination thereof. 
     The web material  100  includes a first longitudinal edge  102  and a second longitudinal edge  104 . Between the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  are two juxtaposed sheets (e.g., sheets of film) that are sealed together to form chambers  106 . In the depicted embodiment, the chambers  106  are in an uninflated state and the chambers  106  are capable of being inflated. In the depicted embodiment, each of the chambers  106  extends substantially transversely across the web material  100  and the pattern of the chambers  106  generally repeats in the longitudinal direction. 
     In the depicted embodiment, each of the chambers  106  includes a port  108  that is open and a distal end  110  that is closed. The ports  108  are located proximate the first longitudinal edge  102  and the distal ends  110  are located proximate the second longitudinal edge  104  so that the ports extend substantially transversely across the web material  100 . The juxtaposed sheets are sealed between the ports  108  and the distal ends  110  such that each of the chambers  106  has substantially circular cells that are interconnected by channels that are narrower than the widest point of the cells. The chambers  106  are capable of being inflated by inserting a gas (e.g., air) through the ports  108 . Once the chambers  106  are inflated, the cells form three-dimensional shapes (sometimes referred to as “bubbles”) along the inflated chambers  106 . In the depicted embodiment, a pair of adjacent chambers  106  are offset so that the cells of one of the chambers  106  are aligned with the interconnecting cells of a subsequent one of the chambers  106 . 
     To aid in inflation of the chambers  106 , the web material  100  includes a common channel  112 . In the depicted embodiment, the common channel  112  is in fluid communication with the chambers  106 . In some embodiments, a nozzle can be inserted in the common channel  112  and direct a gas into the common channel  112 . The gas inserted into the common channel  112  can pass through the ports  108  to inflate the chambers  106 . In some embodiments, the nozzle may remain fixed while located within the common channel  112  and the web material  100  is moved longitudinally such that the nozzle sequentially inflates the chambers  106 . Coupled to the nozzle may be a sealing device configured to close (e.g., seal closed) the ports  108  after inflation of the chambers  106 . 
     In some embodiments, the web material  100  can be folded and formed into a pouch for holding and cushioning an object. In some embodiments, the web material  100  can be folded, inflated, and transversely sealed to form an inflated pouch. An object can be inserted into the pouch and then the pouch can be closed to form a package around the object. Examples of systems and methods of forming a pouch and then a package in this manner are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 62/783,250, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein by reference in their entirety. In some embodiments, the web material  100  is formed from a material that is suitable for shipping the object. For example, the web material  100  may be opaque. 
     In order to form an inflated pouch, the web material  100  can be folded, inflated, and transversely sealed. Depicted in  FIGS. 1B and 10  are front and side cross-sectional views, respectively, of an embodiment of the web material  100  in a folded state before inflation of the chambers  106 . A longitudinal fold  114  has been formed in the web material  100 . In the depicted embodiment, the longitudinal fold  114  is substantially in the middle of the web material  100  between the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104 . This type of fold is sometimes referred to as a “C fold” because the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  are substantially the same distance away from the longitudinal fold  114 , as opposed to a “J fold” when a longitudinal fold is offset from the center of the web material so that the longitudinal edges extend different distances away from the longitudinal fold. 
     In the folded orientation shown in  FIGS. 1B and 10 , the web material  100  can be wound onto a supply roll. In some embodiments, the web material  100  can be wound such that the longitudinal ends  102  and  104  are on one side of the roll and the longitudinal fold  114  are on the other side of the roll. To inflate the web material  100 , the web material  100  can be unwound from the roll and fed through an inflation and sealing system that inflates and seals the chambers  106  sequentially. In some embodiments, the inflation and sealing system includes a nozzle that can be positioned such that the two sides of the common channel  112  pass over the nozzle as the web material  100  is fed away from the supply roll. In the depicted embodiment, the common channel  112  is an “open” channel because the two sheets are not commented to each other. An open channel allows the two sheets to pass on either side of the nozzle without cutting the channel. In other embodiments, the common channel  112  can be a “closed” channel where the two sheets are connected to each other. A closed channel requires the two sheets to be cut before the sheets can pass on either side of the nozzle. 
     To inflate the chambers  106 , the nozzle can insert gas into common channel  112  so that the gas passes through the ports  108  and into the chambers  106  in a substantially linear direction indicated by an arrow  116 . As some of the gas reaches the longitudinal fold  114 , the gas passes in the direction indicated by the arrow  116 , then around the longitudinal fold  114  as indicated by an arrow  118 , and then continues through the chambers  106  toward the distal ends  110  in a direction indicated by the arrow  120 . The gas may fill both the portions of the chambers  106  between the longitudinal fold  114  and the distal ends  110  and the portions of the between the longitudinal fold  114  and the ports  108 . 
