Nozzle With Side and Tip Outlet

Abstract

An flexible structure inflation and sealing assembly that can comprises a driver configured for engaging the flexible structure to drive the structure in a downstream direction longitudinally along a material path and a nozzle configured for reception in an inflation channel that extends through the flexible structure. The nozzle can define a nozzle channel extending therethrough and can have a longitudinal outlet aimed from the body upstream along the path and a lateral outlet disposed downstream of the longitudinal outlet and aimed from the nozzle laterally with respect to the path. The nozzle can have a connection portion configured to connect to a fluid source to deliver the fluid through the channel and expel the fluid from the outlets.

1 . An flexible structure inflation and sealing assembly, comprising:
 a driver configured for engaging the flexible structure to drive the structure in a downstream direction longitudinally along a material path;   a nozzle configured for reception in an inflation channel that extends through the flexible structure, the nozzle defining a nozzle channel extending therethrough and having:   
       a longitudinal outlet aimed from the body upstream along the path; and
   a lateral outlet disposed downstream of the longitudinal outlet and aimed from the nozzle laterally with respect to the path; and   
 the nozzle having a connection portion configured to connect to a fluid source to deliver the fluid through the channel and expel the fluid from the outlets. 
 
     
     
         2 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle includes a longitudinal axis extending along the path, and the longitudinal outlet is aimed from the nozzle generally upstream along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral outlet is disposed along the sidewall of the nozzle. 
     
     
         4 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a fluid source configured to provide pressurized gas to the nozzle. 
     
     
         5 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle tip disposed at the forward most end of the nozzle, and the longitudinal outlet is disposed at the nozzle tip. 
     
     
         6 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal and lateral outlets have areas selected so that up to about 45% of the fluid from the conduit is expelled from the longitudinal outlet. 
     
     
         7 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal outlet has an area that is less than about 80% of the lateral outlet. 
     
     
         8 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is oriented in a longitudinal direction along the material path. 
     
     
         9 . The inflation assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the lateral outlet defines a slot that extends along a portion of a longitudinal length of the nozzle, and the slot has a longitudinal length that is at about 30% of the length of the nozzle in an inflation area. 
     
     
         10 . The inflation assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a cutter assembly configured to slice the flexible structure to allow removal of the inflation channel from the nozzle. 
     
     
         11 . The inflation assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a sealing assembly disposed and configured to seal first and second layers of the flexible structure together to trap the fluid from the nozzle in the inflation channel between the layers from the to provide an inflated cushion. 
     
     
         12 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising the flexible structure, wherein:
 the flexible structure comprises chambers that extends in a transverse direction with respect to, and is in fluid communication with the inflation channel; and   the lateral outlet expels fluid in a transverse direction with respect to the inflation channel to inflate the chambers.   
     
     
         13 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 1 , comprising the fluid source connected with the fluid conduit, wherein the fluid is air. 
     
     
         14 . The inflation and sealing assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal and lateral outlets have relative areas compared to each other so that the fluid expelled from the longitudinal outlet produces an expanded, fluid-pressured column upstream the material path that guides the inflation channel over the nozzle. 
     
     
         15 . An flexible structure inflation and sealing assembly, comprising:
 a driving mechanism configured for advancing the flexible structure downstream along a material path in an inflation direction;   a nozzle configured for reception in an inflation channel that extends through the flexible material, comprising:
 a tip outlet disposed at a distal end of the nozzle and configured to expel fluid to produce an expanded, fluid-pressured column upstream the material path that guides the flexible structure over the nozzle; and 
 a lateral inflation outlet extending longitudinally along the nozzle, and configured to expel fluid in a transverse direction with respect to the nozzle; 
   wherein in the tip and lateral outlets are sized relative to each other so that a majority of the fluid expelled from the nozzle is from the lateral openings.   
     
     
         16 . A method of inflating and sealing an inflatable cushion, comprising:
 directing an inflation channel over an inflation nozzle along a material path in an inflation direction, the inflation channel disposed between first and second layers of a film;   producing a fluid-pressured column in the inflation channel and upstream the material path in a direction opposite the inflation direction from a longitudinal outlet of the inflation nozzle to separate the layers of the film;   expelling fluid in a transverse direction with respect to the inflation channel from lateral outlets extending along the side of the inflation nozzle to inflate chambers within the film with fluid; and   
       sealing the first and second layers to retain the fluid in the chambers.