Inflatable Corner Packing Device with Bonded Fluid Containers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional inflatable air-packing devices struggle to effectively protect corners of products with multiple perpendicular sides, as they are difficult to produce and may become misaligned during packaging due to their design relying solely on contact without adhesives.
Innovation Solution
An inflatable corner packing device comprising thermoplastic films with bonded sections forming fluid containers, check valves, and a fluid passage, allowing for independent inflation of side portions to securely hold corners, with heat-seal lands creating series-connected cells for flexible shaping and precise corner protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional inflatable air-packing devices are designed to protect corners with multiple perpendicular sides, then the protection coverage is improved, but the device complexity increases and manufacturing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The corner packing device is divided into multiple independent inflatable chambers (first chamber, second chamber, third chamber, fourth chamber) that can be inflated separately. Each chamber corresponds to a specific side of the corner, allowing independent inflation and positioning. This segmentation enables the device to adapt to corners with various angles while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a two-dimensional flat sheet to a three-dimensional multi-chamber structure when inflated. The inflatable chambers expand in the vertical dimension, creating a volumetric structure that can envelop and protect corner projections. This dimensional transformation allows the device to conform to three-dimensional corner geometries while starting from a simple planar configuration.
2Ease of operation
If the inflatable device is designed to securely hold corners without adhesives, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of positioning deteriorates due to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The device employs inflatable chambers that can dynamically adjust their volume and shape. The chambers can be inflated to different degrees depending on the corner size and shape, allowing the device to adapt its configuration for secure holding. This dynamic adjustability maintains ease of operation while improving positioning reliability through customizable inflation levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes changes in inflation pressure and volume as controllable parameters. By adjusting the inflation level of each chamber, the device can optimize its gripping force and positioning accuracy for different corner geometries. This parameter-based control enables reliable corner holding without adhesives, as the inflated chambers create friction and mechanical interlocking.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple inflatable sheets are used to create corner protection, then the adaptability is improved, but the device complexity and risk of misalignment increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple inflatable chambers that would traditionally require separate sheets are merged into a single integrated device structure. The chambers share common walls and are connected through the inflatable sheet, reducing the number of separate components. This merging maintains the adaptability to accommodate various corner shapes while reducing the complexity of assembly and the risk of misalignment between multiple independent sheets.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device reliably absorbs shocks and impacts by securely holding corners of products, preventing misalignment and ensuring effective protection of corners with adjustable angles and easy shaping, enhancing the protection of sensitive items during transportation.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of check valves connected to the plurality of fluid containers, respectively... each check valve 24 prevents the reverse flow of the air
Implementation Method 2
The thermoplastic films of the air-packing device 20 are bonded (heat-sealed) together at bonding areas 23a which are at the rectangular periphery thereof to air tightly close the air-packing device 20
Implementation Method 3
Each air container 22 is provided a the check valve 24... Each air container 22 is filled with the air from the air input 25 through the guide passage 21 and the check valve 24. After filling the air, the expansion of each air container 22 is maintained because each check-valve 24 prevents the reverse flow of the air
Data Source
AI summary
An inflatable corner packing device for protecting corners of a product includes: first and second thermoplastic films having a first section, a second section, and an elbow section connecting the first and second sections in a vertical direction, wherein a plurality of fluid containers each extending in the vertical direction, and the first and second sections and the elbow section each have a right side portion, a left side portion, and a middle portion connecting the right and left side portions, wherein the side portions are inwardly crooked for holding a product therebetween. The first and second thermoplastic films are folded, and the folded films are bonded in the elbow section along a border between adjacent fluid containers in each crooked side portion, leaving a remaining portion of the border unbonded, so that the bonded borders form the elbow section.