Apparatus and method for dispensing insulation batt product

Abstract

An insulation batt manufacturing apparatus includes a supply assembly having an extensible slit sheet supply support configured to support a roll of extensible slit sheet and one or more barrier sheet supply supports configured to support a roll of barrier sheet. A lamination assembly includes two outer cover sheet supply supports each configured to support a roll of outer cover sheet. The lamination assembly is configured to selectively supply at least one layer of extensible slit sheet in an extended state from the roll of extensible slit sheet in a downstream direction, to selectively feed two layers of outer cover sheet from the rolls of outer cover sheet in the downstream direction, and to laminate the at least one layer of extensible slit sheet between the two layers of outer cover sheet to form a continuous strip of insulation batt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention generally relates to the field of protective packaging materials or padding materials, and more specifically, to thermal insulation padding products. Background Technology

[0002] Most refrigerated transport solutions include corrugated cardboard boxes with internal insulating linings or barriers. These insulating linings are often made of materials that cannot be roadside recycled. Commonly used in refrigerated transport are insulated containers with molded polystyrene linings inside the cardboard boxes. During transport, ice packs or other cooling elements can be placed inside the container to maintain the low temperature of the items inside. Additional insulation layers, typically plastic covers, can also be used to prevent direct contact between the contents and the cooling elements, and to isolate any moisture that may condense on or around the cooling elements.

[0003] While current refrigerated transport systems function well in practice, several issues remain. For example, polystyrene liners require significant storage space before reaching the packaging center and during transport. Polystyrene, like plastic films, is difficult to recycle, produces harmful substances when incinerated, and persists in the environment for extended periods due to its non-biodegradable nature. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention discloses an apparatus and method for manufacturing paper-based thermal insulation padding products, which possess sufficient thermal insulation properties to replace some or all applications currently requiring refrigerated transport. This invention also discloses a multi-layer adjustable thermal insulation lining padding product, allowing customers to adjust the performance of the padding product by adding or removing one or more layers of material.

[0005] More specifically, the present invention provides a multi-layered variable liner composed of one or more sheets of paper that deform from their planar shape to form multiple cavities when stacked, and are encased within an outer covering layer. Paper is a renewable resource that can be recycled, composted, or incinerated, producing fewer and less harmful byproducts than plastic materials such as polystyrene. The liner is made of 100% roadside recyclable paper (e.g., kraft paper, tissue paper, and cellulose wadding) and has a kraft paper outer covering coated with a water vapor barrier layer. This paper has relatively poor air permeability, thus enabling the padding product to simultaneously provide cushioning and insulation.

[0006] The apparatus and method disclosed in this invention enable customers to modify the performance of the liner by adding or removing certain components or layers within the outer covering, and to adjust the dimensions (length, width, or thickness, or combinations thereof) of the insulation material to ensure efficient use of the space within the container, thereby maintaining the temperature inside the container for the required time. The insulation padding products can be manufactured on demand, and products with specific dimensions, cushioning, and insulation properties can be produced as needed. With this flexible system, customers can customize the insulation padding products to their specific needs, thereby reducing costs, extending insulation time, minimizing damage, or achieving all of these objectives.

[0007] According to one aspect of the invention, the insulation pad manufacturing apparatus includes a feeding assembly having two or more expandable slitting sheet feeding supports, each expandable slitting sheet support being configured to support a corresponding expandable slitting sheet roll. The insulation pad manufacturing apparatus further includes a laminating assembly located downstream of the feeding assembly. The laminating assembly includes two outer sheet feeding supports, each outer sheet feeding support for supporting a corresponding outer sheet roll. The laminating assembly is configured to selectively feed at least one layer of expandable slitting sheet in an expanded state from a corresponding expandable slitting sheet roll supported by at least one of the two or more expandable slitting sheet feeding supports in a downstream direction; feed two layers of outer sheet in a downstream direction from a corresponding outer sheet roll supported by each of the two outer sheet feeding supports; and laminate the at least one layer of expandable slitting sheet in an expanded state between the two outer sheet layers to form a continuous insulation pad strip for the insulation pad.

[0008] According to any embodiment of the invention, the system further includes one or more insulated sheet feed supports, each configured to support an insulated sheet roll, and the laminating assembly is configured to selectively feed at least two layers of expandable sheet material in an expanded state from a corresponding expandable sheet roll supported by at least two of the two or more expandable sheet feed supports in a downstream direction, and to selectively feed at least one layer of insulated sheet material from a corresponding insulated sheet roll supported by one or more insulated sheet feed supports in the downstream direction. The laminating assembly is then configured to laminate the at least one layer of insulated sheet material between every two layers of the at least two expandable sheet materials.

[0009] According to any embodiment of the invention, the insulating pad manufacturing apparatus further includes a cutting assembly located downstream of the laminating assembly. The cutting assembly is configured to cut continuous strips of insulating pad material to form insulating pad material.

[0010] According to any embodiment of the invention, the feed assembly further includes at least two extenders, each extender being positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of the at least two expandable slice feed supports. Each of the at least two extenders is configured to pull the expandable slice downstream from the corresponding expandable slice roll and expand the expandable slice from an unexpanded state to an expanded state.

[0011] According to any embodiment of the invention, the lamination assembly further includes an adhesive application component configured to deposit adhesive on the upper surface of the bottom outer sheet of the two outer sheets.

[0012] According to any embodiment of the invention, the laminating assembly further includes a pressure roller assembly configured to press the side edges of the two outer sheets together to seal at least one expandable slicing sheet therebetween.

[0013] According to any embodiment of the invention, the pressure roller assembly includes a pair of pressure rollers, each pressure roller having a pair of pressing rings for pressing the side edges of two outer sheet layers together, thereby sealing at least one expandable sheet layer therebetween.

[0014] According to any embodiment of the invention, the laminating assembly further includes a conveying assembly configured to convey a continuous strip of insulating padding material in a downstream direction.

[0015] According to any embodiment of the invention, the conveying assembly includes a top conveyor belt having one or more top drive belts and a bottom conveyor belt having one or more bottom drive belts. The top and bottom drive belts are configured to convey a continuous strip of insulating padding material located therebetween in a downstream direction.

[0016] According to any embodiment of the present invention, the insulating pad manufacturing apparatus further includes an outlet conveying assembly located downstream of the laminating assembly for conveying the insulating pad.

