Patent ID: 7536837

Claim:
A system for manufacturing air cushions for use as packaging dunnage comprising: (a) a longitudinally extending plastic film comprising a relatively narrow longitudinally extending channel, at least one row of generally rectangular presealed inflatable chambers each having three sides closed and a fourth side with an unsealed opening into the longitudinally extending channel, and a plurality of laterally extending perforations separating the inflatable chambers; and (b) an inflation machine for inflating the inflatable chambers of the plastic film, the inflation machine comprising: a pair of film drive rollers that cause the plastic film to be gripped at or near the narrow longitudinally extending channel and drawn in a continuous and uninterrupted manner through inflation, sealing and slitting mechanisms in a planar path; wherein the inflation mechanism comprises a source of inflation gas and an air outlet which together cause inflation gas to be injected into the relatively narrow longitudinally extending channel of the plastic film as the plastic film is drawn through the inflation mechanism; wherein the sealing mechanism comprises an electrically energized heating element that generates heat to be delivered to the inflation side of one or more of the inflatable chambers to seal the unsealed opening and trap the inflation gas within the inflatable chambers as the plastic film is drawn through the sealing mechanism; and wherein the slitting mechanism comprising a blade that slices open the relatively narrow longitudinally extending channel of the plastic film as the film is drawn through the slitting mechanism.