Webs of preformed bags with expandable sheet cushioning

Abstract

A web of preformed bags includes an exterior sheet material and an expandable slit sheet material. The exterior sheet material and an expandable slit sheet material are coupled along longitudinal seams. The expandable slit sheet material has slits arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal seams. The web has a longitudinal fold such that the expandable slit sheet material is on the inner side of the exterior sheet material. The longitudinal fold is substantially parallel to the longitudinal seams. When the expandable slit sheet material is in an unexpanded form, the exterior sheet material extends farther away from the longitudinal seams than the expandable slit sheet material extends from the longitudinal seams. The expandable slit sheet material in each of the bags is expandable from the unexpanded form to an expanded form.

1 . A web of preformed bags, the web comprising:
 an exterior sheet material; and   an expandable slit sheet material coupled to the exterior sheet material along longitudinal seams, wherein the expandable slit sheet material has slits arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal seams;   wherein the web has a longitudinal fold such that the expandable slit sheet material is on an inner side of the exterior sheet material, and wherein the longitudinal fold is substantially parallel to the longitudinal seams;   wherein, when the expandable slit sheet material is in an unexpanded form, the exterior sheet material extends farther away from the longitudinal seams than the expandable slit sheet material extends from the longitudinal seams; and   wherein the expandable slit sheet material in each of the bags is expandable from the unexpanded form to an expanded form.   
     
     
         2 . The web of  claim 1 , wherein portions of the exterior sheet material on either side of the longitudinal fold are coupled together to form transverse seams. 
     
     
         3 . The web of  claim 2 , wherein a closed longitudinal edge of the web at the longitudinal fold forms bottoms of the bags, an open longitudinal edge of the web between the longitudinal seams forms open tops of the bags, and the transverse seams form sides of the bags. 
     
     
         4 . The web of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 lines of weakness in the longitudinal seams on either side of one of the bags, wherein the lines of weakness can be broken to remove the one of the bags from the web.   
     
     
         5 . The web of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first connecting material on an inner surface of the exterior sheet material proximate the longitudinal fold; and   a second connecting material on an outer surface of the expandable slit sheet material at a location corresponding to the first connecting material on the exterior sheet material.   
     
     
         6 . The web of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second connecting materials are complimentary parts of a binary adhesive that, upon at least one of contact or pressure applied between the first and second connecting materials, cause the first and second connecting materials to be adhered together. 
     
     
         7 . The web of  claim 6 , wherein, when the first and second connecting materials are adhered together, the first and second connecting materials cause the expandable slit sheet material to remain in the expanded form. 
     
     
         8 . The web of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable slit sheet material includes one or more transverse pleats in one of the bags. 
     
     
         9 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The web of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an interior sheet material coupled to the exterior sheet material and the expandable slit sheet material at the longitudinal seams such that the expandable slit sheet material is located between the interior sheet material and the exterior sheet material.   
     
     
         12 . The web of  claim 11 , wherein the interior sheet material includes longitudinal pleats such that allow the interior sheet material is in an unexpanded form. 
     
     
         13 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The web of  claim 11 , wherein the interior sheet material is a multi-part interior sheet material. 
     
     
         16 . The web of  claim 15 , wherein the multi-part interior sheet material comprises:
 upper parts coupled to the expandable slit sheet material at the longitudinal seams; and   a lower part is folded such that the lower part substantially conforms to the expandable slit sheet material at the longitudinal fold.   
     
     
         17 . The web of  claim 16 , wherein the lower part is capable of moving with respect to the upper parts. 
     
     
         18 . The web of  claim 17 , wherein the multi-part interior sheet material further comprises:
 a third connecting material located on lower ends of the upper parts; and   a fourth connecting material located on upper ends of the lower part.   
     
     
         19 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The web of  claim 1 , wherein each of the exterior sheet material, the expandable slit sheet material, and the interior sheet material is made from a fiber-based material. 
     
     
         22 . The web of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable slit sheet material in each of the bags is separately expandable to the expanded form. 
     
     
         23 . The web of  claim 1 , wherein the expandable slit sheet material includes a first transverse seam, wherein portions of a first transverse side of the expandable slit sheet material are coupled together by the first transverse seam. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The web of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second expandable slit sheet material coupled to the expandable slit sheet material and to the exterior sheet material along the longitudinal seams, wherein the second expandable slit sheet material has slits arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal seams.   
     
     
         26 . The web of  claim 25 , wherein the second expandable slit sheet material includes a second transverse seam that couples portions of the second expandable slit sheet material to each other. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The web of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the expandable slit sheet material includes a first transverse seam;   the second expandable slit sheet material includes a second transverse seam; and   the first transverse seam and the second transverse seam are offset from each other such that, when the expandable slit sheet material and the second expandable slit sheet material are in the expanded form, the expandable slit sheet material provides cushioning where the second expandable slit sheet material has the second longitudinal seam and the second expandable slit sheet material provides cushioning where the expandable slit sheet material has the first longitudinal seam.