Envelope made from stretchable paper

Abstract

The envelope includes one or more walls defining an envelope pocket configured to hold an article. The envelope may also include a seal configured to keep the envelope pocket sealed after an article has been placed inside. At least one of the walls may be formed from stretchable paper that can be stretched without tearing within limits.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to packaging for holding articles, for example during transportation. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to packaging materials such as envelopes that include one or more walls formed from stretchable paper.

[0002] [Cross - Reference to Related Applications] This application claims the priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 504,986, filed on May 30, 2023. The content of the same application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Background Art

[0003] Plastic bags, i.e., bags made of plastics such as polyethylene and polystyrene, are in part widely used for mailing medium - sized and small - sized articles due to their ability to withstand tearing and other damages that may occur during transportation and to conform to the shape of the articles packaged therein. Compared to plastic bags, the use of shipping envelopes made of paper has been gaining popularity due to the recyclability of paper. However, paper envelopes cannot withstand the rough handling that routinely occurs during transportation and are likely to tear or break easily when three - dimensional, i.e., non - flat, articles are packaged therein.

Disclosure of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] In one aspect of the disclosed technology, an envelope for holding an article includes an envelope body having a first flexible wall and a second flexible wall that overlays the first flexible wall and is fixed to the first flexible wall around at least a portion of a pocket boundary. The pocket boundary defines a pocket that is configured and dimensioned to contain an article and is surrounded between the first and second flexible walls. At least one of the first and second flexible walls defines a pocket opening that allows access to the pocket from outside the envelope for loading the article into the pocket. At least one of the first and second flexible walls includes stretchable paper.

[0005] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the stretchable paper is configured to stretch at least about 3 percent in a first direction of the stretchable paper.

[0006] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the stretchable paper is further configured to stretch about 3 percent to about 15 percent in a first direction of the stretchable paper.

[0007] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the stretchable paper is further configured to stretch about 6 percent to about 9 percent in a first direction of the stretchable paper.

[0008] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the first direction of the stretchable paper is the mechanical direction of the paper.

[0009] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the machine direction of the stretchable paper is substantially aligned with the longitudinal direction of the envelope.

[0010] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the machine direction of the stretchable paper is substantially aligned with the transverse direction of the envelope.

[0011] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the machine direction of the stretchable paper is offset at an angle of about 45 degrees from the longitudinal direction of the envelope.

[0012] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the first direction is the machine transverse direction of the stretchable paper.

[0013] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the stretchable paper has a first tensile energy absorption in a first direction of the stretchable paper and a second tensile energy absorption in a second direction of the stretchable paper. The second tensile energy absorption is smaller than the first tensile energy absorption, and the second direction of the stretchable paper is offset at an angle of about 90 degrees from the first direction of the stretchable paper.

[0014] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the envelope has a first dimension in a first direction and a second dimension in a second direction, the second dimension being smaller than the first dimension. The stretchable paper is oriented such that the first direction of the stretchable paper is substantially aligned with the second direction of the envelope.

[0015] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, at least one of the first and second flexible walls comprises a first layer and a second layer, and at least one of the first and second layers comprises stretchable paper.

[0016] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the first and second layers each include stretchable paper.

[0017] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the first and second layers are oriented such that the machine direction of the stretchable paper of the first layer is offset at an angle of about 90 degrees from the machine direction of the stretchable paper of the second layer.

[0018] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the first and second layers are oriented such that the machine direction of the stretchable paper of the first layer is substantially aligned with the machine direction of the stretchable paper of the second layer.

[0019] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the stretchable paper has a first stretchability in a first direction and a second stretchability in a second direction, wherein the second stretchability is less than the first stretchability, the second direction of the stretchable paper is offset at an angle of about 90 degrees from the first direction of the stretchable paper, the pocket opening extends between the first and second sides of the first and second walls, respectively, in the first direction of the envelope, and the stretchable paper is oriented such that the first direction of the stretchable paper is substantially aligned with the first direction of the envelope.

[0020] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the envelope further includes a sealing member positioned on a first flexible wall and configured to fix the first flexible wall to a second flexible wall to form a sealing seal that seals the pocket opening.

[0021] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, the pocket opening is defined between a first and a second flexible wall, and the sealing seal member is configured to seal the pocket opening by fixing the second flexible wall to the first flexible wall.

[0022] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, the envelope further includes a sealing flap configured to pivot between a first position adjacent to the first wall and a second position where the sealing flap covers the pocket opening, and a sealing seal member disposed on one of the first flexible wall and the sealing flap and configured to form a sealing seal that fixes the sealing flap to the first flexible wall at the second position of the sealing flap.

[0023] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, the envelope further includes at least one of a cushioning material, a padding material, and a heat insulating material disposed between the first layer and the second layer.

[0024] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, the envelope further includes at least one expandable material disposed between the first layer and the second layer.

[0025] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, the first and second flexible walls are fixed to each other around a first portion of the pocket boundary and are not fixed to each other at the pocket opening.

[0026] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, the first and second flexible walls are not fixed to each other on the open side of the pocket, and the pocket opening is defined by the open side of the pocket.

[0027] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, the pocket opening is disposed along the pocket boundary.

[0028] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, the supply web includes a plurality of envelopes connected in series.

[0029] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, a method of manufacturing an envelope for containing an article includes providing an envelope body having first and second flexible walls, at least one of the first and second flexible walls including extensible paper. The method also includes securing the second flexible wall to the first flexible wall around at least a portion of a pocket boundary that defines a pocket configured and sized to receive an article and enclosed between the first and second flexible walls. At least one of the first and second flexible walls defines a pocket opening that enables access to the pocket from outside the envelope for loading the article into the pocket.

[0030] The method also includes disposing a sealing seal member on the envelope body to seal the pocket opening.

[0031] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, a method of packaging an article includes providing an envelope having an envelope body that includes a first flexible wall and a second flexible wall that overlays the first flexible wall and is secured to the first flexible wall around a containment boundary that encloses a plurality of sides of an envelope pocket defined by the first and second flexible walls. At least one of the first and second walls includes extensible paper, and a sealing seal member is disposed on the envelope body and positioned to seal a pocket opening.

[0032] The method further includes placing the article in the envelope pocket and sealing the pocket opening using the sealing seal member.

[0033] In another aspect of the disclosed technology, a bagging system includes an envelope and a bagging machine configured to receive the envelope. The bagging machine includes a press configured to urge a first flexible wall and a sealing seal member toward a second flexible wall, and a heat sealer configured to apply heat to the sealing seal member.

[0034] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the bagging system further includes an opening device configured to open a pocket opening so that articles can be inserted into the pockets.

[0035] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the bagging system further includes a supply web comprising a plurality of envelopes connected in series.

[0036] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, a bagging machine is configured to package articles into envelopes formed from a webstock, the webstock comprising at least one layer of stretchable paper and a closure seal element positioned on a first portion of the outer surface of the at least one layer. The bagging machine includes a guide configured to fold the webstock along a longitudinally extending fold, thereby forming a folded configuration, such that the closure seal element faces a second portion of the outer surface of the at least one layer and the second portion of the outer surface of the at least one layer adheres to the first portion of the outer surface of the at least one layer.

[0037] The bagging machine also includes a cutting and sealing unit configured to press the sealing member against a second portion of at least one outer layer while heating the sealing member.

[0038] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the bagging machine further includes a pulling device configured to grip the lower end of the web stock and pull the web stock to advance the web stock through the bagging machine.

[0039] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the pulling device includes two opposing arms configured to reciprocate between an inner position and an outer position to grip and release a web stock, and to translate between an upper position and a lower position to advance the web stock through a bagging machine.

[0040] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the bagging machine further includes fingers configured to spread the side edges of the web stock so that articles can be placed inside the C-shaped folded web stock after the web stock has been folded.

[0041] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the cutting and sealing unit includes two opposing arms that reciprocate between an inner position and an outer position, and two L-shaped sealing cutters attached to each of the arms.

[0042] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the sealer cutter is L-shaped and configured to form a longitudinally extending seal and a transversely extending seal from a sealing member.

[0043] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the cutting and sealing unit includes a rotary longitudinal sealer and a horizontal bar.

[0044] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the cutting and sealing unit includes a horizontal sealer configured to roll or slide across the web stock.

[0045] In another embodiment of the disclosed technology, the cutting and sealing unit is further configured to separate the envelope from the web stock. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0046] The following drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, where similar reference numerals indicate similar elements.

[0047] [Figure 1] A perspective view of an envelope having walls formed from stretchable paper. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the envelope shown in Figure 1, in its sealed state. [Figure 3]Figure 1 is a front view of the envelope, with the front wall removed for illustrative purposes. [Figure 4] This figure shows the formation of a continuous web stock of envelopes as shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bagging machine configured for use with the envelopes shown. [Figure 6] This is a top perspective view of another embodiment of the envelope. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a portion of the web stock of an envelope. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the envelope. [Figure 9] A web stock perspective view of another embodiment of an envelope. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view passing through the plane "XX" in Figure 9. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view passing through the plane "XI-XI" in Figure 9. [Figure 12] A web stock perspective view of another embodiment of an envelope. [Figure 13] This is a plan view of one of the envelopes shown in Figure 12. [Figure 14] This figure shows the web of a wall in an unfolded state, which is used to form the web stock shown in Figure 12. [Figure 15] This is a web stock image of another embodiment of an envelope including a flap closure. [Figure 16] This is a perspective view of another embodiment of an envelope having gusseted sidewalls. [Figure 17] This is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the envelope. [Figure 18] A perspective view of a bagging machine configured to manufacture another embodiment of an envelope. [Figure 19] Figure 18 is a perspective view of the web stock for use with the bag-making machine shown. [Figure 20] A perspective view of a web stock of a horizontally insertable envelope made from stretchable paper. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0048] The concept of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, similar reference numerals represent similar parts and assemblies throughout several drawings. Several aspects of the concept of the invention will be described below with reference to illustrative examples. It should be understood that a number of specific details, relationships, and methods are described in order to provide a complete understanding of the concept of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the concept of the invention may be implemented without one or more specific details or by other means. In other examples, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the concept of the invention.