[0017] According to any embodiment of the present invention, the outlet conveying assembly includes an indentation assembly for indenting the thermal insulation pad.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing thermal insulation padding is provided, comprising the steps of: selectively feeding at least one layer of expandable slab material in an expanded state from at least one of two or more expandable slab material supply sources in a downstream direction. The method further comprises the steps of: feeding two layers of outer sheet material in a downstream direction from two outer sheet material supply sources, and laminating the at least one layer of expandable slab material in an expanded state between the two outer sheet material layers to form a continuous thermal insulation padding strip. The method further comprises the step of: cutting the continuous thermal insulation padding strip in a direction perpendicular to the downstream direction to form thermal insulation padding.

[0019] According to any embodiment of the present invention, the step of selectively feeding at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an expanded state includes: selectively feeding at least two layers of expandable sheet material in an expanded state from at least two of two or more expandable sheet material supply sources in a downstream direction. The direction further includes the step of selectively feeding at least one layer of insulating sheet material from at least one insulating sheet material supply source in a downstream direction.

[0020] According to any embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes laminating at least one layer of insulating sheet between at least two layers of expandable sheet material in an expanded state.

[0021] According to any embodiment of the present invention, the step of selectively feeding at least one layer of expandable slicing material in an expanded state includes expanding at least one layer of expandable slicing material in an unexpanded state to an expanded state.

[0022] According to any embodiment of the present invention, the step of laminating at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an expanded state between two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip includes: depositing an adhesive on opposite side edges of the upper surface of the bottom outer sheet of the two outer sheets.

[0023] According to any embodiment of the present invention, the step of laminating at least one layer of expandable slicing material in an expanded state between two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip further includes: pressing the opposite side edges of the two outer sheets together to seal the at least one layer of expandable slicing material in an expanded state between the two outer sheets.

[0024] According to any embodiment of the present invention, the step of laminating at least one layer of expandable slicing material in an extended state between two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip includes: conveying the continuous insulating pad strip to a cutting assembly in a downstream direction.

[0025] According to any embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes conveying the insulating pad material in a downstream direction.

[0026] According to any embodiment of the invention, the method further includes indenting the insulating pad material.

[0027] The above and other features of the present invention will now be described in detail, and are expressly defined in the claims. The following description and drawings illustrate one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention. However, these embodiments are only a few of the many implementations in which the principles of the present invention can be adopted. Other objects, advantages, and technical features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads is shown. Figure 1B A schematic diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads is shown. Figure 2A A cross-sectional view of the thermal insulation padding is shown; Figure 2B A cross-sectional view of the thermal insulation padding is shown; Figure 3A A schematic diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads is shown. Figure 3B A schematic diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads is shown. Figure 4A A cross-sectional view of the thermal insulation padding is shown; Figure 4B A cross-sectional view of the thermal insulation padding is shown; Figure 4C A partial cross-sectional perspective view of the thermal insulation pad is shown to show its internal layers; Figure 5 A perspective view of an apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads is shown; Figure 6 A perspective view of the feed assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown; Figure 7 A perspective view of an apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads is shown; Figure 8 A perspective view of the feed assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown; Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of the feed assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown; Figure 10 A perspective view of the lamination assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown; Figure 11 A perspective view of the lamination assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown; Figure 12 A perspective view of the lamination assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown; Figure 13 A cross-sectional view of the lamination assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown; Figure 14A A perspective view of the cutting assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown; Figure 14B A perspective view of the cutting assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown; Figure 14C The view along line 14C-14C is shown. Figure 14A Enlarged sectional view at the location; and Figure 15 A perspective view of the outlet conveyor assembly of the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0029] In practice, the contents disclosed in this invention may take many different forms. To facilitate understanding of the principles of the invention, a limited number of embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and described in specific language in the following paragraphs. However, the description of one or a limited number of embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Any changes and further modifications to the described embodiments, as well as any further application of the principles of the invention as described herein, are considered to be commonly conceived by those skilled in the art.

[0030] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An exemplary thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 for manufacturing thermal insulation pad 12a is schematically shown. Figure 1A As shown, the insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a feeding assembly 14 and a laminating assembly 16 located downstream of the feeding assembly 14 (in the direction of downstream direction 18, i.e., the direction in which the sheet moves through the apparatus 10). The laminating assembly 16 is configured to selectively feed at least one layer of paper from the feeding assembly 14, for example, expandable slitting sheet, expand the slitting sheet to an expanded state 20, and advance the expanded slitting sheet 20 in the downstream direction.

[0031] The source of supply for the slitting sheet material includes sheet material having one or more layers. The slitting sheet material is supplied in rolls or multiple rolls. The slitting sheet material in the roll may be wound on a hollow core, which may be mounted on a corresponding feed support, such as a shaft rotating with the hollow core, or the hollow core may rotate about the shaft as the sheet is unwound from the roll. Alternatively, one or more layers of sheet material may also be provided in other suitable arrangements, such as a fan-folded stack (not shown), wherein the material is alternately folded into a stack of generally rectangular pages.

[0032] An exemplary sheet is paper, such as kraft paper, especially single-layer kraft paper. Suitable kraft paper may have various basis weights, such as 20 lbs or 40 lbs. In some embodiments, the sheet may be laminated, or may include any other suitable material, such as other paper, plastic sheets, metal foil, or any combination thereof.

[0033] The exemplary slitting sheet has multiple rows of longitudinally spaced, laterally extending slits, which are periodically formed in the sheet. The slits in each row are typically laterally offset from corresponding slits in adjacent rows. More specifically, the exemplary slitting sheet is configured to extend laterally along the feed direction, transverse to the direction of the slits along the row. In other words, under the lateral tension of the slits, the sheet near the upstream side of the slit separates from the sheet near the downstream side of the slit, thereby separating the sheets at the slits. The tension is typically applied in a longitudinal manner, i.e., along the travel direction, the feed direction, also commonly referred to as the downstream direction.

[0034] This exemplary sheet material is configured to expand in one or more dimensions, also referred to herein as volumetric expansion or dimensional expansion. When the sheet is stretched in a direction transverse to the slit direction, i.e., perpendicular to the width direction of the sheet, the longitudinal length and thickness of the sheet increase, while the transverse width dimension of the sheet decreases. The increase in thickness when the sheet is stretched longitudinally is at least partly due to the rotation of the sheet portion between the slit rows relative to the plane of the unexpanded sheet. The thickness dimension extends in a normal direction relative to the face of the unexpanded sheet. This normal direction is defined as being approximately orthogonal to the longitudinal length of the sheet and also approximately orthogonal to its width dimension, which is measured along the transverse extent between the transverse edges of the sheet.