     When the web material  100  is folded about the longitudinal fold  114  in the configuration shown in  FIGS. 1B and 10 , the chambers  106  may not consistently inflate properly. As can be seen in  FIG. 10 , the longitudinal fold  114  can function as a crease in the web material  100  which deters or prevents gas from passing through the chambers  106  at the longitudinal fold  114 . In this case, during the time that one of the chambers  106  is exposed to the gas from the nozzle, the longitudinal fold  114  may prevent sufficient gas from passing through the longitudinal fold  114  to fully inflate the chamber. The chambers  106  can thus be under inflated and not provide a desired amount of cushioning. In addition, the arrows  116  and  120  are substantially parallel to each other and in substantially opposite directions. When the gas is inserted into the chambers in the direction indicated by the arrow  116 , the sides of the chambers  106  near the longitudinal fold  114  operate to change the direction of the flow of gas. The forces imparted by the gas as it changed directions may be sufficient to cause deformity (e.g., stretching) or failure (e.g., rupture) of the walls of the chambers  106  near the longitudinal fold  114 . In the case of deformity of the chambers  106 , the resulting package can be aesthetically unpleasing and/or have reduced cushioning properties. In the case of failure of the chambers  106 , the resulting package may be rendered unsuitable for protecting and/or shipping an object. 
     The issues with inflation of the web material  100  in the folded configuration shown in  FIGS. 1B and 10  can be improved by holding the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  apart where the chambers  106  are inflated. One example of holding the web material  100  is shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B .  FIG. 2A  depicts a top view of a portion of an embodiment of an automated packaging station  200 .  FIG. 2B  depicts a cross-sectional view of the web material  100  as it is held by the automated packaging station  200  for inflation and sealing of the chambers  106 . 
     The automated packaging station  200  includes a supply  228  of the web material  100 . In the depicted embodiment, the supply  228  is in the form of a roll with the web material  100  wound around a core. The supply  228  is arranged such that the axis of the roll is substantially vertical. While on the supply, the chambers  106  of the web material  100  are in a non-inflated state such that the web material  100  is in a “flat” condition on the supply  228  and can be wound tightly on the roll. In some embodiments, the supply  228  is located on a substantially vertical spindle that is configured to rotate freely such that the web material  100  unwinds from the supply  228  as the web material  100  is pulled from the supply  228 . In other embodiments, the supply  228  can be powered to actively unwind the web material  100  from the supply  228 . 
     The automated packaging station  200  includes rollers  236 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2A , the web material  100  can be fed from the supply  228  to the rollers  236 . The first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  of the web material  100  pass through the rollers  236 . In some embodiments, the rollers  236  are counterrotating driving rollers that rotate to advance web material  100  from the supply. In some embodiments, the rollers  236  are communicatively coupled to a computing device so that the computing device can control the movements of the rollers  236  to thereby control the feeding of the web material  100  from the supply  228 . In other embodiments, the rollers  236  can be passive rollers through which the longitudinal edges of the web material  100  pass, but that rotate passively as the web material  100  is moved by another element. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the automated packaging station  200  includes an inflation and sealing system  240  and rollers  242 . The inflation and sealing system  240  includes rollers  244 . The rollers  242  form a nip therebetween and the rollers  244  form a nip therebetween so that one longitudinal edge of the web material  100  passes through the rollers  242  and the other longitudinal edge of the web material  100  passes through the rollers  244 . As can be seen in  FIG. 4A , the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  of the web material  100  diverge after passing through the rollers  236  as the first longitudinal edge  102  travels toward the rollers  244  and the second longitudinal edge travels toward the rollers  242 . The divergence of the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  of the web material  100  tends to reduce the severity of the longitudinal fold  114  in the web material  100  so that the longitudinal fold  114  does not have a sharply-creased fold, but the cross-section of the web material  100  at the rollers  242  and  244  tends to have the shape of a “V” (e.g., see  FIG. 2B ). 
     The inflation and sealing system  240  includes an inflation nozzle  248 . The inflation nozzle  248  is configured to direct gas (e.g., air) into the web material  100 . More specifically, the end of the inflation nozzle  248 —the end out of which gas is directed—is located in the common channel  112  on the first longitudinal side  102  of the web material  100 . Gas is directed out of the inflation nozzle  248 , through the common channel  112 , and through the ports  108  into the chambers  106  to cause inflation of the chambers  106 . Once the chambers  106  are inflated, the cells form three-dimensional shapes (sometimes referred to as “bubbles”) along the inflated chambers  106 . With the common channel  112  open, the two sheets of the common channel  112  pass on either side of an inflation nozzle  248  without being cut, as shown in  FIG. 2B . 
