Dunnage conversion machine for producing a dunnage pad having slit-sheet material therein

1. A dunnage conversion machine for producing a dunnage pad from a slit-sheet material having a plurality of rows of slits extending across a width dimension of the sheet with adjacent rows laterally offset, the dunnage conversion machine comprising:

means for advancing the slit-sheet material in an unexpanded state from a supply in a downstream direction transverse the width dimension at a first rate;

means for expanding the slit-sheet material downstream of the advancing means, the expanding means creating tension in the slit-sheet material transverse the width dimension downstream of the advancing means to cause the slits to open to a fully-expanded state; and

means for reducing the tension in the slit-sheet material downstream of the expanding means to cause the slits to relax from the fully-expanded state to a partially-expanded state, and

for connecting the slit-sheet material in the partially-expanded state to at least one cover sheet to form a dunnage pad.

2. A dunnage conversion machine as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising means for separating a discrete length of the dunnage pad for use.

3. A dunnage conversion machine as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the advancing means includes a pair of opposed gripping rollers configured to grip the slit-sheet material therebetween in an unexpanded state and to rotate at a first rotational speed to advance the slit sheet material in a downstream direction.

4. A dunnage conversion machine as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the expanding means includes a pair of expansion rollers configured to engage the slit-sheet material and to rotate at a second rotational speed, the second rotational speed being faster than the first rotational speed to create a stretching force on the slit-sheet material in a region between the gripping rollers and the expansion rollers and to further advance the slit-sheet material in the downstream direction, wherein the stretching force causes expansion of the slit-sheet material to a fully expanded state.

5. A dunnage conversion machine as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the expanding means and the reducing means are provided by a pair of relaxation rollers downstream of the pair of expansion rollers, the pair of relaxation rollers being configured to engage the slit-sheet material and to rotate at a third rotational speed, the third rotational speed being slower than the second rotational speed to reduce the stretching force on the slit-sheet material in a region between the expansion rollers and the relaxation rollers and to further advance the slit-sheet material in the downstream direction, wherein the reduction of stretching force causes relaxation of the slit-sheet material to a partially expanded state, and wherein the pair of relaxation rollers are configured to capture the slit-sheet material in the partially expanded state against a cover sheet to form the dunnage pad.

6. A dunnage conversion machine for producing a dunnage pad from a slit-sheet material having a plurality of rows of slits extending across a width dimension of the sheet with adjacent rows laterally offset, the dunnage conversion machine comprising:

a pair of gripping rollers being configured to grip a slit-sheet material therebetween in an unexpanded state and to rotate at a first rotational speed to advance the slit-sheet material in a downstream direction transverse the width dimension;

a pair of expansion rollers downstream of the pair of gripping rollers, the pair of expansion rollers being configured to engage the slit-sheet material and to rotate at a second rotational speed, the second rotational speed being faster than the first rotational speed to create a stretching force on the slit-sheet material transverse the width dimension in a region between the gripping rollers and the expansion rollers and to further advance the slit-sheet material in the downstream direction, wherein the stretching force causes expansion of the slit-sheet material to a fully expanded state; and

a pair of relaxation rollers downstream of the pair of expansion rollers, the pair of relaxation rollers being configured to engage the slit-sheet material and to rotate at a third rotational speed, the third rotational speed being slower than the second rotational speed to reduce the stretching force on the slit-sheet material in a region between the expansion rollers and the relaxation rollers and to further advance the slit-sheet material in the downstream direction, wherein the reduction of stretching force causes relaxation of the slit-sheet material to a partially expanded state, and wherein the pair of relaxation rollers are configured to capture the slit-sheet material in the partially expanded state against a cover sheet to form the dunnage pad.

7. The dunnage conversion machine according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a housing that supports the pair of gripping rollers, the pair of expansion rollers, and the pair of relaxation rollers;

an opening at an upstream end of the housing configured to receive the slit-sheet material in the unexpanded state from a supply of slit-sheet material; and

a discharge outlet at a downstream end of the housing for delivering the formed dunnage pad.

8. The dunnage conversion machine according to claim 6 , wherein the pair of relaxation rollers are configured to receive a top cover sheet from a supply of top cover sheet material and a bottom cover sheet from a supply of bottom cover sheet material therebetween and on opposing sides of the partially-expanded slit-sheet material.

