Device for providing padding material for packaging purposes, and forming unit for such a device

A device for providing cushioning material for packaging purposes, having a converting unit for turning over at least one lateral edge of a web-type starting material in the direction of a center of the starting material and creating an intermediate product, a housing, and a crumpling mechanism arranged in the housing for crumpling the intermediate product into the cushioning material,

• wherein the housing has one single first coupling portion, which is complementary to a corresponding second coupling portion of the converting unit,
• wherein the converting unit is one of a set of at least two converting units, wherein the converting units of the set all have the same second coupling portion, are mutually interchangeable, can be handled separately from the housing, and can be detachably mounted on the same housing, and wherein the converting units of the set are designed to convert different starting materials,
• wherein the converting unit has at least one first receiving space in which the web-type starting material is converted into the intermediate product and which has a longitudinal extension, a first transverse extension, and a second transverse extension, and wherein the first transverse extension decreases in the direction of the longitudinal extension in at least a portion of the longitudinal extension, and wherein the first receiving space has two lateral portions, seen in the direction of the first transverse extension, wherein each of said lateral portions forms an angle which is greater about 150°,
• wherein the converting unit has a second receiving space arranged in mirror image to the first receiving space about a plane defined by the first transverse extension and the longitudinal extension, wherein the first receiving space and the second receiving space are interconnected by a slot opening extending in the direction of the longitudinal extension, and
• wherein the slot opening is configured so that the web-type starting material of the cushioning material is moved through the slot opening along the longitudinal extension by driving the crumpling mechanism by a motor.