[0049] The concept of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, similar reference numerals represent similar parts and assemblies throughout several drawings. Several aspects of the concept of the invention are described below with reference to illustrative examples of application for illustrative purposes. It should be understood that a number of specific details, relationships, and methods are described in order to provide a complete understanding of the concept of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the concept of the invention may be implemented without one or more specific details or by other means. In other examples, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail in order to avoid obscuring the concept of the invention.

[0050] Packaging containers may include parcel packaging materials and other containers for packaging articles. Packaging containers are typically configured to enclose articles so as to contain and hold them during transport or storage. Parcel packaging materials are configured for transporting and / or storing products, such as for storage in warehouses or retail shelves and display shelves. Examples of parcel packaging materials include flexible transport containers such as envelopes, which can have varying degrees of flexibility and are typically used to transport or mail small or relatively flat articles, or even smaller articles that the walls of the envelope can fit around. Flexible transport containers such as envelopes may or may not be padded, may be made of materials such as paper or flexible cardboard, may or may not have side walls or gussets, and may include larger envelopes such as mailers. Examples of parcel packaging materials include bags such as paper bags and poly bags that can have a self-sealing function and are typically used to transport small to medium-sized articles; boxes that can be formed from cardboard, corrugated cardboard, wood, or plastic and are typically rigid or semi-rigid in structure suitable for holding medium to large-sized articles and heavier articles; and transport tubes or tube mailers, which are typically used to transport documents and paper articles.

[0051] This specification discloses envelopes and other types of parcel packaging materials formed from stretchable paper. Stretchable paper is configured to stretch or elongate by a certain percentage of its original (unstretched) length without tearing. The stretchability of stretchable paper can provide the stretchable paper with a tensile energy absorption (TEA) value that is superior to that of non-stretchable paper of the same or similar basis weight.

[0052] The stretchability of the stretchable paper in the machine direction, i.e., the degree of elongation, may be, for example, about 3 percent or more. In some applications, the stretchability in the machine direction may be, for example, about 5 percent. In other applications, the stretchability in the machine direction may be, for example, about 7 percent. In other applications, the stretchability in the machine direction may be, for example, about 10 percent. In other applications, the stretchability in the machine direction may be, for example, about 15 percent or more.

[0053] Furthermore, stretchable paper can typically be stretched in the machine-crossing direction, i.e., the transverse direction, without tearing. The stretchability of the paper in the machine-crossing direction may be, for example, about 3 percent or more. In some applications, the stretchability in the machine-crossing direction may be, for example, about 5 percent. In other applications, the stretchability in the machine-crossing direction may be, for example, about 7 percent. In other applications, the stretchability in the machine-crossing direction may be, for example, about 10 percent. In other applications, the stretchability in the machine-crossing direction may be, for example, about 15 percent or more.

[0054] In some applications, the extensibility in the machine direction may be approximately equal to the extensibility in the machine cross direction. In other applications, the extensibility in the machine direction may be greater than the extensibility in the machine cross direction. For example, in some applications, the extensibility in the machine direction may be about 10 percent greater than the extensibility in the machine cross direction. In other applications, the extensibility in the machine direction may be about 25 percent greater than the extensibility in the machine cross direction. In other applications, the extensibility in the machine direction may be about 50 percent greater than the extensibility in the machine cross direction. In other applications, the extensibility in the machine direction may be 1 to 4 times, or more, greater than the extensibility in the machine cross direction.

[0055] In other applications, the extensibility in the machine intersection direction may be greater than the extensibility in the machine direction. For example, in some applications, the extensibility in the machine intersection direction may be about 10 percent greater than the extensibility in the machine direction. In other applications, the extensibility in the machine intersection direction may be about 25 percent greater than the extensibility in the machine direction. In other applications, the extensibility in the machine intersection direction may be about 50 percent greater than the extensibility in the machine direction. In other applications, the extensibility in the machine intersection direction may be 1 to 4 times, or more, greater than the extensibility in the machine direction.

[0056] The above values ​​for relative extensibility in the machine direction and machine cross direction are provided for illustrative purposes only. The optimal or desired value for this parameter may vary depending on the application and factors such as the direction in which the paper is subjected to stress during use.

[0057] Stretchable paper is manufactured by processing the paper web using various processes. Some of these processes rely on creping the paper by one of several known methods. Creping processes generally rely on compressing or bundling the paper web during or after manufacturing so as the paper moves through the machine, causing the pulp fibers within the paper to slow down or rearrange. Other creping methods rely on the elastic properties of rubber or similar materials to give the paper a creping effect in one or both directions. These methods typically use elastic bands or blankets in combination with a hard surface to compress the paper against the hard surface over a considerable area.

[0058] For example, stretchable paper can also be manufactured by passing a preformed paper web having a moisture content of about 35 to 45 percent between two rollers rotating at different speeds. One of the rollers may be made of rubber or a similar material and rotate at a lower speed, while the upper roller may be made of steel or a similar material and have continuous helical grooves on its outer surface. The different materials and different speeds of the two rollers result in longitudinal accumulation of the preformed paper web, which provides longitudinal stretchability that can approach, for example, about 15 to 20 percent of that of fully formed paper. At the same time, the helical grooves cause lateral accumulation of the preformed paper material, which can provide lateral stretchability that can approach, for example, about 10 to 15 percent of that of fully formed paper. The helical grooves can also contribute to the longitudinal progression of the preformed paper web.

[0059] Stretchable paper can be manufactured, for example, according to the apparatus and process disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,624,245. The paper is compressed and compacted in a partially wet state between an elastic shrink surface with relatively high friction and a pressurized nip with relatively low friction in the direction of the web's movement, thereby compressing and pressing the fibers together, resulting in inherent stretchability without creping.

[0060] As disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,024,832, a method for producing stretchable paper comprises the steps of: feeding a mixture of plant fibers into a kneading member; mixing the mixture with water in a kneader; beating the fibers to obtain pulp; transferring the beaten pulp to a flow chest; feeding the beaten pulp from the flow chest onto a paper web forming cloth while reducing the moisture content by gravity and vacuum; pressurizing the web to further reduce its moisture content; initial drying the paper web to a substantially constant moisture content between 15 percent and 65 percent; compacting the paper web to a final drying to a moisture content between 15 percent and 4 percent, preferably between 10 percent and 8 percent; and polishing. The beating step is carried out by kneading the fibers in a multi-stage unit to obtain pulp having a beating degree of at least 30°SR. The compaction step is carried out between at least one pair of rollers. One of the rollers is formed from a rigid material with circumferential ribs and is driven at a relatively high speed. The other roller is made of a soft material with a smooth surface and is driven at a relatively low speed.

[0061] As disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,104,197, the difference in the speed at which the rigid material rolls and the rubber or similar material rolls are driven can be important in the production of stretchable paper by creping. When a suitable combination of rigid and soft surfaces is provided, the semi-dry paper web passing through the roll nip is carried by the shrinking rubber toward the nip in the opposite direction of the web's movement toward the surface of the rigid roll. This forms a uniformly compressed crepe within the paper web, which provides toughness, flexibility, and stretchability.

[0062] As disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0355985, to compress a paper web, the paper web is inserted between a nip bar and an endless rubber blanket, while the pre-stretched blanket contracts to also contract the paper web, thereby increasing its elongation at break. This system allows for adjustment of the longitudinal elongation at break of kraft paper depending on the ratio of the manufacturing speed at the system's inlet side to the manufacturing speed at the system's outlet side, and depending on the pressure applied by the nip bar.

[0063] The above example of a manufacturing process for stretchable paper is presented for illustrative purposes only. Stretchable paper can be manufactured using other processes.

[0064] Figures 1 to 5 show envelopes 10 formed from stretchable paper. The envelopes 10 are configured to contain and hold articles 11 to be packaged while they are being mailed or transported, or while they need to be packed in a closed container, and are typically configured to enclose articles 11. Articles 11 are shown by dashed lines in Figure 2.

[0065] The envelope 10 comprises an envelope body including a wall 12 and an opposing wall 14. The walls 12 and 14 define an internal storage area or envelope pocket 15 for accommodating articles held within the envelope 10. The walls 12 and 14 can be formed from stretchable paper. The basis weight of the paper depends on the application and may vary depending on factors such as the load the envelope 10 experiences when articles 11 are loaded into it. An example of stretchable paper that can form one or both of the walls 12 and 14 is a single layer of 55-pound (basis weight) paper sold as "SPX® Extensible Kraft Paper" by Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Ltd. in Manitoba, Canada. This paper has an elongation, i.e., stretchability of approximately 6.8 percent in the machine direction and approximately 8.9 percent in the machine cross direction, a tensile strength of approximately 45.7 pounds / inch in the machine direction and approximately 33.1 pounds / inch in the machine cross direction, a tear strength of approximately 110 grams in the machine direction and approximately 120 grams in the machine cross direction, and a TEA of approximately 19.2 ft-pounds / square foot in the machine direction and approximately 20.9 ft-pounds / square foot in the machine cross direction. Alternatively, other types of paper may be used. For example, depending on the degree of strength required for walls 12, 14 for a particular application, each of walls 12, 14 may be formed from a single layer of 30 pounds to 90 pounds of "SPX® Extensible Kraft Paper". In other embodiments, other suitable weights may be used. In other embodiments, stretchable paper having an elongation in the range of approximately 3 percent to approximately 15 percent in the machine direction and / or machine cross direction may be used.