9. The dunnage conversion machine according to claim 8 , wherein the pair of relaxation rollers are configured to capture the slit-sheet material in the partially expanded state between the top cover sheet and the bottom cover sheet by fixing at least a portion of a periphery of the top cover sheet and at least a portion of a periphery of the bottom cover sheet to each other, with at least a portion of a periphery of the slit-sheet material in the partially expanded state being fixed therebetween.

10. The dunnage conversion machine according to claim 9 , wherein the at least a portion of the periphery of the top cover sheet and the at least a portion of the periphery of the bottom cover sheet each have a cohesive coating thereon and the relaxation rollers are configured to adhere the at least a portion of the periphery of the top cover sheet and the at least a portion of the periphery of the bottom cover sheet to each other by pressing the cohesive-coated portions together.

11. The dunnage conversion machine according to claim 6 , wherein the pair of relaxation rollers are configured to receive a separator sheet from a supply of separator sheet therebetween and between the slit-sheet material and at least one cover sheet.

12. The dunnage conversion machine according to claim 11 , wherein the separator sheet has a width that is less than each of a width of the cover sheet and a width of the slit-sheet material in the partially expanded state.

13. The dunnage conversion machine according to claim 6 , further comprising a cutting device mounted in the dunnage conversion machine downstream of the relaxation rollers, the cutting device being configured to cut the dunnage pad after a desired length has been formed.

14. A system for producing a dunnage pad from a slit-sheet material having a plurality of rows of slits extending across a width dimension of the sheet with adjacent rows laterally offset, the system comprising:

the dunnage conversion machine according to claim 6 ;

a controller configured to maintain the first rotational speed, the second rotational speed, and the third rotational speed; and

a supply of sheet stock material for delivery to the dunnage conversion machine and formation of the dunnage pad.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the supply of sheet stock material includes:

a supply of slit-sheet material for delivery of the slit-sheet material in the unexpanded state between the pair of gripping rollers; and

a supply of cover sheet material for delivery of the cover sheet between the pair of relaxing rollers.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the supply of slit-sheet material and the supply of cover sheet material are provided in the form of a roll.

17. The system according to claim 14 , wherein at least one of the slit-sheet material and the cover sheet material are made of paper.

18. The system according to claim 14 , wherein at least one of the slit-sheet material and the cover sheet material are made of kraft paper.

19. A method for producing a dunnage pad from a slit- sheet material having a plurality of rows of slits extending across a width dimension of the sheet with adjacent rows laterally offset, the method comprising the steps of:

advancing the slit-sheet material in an unexpanded state from a supply in a downstream direction transverse the width dimension at a first rate, wherein the advancing step includes feeding the slit-sheet material in an unexpanded state between a pair of gripping rollers rotating at a first rotational speed to advance the slit-sheet material in a downstream direction;

creating tension in the slit-sheet material transverse the width dimension to cause the slits to open to a fully-expanded state, wherein the creating step includes expanding the slit-sheet material to a fully expanded state by drawing the slit-sheet material between a pair of expansion rollers rotating at a second rotational speed, the second rotational speed being faster than the first rotational speed to create a stretching force on the slit-sheet material in a region between the gripping rollers and the expansion rollers and to further advance the slit-sheet material in the downstream direction as it expands to the fully expanded state; and

reducing the tension in the slit-sheet material after the creating step to cause the slits to relax from the fully-expanded state to a partially-expanded state, wherein the reducing step includes relaxing the slit-sheet material to a partially expanded state by drawing the slit-sheet material between a pair of relaxation rollers rotating at a third rotational speed, the third rotational speed being slower than the second rotational speed to reduce the stretching force on the slit-sheet material in a region between the expansion rollers and the relaxation rollers and to further advance the slit-sheet material in the downstream direction while the reduction of stretching force causes relaxation of the slit-sheet material to the partially expanded state;

connecting the slit-sheet material in the partially-expanded state to at least one cover sheet to form a dunnage pad, wherein the connecting step includes capturing the slit-sheet material in the partially expanded state between a top cover sheet and a bottom cover sheet to form the dunnage pad.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19 , further comprising the step of cutting the dunnage pad after a desired length of dunnage pad has been formed.