Bubble Wrap
Bubble Wrap is a pliable transparent plastic material commonly used for packing fragile items. Regularly spaced, protruding air-filled hemispheres ("bubbles") provide cushioning for precious or breakable items. Bubble Wrap was created by two engineers, Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes, in 1957. Like many innovations, it was accidental: The two were trying to create a textured plastic wallpaper with paper backing that could be easily cleaned. The term is a registered trademark of the Sealed Air Corporation (US) which was founded in 1960 by those inventors, and should theoretically only be used for products of that company. However, due to the popularity of the brand, the trademark has been genericized. The bubbles that provide the cushioning for fragile or sensitive objects are generally available in different sizes, depending on the size of the object being packed, as well as the level of cushioning protection that is needed. They can be as small as 1/4 inch (6 millimeters) in diameter, to as large as an inch (25 millimeters) or more, to provide added levels of shock absorption during transit. In addition to the degree of protection available from the size of the air bubbles in the plastic, the plastic material itself can offer some forms of protection for the object in question. For example, when shipping sensitive electronic parts and components, a type of Bubble Wrap is used that employs an anti-static plastic that dissipates static charges, thereby protecting the sensitive electronic chips from static which can damage them.
