Inflatable cushion and apparatus for making same

Abstract

Abstract AN INFLATABLE CUSHION OF DOUBLE-WALLEED CONSTRUCTION, THE INNER WALL BEING A BLADDER OF FLEXIBLE, IMPERFORATE AND HEAT-SEALABLE MATERIAL, SUCH AS POLYETHYLENE, AND THE OUTER WALL, IN PREFERRED MODE, BEING A NON-WOVEN PAPER FABRIC BONDED TO THE BLADDER ONLY ABOUT THE SELVEDGE OR THE BLADDER. THE BLADDER IS FORMED WITH AT LEAST TWO INTERCONNECTING CELLS BY MEANS OF TRANSVERSE SPOT SEALS. THE BLADDER IS PLEATED PARALLEL TO THE CELL LENGTHS TO SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF THE BLADDER IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE SPOT SEAL INE. THE OUTER SKIN IS DIMENSIONED TO FIT OVER THE SHORTENED BLADDER WHEREBY, WHEN THE BLADDER IS INFLATED, THE OUTER SKIN FITS SNUGLY OVER THE BLADDER IN ALL DIRECTIONS. THE TWO WALLS PROVIDE COUNTER FORCES OF COMPRESSION AND TENSION WHEN WEIGHT IS APPLIED TO THE CUSHION. BY EMPLOYING LOW-COST POLYETHYLENE FOR THE BLADDER AND A NON-WOVEN PAPER FABRIC ON THE OUTER LAYER A VERY INEXPENSIVE CUSHION IS PROVIDED WHICH MAY BE DISCARDED AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF USE. AN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING THE CHSHION INCLUDES A PAIR OF ROLLS OF HEAT SEALABLE MATERIAL, SUCH AS POLYETHYLENE, A NOZZLE APPLYING STATION ADAPTED TO ATTACH AIR NOZZLES AT SELECTED POSITIONS ALONG THE WEB WHICH IS INDEXED HORIZONTALLY, HEAT SEALING ROLL TO JOIN THE TWO SUPERIMPOSED WEBS ALONG HEAT SEAL LINS, PLEATING GUIDES TO GATHER THE WEB AND A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY MOUNTED ROLLS OF NON-WOVEN FABRIC TO APPLY THE OUTER SKIN. ANOTHER HEAT SEAL ROLLER IS PROVIDED FOR MARGINALLY BONDING THE FABRIC TO THE BLADDER AND A CUT OFF STATION SEPARATES THE COMPLETED UNITS FROM THE WEB.

Inventors

• 👤 Philip N Dunham

Bibliographic Details