     In the depicted embodiment, the rollers  244  are configured to form a longitudinal seal in the web material  100  after inflation of the chambers  106 . In the depicted embodiment, the rollers  244  form a longitudinal seal to individually close the ports  108  of the chambers  106  of the web material  100 . In some embodiments, one of the rollers  244  includes a circumferential heating element that contacts the web material  100  as it passes between the rollers  244  to form a heat seal in the web material  100 . In other embodiments, the inflation and sealing system  240  may include a drag sealer or any other form of sealer to form the longitudinal seals. In other embodiments, the ends of the chambers  106  may include one-way seals that allow gas to enter the chambers  106  and hold the gas within the chambers  106  without the need of additional heat seals. 
     In the depicted embodiment, after the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  of the web material  100  pass through the rollers  242  and through the inflation and sealing system  240 , the path of the web material  100  is defined by rollers  252  and rollers  254 . In some embodiments, the rollers  252  are idler rollers that passively rotate as the web material  100  moves. The rollers  254  are positioned such that the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  of the web material  100  are brought back together after the chambers  106  are inflated. Both of the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  pass between the rollers  254 . In some embodiments, the rollers  254  are driving rollers that cause the web material  100  to move. 
     Downstream of the rollers  254  is a seal and cutting system  256 . In the depicted embodiment, the seal and cutting system  256  includes jaws  258  that extend vertically from above the longitudinal edges of the web material  100  to below the longitudinal fold of the web material  100 . At the instance depicted in  FIG. 2A , the jaws  258  are withdrawn from the web material  100  to permit the web material  100  to be fed. The jaws  258  can periodically be brought together against the web material  100  (as indicated by the arrows outside of the jaws  258 ). In some embodiments, the jaws  258  include heating elements configured to form a trailing transverse seal, a transverse line of weakness, and a leading transverse seal when the jaws  258  are brought together against the web material  100 . The trailing transverse seal closes a side of one of the pouches, the transverse line of weakness forms a break between the one of the pouches and a subsequent one of the pouches, and the leading transverse seal closes a side of the subsequent one of the pouches. 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the rollers  242  and  244  hold the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104 , respectively, apart from each other. This causes the web material  100  to be held so that the cross-section of the web material  100  near the inflation and sealing system  240  is substantially V-shaped. In the depicted embodiment, the portion of the chambers  106  on one side of the longitudinal fold  114  and the portion of the chambers  106  on the other side of the longitudinal fold  114  are at an angle θ 1  with respect to each other. The angle θ 1  is greater than 0° such that the portion of the chambers  106  on one side of the longitudinal fold  114  is not parallel to the portion of the chambers  106  on the other side of the longitudinal fold  114 . 
     To inflate the chambers  106 , the inflation nozzle  248  can insert gas into the common channel  112  so that the gas passes through the ports  108  and into the chambers  106  in a substantially linear direction indicated by an arrow  116   1 . As some of the gas reaches the longitudinal fold  114 , the gas passes in the direction indicated by the arrow  116   1 , then around the longitudinal fold  114  as indicated by an arrow  118   1 , and then continues through the chambers  106  toward the distal ends  110  in a direction indicated by the arrow  120   1 . The gas may fill both the portions of the chambers  106  between the longitudinal fold  114  and the distal ends  110  and the portions of the between the longitudinal fold  114  and the ports  108 . 
     When the web material  100  is in the orientation shown in  FIG. 2B , the longitudinal fold  114  may not completely close off the chambers  106  at the longitudinal fold  114 . This may allow at least some gas to pass through the chambers  106  at the longitudinal fold  114 . In some embodiments, the orientation of the longitudinal fold  114  may permit each of the chambers  106  to permit sufficient gas to pass by the longitudinal fold  114  during the time that each of the chambers  106  is exposed to the gas from the inflation nozzle  248  to fully inflate the chambers  106 . In addition, the forces imparted by the gas as it changes directions from the direction indicated by the arrow  116   1  to the direction indicated by the arrow  120   1  may not be sufficient to cause deformity or failure of the walls of the chambers  106  near the longitudinal fold  114 . However, in some embodiments, the rollers  242  and  244  may not be able to be positioned far enough apart so that the angle θ 1  is large enough to permit sufficient gas to pass by the longitudinal fold  114  during the time that each of the chambers  106  is exposed to the gas from the inflation nozzle  248  to fully inflate the chambers  106 . 
