Inflatable Pouch Bladder Outer Skin Attachment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing inflatable pouches experience exterior surface distortions during inflation due to the attachment of the bladder and outer skin at side seals, making it difficult to attach labels or write on the exterior.

Innovation Solution

The inflatable pouch design features a bladder and outer skin that are not directly attached at the sides, with a tack area only at the flap portion, allowing the bladder to move independently during inflation and reducing exterior distortions, enabling easy labeling and writing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the bladder and outer skin are attached at side seals, then the pouch structure is stable and sealed, but the exterior surface distorts during inflation making labeling difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepouch seal integrityVSAvoidexterior surface smoothness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the attachment structure into two separate components: the bladder and the outer skin. Instead of attaching them directly at the sides, the invention uses a bottom attachment point to connect these two components, allowing each to inflate independently without transmitting distortion forces to the exterior surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the side attachment function from the bladder-outer skin connection. By removing the direct side-to-side attachment and retaining only the bottom attachment point, the patent eliminates the source of exterior distortion while preserving the necessary seal integrity through alternative means.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Shape

If the bladder and outer skin are not attached at sides, then exterior distortions are reduced enabling labeling, but the structural connection between bladder and outer skin is weakened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexterior surface smoothnessVSAvoidbladder-outer skin connection

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by concentrating the attachment function at a specific location (the bottom point) rather than distributing it along the sides. This localized attachment provides sufficient connection strength while allowing the majority of the bladder and outer skin to move independently during inflation, preventing exterior distortion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11247829B2Inflatable pouches with reduced exterior distortions

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 SEALED AIR U S

AI summary

An inflatable pouch includes a bladder formed from an inflatable web and an outer skin formed from a film. The bladder includes a bladder pouch that includes a bottom portion at a folded edge of the inflatable web, front and back portions on either side of the folded edge, and sides where the front and back portions are sealed to each other. The outer skin includes an outer skin pouch that includes a bottom portion at a folded edge of the film, front and back portions on either side of the folded edge, and sides where the front and back portions are attached to each other. The bladder is attached to the outer skin at a tack area such that the sides of the bladder pouch and the outer skin pouch are not directly attached to the sides of the outer skin pouch.