Patent ID: 6948296

Claim:
A process of forming dunnage elements comprising: a) feeding a chain of interconnected plastic pouches each having a width along a path of travel to an inflation station; b) sequentially opening each of a plurality of pouches as each such pouch is at the inflation station by directing a flow of air from a first nozzle along a face of such pouch at the inflation station through a small fill opening substantially transversely centered in the face of each pouch, the fill opening no more than 25 percent of the width of the pouch, the opening step being performed as to each pouch as it is positioned in the inflation station, thereby separating the face from the back of each such puch; c) directing a steady flow of air from a second nozzle through each such fill opening of each opened pouch to substantially completely inflate each opened pouch; and d) sealing each such inflated pouch to close each such fill opening and thereby create hermetically closed and inflated dunnage units.