IP Library Granted Patent US 10,875,257
Granted Patent B2
US 10,875,257 · App. 15/823,261 · Granted Dec 29, 2020

Edge attached film-foam sheet

Inventors: Thomas D. Wetsch (St. Charles, IL); Darren Keith Green (Hickory, NC)
Assignee: Pregis Innovative Packaging LLC
B29C66/83413A47C31/11B29C65/40B29C65/5035B29C65/5057B29C65/524B29C66/1122B29C66/21B29C66/232B29C66/43B29C66/723B29C66/727B32B3/04B32B7/06B32B7/12B32B27/065B32B27/32B29C65/02B29C65/08B29C65/405B29C65/4815B29C65/4825B29C65/74B29C66/1142B29C66/431B29C66/71B29C66/72343B29L2031/732B32B2266/025B32B2307/584B32B2479/00E04F15/18E04F15/22Y10T156/1049Y10T156/1054Y10T428/1334Y10T428/24752Y10T428/24777Y10T428/24793Y10T428/24802
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,875,257
App. No.
15/823,261
Granted
Dec 29, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to devices and methods for furniture protection. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to foam-film sheets configured to protect furniture from damage. An exemplary foam-film sheet as disclosed herein includes a sheet of foam material having a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge; a sheet of film material having a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge; a first seal between a portion of the foam material proximate its first lateral edge and a portion of the film material proximate its first lateral edge; and a second seal between a portion of the foam material proximate its second lateral edge and a portion of the film material proximate its second lateral edge, wherein the film and foam are substantially unsealed along the entire transverse width between the first and second sealed portions near the lateral edges of the foam material.

Claims (23)

1. A method for manufacturing a foam-film sheet, comprising:

providing a sheet of foam material;

providing a sheet of film material;

positioning a first lateral edge of the foam material adjacent a first lateral edge of the film material, and positioning a second lateral edge of the foam material adjacent a second lateral edge of the film material; and

applying a first seal between the foam material and the film material proximate the first lateral edges thereof, and applying a second seal between the foam material and the film material proximate the second lateral edges thereof, such that an unsealed area remains between the first and second seals near the sheet of foam material edges to allow the film to slide with respect to the foam,

wherein the sheet of foam material includes a first surface between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge attached to the sheet of film material and a second surface area on the opposite side of the sheet of foam material as the first surface, wherein the second surface area is substantially free of film material such that the second surface area forms an outer most surface of the foam-film sheet.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising C-folding the foam-film sheet about a longitudinal axis thereof to position the sheet of film material within the sheet of foam material.

3. A method for manufacturing a furniture cover, comprising: making a first transverse cut through the C-folded foam-film sheet of claim 2 .

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising making a second transverse cut through the C-folded foam-film sheet at a distance from the first transverse cut.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first and second transverse cuts are made by a heated cutting element that also heat seals a first half of the foam-film sheet on one side of the longitudinal axis to a second half of the foam-film sheet on another side of the longitudinal axis while making the cut.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein an opening between the first and second lateral edges is sufficient to allow for insertion over a piece of furniture.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising inserting the opening over a piece of furniture to cover and protect said piece of furniture.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the sheet of foam material has a width between its first and second edges, and the sheet of film material has a width between its first and second edges that is greater than the width of the sheet of foam material, such that the sheet of film material includes an overhang extending laterally beyond at least one of the first and second edges of the sheet of foam material.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the sheet of foam material from a low density polyethylene.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the sheet of film material from a high density polyethylene.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the first and second seals as hot-melt glue.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an intermediate seal that is displaced from the first and second seals.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the intermediate seal is positioned at least about a third of the transverse width of the foam sheet, such that the unsealed area includes first and second unsealed areas.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sheet of foam material has a width between the first and second edges thereof, and the first and second seals are positioned within about 10% of the sheet of foam material width from the respective first and second lateral edges of the sheet of foam material.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sheet of film material is sized such that the sheet of film material includes an overhang extending laterally beyond at least one of the first and second edges of the sheet of foam material.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising applying an adhesive with a release layer to the overhang.

17. The method of claim 1 , forming a furniture cover with the second surface of the sheet of foam material is an outer most surface of the furniture cover.

18. The method of claim 1 , forming a furniture cover with the second surface of the sheet of foam material is an inner most surface of the furniture cover.

Assignments (8)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING LLC
To: PREGIS LLC
Reel/Frame 070267/0742 →
ASSIGNMENT OF PATENT SECURITY INTERESTS (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Aug 8, 2024
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 068518/0568 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2019
From: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING INC.; PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC; PREGIS SHARP SYSTEMS, LLC; FREE-FLOW PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 050993/0798 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 1, 2019
From: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING LLC
To: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS SECOND LIEN COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049941/0652 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 1, 2019
From: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 049932/0377 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2018
From: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING INC.; PREGIS INTELLIPACK LLC; PREGIS SHARP SYSTEMS, LLC; FREE-FLOW PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: OWL ROCK CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046593/0535 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2017
From: GREEN, DARREN KEITH; WETSCH, THOMAS D.
To: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING, INC.
Reel/Frame 044385/0920 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 13, 2017
From: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING INC.
To: PREGIS INNOVATIVE PACKAGING LLC
Reel/Frame 044860/0108 →