[0035] When stretched in this manner, the thickness of the slab can increase by an order of magnitude or more compared to its original thickness. Compared to the unstretched slab, the stretched slab has increased length and thickness, and decreased width. This longitudinal stretching and increase in thickness results in a volumetric expansion of the scalable sheet.

[0036] The laminating assembly 16 is further configured to feed two outer sheets 22a, 22b in a downstream direction 18 for lamination with at least one expandable slab sheet 20 in an extended state to form a continuous insulating pad strip 24. Specifically, as shown, the laminating assembly 16 is configured to laminate at least one expandable slab sheet 20 in an extended state between the two outer sheets 22a, 22b.

[0037] In addition, such as Figure 1BAs shown, the laminating assembly 16 can also be configured to selectively feed at least two layers of expandable sheet material 20 in an extended state from the feed assembly 14 in a downstream direction 18. The laminating assembly 16 can also be configured to selectively feed at least one layer of insulating sheet 23 from the feed assembly 14 in a downstream direction 18 to laminate between two layers of expandable sheet material 20 in an extended state. This combination is further laminated between two outer sheets 22a, 22b to form a continuous insulating pad strip 24. As shown, the laminating assembly 16 can be configured to laminate at least one layer of insulating sheet 23 between each pair of expandable sheet material 20 layers in an extended state to prevent at least two layers of expandable sheet material 20 in an extended state from nesting together in the continuous insulating pad strip 24, and to minimize or limit airflow between the expanded expandable sheet material 20 layers.

[0038] Figure 2A and Figure 2B It shows the result of Figure 1A and Figure 1B The exemplary thermal insulation pad 12a is formed by the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 shown. The exemplary thermal insulation pad 12a comprises four layers of expandable slab sheets 20 in an extended state and three layers of insulating sheets 23, which are alternately laminated between corresponding pairs of expandable slab sheets 20 in an extended state. This assembly is further laminated between layers of outer covering sheets 22a, 22b to form the thermal insulation pad 12a. Figure 2A and Figure 2B The thermal insulation pad 12a shown is provided only as a non-limiting example. Other structures of thermal insulation pad 12a may also be made, which may have different numbers of expandable sheet materials 20 in an expanded state, and different numbers of insulating sheets 23 alternately laminated between the expandable sheet materials, and their combination is further laminated between two outer sheets 22a, 22b.

[0039] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Another embodiment of an automated thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 for manufacturing another exemplary thermal insulation pad 12b is schematically illustrated. For example... Figure 3AAs shown, the laminating assembly 16 is configured to selectively supply at least one layer of expandable sheet material 20 in an expanded state and at least one layer of filler 25 from the supply assembly 14 in a downstream direction. The filler 25 is an embossed, textured, or wrinkled sheet material; typically multiple layers; these layers may be bonded or otherwise secured together. The filler 25 is generally seamless. The laminating assembly 16 is also configured to feed two outer sheets 22a, 22b in a downstream direction 18 to laminate with at least one layer of expandable sheet material 20 in an expanded state and at least one layer of filler 25 to form a continuous insulating pad strip 24. Specifically, as shown, the laminating assembly 16 is configured to laminate at least one layer of expandable sheet material 20 in an expanded state and at least one layer of filler 25 between the two outer sheets 22a, 22b.

[0040] like Figure 3B As shown, the lamination assembly 16 can be configured to selectively feed at least two layers of expandable sheet material 20 in an expanded state to one or both sides of at least one layer of filler floc 25 from the supply assembly 14 in a downstream direction. In the illustrated embodiment, at least two layers of expandable sheet material 20 in an expanded state are fed from the supply assembly 14 to both sides of at least one layer of filler floc 25; however, at least two layers of expandable sheet material 20 in an expanded state may also be provided only on one side of at least one layer of filler floc 25. Therefore, the lamination assembly 16 can also be configured to selectively feed at least one layer of insulating sheet 23 from the supply assembly 14 in a downstream direction to laminate with at least two layers of expandable sheet material 20 in an expanded state and at least one layer of filler floc 25, and all these material layers are located between two outer sheets 22a, 22b to form a continuous insulating pad strip 24. Specifically, the lamination assembly 16 may be configured to laminate the at least one layer of insulating sheet 23 between the at least two layers of expandable sheet material 20 in the extended state, and to be located on one or both sides of the filler 25, thereby preventing the at least two layers of expandable sheet material 20 in the extended state from nesting into each other in the continuous insulating pad strip 24.

[0041] Figures 4A to 4C It shows the result of Figure 3A and Figure 3BThe exemplary thermal insulation pad 12b formed by the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 shown. The thermal insulation pad 12b includes two expandable slab sheets 20 in an expanded state located on both sides of three layers of filler flocs 25, and at least one insulating sheet 23 laminated between every two expandable slab sheets 20 located on either side of the at least one layer of filler flocs 25. The at least two expandable slab sheets 20 in an expanded state, the at least one insulating sheet 23, and the at least one layer of filler flocs 25 are all laminated between two outer sheets 22a and 22b. It should be understood that... Figure 4A The insulating pad 12b shown in –4C is provided only as a non-limiting example. Other insulating pads 12b can also be formed by the insulating pad manufacturing apparatus 10 described in this invention. These insulating pads 12b have expandable slab layers 20, insulating sheet layers 23, and filling fuzz layers 25 in an expanded state, with different numbers of layers laminated between two outer sheets 22a, 22b.

[0042] Back Figure 1A , 1B In any of the embodiments, 3A and 3B, the insulating pad manufacturing apparatus 10 may further include a cutting assembly 26 located downstream of the laminating assembly 16. The cutting assembly 26 is configured to cut the continuous insulating pad strips 24 in a direction perpendicular to the downstream direction 18 to form corresponding insulating pads 12a, 12b.

[0043] The insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 also includes a controller 28 for overall coordination and control of the operation of the insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 and its various components as described below. The controller 28 may include a processor, memory, and a program stored in the memory. The controller 28 may also include one or more input devices, for example, for determining the desired length, composition, and number of layers of each material of the desired insulation pads 12a, 12b; and one or more outputs, including outputs for controlling elements of the insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10. The input devices may be connected to or included in one or more devices such as a touchscreen display, keyboard, mouse, scanner or sensor, barcode reader, radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor, microphone, camera, etc. The controller 28 may also be programmed to recognize appropriate inputs representing the desired length of the insulation pads 12a, 12b, or to recognize locations for locating one or more available lengths.

