Inflatable air cushion

Last updated

An inflatable air cushion is a bag of fabric or plastic that can be inflated to provide cushioning. Unlike bubble wrap, inflatable air cushions have a check valve to allow the cushion to be inflated or sometimes deflated.

Contents

Samsung toner packaging in inflatable air cushion Samsung Toner Packaging by AIRBAG Packing.jpg
Samsung toner packaging in inflatable air cushion
Impact limiter, JPL JPL - Impact limiter used in impact testing. 355-1394b.jpg
Impact limiter, JPL
Vacuum chamber for testing leaks in inflatable cushion. ASTM D6653- Standard Test Methods for Determining the Effects of High Altitude on Packaging Systems by Vacuum Method Vacuum Chamber Package testing.jpg
Vacuum chamber for testing leaks in inflatable cushion. ASTM D6653- Standard Test Methods for Determining the Effects of High Altitude on Packaging Systems by Vacuum Method
Inflatable air cushion shown deflated (on rolls) and inflated around a protected item. Airbag-packing 2009-6-15.jpg
Inflatable air cushion shown deflated (on rolls) and inflated around a protected item.
Inflatable air cushion can be used as a seat, stick, or signs Airbag-packing used in commodity 2009.06.15.JPG
Inflatable air cushion can be used as a seat, stick, or signs

History

Several constructions have been developed, some as early as the 1970s. [1] In the 1980s, a number of inflatable cushion systems were documented. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Before 2000, most inflatable air cushions used a single check valve. [7] However if one part of the cushion was punctured then this packaging would completely deflate. In 2002, several types of continuously independent one way air valve films were introduced. [8] These patents incorporated a one way air valve film, which can be produced continuously and independently. If one air tube is punctured, the other air tubes will still remain inflated.

Concept

Applications

See also

Related Research Articles

Inflatable Object filled with pressurized gas to maintain its size and shape

An inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflatables depend on the presence of a gas to maintain their size and shape. Function fulfillment per mass used compared with non-inflatable strategies is a key advantage. Stadium cushions, impact guards, vehicle wheel inner tubes, emergency air bags, and inflatable space habitats employ the inflatable principle. Inflation occurs through several strategies: pumps, ram-air, blowing, and suction.

Air mattress Type of mattress

An air mattress is an inflatable mattress or sleeping pad.

Surface marker buoy Buoy towed by a scuba diver to indicate the divers position

A surface marker buoy, SMB, dive float or simply a blob is a buoy used by scuba divers, at the end of a line from the diver, intended to indicate the diver's position to people at the surface while the diver is underwater. Two kinds are used; one (SMB) is towed for the whole dive, and indicates the position of the dive group throughout the dive, and the other, a delayed surface marker buoy, DSMB or decompression buoy, is deployed towards the end of the dive as a signal to the surface that the divers have started to ascend, and where they are going to surface. Both types can also function as a depth reference for controlling speed of ascent and accurately maintaining depth at decompression stops. Surface marker buoys are also used by freedivers in open water, to indicate the approximate position of the diver when submerged. They may also be used to support a catch bag or fish stringer by underwater hunters and collectors. A DSMB is considered by recreational scuba divers and service providers to be a highly important item of safety equipment, yet its use is not part of the entry level recreational diver training for all training agencies, and there are significant hazards associated with incompetent use.

Rigid inflatable boat Boat with rigid hull and inflatable tubes

A rigid inflatable boat (RIB), also rigid-hull inflatable boat or rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB), is a lightweight but high-performance and high-capacity unsinkable boat constructed with a rigid hull bottom joined to side-forming air tubes that are inflated with air to a high pressure so as to give the sides resilient rigidity along the boat's topsides. The design is stable, light, fast and seaworthy. The inflated collar acts as a life jacket, ensuring that the vessel retains its buoyancy, even if the boat is taking on water. The RIB is an evolutionary development of the inflatable boat with a rubberized fabric bottom that is stiffened with flat boards within the collar to form the deck or floor of the boat.

Inflatable boat Lightweight boat constructed with flexible tubes containing pressurized gas

An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull is often flexible, while for boats longer than 3 metres (9.8 ft), the floor typically consists of three to five rigid plywood or aluminium sheets fixed between the tubes, but not joined rigidly together. Often the transom is rigid, providing a location and structure for mounting an outboard motor.

Whoopee cushion

A whoopeecushion is a practical joke device involving flatulence humor, which produces a noise resembling human flatulence. It has also been referred to as a farting bag, pooting cushion, windy blaster and Razzberry Cushion.

Shrink wrap

Shrink wrap, also shrink film, is a material made up of polymer plastic film. When heat is applied, it shrinks tightly over whatever it is covering. Heat can be applied with a handheld heat gun, or the product and film can pass through a heat tunnel on a conveyor.