[0066] In an alternative embodiment of the envelope 10, one of the walls 12, 14 may be formed from stretchable paper, and the other wall 12, 14 may be formed from ordinary (non-stretchable) kraft paper, another type of non-stretchable paper, or another type of material such as polyethylene.

[0067] In applications where the stretchability and / or TEA of the stretchable paper is greater in the machine direction than in the machine cross direction of the paper, the paper can be oriented so that the machine direction of the paper coincides with the direction of the envelope 10 where greater stretch and / or TEA is required or desired for other reasons. For example, as described later, when the walls 12 and 14 are expanded to facilitate the insertion of the article 11 into the envelope pocket 15, the walls 12 and 14 can be configured so that the machine direction of the stretchable paper coincides with the transverse direction of the envelope 10, thereby promoting maximum stretching of the walls 12 and 14 near the envelope pocket 15. Conversely, in applications where the stretchability and / or TEA of the stretchable paper is greater in the machine cross direction than in the machine direction of the paper, the paper can be oriented so that the machine cross direction of the paper coincides with the direction of the envelope 10 where greater stretch and / or TEA is required or desired for other reasons.

[0068] Furthermore, the stretchable paper can be oriented so that its machine direction and machine cross direction do not coincide with either the longitudinal or transverse direction of the envelope 10. For example, the stretchable paper can be oriented so that its machine direction and machine cross direction are oblique to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the envelope 10, that is, so that its machine direction and machine cross direction are offset by approximately 45 degrees from the longitudinal and transverse directions of the envelope 10.

[0069] The envelope 10 also includes two wall seals 16 and 18. The wall seals 16 and 18 are formed from bonding elements in the form of adhesive material 34 shown in Figure 4. The adhesive material 34 may be, for example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive. In alternative embodiments, other types of bonding elements and other types of adhesives, such as heat-seal adhesives or hot-melt adhesives, may be used instead of the pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0070] The wall seals 16 and 18 secure the walls 12 and 14 to each other and define a portion of the pocket boundary of the envelope pocket 15. As seen in Figures 1 and 3, each wall seal 16 is positioned along each side edge 20 of the envelope 10 and extends continuously in the longitudinal direction of the envelope 10 along the entire length of the side edge 20. The longitudinal direction is indicated by the arrow "L" in Figure 1. In an alternative embodiment, the wall seals 16 may be offset from the side edge 20 of the envelope 10. Also in an alternative embodiment, the wall seals 16 may extend over less than the entire length of the side edge 20 and / or may be discontinuous.

[0071] The wall seal 18 extends continuously along the bottom edge 22 of the envelope 10 in a transverse direction, that is, substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and intersects with the wall seal 16. The transverse direction is indicated by the arrow "T" in Figure 1. In an alternative embodiment, the wall seal 18 may be offset from the bottom edge 22 of the envelope 10. Also in an alternative embodiment, the wall seal 18 may extend over a distance less than the distance between the wall seals 16, and / or may be discontinuous.

[0072] In an alternative embodiment, the wall seal 18 can be formed by applying adhesive material 34 along the bottom of the inner surface of wall 12 and folding the bottom of wall 12 over the outer surface of wall 14 to form a fold line that reinforces the bottom of the envelope 10.

[0073] In alternative embodiments, the wall seals 16 and 18 may extend in directions other than the longitudinal and transverse directions. Also, in alternative embodiments, the wall seals 16 and 18 may extend non-linearly.

[0074] Each of the wall seals 16 and 18 has a width, for example, about 0.1 inches to about 0.5 inches. In an alternative embodiment, the wall seals 16 and 18 may have widths greater than or less than this range.

[0075] Directional terms such as "up," "down," "upper part," and "lower part" are used in relation to the orientation of the components shown in Figure 1. These terms are used for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the attached claims.

[0076] An alternative embodiment of the envelope 10 may include a gusset adjacent to the lower ends of the walls 12, 14 and extending laterally across the width of the envelope 10. Another alternative embodiment of the envelope 10 may include a gusset adjacent to the side edges of the walls 12, 14 and extending longitudinally along the length of the envelope 10.

[0077] After being fixed to each other as described above, the walls 12 and 14 can be spread apart to define an opening 26 to the envelope pocket 15. As seen in Figure 1, the opening 26 is located at the top of the envelope 10 and allows the article 11 to be inserted into the envelope pocket 15. More specifically, wall 14 overlaps wall 12 and is fixed to wall 12 around at least a portion of the pocket boundary defined by inter-wall seals 16 and 18, which surround the envelope pocket 15 defined between walls 12 and 14, and at least one of walls 12 and 14 defines an opening 26 that allows access to the envelope pocket 15 from outside the envelope 15 in order to load an article into the envelope pocket 15.

[0078] The sealing member 24 is positioned near the upper edge 27 of wall 12 on the inward-facing surface of wall 12, i.e., on the surface of wall 12 facing wall 14. The sealing member 24 may be, for example, a strip of heat-seal adhesive. After the article 11 is inserted into the envelope pocket 15, the sealing member 24 is brought into contact with wall 14 and heated, forming a sealing seal that fixes walls 12 and 14 together. This sealing seal maintains the opening 26 in a sealed state, thereby holding the packaged article 11 inside the envelope 10. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 24 may be positioned on the inward-facing surface of wall 14.

[0079] In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 24 can be formed from a material other than the heat-seal adhesive. For example, instead of the strip-shaped heat-seal adhesive, a hot-melt adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive that is initially covered by a release strip can be used as the sealing member 24. Also in an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 24 can be placed on the inward-facing surface of the wall 14 instead of the wall 12.

[0080] The use of stretchable paper to form the walls 12 and 14 allows the walls 12 and 14 to expand or stretch substantially without tearing, thereby promoting the expansion of the envelope 10, allowing the envelope 10 to accommodate articles 11 that would otherwise be impossible. Thus, when the envelope 10 is configured to accommodate articles 11 of a particular size, the dimensions of the envelope 10 can be smaller than those of an envelope made from non-stretchable paper and configured to accommodate articles 11 of the same size. As a result, less paper may be required to manufacture the envelope 10 compared to an envelope of equivalent capacity made from non-stretchable paper. Furthermore, because the TEA of stretchable paper is higher than that of non-stretchable paper of equivalent basis weight, the envelope 10 can be more resistant to tearing and other damage during transport and handling, thereby facilitating the use of paper with a lower basis weight than would otherwise be feasible. Furthermore, since the walls 12 and 14 can be stretched without tearing, the need to provide gussets to allow the envelope 10 to expand to accommodate relatively large items 11 can be eliminated.

[0081] In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the envelope 10 may be formed with a sealing flap adjacent to the upper edge 27 of the wall 12. A scoreline may be positioned at the boundary between the sealing flap and the wall 12. The scoreline may allow the lower portion of the paper to act as a living hinge, enabling the sealing flap to rotate between an open position and a closed position. When in the open position, the sealing flap aligns with the wall 12 and extends away from the wall 12, so the sealing flap does not seal the envelope pocket 15. When in the closed position, the sealing flap lies on the outward-facing surface of the wall 14, so the sealing flap seals the envelope pocket 15, thereby holding the article 11 inside the envelope pocket 15. The sealing member 24 may be positioned on the surface of the sealing flap, which will be positioned on the outward-facing surface of the wall 14 when the sealing flap rotates to its closed position. Alternatively, the sealing member 24 may be positioned on the wall 14 and may be in contact with the sealing flap when the sealing flap rotates to its closed position. In this particular embodiment, the sealing member 24 can be formed from, for example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive that is initially covered by a release strip. In other alternative embodiments incorporating a sealing flap, the sealing member 24 can be formed from a hot-melt adhesive, a heat-seal adhesive, or another type of adhesive.

[0082] The envelope 10 can be formed as part of a continuous web stock 16. Figure 4 shows the manufacturing of the web stock 30 using an automated apparatus. More specifically, Figure 4 shows two stretchable paper strips 32a, 32b that form the walls 12, 14 of each envelope 10 when joined in the following manner.

[0083] The adhesive material 34 is applied onto the paper strip 32a at positions corresponding to the desired locations of the wall seals 16, 18. More specifically, the adhesive material 34 is applied continuously along the side edges of the paper strip 32a. Additional adhesive material 34 is applied in strips extending laterally, spaced apart from each other along the length of the paper strip 32a, at positions corresponding to the locations of the wall seals 18 of the envelope 10 in the web stock 30. The adhesive material 34 can be applied directly to the exposed surfaces of the paper strips 32a, 32b by a suitable known method. Alternatively, the adhesive material 34 can be applied as a tape, such as double-sided tape, or by other suitable methods. In other alternative embodiments, the adhesive material 34 may be applied to the paper 32a, 32b by flood coating and subsequently activated, for example, by applying heat and / or pressure at specific locations on the paper strips 32a, 32b where the wall seals 16, 18 are to be formed.