     Depicted in  FIGS. 3A and 3B  are perspective and front views, respectively, of an embodiment of a guide  300  that can be positioned inside of the web material  100  to improve inflatability of the web material  100 . The guide  300  includes a guide mechanism  310  that is supported by a guide structure  320 . The guide mechanism  310  is configured to at least partially unfold a folded web material to improve the inflatability of inflatable chambers in the web material. In some embodiments, as is discussed below with respect to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the guide mechanism  310  is configured to bias a folded web from having a V-shaped cross-section to having a U-shaped cross-section. The guide structure  320  is configured to support the guide mechanism  310  at a particular location between sides of the folded web material. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the guide mechanism  310  includes rollers  312  that are coupled via a spindle  314 . The spindle  314  is aligned substantially axially with each of the rollers  312  so that rotation of the spindle  314  causes rotation of the rollers  312  and rotation of one of the rollers  312  causes rotation of the spindle  314 . While the depicted embodiment of the guide mechanism  310  includes two rollers, it will be understood that other embodiments of the guide mechanism  310  can include a different number of rollers. In other embodiments, the rollers  312  of the guide mechanism  310  can be replaced or supplemented by at least one of one or more belts, one or more slider mechanisms, one or more bearings, one or more continuous tracks, and the like. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the guide structure  320  includes an upper cross piece  322  that is coupled to upper leg segments  324 . The upper cross piece  322  spans a distance between upper leg segments  324  so that the upper leg segments  324  are held apart from each other. The guide structure  320  also includes lower leg segments  326  that are coupled to a lower cross piece  328 . The lower cross piece  328  spans a distance between the lower leg segments  326  so that the lower leg segments  326  are held apart from each other. The guide mechanism  310  is coupled to the lower leg segments  326 . In the depicted embodiment, the spindle  314  of the guide mechanism  310  passes through the lower leg segments  326 . The spindle  314  is configured to rotate with respect to the lower leg segments  326  so that the rollers  312  are capable of rotating with respect to the lower leg segments  326 . 
     The upper leg segments  324  and the lower leg segments  326  are coupled to each other so that the guide mechanism  310  is held at a particular location. In the depicted embodiment, the upper leg segments  324  and the lower leg segments  326  are configured to be coupled in a range of respective positions so that the guide mechanism  310  can be held at a number of different locations with respect to the end of the guide structure  320  that includes upper cross piece  322 . The upper leg segments  324  include slots  330  and the lower leg segments  326  includes holes  332 , and individual fasteners (e.g., machine screws) can be passed through one of the slots  330  and one of the holes  332  to couple the upper leg segments  324  to the lower leg segments  326 . The fasteners can be loosened to adjust the respective positions of the upper leg segments  324  and the lower leg segments  326  and then tightened to fix the respective positions of the upper leg segments  324  and the lower leg segments  326 . The ability to quickly and easily adjust the position of the guide mechanism  310  with respect to the upper cross piece  322  allows the guide  300  to be used with a variety of sizes of folded web materials. 
     As noted above, the guide  300  can be configured to bias a folded web from having a V-shaped cross-section to having a U-shaped cross-section as shown in one embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 4A and 4B .  FIG. 4A  depicts a top view of a portion of the automated packaging station  200  and the guide  300 .  FIG. 4B  depicts a cross-sectional view of the web material  100  as it is held by the automated packaging station  200  and the guide  300  for inflation and sealing of the chambers  106 . As can be seen, the guide  300  is positioned so that the guide mechanism  310  is located between portions of the web material  100 . The rollers  312  are positioned so that the rollers  312  contact inner portions of the web material  100 . 
     As the web material  100  travels between the supply  228  and the rollers  236 , the web material  100  is in a folded configuration. For example, as the web material  100  travels between the supply  228  and the rollers  236 , the cross-section of the web material  100  is similar to the cross-section shown in  FIG. 10  where the longitudinal fold  114  may form a crease to block air passage through the chambers  106 . After the web material  100  passes through the rollers  236  and the first and second longitudinal edges  102  and  104  are separated from each other, the natural tendency of the web material  100  may be to form a V-shaped cross-section, such as in the example shown in  FIG. 2B . However, as noted above, the rollers  242  and  244  may not be able to be positioned far enough apart in some embodiments so that the angle θ 1  is large enough to permit sufficient gas to pass by the longitudinal fold  114  during the time that each of the chambers  106  is exposed to the gas from the inflation nozzle  248  to fully inflate the chambers  106 . To avoid underinflation of the chambers  106 , the guide  300  is configured to improve inflatability of the web material  100 . 