[0044] The widths of the insulation pads 12a and 12b range from approximately 20.32 cm (8 inches) to 45.72 cm (18 inches). The sheet materials 20, 23, 25, 22a, and 22b of the insulation pads 12a and 12b preferably comprise paper, especially kraft paper, or are made of paper, especially kraft paper, thereby enabling the insulation pads 12a and 12b to be recyclable and reused, and to be composed of renewable resources. The sheet materials 20, 23, 25, 22a, and 22b can be made of the same or different materials and can have the same or different basis weights. For example, the at least one layer of filling material 25 can be a very lightweight (e.g., 7 lbs) crepe paper, stacked up to a thickness of 22 layers, such that the thickness of the at least one layer of filling material 25 is approximately 1.27 cm (0.5 inches). The at least one layer of insulating sheet 23 has a basis weight of 15 lbs. The two outer sheets 22a and 22b may have the same dimensions and may contain a coating material to form a sufficient barrier layer against water and / or water vapor, thus making the outer sheets water-resistant or waterproof. The width and thickness of the at least one expandable sheet 20, the at least one insulating sheet 23, and the at least one filler 25 may differ from the dimensions of the two outer sheets 22a and 22b, and they may also differ from each other. For example, the width of the at least one expandable sheet 20 in its expanded state may be narrower and thicker than that of the two outer sheets 22a and 22b.

[0045] refer to Figure 5-15 The thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 for manufacturing thermal insulation pads 12a and 12b will be described in more detail. Figure 5-8 As shown, the feed assembly 14 includes two or more expandable slice feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, each expandable slice feed support being configured to support expandable slice rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d for forming one or more expandable slices 20 in an expanded state. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the feed assembly 14 includes four expandable slice feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, each expandable slice support being configured to support expandable slice rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d. However, it should be understood that the feed assembly 14 may also include different numbers of expandable slice feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, and each expandable slice support being configured to support a corresponding expandable slice roll 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d.

[0046] Each of the two or more expandable slitting material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d can be in the form of a spindle rotatably mounted on the frame 15a of the feed assembly 14. Each spindle of the two or more expandable slitting material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d can be supported on the frame 15a, thereby being configured to apply a constant tension to the corresponding expandable slitting material rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d to reduce rotational speed and minimize or prevent overtravel of the expandable slitting material fed therefrom. The two or more expandable slitting material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d may also include a disc brake attached to the supports 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d to stop rotation of the corresponding expandable slitting material rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d and prevent any unwinding or bagging that may occur when the feed operation stops.

[0047] exist Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, two or more expandable slitting material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d are respectively mounted on a frame 15a located above the feed rail 17 of the feed assembly 14. Expandable slitting materials pulled from each expandable slitting material roll 32a, 32b, 32c, and 32d are guided downstream 18 along the feed rail 17 to the laminating assembly 16. Alternatively, the two or more expandable slitting material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d may also be mounted on a frame 15a located below the feed rail 17. Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, at least one of two or more expandable slicing material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d is mounted on a frame 15a above the feed rail 17, and at least another of the two or more expandable slicing material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d is mounted on a frame 15b below the feed rail 17.

[0048] The feed assembly 14 may further include at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, each expander being adjacent to a corresponding position of one of the two or more expandable sheet feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d. Each of the at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d is configured to pull the expandable sheet from its respective adjacent expandable sheet rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d in a downstream direction, thereby expanding the expandable sheet from an unexpanded state (such as its state on expandable sheet rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d) to an expanded state (such as its state being received and fed by the laminating assembly 16). For example, in Figure 5-8 In the illustrated embodiment, the feed assembly 14 includes four expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d, each expander being located near a corresponding position of one of the four expandable slicing material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d. However, it should be understood that the feed assembly 14 may also include a different number of expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d, each expander positioned adjacent to a corresponding expandable slicing material feed support 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d.

[0049] Each of the at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d can be mounted on the rack 15a of the supply assembly 14. Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the at least two extenders 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d are all mounted on the frame 15a above the feed rail 17, and are respectively adjacent to the expandable slicing material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d. Alternatively, for example, when two or more expandable slicing material feed supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d are respectively mounted on the frame 15a below the feed rail 17, the at least two extenders 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d may also be mounted on the frame 15a below the feed rail 17. Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, at least one of the at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d is mounted on a frame 15a above the feed rail 17, and the other of the at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d is mounted on a frame 15b below the feed rail 17.

[0050] like Figure 9As shown, to extend the expandable slitting material from its unextended state to its extended state, each of the at least two extenders 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d may include a pair of upstream extending rollers 35a and a pair of downstream extending rollers 35b located downstream of the upstream extending rollers 35a. The pair of upstream extending rollers 35a are configured to pull the expandable slitting material from the corresponding expandable slitting material rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d and feed the expandable slitting material in a downstream direction 18 at a first speed. The pair of downstream extending rollers 35b are configured to feed the expandable slitting material in a downstream direction 18 at a second speed. The second speed may be faster than the first speed, such that a tensile tension can be applied to the expandable slitting material as the pair of downstream extending rollers 35b feeds it in the downstream direction 18. This tensile tension stretches the expandable slitting material from its unextended state to its extended state, the slit opens, and material near the slit rotates out from its original planar state. This results in an extended scalable sheet material that is longer, thicker, and narrower than the unextended scalable sheet material.

[0051] When the at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d extend the expandable segmented material to the extended state, the expandable segmented material undergoes irreversible deformation. This deformation keeps the expandable segmented material in the extended state and reduces any tendency for the expandable segmented material to revert to its previously unextended state. After each of the at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d, the extended segmented material may relax slightly to a stress-free state but still remain in the extended state.

[0052] In another embodiment, the at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d can be omitted, and the expandable slitting sheet can be supplied in an expanded form from a source of supply of expanded slitting sheet, such as a roll. However, using at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d allows for the formation of more compact rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d of a given length of expandable slitting sheet compared to rolls of equal length.

[0053] Back Figure 5-8 The feeding assembly 14 further includes at least one insulating sheet feeding support 40a, 40b, 40c, each insulating sheet feeding support being configured to support insulating sheet rolls 42a, 42b, 42c for forming one or more layers of insulating sheet 23 to separate two or more layers of expandable splitting sheet 20 in the insulating pad material 12a, 12b. Figure 5 and Figure 6In the embodiment shown, the supply assembly 14 includes four expandable sheet feeding supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, all mounted on a frame 15a above the feed rail 17; and the supply assembly 14 also includes three separate sheet feeding supports 40a, 40b, and 40c, which are also mounted on a frame 15a above the feed rail 17.