[0084] Furthermore, the heat-seal adhesive on which the sealing member 24 is formed is deposited on the paper strip 32a. The heat-seal adhesive is deposited in a strip that extends laterally along the length of the paper strip 32a, spaced apart from each other, at positions corresponding to the location of the sealing member 24 on the envelope 10 within the web stock 30. Like the laterally extending strips of adhesive material 34, the heat-seal adhesive is deposited at a constant distance as shown by d2 in Figure 3, so that sealing members 24 with consistent spacing can be produced.

[0085] After the adhesive material 34 and sealing member 24 are applied to the paper strip 32a, the paper strip 32b is positioned above the paper strip 32a and aligned with it. Then, the roller 36 of the automated device presses the paper strips 32a and 32b against each other, thereby causing the adhesive material 34 on the paper strip 32a to contact the paper strip 32b, forming interwall seals 16 and 18 and fixing the paper strips 32a and 32b together, resulting in a continuous web stock 30 of the packaging container 10 shown in Figure 4. In an alternative embodiment, the adhesive material 34 may be applied to corresponding positions on both the paper strips 32a and 32b before the paper strips 32a and 32b are joined to form the web stock 30. Once the web stock 30 is formed, the upper edge 27 of each envelope 10 is adjacent to the bottom edge 22 and interwall seal 18 of the adjacent envelope 10.

[0086] In each envelope 10 within the web stock 30, the opening 26 is formed by making a cut, such as a kiss cut, in the wall 14. Each kiss cut is formed at a position corresponding to the upper edge 27 of the associated envelope 10. The kiss cut extends continuously through the wall 14 but does not penetrate the lower wall 12, so that adjacent packaging containers 10 remain connected to each other within the web stock 30 via the wall 12. Also, since the kiss cut does not penetrate the inter-wall seal 16, adjacent packaging containers 10 remain connected to each other via the inter-wall seal 16 as well.

[0087] After the articles 11 to be packaged are inserted into the envelope pocket 15 and the opening 26 is sealed, a weakened area is formed in the wall 12 to facilitate the separation of individual envelopes 10 from the web stock 30. This weakened area can be provided by perforations 39 formed in the wall 12 at a position corresponding to the upper edge 27 of the relevant envelope 10. The perforations 39 can be seen in Figures 3 and 5. Figure 3 shows the wall 14 removed for illustrative purposes. As seen in Figure 3, the perforations 39 are located near the sealing member 24. Figure 3 shows the perforations 39 positioned slightly offset from the sealing member 24.

[0088] In alternative embodiments, the weakened area can be provided by features other than the perforations 39. For example, the weakened area can be provided by scoring the wall 12. In other alternative embodiments, the weakened area can be formed without providing a weakened area between adjacent packaging containers 10.

[0089] Envelopes 10 can be loaded, sealed, and separated from the web stock 16 by the bagging machine 200 shown in Figure 5. The bagging machine 200 is described for illustrative purposes only. Alternatively, envelopes 10 can be loaded, sealed, and separated from the web stock 30 manually or by other automated means.

[0090] Referring to Figure 5, the web stock 30 is fed into the bagging machine 200 in a non-expanded, high-density configuration. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the web stock 30 can be supplied in a fanfold supply configuration and held on a shelf 201 attached to the supply side of the bagging machine 200. The web stock 30 may also be supplied in other suitable configurations, such as rolls.

[0091] The bagging machine 100 includes an opening device in the form of a finger 202 configured to open the envelope 10 to provide access to the envelope pocket 15 so that the articles to be packaged can be loaded into the envelope 10. The finger 202 is configured to grasp and pinch the top of the wall 14. The finger 202 is mounted to the press in the form of an articulating jaw 203 that can move, for example, outward and inward, i.e., in the direction away from the web stock 16 and in the direction toward the web stock 16 as seen in Figure 5.

[0092] When the articulated jaw 203 is in the inward position, the fingers 202 first grasp and pinch the wall 14, thereby causing the outward movement of the articulated jaw 203 and the attached fingers 202 to pull the wall 14 away from the wall 12, forming an opening 26 at the top of the envelope 10. As seen in Figure 5, the outward movement of the wall 14 causes a portion of the perforations 39 to break to allow the resulting expansion of the envelope 10.

[0093] The bagging machine 200 may include a blower 214 configured to direct pressurized air towards the top of the envelope 10 along the path indicated by arrow 216 to help separate the walls 12, 14. (For clarity of illustration, the bagging machine 200 in Figure 5 is drawn without the cover on the air path 216.) Once the opening to the envelope pocket 12 is formed, the items to be packaged can be loaded into the envelope pocket 15 manually or by automated machinery, as indicated by arrow 220.

[0094] In alternative embodiments, the opening device may have a configuration other than the finger 202. For example, in an alternative embodiment, a multi-joint suction cup can be used as the opening device. In another alternative embodiment, the envelope 10 can be opened using pressurized air from the blower 214. In yet another alternative embodiment, the envelope 10 can be opened manually without using an opening device.

[0095] The bagging machine 200 further includes a heat sealer 206. After the articles are loaded into the envelope pockets 15, the articulated jaws 203 move the wall 14, which is still gripped and held by the fingers 202, inward toward the wall 12.

[0096] As the articulated jaws 203 and wall 14 move inward, the walls 12, 14 and the sealing member 24 are eventually sandwiched between the articulated jaws 203 and the heat sealer 206. The heat sealer 206 heats the sealing member 24 while pressing it against wall 12, thereby forming a seal where the heat-seal adhesive of the sealing member 24 seals the envelope pocket 15 and prevents the packaged article 11 from falling out of the envelope pocket 15. The sealed envelope 10 is shown in Figure 2, and the packaged article is represented by a dashed line and reference numeral 11.

[0097] The bagging machine 200 may include a pad 208 attached to the articulated jaws 203 and moving with the articulated jaws 203, or another mechanism for compressing or pressing the envelope 10 to help expel air from the envelope pocket 12 before the envelope pocket 15 is sealed, for example when the articulated jaws 203 move inward. In embodiments including internal ventilation, this step may be performed at a later point in the bagging process or may be omitted entirely. The bagging machine 200 may also include a label printer 210 configured to print labels and fix the labels to the envelope 10.

[0098] After the envelope 10 is loaded and sealed, the envelope 10 is separated from the web stock 30. Specifically, while the articulated jaws 203 and heat sealer 206 continue to grip the envelope 10, an upstream roller (not shown) pulls back the web stock 30 located upstream of the envelope 10, separating the envelope 10 from the web stock 30 along the weakened area formed by the perforations 39. In alternative embodiments, separation can be achieved by other means, such as a cutting mechanism or a device that applies concentrated heat along the separation line.

[0099] Once the envelope 10 loaded with the articles is separated from the web stock 30, the envelope 10 can be dropped onto a conveyor (not shown) or other means for transporting or holding the envelope 10.

[0100] Examples of adhesives suitable for use as adhesive material 34 include liquid adhesives and pressure-sensitive adhesives. Pressure-sensitive adhesives can be selected to adhere after a small initial external pressure is applied to create a bond. Examples of these include water-based acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives, similar to those applied to packaging tape. This material holds two surfaces together by surface contact only, often with a small initial external pressure. Other examples may include dry adhesives that adhere firmly to many different surfaces, usually without requiring activation by water, solvents, or heat. Specific examples of water-based acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives include those known as RHOPLEX® N-1031 emulsion, RHOPLEX® N-580 emulsion, and RHOPLEX® N-619 emulsion. Other emulsion polymer or acrylic polymer blend adhesives are also known, and other suitable types of adhesives and / or contact adhesives may also be used.

[0101] Adhesive materials include bonding materials that cause one surface to adhere to another surface by contact with an identical or complementary adhesive substance in order to form a bond between the two surfaces. The adhesive does not adhere to other substances sufficiently to bond with them, or in some cases, adheres very weakly compared to the bond that would be formed if they adhered to each other.

[0102] A heat seal is typically formed by sealing one thermoplastic resin to the same or similar thermoplastic resin. A heat seal adhesive is typically applied to two substrates to be fixed together. As the substrates are fixed, sufficient heat and pressure are applied to the heat seal adhesive on one or both substrates to weld the heat seal material to each other, thereby fixing the substrates together.

[0103] In an alternative embodiment, the walls 12, 14 can be formed integrally from a single webbing that is folded over itself so that wall 14 overlaps wall 12. A single wall seal 16 can be used to fasten the overlapping longitudinally extending edges of the webbing to each other. Similarly, a single wall seal 18 can be used to fasten the overlapping transversely extending edges of the webbing 14 to each other at the lower end of the envelope.

[0104] In other alternative embodiments, one or both of the walls 12, 14 may include one or more functional layers placed thereon. Examples of functional layers include, but are not limited to, a waterproof layer (configured to reduce the permeability of water through it), an airtight layer (configured to reduce the permeability of air through it), other suitable material layers, and / or combinations thereof.

[0105] In other alternative embodiments, one or both of the walls 12, 14 may have a multilayer structure. For example, each of the walls 12, 14 may be formed from two layers of relatively low basis weight paper, such as two layers of 30-45 lb paper. These two layers of 30-45 lb paper can be used instead of a single layer of 90 lb paper.