     In the depicted embodiment, as can be seen in  FIG. 4B , the guide  300  can be positioned so that the guide mechanism  310  is configured to unfold the longitudinal fold  114  so that the web material  100  has a U-shaped cross-section. When the longitudinal fold  114  unfolded, the longitudinal fold  144  does not pose a significant hinderance to the passage of gas through the chambers  106 . In the context of unfolding the longitudinal fold  114 , it will be noted that unfolding the longitudinal fold does not require making the web material perfectly straight where the longitudinal fold  114  had been. Rather, unfolding the longitudinal fold can refer to merely biasing the longitudinal fold  114  away from a creased orientation. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the web material  100  tends to bend around the rollers  312  to form bends  122  and  124  in the web material  100 . While a bend in the web material  100  may form a crease in the web material  100  to prevent the flow of gas through the chambers  106 , the bends  122  and  124  around the rollers  312  are at angles  82  that are sufficiently large to not pose a significant hinderance to the passage of gas through the chambers  106 . For example, both of the directions indicated by the arrows  126  and  128  are significantly less extreme turns than the direction around the longitudinal fold  114  as indicated by the arrow  118   1  in  FIG. 2B . In the depicted embodiment, the angles  82  are obtuse angles. A bend at an obtuse angle (e.g., one of the bends  122  and  124  at the angle θ 2  in  FIG. 4B ) may allow sufficiently more gas to pass than a fold that has been somewhat opened to an acute angle (e.g., the longitudinal fold  114  at the angle θ 1  in  FIG. 2B ). With the bends  122  and  124  in the web material  100 , gas inserted into the chambers  106  by the inflation nozzle  248  passes toward the bend  122 , around the bend  122  in the direction indicated by arrow  126 , around the bend  124  in the direction indicated by arrow  128 , and then continues to the distal ends  110 . 
     In addition to the guide  300  opening the web material  100  to a U-shaped cross-section, the guide  300  can be located with respect to the inflation and sealing system  240  where the guide  300  is less likely to hinder inflation of the chambers  106 . In the depicted embodiment, the guide  300  is positioned downstream of the inflation nozzle  248  and the rollers  242  and  244 . With this positioning, the web material  100  is not in contact with the guide mechanism  310  when the chambers  106  are inflated. However, because the guide mechanism  310  is in contact with the web material  100  shortly downstream from the inflation nozzle  248  and the rollers  242  and  244 , the guide mechanism  310  causes the web material  100  to have a U-shaped cross-section at the point where the inflation nozzle  248  inflates the chambers  106 . Thus, the chambers  106  are more likely to inflate properly because the guide mechanism  310  causes the web material  100  has a U-shaped cross-section while not being in contact with the guide mechanism  310  at the point where the chambers  106  are inflated by the inflation nozzle  248 . 
     In some embodiments, the guide  300  is held in place by structure of the automated packaging station  200  that is not depicted in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . In some embodiments, the upper cross piece  322  is secured in a fixed position with respect to structure of the automated packaging station  200 . In some embodiments, the upper cross piece  322  is coupled to the rollers  242  and  244  via structure of the automated packaging station  200  that fixes the respective positions of the upper cross piece  322  and the rollers  242  and  244 . While the upper cross piece  322  may be coupled to the automated packaging station  200  so that the location of the upper cross piece  322  is fixed with respect to the automated packaging station  200 , it will be apparent that the position of the guide mechanism  310  with respect to the upper cross piece  322  may be adjusted. For example, fasteners that pass through the slots  330  and the holes  332  may be loosened to permit adjustment of the location of the guide mechanism  310  with respect to the upper cross piece  322  and then tightened to fix the location of the guide mechanism  310  with respect to the upper cross piece  322 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the rollers  312  are idle rollers that are not driven. As the web material  100  is advanced, the rollers  312  rotate from the contact with the web material  100  as the web material  100  moves. In certain embodiments, the idler rollers may allow for proper inflation of the chambers and feeding of the web material  100 . However, in other embodiments, the use of idle rollers may not provide for proper feeding of the web material  100 . Depicted in  FIG. 5  is a side view of an example of improper feeding of the web material  100  that can result from the use of the guide  300 . In  FIG. 5 , a portion of the web material  100  has been omitted from the view to show the guide  300 . 