[0054] However, it should be understood that, depending on the number and installation position of the expandable sheet feeding supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, the feeding assembly 14 may also include different numbers of sheet feeding supports 40a, 40b, and 40c. For example, in Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the supply assembly 14 includes four expandable sheet material supply supports 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d, wherein two expandable sheet material supply supports are mounted on a frame 15a above the feed rail 17, and the other two expandable sheet material supply supports are mounted on a frame 15a below the feed rail 17. The supply assembly 14 also includes two isolating sheet material feed supports 40a and 40b. One of the sheet feed supports may be mounted above the feed rail 17 to form at least one sheet 23 for separating at least two layers of expandable sheet 20 pulled out from the two expandable sheet feed supports 30a, 30b mounted above the feed rail 17, while the other sheet feed support may be mounted below the feed rail 17 to form at least one sheet 23 for separating at least two layers of expandable sheet 20 pulled out from the two expandable sheet feed supports 30c, 30d mounted below the feed rail 17.

[0055] Each of the one or more sheet feed supports 40a, 40b, 40c may be in the form of a fixed shaft or a rotatable shaft mounted on the frame 15a of the feed assembly 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more sheet feed supports 40a, 40b, 40c are respectively mounted on the frame 15a above the feed rail 17 of the feed assembly 14. In another embodiment, the one or more sheet feed supports 40a, 40b, 40c may also be mounted on the frame 15a below the feed rail 17.

[0056] exist Figure 7In the illustrated embodiment, the feed assembly 14 may additionally or optionally include at least one filler feed support 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, 29f, each filler feed support being configured to support filler rolls 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f. When the feed assembly 14 includes multiple filler feed supports 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, 29f, only one or more of the filler feed supports 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, 29f are used to support the formation of at least one layer of filler 25 (e.g., ...). Figures 3A-4B The corresponding filler rolls 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f (shown as insulation pad 12b in the text) are used to support the remaining filler feed supports 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, and 29f, while the remaining filler feed supports 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, and 29f can be used to support spare or replacement filler rolls 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f. For example, in Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the feed assembly 14 includes six filler feed supports 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, and 29f, each configured to support a corresponding filler roll 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, and 31f. Three of the six filler feed supports 29a, 29b, and 29c are mounted above the feed track 17 to support three filler rolls 31a, 31b, and 31c used to form at least one layer of filler 25, while the other three filler feed supports 29d, 29e, and 29f are mounted below the feed track 17 to support three spare or replacement filler rolls 31d, 31e, and 31f. However, it should be understood that the feed assembly 14 may also include different numbers of filler feed supports 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, and 29f, and these filler feed supports 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, and 29f may be mounted above or below the feed track 17. Each of at least one filler feed support 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, and 29f may be in the form of a shaft rotatably mounted on the frame 15a of the feed assembly 14. The at least one layer of filler 25 may also be used as a replacement for the isolation sheet layer 23.

[0057] like Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the frame 15a of the feed assembly 14 can be mounted on wheels 19a to allow it to be easily moved relative to the laminating assembly 16 for, for example, replenishing two or more rolls of expandable sheet material 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, one or more rolls of insulating sheet material 42a, 42b, 42c, or one or more rolls of filler material 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f, or for maintaining any component of the feed assembly 14. Alternatively, as... Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the frame 15a of the feed assembly 14 can be mounted on the feet 9. For example, the width of the feed track 17 can be adjusted to accommodate various widths of the corresponding material for each expandable sheet roll 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, each separator sheet roll 42a, 42b, 42c, and each filler roll 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f. The frame 15b of the laminating assembly 16 can also be mounted on wheels 19b to allow for easy movement relative to the supply assembly 14 for, for example, replenishing two or more rolls of outer sheet 22a, 22b, or for maintaining the various components of the laminating assembly 16. Alternatively, the frame 15b of the laminating assembly 16 can also be mounted on the feet.

[0058] like Figure 5 , 7 As shown in Figure 10, the laminating assembly 16 includes two outer sheet feed supports 36a and 36b, each configured to support outer sheet rolls 38a and 38b for forming the two outer sheet layers 22a and 22b. Specifically, the two outer sheet feed supports 36a and 36b include a top outer sheet support 36a configured to support a top outer sheet roll 38a for forming the top outer sheet 22a, and a top outer sheet support 36b configured to support a bottom outer sheet roll 38b for forming the bottom outer sheet 22b. Each of the two outer sheet feed supports 36a and 36b may be in the form of a shaft rotatably mounted on a frame 15b of the laminating assembly 16. As shown in the figure, the top outer sheet support 36a is mounted on the frame 15b located above the feed path 21, wherein at least one expandable sheet 20, at least one insulating sheet 23, and at least one filler filament 25 enter and pass through the laminating assembly 16 along the feed path 21; the bottom outer sheet support 36b is mounted on the frame 15b located below the feed path 21.

[0059] refer to Figure 11-13 The lamination assembly 16 includes an adhesive application assembly 44, a pressure roller assembly 50 downstream of the adhesive application assembly 44, and a conveying assembly 58 downstream of the pressure roller assembly 50. Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the adhesive application component 44 is adjacent to and downstream of the pressure roller assembly 50. Figure 13 The transmission component 58 is shown separately.

[0060] The adhesive application component 44 is configured to apply adhesive to the upper surface of the bottom outer sheet 22b pulled out from the bottom outer sheet roll 38b and / or to the upper surface of the at least one layer of expandable segmented sheet 20 in an expanded state, near its opposite side edges. Any adhesive applied to the opposite side edges of the at least one layer of expandable segmented sheet 20 in an expanded state will pass through the opened slits and reach the upper surface of the bottom outer sheet 22b. If the width of the at least one layer of expandable segmented sheet 20 in an expanded state is narrower than the width of the bottom outer sheet 22b, the adhesive applied by the adhesive application component 44 will be applied directly to the upper surface of the bottom outer sheet 22b, i.e., without passing through the slits in the at least one layer of expandable segmented sheet 20 in an expanded state.

[0061] Specifically, the adhesive application assembly 44 may include at least two adhesive heads 46, which in the illustrated embodiment are two hot melt adhesive heads, respectively mounted on the adhesive application assembly 44 on opposite sides of a crossbar 48 extending across the feed path 21. The position of the adhesive heads 46 is adjustable so that they are aligned with the corresponding side edges of the undercoat sheet 22b at a sufficient height above the feed path 21 to allow passage of the undercoat sheet 22b, two or more expandable split sheets 20 in an extended state, and one or more insulating sheets 23. The two adhesive heads 46 are laterally movable along the crossbar 48 to accommodate undercoat sheets 22b of different widths, thereby aligning with the side edges of the undercoat sheet 22b. In one embodiment, the adhesive heads 46 may be actuated by corresponding pneumatic solenoid valves integrated into the structure of the adhesive heads 46.

