Patent ID: 7757459

Claim:
A process of forming dunnage units from a preformed web, the process comprising: providing the preformed web, wherein the preformed web includes a plurality of pouch defining seals between top and bottom layers that define a plurality of pouches, wherein the preformed web includes a pocket bounded by the top and bottom layers, an inflation edge of the web, and ends of the pouch defining seals, wherein the preformed web includes an inflation side line of perforations, a spaced apart opposite side line of perforations, and a gap forming area between the inflation side line of perforations and the opposite side line of perforations, wherein the inflation side line of perforations, the opposite side line of perforations, and the gap forming area extend in a direction that is transverse to the inflation edge of the web, the inflation side line of perforations extends between said inflation edge of said preformed web and said gap forming area, the opposite side line of perforations extends between an opposite edge of said preformed web and said gap forming area; inserting a guide pin into the preformed pocket of the preformed web after the preformed web is formed; inflating the pouches defined by the preformed web to an inflated volume that causes edges of the gap forming area to spread apart between the preformed inflation side line of perforations and the preformed spaced apart opposite side line of perforations; forming an inflation seal across the preformed pouch defining seals to convert the inflated pouches to dunnage units, wherein a portion of the inflation side line of perforations is between the inflation edge and the inflation seal and a portion of the inflation side line of perforations is between the gap forming area and the inflation seal; and substantially maintaining the inflated volume as the preformed pouches are sealed.