[0106] For example, Figures 6 and 7 show an alternative embodiment in the form of an envelope 170. The envelope 170 comprises an envelope body including two flexible walls 172 joined to define an internal containment area or envelope pocket 174 configured to receive and hold articles. Each wall 172 is formed from two layers or plies 176 of stretched paper. In an alternative embodiment, the plies 176 of one wall 172 may be formed from stretched paper, and the plies 176 of the other wall 172 may be formed from ordinary (non-stretchable) kraft paper, another type of non-stretchable paper, or another type of material such as polyethylene. The plies 176 of each wall 172 may be oriented such that the respective papermaking directions (machine directions) of the plies 176 align with each other within that particular wall. Alternatively, the plies 176 may be oriented such that the respective papermaking directions of the plies 176 are offset from each other by an angle of, for example, about 90 degrees, about 45 degrees, or other values. In other alternative embodiments, one of the plies 176 in one or both walls 172 may be formed from stretchable paper, while the other ply 176 may be formed from ordinary (non-stretchable) kraft paper, another type of non-stretchable paper, or another type of material such as polyethylene.

[0107] The plies 176 of each wall 172 are joined to one another by one or more interply seals. The interply seal includes a sealing material, such as an adhesive material, and is placed on at least one of the opposing surfaces of the plies 176. The interply seal may include one or more interply seals 178 located on or near the corresponding longitudinal edge of each ply 176. The interply seal may also include one or more interply seals 180 extending laterally between the interply seals 178 and / or the longitudinal edges of the plies 176.

[0108] The inter-ply seals 178 and 180 help to border and define the inter-ply region, or inter-ply space 186, between two plies 176 of each wall 172. The inter-ply space 186 can be seen in part in Figure 8.

[0109] The two plies 176 of each wall 172 face each other via a ply space 186, but are not bonded to each other within the ply space 186. The ply space 186 is also sufficiently open to allow the plies 172 to abut or contact each other and to slide relative to each other within the ply space 186. For example, the ply space 186 may be completely empty. That is, there may be no filler or other material present in the ply space 186 at all.

[0110] The walls 172 are joined to each other by a plurality of interwall seals. The interwall seals can be formed from joining elements such as adhesive material placed on one or both of the walls 172. The interwall seals may include an interwall seal 182 that extends substantially longitudinally and an interwall seal 184 that extends substantially transversely. The interwall seals 182, 184 border the envelope pocket 174 or storage area defined by the walls 172, and thus define the pocket boundary. As seen in Figure 8, the interlayer area or interply space 186 overlaps the envelope pocket 174.

[0111] In alternative embodiments, the wall seals 182 and 184 can extend in directions other than the longitudinal and transverse directions. Furthermore, in alternative embodiments, the wall seals 182 and 184 can extend non-linearly.

[0112] The wall 172 defines an opening 175 that allows the article to be packaged to be inserted into the envelope pocket 174. A sealing member 188, formed from a strip of heat-seal adhesive, is positioned on the inward-facing surface of one wall 172 in or near the opening 175. After the article to be packaged is inserted into the envelope pocket 174, the sealing member 188 is heated and brought into contact with the opposing wall 172, forming a sealing seal that fixes the walls 172 together. Thus, the sealing seal maintains the envelope pocket 174 in an airtight state, and as a result, the packaged article is held inside the envelope pocket 174.

[0113] In alternative embodiments, the sealing member 188 can be formed from a material other than a heat-seal adhesive. For example, instead of a strip of heat-seal adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive can be used as the sealing member 188.

[0114] Figures 6 and 7 show a sealing member 188 positioned directly adjacent to the top of the envelope 170. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 188 can be positioned offset from the top of the envelope 170.

[0115] After the opening 175 is sealed, the sealed envelope 170 can be separated from adjacent envelopes within the web stock 171 of the envelope 170. This separation can be performed along a separation line C that passes through the wall 172 and extends between the sealing member 188 and the inter-wall seal 184 of adjacent envelopes 170 within the web stock 171. The separation line and a portion of the web stock 171 are shown in Figure 7.

[0116] In alternative embodiments, cushioning material, padding material, and / or insulating material, or other types of expandable and non-expandable materials, can be placed in the interply space 186 of the envelope 170. For example, foam padding material can be placed in the interply space 186.

[0117] As another example, Figure 8 shows an envelope 170a that is substantially identical to envelope 170, except that the envelope 170a includes an expandable material 190 placed in the interply space 186 and bonded to the adjacent ply 176. The expandable material 190 is configured to take an expanded form when activated by an expansion initiator. The expansion initiator may be, for example, thermal, mechanical, and / or chemical, and / or may include other suitable initiation properties for activating the expandable material. The expandable material 190 in the expanded state as shown in Figure 8 can provide the envelope 170a with cushioning, thermal insulation, or other properties. As the expandable material expands, the walls 172 of the envelope 170a can stretch, so when the expandable material 190 is in an unexpanded state, the envelope 10 can have a relatively flat and compact external shape.

[0118] Figures 9 to 11 show alternative embodiments of the envelope 40. Figure 9 shows the web stock 42 of adjacent envelopes 40. Figures 10 and 11 show two different cross-sections of the web stock 42 of Figure 9. Figure 10 shows the envelope 40 of the web stock 42 in a cross-section along plane XX. Figure 11 shows portions of two envelopes 40 from the web stock 42 in a cross-section along plane XI-XI. The envelope 40 is similar to and can be formed in a similar manner to the envelope 170, except that each envelope 40 has a slit 44 that extends laterally across one wall 46 of the envelope 40 to provide access to an internal storage area in the form of an envelope pocket 47. More specifically, the envelope 40 includes two walls 46. Each wall 46 consists of two plies 48 of stretched paper. As seen in Figure 11, the slit 44 is formed in both plies 48 of the first wall 46. In an alternative embodiment, the ply 48 of one wall 46 may be formed from stretched paper, and the ply 48 of the other wall 46 may be formed from ordinary kraft paper, another type of non-stretched paper, or another type of material such as polyethylene.

[0119] The plies 48 of each wall 46 are joined by interply seals 50 located on or near the side of the wall 46 and shown in Figure 10, and by interply seals 52 located on the top and bottom of each wall 46 and shown in Figure 11. The interply seals 50 and 52 can be formed in a similar manner to the interply seals 18 and 20 of the envelope 10. In an alternative embodiment, one of the walls 46 may be formed from a single ply 48. As shown in Figure 11, the plies 48 of each wall 46 define an interlayer region in the form of an interply space 49 between them.

[0120] The walls 46 are joined to the sides of the envelope 40 by inter-wall seals 54 shown in Figure 10, and to the top and bottom of each wall 46 by inter-wall seals 56 shown in Figure 12. The inter-wall seals 54 and 56 can be formed in the same manner as the inter-wall seals 26 and 28 of the envelope 10.

[0121] The opposing wall 46 defines the envelope pocket 47. As seen in Figure 11, a slit 44 formed in the first wall 46 provides access to the envelope pocket 47. The slit 44 is located directly below the interply seal 54 of the wall 46, i.e., immediately to the left of the interply seal 54 as viewed from the viewpoint in Figure 11. In an alternative embodiment, the slit 44 may be offset longitudinally from the interply seal 54. The slit 44 extends continuously over substantially the entire width of the wall 46 but terminates before the interply seal 50 and the interwall seal 54. In an alternative embodiment, the slit 44 may be discontinuous and / or extend over less than substantially the entire length of the associated wall 46. In another alternative embodiment, the slit 44 may be formed in each wall 46.

[0122] The sealing member 58, which is in the form of a heat-seal adhesive, is positioned on the inward-facing surface of the inner layer 48 of the second wall portion 46, either above or near the wall portion 46. After the article to be packaged is placed in the envelope pocket 47, the sealing member 58 is heated to form a sealing seal and can be brought into contact with the inward-facing surface of the first wall portion 46 to form a sealing seal. This sealing seal adheres the wall portions 46 together, thereby maintaining the envelope pocket 47 in a sealed state and ensuring that the packaged article is held inside the envelope 40.

[0123] In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 58 can be formed from a material other than the heat-seal adhesive. For example, instead of a strip of heat-seal adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive can be used as the sealing member 58. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 58 can also be positioned on the inward-facing surface of the inner layer 48 of the first wall portion 46 (i.e., the wall portion 46 on which the slit 44 is formed).

[0124] As described above, the envelope pocket 47 can accommodate articles to be packaged in the envelope 40. Due to the flexibility of the paper walls 46 and the stretchability of the walls 46 due to the use of stretchable paper, the envelope 40 can be stored and transported in a substantially flat and compact configuration, with minimal or virtually zero volume for the envelope pocket 47. If a user wishes to load articles into the envelope 40, the user can expand the envelope pocket 47 by separating or pulling apart the walls 46 at or near the top of the envelope pocket 47 and inserting the articles to be packaged through the opening defined by the slit 44. Once the articles are placed in the envelope 40, the sealing member 58 can be heated and pressured to press the sealing member 58 against the first walls 46, forming a sealing seal that fixes the walls 46 together. The sealing seal maintains the envelope pocket 47 in an airtight state, thereby ensuring that the packaged articles are held inside the envelope pocket 47.

[0125] Envelope 40 can be separated from web stock 42, as described above with respect to envelope 10. This separation can be performed along a separation line indicated by line "C1" in Figures 9 and 11. Separation line C1 extends through the wall 46, the interlayer seal 52, and the interwall seal 56. As seen in Figure 11, separation line C1 is longitudinally offset from the slit 44.

[0126] When the envelope 40 is separated from the web 42, the portions of the wall 46, interlayer seal 52, and interwall seal 56 below the separation line C1, i.e., to the left of the separation line C1 as viewed from the viewpoint in Figure 11, form the upper end of the envelope 40. The portions of the wall 46, interlayer seal 52, and interwall seal 56 above the separation line C1, i.e., to the right of the separation line C1 as viewed from the viewpoint in Figure 11, form the lower end of the adjacent envelope 40, which is still attached to the web stock 42.