     In  FIG. 5 , the rollers  244  are driven to advance the web material  100 . Other rollers, such as rollers  254 , may also be driven to advance the web material  100 . The rotation of the rollers  244  imparts a force  340  on the web material  100  in the downstream direction near the common channel  112  to advance the web material  100 . The guide  300  is positioned so that the guide mechanism  310  contacts the web material  100  near the longitudinal fold  114 . Because the rollers  312  are idle rollers, the friction between the rollers  312  and the web material  100  imparts a force  342  in the upstream direction near the longitudinal fold  114 . With the forces  340  and  342  acting in substantially opposite directions at the top and bottom of the web material  100 , the forces  340  and  342  can cause the web material  100  to skew. In the depicted example, after the jaws  258  formed a leading end  130  of the web material  100 , the web material  100  was advanced by the rollers  244  but the friction with the rollers  312  caused the web material  100  to be askew. More specifically, the leading end  130  of the web material  100  would typically be perpendicular to the direction of travel of the web material  100 , however, the leading end  130  of the web material  100  is at an angle φ with respect to the typical orientation of the leading end  130 . If the jaws  258  were to cut the web material  100  again while it was askew, the resulting package formed from the web material  100  would have the shape of an acute trapezoid or a right trapezoid instead of having the shape of a rectangle. 
     In some embodiments, the problem of web material skewing can be addressed using a driven guide. Depicted in  FIGS. 6A and 6B  are perspective and partial front views, respectively, of an embodiment of a driven guide  300 ′ that can be positioned inside of the web material  100  to improve inflatability of the web material  100  while avoiding skewing of the web material  100 . The driven guide  300 ′ includes components that are similar to the components of the guide  300 , such as the guide mechanism  310  and the guide structure  320 . The driven guide  300 ′ also includes a power transmission system  350 . In the depicted embodiment, the power transmission system  350  is a mechanical power transmission system configured to couple a driving force above the upper cross piece  322  to the rollers  312  in order to drive the roller  312 . 
     In the depicted embodiment, the power transmission system  350  includes a gear  352  located above the upper cross piece  322 . The gear  352  is configured to rotate about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the top of the upper cross piece  322 . In some embodiments, the gear  352  is one of a spur gear configured to be driven by another spur gear or by a chain, a worm wheel configured to be driven by a threaded worm, a pinion configured to be driven by a linearly-moving rack, a toothless gear (e.g., a pulley), or any other rotating gear that can be driven. The gear  352  is coupled to the end of a driveshaft  354  such that rotation of the gear  352  causes a corresponding rotation of the driveshaft  354 . The driveshaft  354  passes through bores in the upper cross piece  322  and the lower cross piece  328 . The end of the driveshaft  354  opposite the gear  352  includes a bevel gear  356 . The bevel gear  356  is configured to engage a bevel gear  358  that is coupled to the spindle  314  of the guide mechanism  310 . The bevel gear  356  engages the bevel gear  358  so that rotation of the bevel gear  356  by the driveshaft  354  causes rotation of the bevel gear  358 . The bevel gear  358  is coupled to the spindle  314  such that rotation of the bevel gear  358  causes rotation of the spindle  314 , which causes the rollers  312  to rotate. In this arrangement, the gear  352  can be driven to cause the rollers  312  to rotate. 
     The driven guide  300 ′ can be configured to bias a folded web from having a V-shaped cross-section to having a U-shaped cross-section as shown in one embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 7A to 7C .  FIG. 7A  depicts a top view of a portion of the automated packaging station  200  and the driven guide  300 ′.  FIG. 7B  depicts a cross-sectional view of the web material  100  as it is held by the automated packaging station  200  and the driven guide  300 ′ for inflation and sealing of the chambers  106 . Depicted in  FIG. 7C  is a side view of an example of proper feeding of the web material  100  that can result from the use of the driven guide  300 ′. In  FIG. 7C , a portion of the web material  100  has been omitted from the view to show the driven guide  300 ′. 
     In  FIG. 7C , the rollers  244  are driven to advance the web material  100 . Other rollers, such as rollers  254 , may also be driven to advance the web material  100 . The rotation of the rollers  244  imparts a force  344  on the web material  100  in the downstream direction near the common channel  112  to advance the web material  100 . The driven guide  300 ′ is positioned so that the guide mechanism  310  contacts the web material  100  near the longitudinal fold  114 . Because the rollers  312  are driven by the power transmission system  350 , the rollers  312  rotate and impart a force  346  to the web material  100  in the downstream direction near the longitudinal fold  114 . With the forces  344  and  346  acting in substantially the same downstream direction, the forces  344  and  346  may not cause the web material  100  to skew as it is advanced. In the depicted example, after the jaws  258  formed the leading end  130  of the web material  100 , the web material  100  was advanced by the rollers  244  and the rollers  312  and caused the web material  100  to advance without being skewed. More specifically, the leading end  130  of the web material  100  remains substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the web material  100 . By keeping the web material  100  from becoming skewed, the packages resulting from cuts by the jaws  258  would having a shape that is substantially rectangular. It will be understood that, in other embodiments, another form of the guide mechanism  310 , such as a continuous track, could impart the force  346  to the web material  100  just as the rollers  312  impart the force  346  in the depicted embodiment. 
