Described is a venting device including a flexible outer covering defining an outer surface and an inner surface, a set oc of helicoidal venting strips, and a set of helicoidal buffers. The outer covering has a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis therebetween. Each venting strip is anchored to the inner surface and extends substantially between the first end and the second end and the set of venting strips is arranged substantially helicoidal and defines a set of helicoidal seams therebetween. The set of helicoidal buffers includes a buffer covering an inner opening of each seam of the set of helicoidal seams where eachbuffer is configured to shield the inner opening of the corresponding seam from penetration and each buffer is anchored to at least one of the outer covering and a neighbouring venting strip of the set of venting strips.

Described is laminate of a stack of mutually bonded adhesive layers and metal layers. An outer metal layer has spliced metal sheets having overlapping end parts and/or abutting metal sheet edges extending in a first and a different second planar direction of the laminate to define first and second splice lines. Connected to an outer surface are first and second splice straps covering the first and second splice lines. A lateral edge part of each splice strap has a lower bending stiffness than the bending stiffness of the outer metal layer sheets, the edge part being defined as extending from an outer lateral edge of a splice strap over a lateral distance of at least 5 times the edge part average thickness. The laminate may be used for making large structural components, such as a wing or fuselage of an aircraft.

An impact-absorbing assembly includes a covering layer being one or more of artificial turf, rubber mats, polymer mats, short pile carpeting, particulate infill, wood chips, and ground rubber chips. Also included is a layer of underlayment panels positioned beneath the covering layer. The panels have a panel section with a plurality of drain holes formed therethrough. A top surface of the panels is configured to support the covering layer. A bottom surface of the panels has a plurality of bottom projections that cooperate to define bottom channels suitable to permit water flow across the bottom surface, the bottom channels being in fluid communication with the panel drain holes. The bottom projections define a first spring rate characteristic that is part of a first stage and a second spring rate characteristic is part of a second stage, the first stage having a smaller volume of material than the second stage.

A method of making expanded fluoropolymer articles thermally bonds portions of expanded fluoropolymers together, without using an adhesive or crushing force, to produce stronger bonds at the joint between the expanded fluoropolymers than the bonds within the constituent expanded fluoropolymers. The method involves placing the portions of expanded fluoropolymers to be thermally bonded together in intimate contact with each other after wet-stretching the expanded fluoropolymers, and removing the wetting agent used to wet-stretch the expanded fluoropolymers, without subsequent expansion or stretching, to yield an expanded fluoropolymer article exhibiting unexpected and superior properties that can be used in a variety of medical and industrial applications.

A component for a vehicle interior is disclosed. The component may comprise a structural substrate comprising a fiber panel and a structure comprising a resin. The fiber panel may comprise a thickness along a periphery; the structure may comprise a border of the structural substrate along the thickness of the periphery of the fiber panel. The periphery of the fiber panel may comprise an edge; the structure may be formed on the edge. The fiber panel may comprise a compression-formed fiber panel. The fiber panel may comprise a plurality of fibers and a resin configured to bind the fibers. The structure may comprise a feature providing an ancillary component; the feature may comprise a molded resin. The structure may be formed in a hole in the fiber panel. The component may comprise at least one of a center console; floor console; door panel; instrument panel; headliner; overhead console; sun visor.

A structural reinforcement for an article including a carrier that includes: (i) a mass of polymeric material having an outer surface; and (is) at least one consolidated fibrous insert having an outer surface and including at least one elongated fiber arrangement having a plurality of ordered fibers arranged in a predetermined manner. The fibrous insert is envisioned to adjoin the mass of the polymeric material in a predetermined location for carrying a predetermined load that is subjected upon the predetermined location (thereby effectively providing localized reinforcement to that predetermined location). The fibrous insert and the mass of polymeric material are of compatible materials, structures or both, for allowing the fibrous insert to be at least partially joined to the mass of the polymeric material. Disposed upon at least a portion of the carrier will be a mass of activatable material.

This invention provides a tape set capable of increasing the portion (share) for tape pieces in a base paper in the shaping of tape pieces. A tape set 1 includes at least one tape T1 and at least one tape T2, each extending in the longitudinal direction. The tape T1 and tape T2 each include a wavy part W having one or more basic components K, both side edges of which having an outward-facing convex shape from a first bottom point P to a second bottom point P via a vertex Q. The tape T1 and tape T2 are arranged in a width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction so that the wavy parts W of the tape T1 and tape T2 are adjoined to each other. The tape T1 further includes a section T1-1 that continues from an edge of the wavy part W on one end side.

A trim component for a vehicle interior is disclosed. The trim component may comprise a fiber panel comprising a compression-formed component and a structure comprising a resin. The compression-formed component may provide a structural substrate. The structure may comprise a border (e.g. edge, dimensionally accurate border, etc.); the structure may comprise a molded feature (e.g. rib, ridge, edge, ancillary component, etc.) configured to reinforce and/or support the fiber panel. The fiber panel may comprise a resin to bond the fibers; the structure comprising a resin (e.g. injection-molded plastic/material) may be bonded to the fiber panel. The trim component may comprise a cover for the structural substrate provided by the compression-formed component.

A trim component for a vehicle interior is disclosed. The trim component may comprise a fiber panel comprising a compression-formed component and a structure comprising a resin. The compression-formed component may provide a structural substrate. The structure may comprise a molded resin feature for the structural substrate formed in at least one hole of the fiber panel. The structure may reinforce the structural substrate. The structure may also comprise a border. The fiber panel may comprise structural fibers and a resin. The structural fibers may comprise at least one of natural fibers; synthetic fibers; glass fibers; carbon fibers; polymeric fibers. The resin may comprise at least one of thermoplastic resin; polypropylene; acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; polycarbonate; thermoset resin; epoxy; polyimide; polyester; vinylester. The component may comprise at least one of a center console; a floor console; a door panel; an instrument panel; a headliner; an overhead console; a sun visor.

A hermetic seal between an optical element and a metal mount or housing using a fluoropolymer. The fluoropolymer is dispersed along the interior edge of the metal mount. The metal mount and fluoropolymer are then heated to a temperature exceeding the melting point of the fluoropolymer. Once heated the optical element is pressed into the metal mount and allowed to cool. The metal mount, optical element and thickness of fluoropolymer are sized to provide an interference fit between the metal mount and optical element.