[0062] Once the adhesive application assembly 44 has completed adhesive deposition, the pressure roller assembly 50 presses together the bottom outer sheet 22b, at least one layer of expandable slicing sheet 20 in an expanded state, at least one layer of release sheet 23 (if any), and at least one layer of filler flocculant 25 (if any) to laminate with the top outer sheet 22a. Thus, as Figure 12As shown, the pressure roller assembly 50 may include a pair of pressure rollers 52a and 52b, namely, an upper pressure roller 52a and a lower pressure roller 52b, and the pressure rollers are configured to press layers 22a, 22b, 20, 23, and 25, and seal the top outer sheet 22a and the bottom outer sheet 22b. The pressure roller assembly 50 may include a top outer sheet guide roller 54 for guiding the top outer sheet 22a from the top outer sheet roll 38a to the pair of pressure rollers 52a and 52b.

[0063] Each pressure roller 52a, 52b may include a pair of pressing rings 56, which are laterally adjustable along the pressure rollers 52a, 52b to accommodate top and bottom cover sheets 22a, 22b of different widths, thereby aligning with the corresponding side edges of the top and bottom cover sheets 22a, 22b. The pressure roller pair 52a, 52b and their corresponding pressing rings 56 may be made of aluminum. The pressure roller pair 52a, 52b are pre-tensioned (e.g., spring-loaded) to press the top cover sheet 22a and the bottom cover sheet 22b together, along with at least one expandable split sheet 20, at least one insulating sheet 23 (if present), and at least one layer of filler 25 (if present) in an expanded state located between them. However, the pressure roller pair 52a, 52b may include a quick-release mechanism for releasing the pre-tension to allow material loading. Therefore, the pressure roller assembly 50 not only helps to feed various materials into the laminating assembly 16, but also laminates the various materials together to form a continuous insulating pad strip 24.

[0064] Once the layers 22a, 22b, 20, 23, and 25 are laminated and bonded together, forming a continuous insulating strip 24 at the sealed edge, the continuous insulating strip 24 is pulled downstream by the conveying device 58. Figure 13As shown, the conveying assembly 58 includes a top conveyor belt 60a and a bottom conveyor belt 60b. The top conveyor belt 60a and / or the bottom conveyor belt 60b may include one or more sections arranged laterally along the feed path 21 and / or sequentially along the material supply path 21. The widths of the top and bottom conveyor belts 60a and 60b are adjustable to fit or exceed the width of the continuous insulating padding strips 24, thereby maintaining clamping of the material across its entire width. The top and bottom conveyor belts 60a and 60b may be mounted on the frame 15b of the laminating assembly 16. At least the top conveyor belt 60a may be mounted on the frame 15b to allow it to move vertically relative to the bottom conveyor belt 60b to accommodate continuous insulating padding strips 24 of varying thicknesses (e.g., different numbers of expandable sheet material layers 20, insulating sheet layers 23, and filler floc layers 25 fixed therein), while still utilizing its own weight to compress and clamp the continuous insulating padding strips 24. The clamping force can be controlled by changing the compressive load, preventing excessive compression from puncturing the insulating layer and thus reducing the heat insulation or cushioning effect. For example... Figure 13 As shown, a cylinder 65 can be used to control the spacing between the top conveyor belt 60a and the bottom conveyor belt 60b, as well as the pressure applied between them.

[0065] The top conveyor belt 60a has a top drive belt 62a, and the bottom conveyor belt 60b has a bottom drive belt 62b. The top and bottom drive belts 62a and 62b are configured to frictionally engage the respective upper and lower surfaces of the continuous insulation pad strip 24 to drive the continuous insulation pad strip 24 through the conveyor assembly 58. The position or spacing and weight of the top conveyor belt 60a are set such that the gap between the top and bottom drive belts 62a and 62b is slightly smaller than the thickness of the continuous insulation pad strip 24, thereby allowing the top and bottom conveyor belts 60a and 60b to slightly compress the continuous insulation pad strip 24 when driven by the top and bottom drive belts 62a and 62b. The top and bottom drive belts 62a and 62b can be driven in any suitable manner. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the top conveyor belt 60a includes a set of top rollers 64a, which, in a side view, drive the top drive belt 62a to rotate counterclockwise; and the bottom conveyor belt 60b includes a set of bottom rollers 64b, which, in a side view, drive the bottom drive belt 62b to rotate clockwise, thereby feeding the insulation padding material along the feed path 21. A motor (not shown), such as a servo motor, may be connected to the corresponding rollers 64a, 64b to drive them.

[0066] The upstream ends of the top and bottom conveyor belts 60a and 60b are tapered, thus defining a tapered channel 66 at the inlet. Downstream of the tapered channel 66, the lower surface of the top drive belt 62a and the upper surface of the bottom drive belt 62b define a feed channel 68, which is aligned with the feed path 21 of the continuous insulation pad strip 24 through the conveyor assembly 58. Thus, the tapered channel 66 can be configured to guide the continuous insulation pad strip 24 into the feed channel 68 and along the feed path 21. The height of the feed channel 68, i.e., the height between the lower surface of the top drive belt 62a and the upper surface of the bottom drive belt 62b, ensures that the top and bottom drive belts 62a and 62b compress the continuous insulation pad strip 24 located therebetween, thereby ensuring frictional engagement between the first and second conveyor belts 60a and 60b, driving the continuous insulation pad strip 24 downstream in a 18 direction.

[0067] The engagement lengths of the top and bottom drive belts 62a, 62b with the corresponding upper and lower surfaces of the continuous thermal insulation strip 24 are selected such that, as the first and second conveyor belts 60a, 60b drive the continuous thermal insulation strip 24 through the conveyor belt assembly 58, indentation or tearing of the continuous thermal insulation strip 24 is prevented or minimized. For this purpose, the top and bottom drive belts 62a, 62b are configured to engage the continuous thermal insulation strip 24 along the side edges of the pressed material layers 22a, 22b, 20, 23, 25. However, at least one layer of expandable sheet material 20 in an extended state has sufficient elasticity to allow the top and bottom drive belts 62a, 62b to slightly compress the continuous thermal insulation strip 24 without reducing its cushioning or insulation performance.