     The location of the gear  352  above the upper cross piece  322  can allow for access to the gear  352  may receive power. In the depicted embodiment, at least a portion of the gear  352  is positioned outside of the web material  100 . In this way, a component that drives the gear  352  (e.g., a spur gear, a chain, a threaded worm, a linearly-moving rack, etc.) can be located outside of the web material  100 , while causing the rollers  312  that are between portions of the web material  100  to rotate. This arrangement significantly reduces the chance that a component that drives the gear  352  will interfere with the proper feeding of the web material  100 . 
     In some embodiments, the power transmission system  350  is coupled to a driving force (e.g., a motor) that also drives rollers in the automated packaging station  200  that move the web material  100  (e.g., rollers  242  and  244 ). Using the same driving force to drive both the rollers in the automated packaging station  200  that move the web material  100  and the power transmission system  350  can ensure that the guide mechanism  310  applies the force  346  at substantially any time that the rollers  244  apply the force  344 . In some embodiments, the power transmission system  350  is configured such that the forces  344  and  346  have substantially the same magnitude and/or the forces  344  and  346  move the web material  100  at substantially the same speeds. For example, the gear ratio of the gear  352  and the component that drives the gear  352  and/or the gear ratio of the bevel gear  356  and the bevel gear  358  is selected so that the rollers  312  move the web material  100  near the longitudinal fold  114  at a substantially similar speed that the rollers  244  move the web material  100  near the common channel  112 . 
     Embodiments of guide described above include rollers, including rollers that rotate freely and rollers that are driven. In other embodiments, static guides can be used to bias a folded web from having a V-shaped cross-section to having a U-shaped cross-section.  FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C  depict perspective, front, and side views, respectively, of an embodiment of a static guide  400  that can be positioned inside of the web material  100  to improve inflatability of the web material  100 . The static guide  400  includes a static guide mechanism  410  that is supported by a guide structure  420 . The static guide mechanism  410  is configured to at least partially unfold a folded web material to improve the inflatability of inflatable chambers in the web material. In some embodiments, as is discussed below with respect to  FIGS. 9A and 9B , the static guide mechanism  410  is configured to bias a folded web from having a V-shaped cross-section to having a U-shaped cross-section. The guide structure  420  is configured to support the static guide mechanism  410  at a particular location between sides of the folded web material. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the static guide mechanism  410  includes a foot  412 . In the depicted embodiment, the foot  412  is a single piece that has a contoured shape. In particular, depicted embodiment of the foot  412  has a front end  411  and a back end  413  where the front end  411  is narrower than the back end  413 . In addition, the foot  412  in the depicted embodiment is contoured from the front end  411  around all sides of the front end  411  (e.g., the left, right, top, and bottom sides of the front end  411 ). 
     In the depicted embodiment, the guide structure  420  includes an upper leg segment  424  and a lower leg segment  426 . In some embodiments, the static guide mechanism  410  is coupled to the lower leg segments  426 . In the depicted embodiment, the static guide mechanism  410  is coupled to the lower leg segments  426  via a biasing mechanism  436 . In the depicted embodiment, the biasing mechanism  436  includes a pair of compression springs that permit the static guide mechanism  410  to move and deflect (or “float”) as a film is fed by the static guide mechanism  410 . In other embodiments, the static guide mechanism  410  can be fixedly coupled to the lower leg segments  426  without any form of biasing mechanism. 
     The upper leg segment  424  and the lower leg segment  426  are coupled to each other so that the static guide mechanism  410  is held at a particular location. In the depicted embodiment, the upper leg segment  424  and the lower leg segment  426  are configured to be coupled in a range of respective positions so that the static guide mechanism  410  can be held at a number of different locations with respect to the guide structure  420 . In the depicted embodiment, the upper leg segment  424  includes slots  430  and the lower leg segment  426  includes mounting holes configured to receive fasteners  432  (e.g., machine screws). Each of the fasteners  432  can pass through one of the slots  430  to couple the upper leg segment  424  to the lower leg segment  426 . The fasteners can be loosened to adjust the respective positions of the upper leg segment  424  and the lower leg segment  426  and then tightened to fix the respective positions of the upper leg segment  424  and the lower leg segment  426 . The ability to quickly and easily adjust the position of the static guide mechanism  410  with respect to the guide structure  420  allows the static guide  400  to be used with a variety of sizes of folded web materials. 