Bag valve mask Hand-held device to provide positive pressure ventilation

A bag valve mask (BVM), sometimes known by the proprietary name Ambu bag or generically as a manual resuscitator or "self-inflating bag", is a hand-held device commonly used to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients who are not breathing or not breathing adequately. The device is a required part of resuscitation kits for trained professionals in out-of-hospital settings (such as ambulance crews) and is also frequently used in hospitals as part of standard equipment found on a crash cart, in emergency rooms or other critical care settings. Underscoring the frequency and prominence of BVM use in the United States, the American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care recommend that "all healthcare providers should be familiar with the use of the bag-mask device." Manual resuscitators are also used within the hospital for temporary ventilation of patients dependent on mechanical ventilators when the mechanical ventilator needs to be examined for possible malfunction or when ventilator-dependent patients are transported within the hospital. Two principal types of manual resuscitators exist; one version is self-filling with air, although additional oxygen (O2) can be added but is not necessary for the device to function. The other principal type of manual resuscitator (flow-inflation) is heavily used in non-emergency applications in the operating room to ventilate patients during anesthesia induction and recovery.

Inflatable armbands

Inflatable armbands, usually referred to as simply armbands, water wings, swimmies, or floaties, are swim aids designed to help a wearer float in water and learn to swim.

Inflatable movie screen

An inflatable movie screen is an inflatable framework with an attached projection screen. Inflatable screens are used for outdoor movies, film festivals, drive-in theaters, sports, social, fundraising and other events requiring outdoor projection.

Flat tire Deflated pneumatic tire

A flat tire is a deflated pneumatic tire, which can cause the rim of the wheel to ride on the tire tread or the ground potentially resulting in loss of control of the vehicle or irreparable damage to the tire. The most common cause of a flat tire is puncturing of the tire by a sharp object, such as a nail or pin, letting the air escape. Depending on the size of the puncture, the tire may deflate slowly or rapidly.

In manufacturing, an airshaft is a device used for handling winding reels in the processing of web-fed materials, such as continuous-process printing presses.

Package cushioning Protective packaging

Package cushioning is used to protect items during shipment. Vibration and impact shock during shipment and loading/unloading are controlled by cushioning to reduce the chance of product damage.

Antistatic bag

An antistatic bag is a bag used for storing electronic components, which are prone to damage caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD).

Oral inflation valve

An oral inflation valve is a valve present on most swim toys and beach balls. These inflation valves can also be filled with air pumps, which makes the process easier, faster and more hygienic. Since the valve is placed in the mouth and saliva can be ejected into the inflatable object, the valve is subjected to some health concerns; diseases like common cold, herpes, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and many others can be spread through the saliva in the air valve. Therefore, they should not be used orally if the inflatable object is not clean

Padded envelope Envelope with protective padding to protect items during shipping

A padded envelope, also known as a padded or cushioned mailer or (UK) jiffy bag, is an envelope incorporating protective padding to protect items during shipping. The padding is usually thick paper, bubble wrap, or foam.

Bubble wrap Packing material

Bubble wrap is a pliable transparent plastic material used for packing fragile items. Regularly spaced, protruding air-filled hemispheres (bubbles) provide cushioning for fragile items.

Dunnage bag

Dunnage bags, also known as airbags, and inflatable bags, are used to secure and stabilize cargo.

Paper sack

A paper sack is a packaging type that can be constructed of one or several layers of high quality kraft paper, usually produced from virgin fibre. Paper sacks can also be referred to as industrial paper bags, industrial paper sacks or multi-wall paper bags or sacks. They are not to be confused with Paper bag/Paper bag, the term which usually refers to paper carrier bags or paper shopping bags.

References

  1. US 3521743,Sposito Jr., Carlo J.,"Cushion package",published 1970-07-28
  2. US 4240556,Field, Andrew S.,"Inflatable package and method of manufacture",published 1980-12-23
  3. US 4465188,Soroka, Walter G.&Galda, Michael P.,"Inflatable packaging structure",published 1984-08-14, assigned to Barbecon Inc.
  4. US 4872558,Pharo, Daniel A.,"Bag-in-bag packaging system",published 1989-10-10
  5. US 4591519,Liebel, Henry L.,"Cargo air bag",published 1986-05-27, assigned to Signode Paper Products Co.
  6. US 4541136,Graebe, Robert H.,"Multicell cushion",published 1985-09-17
  7. US 5445274,Pharo, Daniel A.,"Inflatable package insert",published 1995-08-29
  8. US 6913803,Peper, William A.,"One-way valve for inflatable package",published 2005-07-05, assigned to 3M Innovative Properties Co.