[0068] The insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 further includes a cutting assembly 26 downstream of the laminating assembly 44, i.e., downstream of the pressure roller assembly 50. The cutting assembly 26 can be mounted on the frame 15b of the laminating assembly 16, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 10 As shown; or it can be installed separately, for example, on the padding conveyor belt 76 downstream of the laminating assembly 16, such as Figure 15 As shown. Figures 14A-14C The cutting assembly 26 is shown separately. The cutting assembly 26 includes a motor 70 and a drive cutting blade 74. Figure 14C The continuous insulating pad strip 24 is cut by a double-link 72 to form discrete insulating pads 12a, 12b (Figures 1 and 3). This cutting operation is performed in two stages. First, the pressure bar 75 moves downward, grasps the insulating pad strip, and presses a portion of the pad strip against a platform 77 near the lower cutting blade 73 (see Figure 3). Figure 14BThe cutting blade 74 is then driven downwards, engaging with the lower cutting blade 73 to cut discrete insulating padding from the padding strip. The insulating padding strip is compressed before cutting to create a thinner profile of the continuous insulating padding strip 24 near the point where the cutting blade 74 will cut it, while simultaneously securing the strip to prevent displacement, thus achieving a clean cut without tearing.

[0069] The motor 70 can be any suitable motor, such as a 48VDC motor. One rotation of the motor 70 cuts the continuous thermal insulation strip 24 and returns the cutting blade 74 to its retracted or initial position. The cutting assembly 26 is equipped with a home position sensor to confirm that the cutting blade 74 has returned to its retracted position. The cutting assembly 26 can be configured to cut the continuous thermal insulation strip 24 simultaneously with the operation of the laminating assembly 16. For example, the cutting assembly 26 shown in the figure can move longitudinally at the same speed as the continuous thermal insulation strip 24, thereby cutting without stopping the continuous thermal insulation strip 24's movement in the downstream direction 18; or, the cutting assembly 26 can be composed of a rotating member with the cutting blade 74. Alternatively, the laminating assembly 16 can be stopped or temporarily suspended while the cutting assembly 26 is cutting the continuous thermal insulation strip 24.

[0070] like Figure 15 As shown, the insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 may further include an outlet conveying assembly 76 located downstream of the cutting assembly 26. This outlet conveying assembly 76 is aligned with the feed path 21 of the laminating assembly 16 for conveying the insulation pads 12a and 12b cut by the cutting assembly 26 in a downstream direction 18. The outlet conveying assembly 76 includes an outlet conveyor belt 78 configured to convey the insulation pads 12a and 12b in a downstream direction. For example, the width of the outlet conveyor belt 78 is adjustable to accommodate insulation pads 12a and 12b of different widths. The outlet conveying assembly 76 may also include a cutting guard 80 configured to protect the cutting assembly 26. The outlet conveyor belt 78 and the cutting guard 80 may be mounted on the frame 15c of the outlet conveying assembly 76.

[0071] The outlet conveying assembly 76 may also include an indentation assembly (not shown) for indenting the insulation pads 12a, 12b at predetermined positions in the downstream direction 18 to facilitate bending or folding when the insulation pads 12a, 12b are loaded into boxes or other containers.

[0072] Therefore, the insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 enables operators to create insulation pads 12a and 12b that possess cushioning, encapsulation, and insulation properties, and can be customized for any specific application to achieve optimal performance. That is, operators can select any number and combination of expandable sheet materials 20, insulating sheets 23, and / or filler filaments 25 in extended states as needed for lamination between the two outer sheets 22a and 22b. This flexibility allows the final insulation pads 12a and 12b to be customized in terms of thickness, insulation performance, and cost.

[0073] The method for manufacturing thermal insulation pads, such as the thermal insulation pads 12a and 12b described above, can be performed using the thermal insulation pad manufacturing apparatus 10 described above. That is, the method includes the step of selectively feeding at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an expanded state downstream from at least one of two or more expandable sheet material supply sources. For example, the two or more expandable sheet material supply sources may be corresponding expandable sheet material rolls 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d respectively supported on the two or more expandable sheet material feeding supports 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d as described above. The step of selectively feeding at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an expanded state may include using, for example, at least one of the at least two expanders 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d described above to expand at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an unexpanded state to an expanded state. The method also includes the step of feeding two layers of outer sheet material downstream from two outer sheet material supply sources. For example, the two outer sheet supply sources can be outer sheet rolls 38a and 38b respectively supported on two outer sheet feed supports 36a and 36b as described above.

[0074] In one embodiment, the method includes selectively feeding at least two layers of expandable sheet material in an expanded state from two or more expandable sheet material supply sources in a downstream direction; the method further includes selectively feeding at least one layer of insulating sheet material from one or more insulating sheet material supply sources in a downstream direction. The one or more insulating sheet material supply sources may be insulating sheet material rolls 42a, 42b, 42c respectively supported on one or more insulating sheet material feeding supports 40a, 40b, 40c as described above. The method may also include selectively feeding at least one layer of filler material from at least one filler material supply source in a downstream direction. For example, the at least one filler material supply source may be filler material rolls 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e, 31f supported on at least one filler material feeding support 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d, 29e, 29f as described above.

[0075] The method may further include: laminating at least one layer of expandable slab material in an extended state (and at least one layer of insulating sheet used alone and / or in combination with at least one layer of filler floc) between two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip, as described above as continuous insulating pad strip 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the method includes selectively feeding at least two layers of expandable slab material in an extended state and at least one layer of insulating sheet in a downstream direction; the method further includes laminating at least one layer of insulating sheet between the at least two layers of expandable slab material in an extended state. In embodiments where the method further includes selectively feeding at least one layer of filler floc, the method further includes laminating the at least one layer of filler floc and at least one layer of expandable slab material in an extended state between two outer sheets.

[0076] The step of laminating at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an expanded state (and at least one layer of insulating sheet and / or at least one layer of filler, if any) between two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip may include depositing adhesive at opposite side edges of the upper surface of the bottom outer sheet of the two outer sheets. This step may be accomplished, for example, using the adhesive application assembly 44 of the lamination assembly 16 described above. Furthermore, the step of laminating at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an expanded state (and at least one layer of insulating sheet and / or at least one layer of filler, if any) between two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip may also include pressing the opposite sides of the two outer sheets together to seal at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an expanded state (and at least one layer of insulating sheet and / or at least one layer of filler, if any) between them. This step may be accomplished using the pressure roller assembly 50 of the lamination assembly 16 as described above. Finally, the step of laminating at least one layer of expandable slit sheet in an expanded state (and at least one layer of insulating sheet and / or at least one layer of filler, if any) between the two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip may also include conveying the continuous insulating pad strip downstream to the cutting assembly. This can be achieved by the conveying device 58 as described above.

