Expanded slit sheet void fill dispensing systems and methods

A dispenser for void fill material, comprising:

• a roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• a support for holding the roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• an outlet arranged proximate the roll of expandable slit sheet material and arranged such that an end of the roll extends through said outlet, said outlet having a maximum cross dimension that is substantially smaller than the width of the expandable slit sheet material and being configured to provide frictional resistance to the roll such as to cause the roll of expandable slit sheet material to expand into an expanded state with open cells;
• wherein the dispenser is configured for automated operation and includes a plurality of rollers configured to move the expandable slit sheet material through said outlet;
• and
• wherein the plurality of rollers include at least one roller pair downstream of the outlet having mechanical elements that grip the slits of the expandable slit sheet material.

A dispenser for void fill material, comprising:

• a roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• a support for holding the roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• an outlet arranged proximate the roll of expandable slit sheet material and arranged such that an end of the roll extends through said outlet, said outlet having a maximum cross dimension that is substantially smaller than the width of the expandable slit sheet material and being configured to provide frictional resistance to the roll such as to cause the roll of expandable slit sheet material to expand into an expanded state with open cells;
• wherein the outlet has a configuration that is substantially D-shape.

A dispenser for void fill material, comprising:

• a roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• a support for holding the roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• an outlet arranged proximate the roll of expandable slit sheet material and arranged such that an end of the roll extends through said outlet, said outlet having a maximum cross dimension that is substantially smaller than the width of the expandable slit sheet material and being configured to provide frictional resistance to the roll such as to cause the roll of expandable slit sheet material to expand into an expanded state with open cells;
• and
• wherein said outlet includes at least a portion that is movable such as to adjust the size or shape of the outlet.

A dispenser for void fill material, comprising:

• a roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• a support for holding the roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• an outlet arranged proximate the roll of expandable slit sheet material and arranged such that an end of the roll extends through said outlet, said outlet having a maximum cross dimension that is substantially smaller than the width of the expandable slit sheet material and being configured to provide frictional resistance to the roll such as to cause the roll of expandable slit sheet material to expand into an expanded state with open cells;
• and
• wherein said outlet includes a reciprocating, articulating, sliding, or pivoting member that is adapted to be secured at a plurality of positions in order to adjust the size or shape of the outlet.

A dispenser for expanding and dispensing an expandable slit sheet material into expanded tubular shape void fill material, comprising:

• a coreless roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• a box or housing container, said coreless roll being supported by said container;
• said container having an exit opening aligned with a center axis of said roll, whereby expandable slit sheet material is removed laterally from an interior of said roll and through said exit opening;
• wherein said expandable slit sheet material is an expandable slit sheet paper having a weight, prior to expansion, within a range from 30 to 60 pounds per 3,000 square feet;
• wherein said expandable slit sheet paper has a plurality of slits, each of said plurality of slits having a width within a range from 0.35 to 0.65 inches;
• wherein said exit opening has a dimension across said outlet of less than 4 inches;
• wherein said exit opening is made with a rigid material that imparts the frictional resistance to said expandable slit sheet paper when the expandable slit sheet paper is pulled downstream of the exit opening such as to cause the expandable slit sheet paper to expand into said open cells without tearing the expandable slit sheet paper;
• wherein the entire perimeter of said exit opening is free of sharp edges such that the expandable slit sheet paper freely flows through the exit opening without tearing of the expandable slit sheet paper;
• wherein the exit opening has an arcuate perimeter region extending concavely around a portion of the exit opening that allows the expandable slit sheet material to be moved around an axis of the exit opening such as to slide along the arcuate perimeter region with components of sliding movement both parallel to said axis of the exit opening and tangential to said axis of the exit opening around the arcuate perimeter region;
• and
• wherein said arcuate perimeter region extends concavely around at least ⅓ of the perimeter of the exit opening.

A method, comprising:

• a) providing a dispenser for expandable slit sheet material comprising:
• a coreless roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• a box or housing container, said coreless roll being supported by said container;
• said container having an exit opening aligned with a center axis of said roll, whereby expandable slit sheet material is removed laterally from an interior of said roll and through said exit opening;
• b) shipping the dispenser for expandable slit sheet material with a core placed in and located within the center of the roll;
• and
• c) prior to dispensing expandable slit sheet material from said exit opening, removing the core from the box or housing.

A method for expanding expandable slit sheet material into expanded tubular shape void fill, comprising:

• A) providing a dispenser for expandable slit sheet material, comprising:
• a) a roll of expandable slit sheet material;
• b) a container or support supporting said roll, said container or support having an exit opening proximate a longitudinal end of said roll, whereby expandable slit sheet material is removable from a longitudinal end of the roll and through said exit opening;
• and
• c) said exit opening being configured such as to provide frictional resistance to the roll such as to cause the roll of expandable slit sheet material to expand into an expanded state with open cells;
• and
• B) automatically or manually pulling the expandable slit sheet material downstream of said exit opening with said exit opening imparting frictional resistance to said expandable slit sheet material causing the expandable slit sheet material to expand into said open cells without tearing the expandable slit sheet paper such that expandable slit sheet material expands into expanded tubular shape void fill.

A method of shipping and dispensing a void fill product with a dispenser for expandable slit sheet material comprising a coreless roll of expandable slit sheet material, a box or housing container, said coreless roll being supported by said container, said container having an exit opening aligned with a center axis of said roll, whereby expandable slit sheet material is removed laterally from an interior of said roll and through said exit opening, the method comprising:

• a) inserting the roll of expandable slit sheet material wound on a removable core into the box, said roll being supported by said box;
• b) said box having at least a first and a second flap at one end of the box, said first and second flap closing said one end of the box for shipping;
• c) said core member being located within the center of the roll;
• d) prior to dispensing expandable slit sheet material from said exit opening, opening said first and said second flap and removing the core from the box;
• e) said box having an exit opening in at least one of said first and said second flap, said exit opening being aligned with a center axis of said roll, whereby expandable slit sheet material is removable from an interior of said roll and through said exit opening;
• and
• f) withdrawing expandable slit sheet material through said exit opening and expanding said expandable slit sheet material.