[0127] Figures 12 to 14 show another embodiment of the envelope 80. The envelope 80 is shown as part of the web stock 82 of the envelope 80. The web stock 82 is formed from a two-layer web 84 shown in Figure 14. The web 84 comprises two layers of stretchable paper joined by an interlayer seal (not shown) to form an unfilled interlayer region or interlayer space between the layers, as described above with respect to the envelope 170. In an alternative embodiment, the web 84 may be formed from a single layer of stretchable paper. In another alternative embodiment, the two-layer web 84 may have expandable or non-expandable padding, cushioning, and / or insulating material placed between the layers.

[0128] The web stock 82 is formed from the web 84 by folding the web 84 along the fold lines 86a and 86b shown in Figure 14. The fold lines 86a and 86b define a first segment 92a of the web 84 located to the left of fold line 86a, a second segment 92b located between fold lines 86a and 86b, and a third segment 92c located to the right of fold line 86b.

[0129] As shown in Figure 14, adhesive material 88a is placed on the outer surface of the web 84 along the longitudinally extending edge of the third segment 92c. Additional adhesive material 88b is placed on the outer surface of the web 84 between the fold lines 86a and 86b. The adhesive material 88b extends transversely and is placed at multiple locations along the length of the web stock 82.

[0130] The web stock 82 is formed by folding the first segment 92a of the web 84 so that it overlaps the second segment 92b around the fold line 86a. By folding the first segment 92a, the first segment 92a comes into contact with the adhesive material 88b on the second segment 92b, and an inter-wall seal 102 is formed between the first segment 92a and the second segment 92b.

[0131] Next, the third segment 92c of the web 84 is folded around the fold line 86b. By folding the third segment 92c, the third segment 92c comes into contact with the adhesive material 88b on the second segment 92b, forming a wall seal 103 between the second segment 92b and the third segment 92c. Also, by folding the third segment 92c, the adhesive material 88a on the third segment 92c comes into contact with the longitudinally extending edge of the first segment 92a, forming a wall seal 104 between the first segment 92a and the third segment 92c.

[0132] The interwall seals 102, 103, and 104 secure the first, second, and third segments 92a, 92b, and 92c to each other, thereby ensuring that each packaging container 80 within the web stock 82 maintains the folded structure shown in Figure 12. Once joined, the first and third segments 92a and 92c form the wall portion 94 of the packaging container 80. The second segment 92b forms the opposing wall portion 96 of the packaging container 80 as seen in Figure 13, and the wall portion 96 is secured to the wall portion 94 by folds indicated by fold lines 86a and 86b. The wall portions 94 and 96 define the internal storage area or envelope pocket 98 of the packaging container 80. The envelope pocket 98 is partially visible in Figure 12.

[0133] As shown in Figure 14, a sealing member 90 formed from a heat-seal adhesive is positioned on the second segment 92b of the web 84. The sealing member 90 extends transversely across the second segment 92b and is partially located directly beneath the adhesive material 88b. In other alternative embodiments, the sealing member 90 may be positioned on the first and third segments 92a, 92c of the web 84 instead of the second segment 92b.

[0134] In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 90 can be formed from a material other than a heat-seal adhesive. For example, instead of a heat-seal adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive can be used as the sealing member 90.

[0135] As shown in Figure 12, the slit 100 is formed in the wall portion 94. The slit 100 is located directly above the sealing member 90, that is, the slit 100 is located between the sealing member 90 and the adjacent inter-wall seals 102 and 103.

[0136] Each envelope 80 can be separated from the web stock 82, as described above with respect to the envelope 10. The separation line can be located between the sealing member 90 and the interwall seals 102, 103 adjacent to the sealing member 90. This separation line is indicated by line "C2" in Figure 12.

[0137] To load an article into the envelope 80, the user can expand the envelope pocket 98 by separating or pulling apart the walls 94 and 96 at or near the top of the envelope pocket 98 and inserting the article to be packaged between the walls 94 and 96. Once the article is placed inside the packaging container 80, the sealing member 90 can be heated and brought into contact with the walls 94 to form a sealing seal that fixes the walls 94 and 96 together. The sealing seal maintains the envelope pocket 98 in an airtight state, thereby ensuring that the packaged article is held inside the envelope pocket 98.

[0138] An alternative embodiment of the envelope 80 can be formed by folding the web 84 along a single fold line that divides the web 84 into two segments, so that the longitudinal edges of each of the two segments are joined by a longitudinally extending interwall seal. One of the segments forms the entirety of the first wall of the packaging container, and the second segment forms the entirety of the opposing second wall of the packaging container.

[0139] Figure 15 shows another embodiment of the envelope 110. The envelope 110 is shown as part of a web stock 111 of adjacent envelopes 110. The envelope 110 may be formed to have any of the envelope features described above.

[0140] The envelope 110 comprises a front wall portion 120 and a rear wall portion 126 that faces and is fixed to the front wall portion 120. The front wall portion 120 and the rear wall portion 126 are formed from stretchable paper. In an alternative embodiment, one of the front wall portion 120 and the rear wall portion 126 may be formed from stretchable paper, and the other of the front wall portion 120 and the rear wall portion 126 may be formed from a different material such as ordinary kraft paper, another type of non-stretchable paper, or polyethylene. The front wall portion 120 and the rear wall portion 126 define an opening 122 that allows access to the internal storage area or envelope pocket of the envelope 110.

[0141] As shown in Figure 15, the sealing member 112 is positioned at the top of the rear wall portion 126. The sealing member 112 is shown as being longitudinally offset from the opening 122. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 112 may be adjacent to the opening 122.

[0142] The sealing member 112 is formed from a heat-seal adhesive. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 112 can be formed from a material other than a heat-seal adhesive. For example, instead of a heat-seal adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive can be used as the sealing member 112.

[0143] The rear wall portion 126 shown in Figure 15 forms a flap 130. After an article is inserted into the envelope pocket of the envelope 110 through the opening 122, the flap 130 can be folded back and placed over the front wall portion 120 so as to cover the opening 122 and so as to contact the front wall portion 120 with the sealing member 112. The sealing member 112 can be activated to form a sealing seal that secures the flap 130 to the front wall portion 120. This sealing seal thereby maintains the envelope pocket in an airtight state and ensures that the packaged article is held inside the envelope pocket.

[0144] After the opening 122 is sealed, the sealed envelope 110 can be separated from adjacent envelopes in the web stock 111, as described above with respect to envelope 10. This separation can be performed along the separation line C3 shown in Figure 15.

[0145] The notched area 116 extends from the opening 122 to the cutting line C3, and the envelope 110 is separated from adjacent envelopes 110 in the web stock 111 along this cutting line C3.

[0146] In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 112 can be positioned on the front wall portion 120 instead of the flap 130. In this embodiment, the sealing member 112 is located along or near the upper edge of the front wall portion 120 so that when the flap 130 is folded back and overlapped on the front wall portion 120 to cover the opening 122, the flap 130 overlaps the sealing member 112.

[0147] Figure 16 shows an envelope 137 comprising a gusset 132 positioned between opposing wall portions 134 of the envelope 137. The wall portions 134 define an internal containment area or envelope pocket 135 configured to contain articles to be transported or otherwise held within the envelope 137. The gusset 132 has a folding structure that allows the envelope 137 to substantially expand when, for example, an article is inserted into the internal envelope pocket 135 of the envelope 137. The envelope 137 and alternative embodiments thereof may otherwise be formed to have any of the features of the envelope described above, for example, including single-layer or multi-layer walls, interlayer seals, and interwall seals.

[0148] The wall portion 134 is formed from stretchable paper. In an alternative embodiment, one wall portion 134 may be formed from stretchable paper, and the other wall portion 134 may be formed from ordinary kraft paper, another type of non-stretchable paper, or another type of material such as polyethylene.

[0149] Each gusset 132 can be formed as an integral part of one wall 134 of the envelope 137 and can be joined to the other wall 134 by one or more inter-wall seals, as disclosed in relation to the embodiments described above. In other embodiments, the gusset 132 can be formed separately from the wall 134 and can be joined to each of the opposing wall 134 by inter-wall seals.

[0150] A sealing member 138 formed from a heat-seal adhesive is positioned on one of the inward-facing surfaces of the wall portion 134, at or near the upper edge of the wall portion 134, forming a sealing seal that fixes the upper ends of the wall portions 124 together. Instead of a strip-shaped heat-seal adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive can be used as the sealing member 138.

[0151] Figure 17 shows an envelope 140 including a multilayer wall 144 configured as follows. The envelope 140 may otherwise include one or more features of the envelopes described above. The wall 144 comprises a first layer 148, a second layer 150, and a third layer 152. The first layer 148, the second layer 150, and the third layer 152 are formed from stretchable paper. In an alternative embodiment, one or more of the first layer 148, the second layer 150, and the third layer 152 may be formed from ordinary kraft paper, another type of non-stretchable paper, or another type of material such as polyethylene.

[0152] The region between the first layer 148 and the second layer 150 is substantially empty, except for the interlayer seal 153 that joins the first layer 148 to the second layer 150. Therefore, the second layer can slide against the first layer 148.

[0153] The region between the second layer 150 and the third layer 152 includes material 154, such as cushioning material or padding material, thermal insulation material, or other types of expandable and non-expandable materials. For example, material 154 can be foam padding material.