     As noted above, the static guide  400  can be configured to bias a folded web from having a V-shaped cross-section to having a U-shaped cross-section as shown in one embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 9A and 9B .  FIG. 9A  depicts a top view of a portion of the automated packaging station  200  and the static guide  400 .  FIG. 4B  depicts a cross-sectional view of the web material  100  as it is held by the automated packaging station  200  and the static guide  400  for inflation and sealing of the chambers  106 . As can be seen, the static guide  400  is positioned so that the static guide mechanism  410  is located between portions of the web material  100 . The foot  412  are positioned so that the foot  412  contact inner portions of the web material  100 . 
     In the depicted embodiment, as can be seen in  FIG. 4B , the static guide  400  can be positioned so that the static guide mechanism  410  is configured to unfold the longitudinal fold  114  so that the web material  100  has a U-shaped cross-section. When the longitudinal fold  114  unfolded, the longitudinal fold  144  does not pose a significant hinderance to the passage of gas through the chambers  106 . In the context of unfolding the longitudinal fold  114 , it will be noted that unfolding the longitudinal fold does not require making the web material perfectly straight where the longitudinal fold  114  had been. Rather, unfolding the longitudinal fold can refer to merely biasing the longitudinal fold  114  away from a creased orientation. 
     In the depicted embodiment, the web material  100  tends to bend around the foot  412  to form bends  122  and  124  in the web material  100 . While a bend in the web material  100  may form a crease in the web material  100  to prevent the flow of gas through the chambers  106 , the bends  122  and  124  around the foot  412  are at angles  83  that are sufficiently large to not pose a significant hinderance to the passage of gas through the chambers  106 . For example, both of the directions indicated by the arrows  126  and  128  are significantly less extreme turns than the direction around the longitudinal fold  114  as indicated by the arrow  118   1  in  FIG. 2B . In the depicted embodiment, the angles  83  are obtuse angles. A bend at an obtuse angle (e.g., one of the bends  122  and  124  at the angle θ 3  in  FIG. 9B ) may allow sufficiently more gas to pass than a fold that has been somewhat opened to an acute angle (e.g., the longitudinal fold  114  at the angle θ 1  in  FIG. 2B ). With the bends  122  and  124  in the web material  100 , gas inserted into the chambers  106  by the inflation nozzle  248  passes toward the bend  122 , around the bend  122  in the direction indicated by arrow  126 , around the bend  124  in the direction indicated by arrow  128 , and then continues to the distal ends  110 . 
     In addition to the static guide  400  opening the web material  100  to a U-shaped cross-section, the static guide  400  can be located with respect to the inflation and sealing system  240  where the static guide  400  is less likely to hinder inflation of the chambers  106 . In the depicted embodiment, the static guide  400  is positioned downstream of the inflation nozzle  248  and the rollers  242  and  244 . With this positioning, the web material  100  is not in contact with the static guide mechanism  410  when the chambers  106  are inflated. However, because the static guide mechanism  410  is in contact with the web material  100  shortly downstream from the inflation nozzle  248  and the rollers  242  and  244 , the static guide mechanism  410  causes the web material  100  to have a U-shaped cross-section at the point where the inflation nozzle  248  inflates the chambers  106 . Thus, the chambers  106  are more likely to inflate properly because the static guide mechanism  410  causes the web material  100  has a U-shaped cross-section while not being in contact with the static guide mechanism  410  at the point where the chambers  106  are inflated by the inflation nozzle  248 . Moreover, the static guide  400  is dimensioned such that a width w f  of the foot  412  is greater than a width w s  of the guide structure  420 . In this way, the web material  100  is unlikely to contact the guide structure  420  because of the width w f  of the foot  412  with respect to the width w s  of the guide structure  420 . 
     In some embodiments, the static guide  400  is held in place by structure of the automated packaging station  200  that is not depicted in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . In some embodiments, the top of the guide support  420  is secured in a fixed position with respect to structure of the automated packaging station  200 . It will be noted that, when the top of the guide support  420  (e.g., the upper leg segment  424 ) is fixedly secured to the structure of the automated packaging station  200 , the position of the static guide mechanism  410  with respect to the structure of the automated packaging station  200  can be varied by moving the lower leg segment  426  with respect to the upper leg segment  424 . 
     For purposes of this disclosure, terminology such as “upper,” “lower,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inwardly,” “outwardly,” “inner,” “outer,” “front,” “rear,” and the like, should be construed as descriptive and not limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. Further, the use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and “mounted” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. Unless stated otherwise, the terms “substantially,” “approximately,” and the like are used to mean within 5% of a target value. 
     The principles, representative embodiments, and modes of operation of the present disclosure have been described in the foregoing description. However, aspects of the present disclosure which are intended to be protected are not to be construed as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Further, the embodiments described herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. It will be appreciated that variations and changes may be made by others, and equivalents employed, without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such variations, changes, and equivalents fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as claimed.