[0077] The method further includes cutting the continuous insulating strips in a direction perpendicular to the downstream direction to form insulating padding. For example, this cutting step can be performed using the cutting assembly 26 described above. The method may then further include, after the cutting step, conveying the insulating padding downstream using the outlet conveying assembly 76 described above. The method may also include, for example, indenting the insulating padding using an indentation assembly 82 described above, to facilitate bending or folding the insulating padding when it is packed into boxes or other containers.

[0078] All features disclosed in this invention, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, as well as all steps in any disclosed method or process, may be combined arbitrarily, except that at least some of these features and / or steps are mutually exclusive combinations. Unless otherwise expressly stated, all features disclosed in this invention, including the claims, abstract, and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features that achieve the same, equivalent, or similar effect.

[0079] While the invention as defined by the claims has been shown and described in conjunction with specific embodiments, equivalent variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the accompanying drawings. In particular, regarding the various functions performed by the aforementioned elements (components, assemblies, devices, assemblies, etc.), unless otherwise stated, the terminology used to describe such elements (including references to "device") is intended to cover any element performing a particular function of the described element (i.e., a functionally equivalent element), even if its structure is not the same as the structure performing that function in the exemplary embodiments shown herein. Furthermore, while a particular feature of the invention may be described only in conjunction with one or more exemplary embodiments, that feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments to meet the needs and advantages of any given application scenario.

Claims

1. An apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation padding, comprising: The feed assembly includes two or more expandable slitting material feed supports, and each expandable slitting material feed support is configured to support a corresponding expandable slitting material roll. as well as A laminating assembly located downstream of the feed assembly includes two outer sheet feed supports, each of which is configured to support a corresponding outer sheet roll. The laminating component is configured as follows: At least one layer of expandable sheet material in an expanded state is selectively fed downstream from a corresponding expandable sheet material roll supported by at least one of the two or more expandable sheet material feed supports. Two layers of outer sheet are fed from the respective outer sheet roll supported by each of the two outer sheet feed supports in the downstream direction; as well as The at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an extended state is laminated between the two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating strip for forming the insulating pad material.

2. The insulation batt producing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by: It also includes one or more insulated sheet feed supports, each insulated sheet feed support being configured to support a corresponding insulated sheet roll; Wherein: the lamination assembly is configured to selectively feed at least two layers of expandable sheet material in an expanded state from at least two of the respective expandable sheet material rolls supported by at least two of the two or more expandable sheet material feed supports in a downstream direction. At least one layer of insulating sheet is selectively fed from a respective insulating sheet roll supported by one or more insulating sheet feed supports along the downstream direction; and The at least one layer of insulating sheet is laminated between every two layers of expandable sheet material.

3. The heat insulation pad manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: It also includes a cutting assembly located downstream of the laminating assembly, the cutting assembly being configured to cut the continuous insulating pad strips to form the insulating pad.

4. The apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The feed assembly further includes at least two extenders, each extender being positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of the at least two expandable slice feed supports, and each extender being configured to pull the expandable slice in the corresponding expandable slice roll in a downstream direction and unfold the expandable slice from an unexpanded state to an expanded state.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The lamination assembly also includes an adhesive application assembly configured to deposit an adhesive onto the upper surface of the bottom outer sheet of the two outer sheets.

6. The apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The lamination assembly also includes a pressure roller assembly configured to press the side edges of the two outer sheets together to seal the at least one expandable slicing sheet therein.

7. The heat insulation pad manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pressure roller assembly includes a pair of pressure rollers, each having a pair of pressing rings for pressing the side edges of the two outer sheets together to seal the at least one expandable slicing sheet therein.

8. The apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: The lamination assembly also includes a conveying assembly configured to convey the continuous insulating pad strip along the downstream direction.

9. The heat insulation pad manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: The conveying device includes a top conveyor belt with a top drive belt and a bottom conveyor belt with a bottom drive belt, the top drive belt and the bottom drive belt being configured to convey the continuous insulating pad strip therebetween along the downstream direction.

10. The apparatus for manufacturing thermal insulation pads according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that: It also includes an outlet conveying assembly located downstream of the laminating assembly for conveying the insulating padding material.

11. The heat insulation pad manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that: The outlet conveying assembly includes an indentation assembly for indenting the insulation padding.

12. A method for manufacturing thermal insulation padding material, comprising the steps of: At least one layer of scalable slicing material in an extended state is selectively fed downstream from at least one of two or more scalable slicing material supply sources. Two layers of outer sheet are fed from two outer sheet supply sources in the downstream direction; The at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an extended state is laminated between the two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip; as well as The continuous insulating pad strips are cut in a direction perpendicular to the downstream direction to form the insulating pad.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that: The step of selectively feeding at least one layer of expandable sheet material in an expanded state includes selectively feeding at least two layers of expandable sheet material in an expanded state from at least two of the two or more expandable sheet material supply sources in the downstream direction; the method further includes selectively feeding at least one layer of separator sheet material from at least one separator sheet supply source in the downstream direction.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that: The method further includes laminating the at least one layer of insulating sheet between every two layers of the at least two layers of expandable slicing sheet in an expanded state.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12-14, characterized in that: The step of selectively feeding at least one layer of scalable slicing material in an extended state includes: extending the at least one layer of scalable slicing material from an unextended state to an extended state.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12-15, characterized in that: The step of laminating at least one layer of expandable slab sheet in an expanded state between the two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip includes depositing an adhesive at opposite side edges of the upper surface of the bottom outer sheet of the two outer sheets.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that: The step of laminating at least one layer of expandable slab material in an extended state between the two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating strip includes: pressing the opposite side edges of the two outer sheets together to seal the at least one layer of expandable slab material in an extended state therebetween.

18. The method according to any one of claims 12-17, characterized in that: The step of laminating at least one layer of expandable slicing material in an extended state between the two outer sheets to form a continuous insulating pad strip includes: conveying the continuous insulating pad strip toward the cutting assembly in the downstream direction.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12-18, characterized in that: It also includes conveying the insulation pad material downstream.

20. The method according to any one of claims 12-19, characterized in that: It also includes indenting the insulating pad material.

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