[0154] As another example, material 154 may be an expansion material bonded to one or both of the second and third layers 150, 152. The expansion material is configured to take on an expanded configuration when activated by an expansion initiator. The expansion initiator may be, for example, thermal, mechanical, and / or chemical, and / or may include other suitable initiation properties for activating the expansion material. In its expanded state, the expansion material can impart cushioning, thermal insulation, or other properties to the envelope 140.

[0155] The second and third layers 150, 152, and material 154 form another layer that can slide against the first layer 148.

[0156] In an alternative embodiment, material 154 may be placed in the region between the first layer 148 and the second layer 150, and the region between the second layer 150 and the third layer 152 may be substantially empty except for the interlayer seal 153. In another alternative embodiment, material 154 may be placed in both the region between the first layer 148 and the second layer 150, and the region between the second layer 150 and the third layer 152.

[0157] The envelope 140 further includes a single-layer wall 156 facing the wall 144 and joined to the wall 144 by an inter-wall seal 158. The wall 156 is formed from stretchable paper. In an alternative embodiment, the wall 156 may be formed from ordinary kraft paper, another type of non-stretchable paper, or another type of material such as polyethylene.

[0158] The walls 144 and 156 define an internal storage area or envelope pocket 160 configured to accommodate articles to be held inside the envelope 140. In an alternative embodiment, the wall 156 may be a multilayer wall and may be constructed with padding, cushioning, or insulation 154 in a similar manner to the wall 144.

[0159] The sealing member 162, formed from a heat-seal adhesive, is positioned on the inward-facing surface of the wall 156, at or near the upper edge of the wall 156. After the article to be packaged is placed in the envelope 140, the sealing member 162 is brought into contact with the wall 144 and heated to form a sealing seal that fixes the walls 144 and 156 together. This sealing seal maintains the envelope pocket 160 in an airtight state so that the packaged article is held inside the envelope pocket 160.

[0160] In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 162 can be formed from a material other than a heat-seal adhesive. For example, a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive can be used as the sealing member 162 instead of a heat-seal adhesive. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 162 can be positioned on the inward-facing surface of the wall 148, either on or near the upper edge of the wall 144.

[0161] Figure 18 shows a bagging machine 302 that forms the web stock 300 into a C-shaped folded structure and then seals its folded structure around the product to form a sealed envelope. An example of the web stock 300 is shown by itself in Figure 19. The web stock 300 comprises a single layer in the form of a layer 307 of stretchable paper. In an alternative embodiment, the web stock 300 may have a multilayer structure, with one or more layers formed from stretchable paper.

[0162] A sealing member 306 formed from a heat-seal adhesive is positioned on the outer surface of layer 307 on one lateral side of the web stock 300, as shown in Figure 19. The sealing member 306 is positioned to engage with the opposite lateral side of the web stock 300 when the web stock 300 is folded into a C shape, thereby extending across the entire width of the C-folded envelope, or alternatively, over most of it, and forming a seal between the opposite sides of the C-fold. In this embodiment, the sealing member 306 is also positioned as a single longitudinally extending band located on one side edge of the web stock 300, and as multiple bands extending transversely across approximately half the width of the web stock 300. In an alternative embodiment, the transversely extending sealing member 306 can extend across most or all of the width of the web stock 300. In other alternative embodiments, the outer surface of layer 307 may be completely coated (applied to the entire surface) with a heat-seal adhesive that forms the sealing member 306.

[0163] In alternative embodiments, the sealing member 306 can be formed from a material other than a heat-seal adhesive. For example, instead of a hot-melt adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive can be used as the sealing member 306.

[0164] The web stock 300 can be supplied, for example, as a roll attached to the supply side of the bagging machine 302, as shown in Figure 18. Alternatively, the web stock 300 can be supplied in other configurations, such as a fanfold-like laminate.

[0165] The web stock 300 is pulled out between opposing guides 308 of the bagging machine 302 in a manner that causes the web stock 300 to be folded along a longitudinal fold line, thereby resulting in the web stock 300 being folded into a C-shape. As can be seen in Figure 18, when the web stock 300 is folded in this manner, the longitudinally extending sealing member 306 on the side edge of the web stock 300 aligns with and faces the other side edge of the web stock 300 that lacks heat-seal adhesive. Similarly, the transversely extending sealing member 306 faces the portion of the web stock 300 that lacks heat-seal adhesive.

[0166] As the C-shaped folded webstock 300 moves downward, as indicated by arrow 315, opposing fingers 309 located in the loading area of ​​the bagging machine 302 push out the side edges of the webstock 300. This allows the articles to be packaged to be inserted into the partially formed envelope 304, as indicated by arrow 311. As will be described later, a laterally extending sealing member 306 at the lower end of the webstock 300 is in contact with the opposing portion of the pre-folded C-shaped webstock 300, thereby forming a lower lateral seal, which prevents the articles from falling downward after being loaded into the partially formed envelope 304.

[0167] The bagging machine 302 includes a drawer in the form of two opposing arms 310 that reciprocate between an inner position and an outer position (not shown) as shown in Figure 18. The arms 310 also move between a lower position and an upper position (not shown) as shown in Figure 18. When the arms 310 are in the inner and upper position, they can grasp the lower end of the webstock 300, which coincides with the lower end of the partially formed envelope 304. Subsequent downward movement of the arms 310 pulls the lower end of the webstock 300 and the partially formed envelope 304 downward to the position shown in Figure 18. This movement of the lower edge of the webstock 300 causes the webstock 300 to advance within the bagging machine 302. In alternative embodiments, the drawer may have configurations other than the arms 310.

[0168] The bagging machine 302 further includes a cutting and sealing unit in the form of two opposing arms 314 that reciprocate between an inner position and an outer position (not shown) as shown in Figure 18, and two L-shaped sealer cutters 316 attached to each end of the arms 314.

[0169] After the pull-out device, for example, arm 310, pulls the lower end of the web stock 300 and the partially formed envelope 304 downward to the position shown in Figure 18, arm 314 moves to an inward position and brings the sealer cutter 316 into contact with the partially formed envelope 304.

[0170] The L-shaped configuration of the sealer cutter 316 aligns with the longitudinally extending sealing member 306. This sealing member 306 aligns with and faces the opposite side edge of the webstock 300 where adhesive is absent, due to the C-shaped folding of the webstock 300, as described above. The L-shaped configuration of the sealer cutter 316 also aligns with the upper, laterally extending sealing member 306. This sealing member 306 similarly faces the portion of the webstock 300 where adhesive is absent. The sealer cutter 316 heats and pressurizes the sealing member 306, forming a seal that extends longitudinally along one side of the envelope 304, and a seal that extends laterally along the newly formed top of the envelope 304. (The laterally extending seal along the bottom of the envelope 304 is already formed during the manufacturing of the previous envelope 304.)

[0171] In an alternative embodiment, the cutting and sealing unit 312 may include, for example, a rolling longitudinal sealer and a horizontal bar instead of the arm 314 and sealer cutter 316. In an alternative embodiment, the cutting and sealing unit 312 may include, for example, a horizontal sealer that rotates or slides across the web stock 300.

[0172] An alternative embodiment of the bagging machine 302 may include rollers to help pull opposing sides of the web stock 300 together, thereby bringing a longitudinally extending strip of heat-seal adhesive on one side edge of the web stock 300 into contact with the other side edge of the web stock 300.

[0173] Once longitudinal and transverse seals are formed, the sealer cutter 316 can separate the newly formed envelope 304 from the web stock 300 by appropriate means such as cutting, applying concentrated heat along the separation line, or pulling the envelope 304 away from the web stock 300. Since the separation line passes through the sealing member 306, this strip portion remaining on the web stock 300 after the cutting process forms the lower transverse seal for the next envelope 304 formed from the web stock 300.

[0174] Once the newly formed and loaded envelope 304 is detached from the web stock 300, it can be dropped onto a conveyor (not shown) or other means for transporting or holding the envelope 304.

[0175] The above description of the bagging machine 302 is provided for illustrative purposes only. The C-shaped folded envelope 304, and alternative embodiments thereof, can be formed using other types of bag-making machines.

[0176] Figure 20 shows the web stock 330 of a side-loading envelope 332. The web stock 330 is formed from two webs 334. Each web 334 has a two-layer structure comprising two layers of stretchable paper fastened to each other by interlayer seals. The webs 334 are joined by one interwall seal 336 extending continuously along one side of the web stock 330, and a plurality of interwall seals 338 extending laterally across the web stock 330, to form the web stock 330. Individual envelopes 332 are separated from the web stock 330 by separation lines passing through each interwall seal 338.

[0177] In an alternative embodiment, one web 334 may be formed from stretchable paper, and the other web 334 may be formed from ordinary kraft paper, another type of non-stretchable paper, or another type of material such as polyethylene.

[0178] Each individual envelope 332 within the web stock 330 includes two opposing wall portions 340 that define the envelope pocket 342 of the envelope 332. Each wall portion 340 is formed from one of the webs 334. The unsealed end of the envelope pocket 342 of the web stock 330 is open, so that articles to be packaged can be inserted into the envelope pocket 342 manually or by an automated machine, as indicated by the arrow 342. Once an article is inserted, a sealing member 346 located on the inward surface of one wall portion 340 can be brought into contact with the opposing surface of the other wall portion 340, forming a sealing seal that fixes the ends of the wall portions 340 together. The sealing seal thus maintains the envelope pocket 342 in a sealed state so that the packaged article is held inside the envelope pocket 342.

[0179] The sealing member 346 is formed from a heat-seal adhesive. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 346 can be formed from a material other than a heat-seal adhesive. For example, instead of a strip of heat-seal adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot-melt adhesive can be used as the sealing member 346.

