Fillable Cushion and Method and Apparatus for Producing a Cushion

Abstract

A fillable cushion ( 30, 31 ) for the protection of four corners, two edges and a surface area of an essentially cuboidal article ( 19 ) to be packed is shown, the cushion comprising at least two layers of plastic films. The cushion has near its longitudinal ends in each case a recess, by means of which the cushion can be pushed onto at least one corner of the cuboidal article, the cushion being dimensioned in such a way that its longitudinal extent between the two recesses corresponds to the length of the two edges to be protected plus the length of the diagonal of the surface area to be protected. The method and the apparatus for fabricating fillable cushions provide that the welding is performed with ultrasound. The method for filling empty cushions provides that at least one nozzle is arranged at a distance from an opening, in particular a punched clearance, in one of the plastic films of the cushion, obliquely in relation to the surface area of the cushion, and gas is blown out of this nozzle onto the opening.

1 . Fillable cushion for the protection of four corners, two edges and a surface area of an essentially cuboidal article to be packed, the cushion comprising at least two layers of plastic films, wherein the cushion has near its longitudinal ends in each case a recess, by means of which the cushion can be pushed onto at least one corner of the cuboidal article, the cushion being dimensioned in such a way that its longitudinal extent between the two recesses corresponds to the length of the two edges to be protected plus the length of the diagonal of the surface area to be protected.  
     
     
         2 . Cushion according to  claim 1 , wherein the cushion comprises a number of part-cushions, in particular with chambers that are separate from one another.  
     
     
         3 . Cushion according to  claim 1 , wherein respectively provided for the edge to be protected is a part-cushion, which has a recess by which the part-cushion can be fitted onto the edge to be protected.  
     
     
         4 . Cushion according to  claim 3 , wherein the two part-cushions are connected to one another by a band.  
     
     
         5 . Cushion according to  claim 3 , wherein the two part-cushions are connected to one another by a further part-cushion.  
     
     
         6 . Cushion according to  claim 3 , wherein in the case of at least one part-cushion for one edge, the recess has a smaller width in the centre than at the ends.  
     
     
         7 . Cushion according to  claim 2 , wherein one part-cushion has at least one recess which is adapted in its shape to further articles to be received in it, such as accessory parts for the article.  
     
     
         8 . Use of a cushion according to  claim 1  for packing a cuboidal article, one longitudinal end being pushed with the recess at least onto a first corner of a first surface area of the article, the cushion being placed from the first corner along a first edge, diagonally over a second surface area, which lies opposite the first surface area, to and along a second edge, which leads to the second corner, and the other longitudinal end being pushed with its recess onto at least one second corner, which lies diagonally opposite the first corner on the first surface area.  
     
     
         9 . Method for fabricating fillable cushions, in particular inflatable cushions, in particular cushions according to  claim 1 , in which at least two layers of plastic films are welded to one another by means of ultrasound along a contour of the cushion in such a way that a fillable cavity is produced, wherein the case of curved contours, a sonotrode is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the welding plane in such a way that the sonotrode is aligned tangentially in relation to the contour.  
     
     
         10 . Method according to  claim 9 , wherein, to produce the welding, a sonotrode is moved along the contour of the cushion, in particular linearly in three spatial axes.  
     
     
         11 . Method according to  claim 9 , wherein the movement of the sonotrode is electronically controlled on the basis of any given contour.  
     
     
         12 . Method according to  claim 9 , wherein the contact pressure with which the sonotrode is pressed against the plastic films is regulated.  
     
     
         13 . Method according to  claim 9 , wherein a perforation or a severing cut is produced in the plastic film by the sonotrode.  
     
     
         14 . Method according to  claim 9 , wherein before or after the welding, at least one plastic film is given at least one punched clearance for each cushion.  
     
     
         15 . Apparatus for fabricating fillable cushions, in particular inflatable cushions, comprising at least one ultrasonic welding device for welding at least two layers of plastic films along a contour of the cushion, wherein the sonotrode is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the welding plane, so that the sonotrode can be aligned tangentially in relation to a curved contour during the welding.  
     
     
         16 . Apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the sonotrode of the ultrasonic welding device is linearly movable in three spatial axes.  
     
     
         17 . Apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein a device for electronically controlling the movement of the sonotrode on the basis of any given contour is provided.  
     
     
         18 . Apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein a device for regulating the contact pressure with which the sonotrode is pressed against the plastic films is provided.  
     
     
         19 . Apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the sonotrode has a number of blades.  
     
     
         20 . Apparatus according  claim 15 , wherein a punching device is provided, by which at least one plastic film receives at least one punched clearance for each cushion before or after the welding.  
     
     
         21 . Use of an apparatus according to  claim 15  for fabricating fillable cushions, in particular inflatable cushions, which comprise two layers of plastic films.  
     
     
         22 . Fillable cushion in which at least two plastic films are welded to one another along a contour of the cushion in such a way that a fillable cavity is produced, the weld seam being interrupted at one location for the purpose of filling, wherein an opening for the filling of the cushion is provided in at least one plastic film, outside the fillable cavity in the region of the interrupted location, tangentially in relation to the contour of the cushion.  
     
     
         23 . Method for filling empty cushions comprising plastic films with gas, wherein at least one nozzle is arranged at a distance from an opening, in particular a punched clearance, in one of the plastic films of the cushion, obliquely in relation to the surface area of the cushion, and gas is blown out of this nozzle onto the opening and that the nozzle is pivoted and/or the distance from the opening is changed.  
     
     
         24 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein the nozzle forms an angle of between 5° and 60°, preferably between 15° and 40°, with the plane of the empty cushion.  
     
     
         25 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein a predetermined amount of gas is blown out for each opening.  
     
     
         26 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein the cushion is stably held at least two points during the inflation.  
     
     
         27 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein the cushion is closed by means of welding.  
     
     
         28 . Method according to  claim 27 , wherein the location of the cushion that is to be welded is rendered pressureless during the welding.  
     
     
         29 . Apparatus for filling empty cushions comprising plastic films with gas, wherein at least one nozzle is arranged at a distance from a bearing surface for the empty cushion, obliquely in relation to the bearing surface, so that gas can be blown out of this nozzle onto an opening, in particular a punched clearance, in one of the plastic films of the cushion and that the nozzle is pivotable and/or movable in relation to the bearing surface.  
     
     
         30 . Apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the nozzle forms an angle of between 5° and 60°, preferably between 15° and 40°, with the bearing surface.  
     
     
         31 . Apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein a device with which a predetermined amount of gas can be blown out for each opening is provided.  
     
     
         32 . Apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein a holding device with which the cushion can be stably held at least two points during the inflation is provided.  
     
     
         33 . Apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein a welding device with which the cushion can be closed after the inflation is provided.  
     
     
         34 . Apparatus according to  claim 33 , wherein a device with which the location of the cushion that is to be welded can be rendered pressureless during the welding is provided.  
     
     
         35 . Use of an apparatus according to  claim 29  for filling empty cushions comprising plastic films with gas.  
     
     
         36 . Cushion according to  claim 2 , wherein respectively provided for the edge to be protected is a part-cushion, which has a recess by which the part-cushion can be fitted onto the edge to be protected.  
     
     
         37 . Method according to  claim 10 , wherein the movement of the sonotrode is electronically controlled on the basis of any given contour.  
     
     
         38 . Apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein a device for electronically controlling the movement of the sonotrode on the basis of any given contour is provided.  
     
     
         39 . Method according to  claim 24 , wherein a predetermined amount of gas is blown out for each opening.  
     
     
         40 . Apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein a device with which a predetermined amount of gas can be blown out for each opening is provided.