Compression belt for inflation and sealing devices

A protective packaging formation device, comprising:

• an inflation assembly directing fluid between overlapping plies of a flexible web material to inflate chambers between the plies;
• a heating assembly operable to heat the plies of the web material to create a heat seal that seals the plies together to seal the fluid in the chambers;
• and
• a drive mechanism driving the web material along a path in a downstream direction through the heating assembly such that the heat seal is continuously created as the web material is driven in the downstream direction, the drive mechanism including a first drive component having a first grip surface that grips the web material adjacent the heating assembly and a second drive component having a second surface, the first grip surface providing a significantly higher grip than the second surface.

A protective packaging formation device, comprising:

• an inflation assembly directing fluid between overlapping plies of a flexible web material to inflate chambers between the plies;
• a heating assembly operable to heat the plies of the web material to create a heat seal that seals the plies together to seal the fluid in the chambers;
• and
• a drive mechanism driving the web material along a path in a downstream direction through the heating assembly such that the heat seal is continuously created as the web material is driven in the downstream direction, the drive mechanism including a drive component having a high grip surface that grips the web material adjacent the heating assembly, wherein the heating assembly and the drive mechanism cooperatively define a first curve in the path therebetween that is curved in a first direction, such that the high grip surface adjacent the heating assembly is curved in the first direction.