[0180] The sealing member 346 is depicted as being in contact with the upper edge of the associated wall 340. In an alternative embodiment, the sealing member 346 may be longitudinally offset (separated) from the upper edge of the wall 340.

[0181] Once the envelope pocket 342 is closed, the loaded envelope 332 can be separated from the web stock 330 by appropriate means such as heating, application of concentrated heat, or pulling.

[0182] An alternative embodiment of the envelope 332 may include a sealing flap on the open lateral side of the envelope 332. The sealing member 346 may be positioned on the sealing flap or on the outer surface of the envelope 332 onto which the sealing flap rotates and overlaps.

[0183] While the present solution has been illustrated and described in relation to one or more embodiments, a person skilled in the art who has read and understood this specification and the accompanying drawings will be able to conceive of equivalent changes and modifications. Furthermore, while certain functions of the present solution may be disclosed in relation to only one of the multiple embodiments, such functions can be combined with one or more other functions of the other embodiments as desirable and advantageous in any given or particular application. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present solution should not be limited by any of the embodiments described above. Rather, the scope of the present solution should be defined according to the following claims and their equivalents.

[0184] While the present solution has been illustrated and described in relation to one or more embodiments, a person skilled in the art who has read and understood this specification and the accompanying drawings will be able to conceive of equivalent changes and modifications. Furthermore, while certain functions of the present solution may be disclosed in relation to only one of the multiple embodiments, such functions can be combined with one or more other functions of the other embodiments as desirable and advantageous in any given or particular application. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present solution should not be limited by any of the embodiments described above. Rather, the scope of the present solution should be defined according to the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An envelope for holding an article, wherein the body of the envelope is The first flexible wall, A second flexible wall overlaps the first flexible wall and is fixed to the first flexible wall around at least a portion of the pocket boundary, wherein the pocket boundary encloses a pocket defined between the first and second flexible walls and configured and dimensionally sized to accommodate the article, and at least one of the first and second flexible walls defines a pocket opening that allows access to the pocket from outside the envelope for loading the article into the pocket, An envelope characterized in that at least one of the first and second flexible walls includes stretchable paper.

2. The envelope according to claim 1, wherein the stretchable paper is configured to stretch by at least 3 percent in a first direction of the stretchable paper.

3. The envelope according to claim 2, wherein the stretchable paper is further configured to stretch by about 3 percent to about 15 percent in a first direction of the stretchable paper.

4. The envelope according to claim 3, wherein the stretchable paper is further configured to stretch by about 6 percent to about 9 percent in a first direction of the stretchable paper.

5. The envelope according to claim 2, wherein the first direction of the stretchable paper is the mechanical direction of the stretchable paper.

6. The envelope according to claim 5, wherein the machine direction of the stretchable paper is substantially aligned with the longitudinal direction of the envelope.

7. The envelope according to claim 5, wherein the machine direction of the stretchable paper is substantially aligned with the transverse direction of the envelope.

8. The envelope according to claim 5, wherein the machine direction of the stretchable paper is offset at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the longitudinal direction of the envelope.

9. The envelope according to claim 2, wherein the first direction is the machine transverse direction of the stretchable paper.

10. The stretchable paper has a first tensile energy absorption in a first direction of the stretchable paper and a second tensile energy absorption in a second direction of the stretchable paper. The second tensile energy absorption is smaller than the first tensile energy absorption. The envelope according to claim 1, wherein the second direction of the stretchable paper is offset at an angle of approximately 90 degrees from the first direction of the stretchable paper.

11. The envelope has a first dimension in a first direction and a second dimension in a second direction, wherein the second dimension is smaller than the first dimension. The envelope according to claim 10, wherein the stretchable paper is oriented such that the first direction of the stretchable paper substantially coincides with the second direction of the envelope.

12. The envelope according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second flexible walls comprises a first layer and a second layer, and at least one of the first and second layers comprises the stretchable paper.

13. The envelope according to claim 12, wherein the first and second layers each contain the stretchable paper.

14. The envelope according to claim 12, wherein in the first and second layers, the machine direction of the stretchable paper of the first layer is oriented such that it is offset at an angle of about 90 degrees from the machine direction of the stretchable paper of the second layer.

15. The envelope according to claim 13, wherein the first and second layers are oriented such that the machine direction of the stretchable paper of the first layer and the machine direction of the stretchable paper of the second layer are substantially aligned.

16. The stretchable paper has a first stretchability in a first direction and a second stretchability in a second direction, wherein the second stretchability is smaller than the first stretchability, and the second direction of the stretchable paper is offset from the first direction of the stretchable paper at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. The pocket opening extends between the first and second sides of the first and second walls, respectively, in the first direction of the envelope. The envelope according to claim 1, wherein the stretchable paper is oriented such that the first direction of the stretchable paper substantially coincides with the first direction of the envelope.

17. The envelope according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing member disposed on the first flexible wall and configured to fix the first flexible wall to the second flexible wall to form a sealing seal that seals the pocket opening.

18. The pocket opening is defined between the first and second flexible walls, The envelope according to claim 17, wherein the sealing member is configured to seal the pocket opening by fixing the second flexible wall to the first flexible wall.

19. A sealing flap adjacent to the first wall and configured to rotate between a first position and a second position covering the pocket opening, The envelope according to claim 1, further comprising a sealing member disposed on one of the first flexible wall and the sealing flap, and configured to form a sealing seal that fixes the sealing flap to the first flexible wall at the second position of the sealing flap.

20. The envelope according to claim 12, wherein at least one of cushioning material, padding material, and insulating material is disposed between the first layer and the second layer.

21. The envelope according to claim 12, wherein at least one expandable material is disposed between the first layer and the second layer.

22. The envelope according to claim 1, wherein the first and second flexible walls are fixed to each other around the first portion of the pocket boundary, but are not fixed to each other at the pocket opening.

23. The envelope according to claim 22, wherein the first and second flexible walls are not fixed to each other on the open side of the pocket, and the pocket opening is defined by the open side of the pocket.

24. The envelope according to claim 23, wherein the pocket opening is arranged along the pocket boundary.

25. A supply web in which multiple envelopes according to claim 1 are connected in series.

26. A method for manufacturing an envelope for holding an article, An envelope body is provided, comprising first and second flexible walls, wherein at least one of the first and second flexible walls comprises stretchable paper. The second flexible wall is fixed to the first flexible wall with respect to at least a portion of the pocket boundary, the pocket boundary is defined between the first flexible wall and the second flexible wall and encloses a pocket configured and sized to accommodate the article, and at least one of the first flexible wall and the second flexible wall defines a pocket opening that allows access to the pocket from the outside of the envelope for loading the article into the pocket. A method comprising placing a sealing member on the envelope body to seal the pocket opening.

27. A method of packaging an article, Prepare an envelope body comprising a first flexible wall and a second flexible wall that overlaps the first flexible wall and is fixed to the first flexible wall around a receiving boundary that encloses multiple sides of an envelope pocket defined by the first and second flexible walls, wherein at least one of the first and second walls is made of stretchable paper, and a sealing member disposed on the envelope body and positioned to seal the pocket opening, Place the aforementioned article inside the envelope pocket, A method comprising sealing the pocket opening using the sealing member.

28. The envelope described in claim 23, It is configured to accommodate the aforementioned envelope, A press machine configured to bias the first flexible wall and the sealing member toward the second flexible wall, A bagging machine including a heat sealer configured to apply heat to the aforementioned sealing member.

29. The bagging system according to claim 28, further comprising an opening device configured to open the pocket opening so that the article can be inserted into the pocket.

30. The bagging system according to claim 28, further comprising a supply web containing a plurality of the envelopes connected in series.

31. A bagging machine configured to package articles into envelopes formed from web stock, The web stock includes at least one layer of stretchable paper and a sealing member located on a first portion of the outer surface of the at least one layer. The aforementioned bagging machine is A guide is provided to fold the webstock along a longitudinally extending fold line, and to cause the webstock to be folded such that the sealing member faces a second portion of the outer surface of at least one layer and adheres the second portion of the outer surface of at least one layer to the first portion of the outer surface of at least one layer. A bagging machine comprising: a cutting and sealing unit configured to press the sealing member against the second portion of the outer surface of at least one layer while heating the sealing member.

32. The bagging machine according to claim 31, further comprising a tensioning device configured to grip the lower end of the web stock and pull the web stock to advance it through the bagging machine.

33. The bagging machine according to claim 32, comprising two opposing arms configured to reciprocate between an inner position and an outer position to grip and release the webstock, and to translate between an upper position and a lower position to advance the webstock through the bagging machine.

34. The bagging machine according to claim 31, further comprising fingers configured to spread the side edges of the webstock so that an article can be placed inside the C-folded webstock after the webstock has been folded into a C shape.

35. The bagging machine according to claim 31, wherein the cutting and sealing unit comprises two opposing arms that reciprocate between an inner position and an outer position, and two sealer cutters attached to each arm.

36. The bagging machine according to claim 35, wherein the sealer cutter is L-shaped and configured to form a seal extending longitudinally and a seal extending transversely from the sealing member.

37. The bagging machine according to claim 31, wherein the cutting and sealing unit comprises a rotating longitudinal sealer and a horizontal bar.

38. The bagging machine according to claim 31, wherein the cutting and sealing unit comprises a horizontal sealer configured to rotate or slide across the web stock.

39. The bagging machine according to claim 31, wherein the cutting and sealing unit is further configured to cut the envelopes from the web stock.

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