Welding process and product for inflatable product

Abstract

A welding process of an inflatable product is provided that includes using isolating members between first and second portions of weldable tensioning members to resist the first and second portions of the weldable tensioning structures being welded together during welding of the first portions to a first sheet of weldable material and welding of the second portions to a second sheet of weldable material.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An inflatable product including
 a first sheet made of weldable plastic,   a second sheet made of weldable plastic, the first and second sheets cooperating to define an inflatable chamber,   a plurality of tensioning structures, each tensioning structure including a weldable plastic, a first portion of the tensioning structures being welded to the first sheet and a second portion of the tensioning structures being welded to the second sheet, and   a plurality of isolating members positioned in the inflatable chamber, the isolating members being positionable to isolate the first portions of the tensioning structures from the second portions of the tensioning structures to block weldable contact between the first and second portions.   
     
     
         2 . The inflatable product of  claim 1 , wherein the isolating members are a flexible film. 
     
     
         3 . The inflatable product of  claim 1 , wherein the isolating member are non-metallic. 
     
     
         4 . The inflatable product of  claim 1 , wherein the isolating member are strips. 
     
     
         5 . The inflatable product of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the isolating members are spaced apart from the tensioning structures. 
     
     
         6 . The inflatable product of  claim 1 , wherein the isolating members have a thickness less than a thickness of the weldable plastic of the tensioning structures. 
     
     
         7 . The inflatable product of  claim 1 , wherein the tensioning structures are parallel and separated by a substantially uniform distance and a width of the isolating members is substantially less than the distance. 
     
     
         8 . An inflatable product including
 a first sheet made of weldable plastic,   a second sheet made of weldable plastic, the first and second sheets cooperating to define an inflatable chamber,   a plurality of tensioning structures, each tensioning structure including a weldable plastic, a first portion of the tensioning structures being welded to the first sheet and a second portion of the tensioning structures being welded to the second sheet, and   a portion of a non-metallic isolating member positioned in the inflatable chamber and coupled to at least one of the first and second portions of a tensioning structure of the plurality of tensioning structures.   
     
     
         9 . The inflatable product of  claim 8 , wherein the non-metallic isolating member is positioned in the inflatable chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The inflatable product of  claim 8 , wherein the non-metallic isolating member is a flexible film. 
     
     
         11 . An inflatable product including
 a first sheet made of weldable plastic,   a second sheet made of weldable plastic, the first and second sheets cooperating to define an inflatable chamber,   a plurality of tensioning structures, each tensioning structure including a weldable plastic, a first portion of the tensioning structures being welded to the first sheet and a second portion of the tensioning structures being welded to the second sheet, the first portions having structures and the second portions having contours matching at least a portion of the structures of the first portions.   
     
     
         12 . The inflatable product of  claim 11 , wherein the contour of the second portion is a recess matching at least one of the structure of the first portion that is raised. 
     
     
         13 . The inflatable product of  claim 12 , wherein the structured that is raised is a strand of the tensioning structure. 
     
     
         14 . The inflatable product of  claim 11 , wherein the contour of the second portion is a protrusion matching at least one recess of the structure of the first portion that is recessed. 
     
     
         15 . The inflatable product of  claim 14 , wherein the structure of the first portion that is recessed is positioned between a pair of strands of the tensioning structure. 
     
     
         16 . An inflatable product including
 a first sheet made of weldable plastic,   a second sheet made of weldable plastic, the first and second sheets cooperating to define an inflatable chamber,   a plurality of tensioning structures, each tensioning structure including a weldable plastic, a first portion of the tensioning structures being welded to the first sheet and a second portion of the tensioning structures being welded to the second sheet, the first portions having a seam formed by a clamp, and the second portions having a seam formed by the clamp, the perimeters of the seams of the second portions being substantially mirror images of perimeters of the seams of the first portions.   
     
     
         17 . The inflatable product of  claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of isolating positionable to isolate the first portions of the tensioning structures from the second portions of the tensioning structures to block weldable contact between the first and second portions. 
     
     
         18 . The inflatable product of  claim 16 , wherein the first portions have structures and the second portions have contours matching at least a portion of the structures of the first portions. 
     
     
         19 . A method for producing an inflatable product including the steps of
 providing a first sheet made of weldable plastic,   providing a second sheet made of weldable plastic, the first and second sheets cooperating to define an inflatable chamber,   providing a plurality of tensioning structures, each tensioning structure including a weldable plastic, the plurality of tensioning structures including a first portion and a second portion, and   simultaneously welding the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures to the first and second sheets.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising a step of providing a plurality of isolating members positioned between the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures and the plurality of isolating members are positioned between the first and second portions during the simultaneously welding. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first and second portions are spaced apart by the plurality of isolating members. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the isolating members are removed from between the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures after the simultaneously welding step. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of folding the plurality of tensioning structures. 
     
     
         24 . A method for producing an inflatable product including the steps of
 providing a first sheet made of weldable plastic,   providing a second sheet made of weldable plastic, the first and second sheets cooperating to define an inflatable chamber,   providing a plurality of tensioning structures, each tensioning structure including a weldable plastic, the plurality of tensioning structures including a first portion and a second portion,   providing an isolating member on a roll, the isolating material being configured to isolate the first portions of the tensioning structures from the second portions of the tensioning structures, and   unwrapping the isolating member from the roll,   positioning the isolating member between the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures,   welding the first portion of the plurality of tensioning structures to the first sheet while the isolating member is positioned between the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures, and   welding the second portion of the plurality of tensioning structures to the second sheet while the isolating member is positioned between the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the isolating member is non-metallic. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the isolating material is a film. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of sealing the first and second sheets together to define an inflatable chamber and the isolating member is positioned in the inflatable chamber. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising a side panel and the sealing step consists of welding the side panel to the first and second sheets. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of cutting a strip of the isolating material from the roll of isolating material. 
     
     
         30 . A method for producing an inflatable product including the steps of
 providing a first sheet made of weldable plastic,   providing a second sheet made of weldable plastic, the first and second sheets cooperating to define an inflatable chamber,   providing a plurality of tensioning structures, each tensioning structure including a weldable plastic, the plurality of tensioning structures including a first portion and a second portion,   folding the plurality of tensioning structures, and   welding the first portion of the plurality of tensioning structures to the first sheet and the second portion of the plurality of tensioning structures to the second sheet while the plurality of tensioning structures are folded.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the folding step includes position the first portions of the tensioning structures adjacent the second portions of the tensioning structures. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising the step of providing a plurality of isolating members and positioning the isolating members between the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures. 
     
     
         33 . A method for producing an inflatable product including the steps of
 providing a first sheet made of weldable plastic,   providing a second sheet made of weldable plastic, the first and second sheets cooperating to define an inflatable chamber,   providing a plurality of tensioning structures, each tensioning structure including a weldable plastic, the plurality of tensioning structures including a first portion and a second portion,   clamping the first portions and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures together, and   welding the first portion of the plurality of tensioning structures to the first sheet and the second portion of the plurality of tensioning structures to the second sheet while the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures are clamped together.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising the step of unclamping the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures and separating the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures after the welding step. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising the step of providing a plurality of isolating members and positioning the plurality of isolating members between the first and second portions of the plurality of tensioning structures during welding step.