Inflatable space filler structure for container

Abstract

Disclosed is an inflatable space filler structure comprising a cushioning member to encircle a shock-brittle object contained in a container for protecting the object from any shock action. The cushioning member comprises: two rectangular pieces of resin film or sheet, which are laid on each other and thermowelded in air-tight condition along their sides and in their confronting major planes in the form of partition lines arranged in parallel and reaching short of the opposite lateral sides of the rectangular pieces of resin film or sheet, thus defining divisional air-tight sections. Also, the cushioning member includes an air inlet equipped with a check valve for inflating the divisional air-tight sections with air, thereby applying the expanded divisional air-tight sections to the front, rear, upper and lower surfaces of the object.

1 . An inflatable space filler structure comprising a cushioning member to encircle a shock-brittle object in a container for protecting the object from any shock action, wherein said cushioning member comprises: 
 two rectangular pieces of resin film or sheet superposed on each other and with air-tight thermowelds along their sides and in their confronting major planes in the form of parallel partition lines, said parallel partition lines reaching short of opposite lateral sides of the rectangular pieces of resin film or sheet, thus defining divisional air-tight sections;    sacrificial lines formed alternately with said partition lines on their major planes by airtightly connecting their confronting major planes in the form of parallel lines, the sacrificial lines having a lower strength than a strength of said partition lines so that such sacrificial lines may be broken prior to breaking of any of the partition lines in response to incidental application of excessive pressure to the inflatable space filler; and    an air inlet, equipped with a check valve, for inflating the divisional air-tight sections with air, to enable the divisional air-tight sections to be expanded and applied to the front, rear, upper and lower surfaces of the object;    wherein extra buffers are integrally connected to said opposite lateral edges of said rectangular pieces of resin film or sheet to protect corresponding opposite sides of the object from any shock action.    
   
   
       2 . An inflatable space filler structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said sacrifical lines constitute weak air-tight thermowelds in the confronting major planes.  
   
   
       3 . An inflatable space filler structure according to  claim 1 , further comprising an air-release hole, and a seal piece releasably covering said air-release hole in an air-tight fashion, said seal piece being capable of being peeled off and attached repeatedly.  
   
   
       4 . An inflatable space filler structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said cushioning member is configured for use in encircling the object in a cardboard box with a packing assistant.  
   
   
       5 . An inflatable space filler structure comprising a cushioning member to encircle a shock-brittle object contained in a container for preventing the object from any shock action, characterized in that the cushioning member comprises: 
 outside and inside closed bags of resin film or sheet of different depths, the inside bag being fitted in the outside bag, their bottoms and opposite lateral and longitudinal sides being thermowelded and connected together to stagger their upper closed edges while the outside and inside bags communicate at their bottoms, making the inside bag form a pocket fastened onto the outside bag, the confronting planes of the outside and inside bags being thermowelded in the form of partition lines, which are predetermined distances apart from the longitudinal opposite sides of the outside-and-inside bag combination, and    an air inlet equipped with a check valve for inflating the outside and inside bags, thereby applying the expanded outside and inside bags to the shock-brittle object in the pocket.    
   
   
       6 . An inflatable space filler structure according to  claim 5 , wherein the outside-and-inside bag combination has sacrificial seals formed between each partition line and one or the other longitudinal side of the outside-and-inside bag combination.  
   
   
       7 . An inflatable space filler structure according to  claim 6 , wherein it further comprises an air-hole made for uncorking, the air-hole has a seal piece to cover the air-hole in air-tight fashion, the seal piece being capable of being peeled off and attached repeatedly for use.  
   
   
       8 . An inflatable space filler structure according to  claim 5 , wherein the container is a cardboard box with a packing assistant.  
   
   
       9 . An inflatable space filler structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said sacrificial lines are formed by adhering the confronting major planes with an adhesive agent interposed between the confronting major planes.  
   
   
       10 . An inflatable space filler structure according to  claim 9 , wherein said adhesive agent is a thermoplastic adhesive.  
   
   
       11 . An inflatable space filler structure according to  claim 10 , wherein said thermoplastic adhesive comprises a hot-melt adhesive.