Before back molding, the planar decorative element is provided with through-holes. At least in the area of the through-holes, a film is applied to the rear of the planar decorative element. When a plastic melt is introduced, for example by way of injection molding or extruding, the pressure of the plastic melt presses the film into said through-holes. The component is used, in particular, to produce an illuminable field, for example, of a door sill protector of a motor vehicle.

A system and method for forming a composite part. The apparatus comprises a sleeve that molds a composite material. The sleeve has a first face and a second face. The second face has features to mold the composite material. The first face comprises a first inclined surface having an angle less than about 90 degrees and greater than about 0 degrees.

This disclosure relates to swellable needles that include a proximal end portion and a swellable distal end portion. Upon exposure to a liquid, the needles are configured to undergo a shape change from a first configuration in which the width of the needle is tapered from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion to a second configuration in which the distal end portion is more swollen than the proximal end portion. The swellable needles can be double layer swellable needles or single material swellable needles.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a wearable article assembled by a front belt, a back belt, and a central chassis, the central chassis having a front waist region and a back waist region separated from each other by a crotch region, wherein at least one of the front belt and the back belt is formed by an elastic belt, the methodmay comprise making the elastic belt and joining to the central chassis by the steps of: 1) advancing a first layer of continuous sheet having a first surface and an opposing second surface in a machine direction and defining a width in a cross machine direction; 2) advancing a second layer of continuous sheet having a first surface and an opposing second surface in the machine direction and having a smaller width than the first layer of continuous sheet; 3) advancing a first group of elastic bodies in the machine direction in a stretched state; 4) joining the first group of elastic bodies between the first surface of the first layer and the first surface of the second layer of continuous sheets to form a primary elastic belt precursor; 5) advancing a second group of elastic bodies in the machine direction in a stretched state; 6) joining the second group of elastic bodies to the first surface of the first layer of continuous sheet of the primary elastic belt precursor; 7) joining the central chassis to the second surface of the second layer of continuous sheet; and 8) folding the first layer of continuous sheet to form a first layer fold over of continuous sheet, such that at least one of the second group of elastic bodies is directly joined between the first surface of the first layer of continuous sheet and the first surface of the first layer fold over of continuous sheet.

A method of manufacturing a wearable article is disclosed. The method includes advancing a first layer of continuous sheet and a second layer of discrete continuous sheet having a smaller width than the first layer of continuous sheet; intermittently joining a first group of elastic bodies between the first layer of continuous sheet and the second layer of discrete continuous sheet; joining a second group of elastic bodies to the first layer of continuous sheets outward of the second layer of discrete continuous sheet; joining a center chassis with the first layer of continuous sheet and overlapping the first group of elastic bodies not joined to the first layer of continuous sheet; folding the first layer of continuous sheet to form a first layer fold over, wherein the first layer fold over overlaps the second group of elastic bodies, the center chassis, and the second layer of discrete continuous sheet.

Polymeric stents having fracture toughness and resistance to recoil after deployment are disclosed along with methods of manufacturing such stents. Improvements to mechanical characteristics and other improvements may be achieved by having polymer chains within individual stent struts oriented in a direction that is closer to or in line with the axis of the individual stent struts. The struts are connected to each other by hinge elements that are configured to bend during crimping and deployment of the stent. Ring struts form ring structures. A ring structure can have an overall curvilinear length from about 12 mm to about 15 mm.

Drive shafts having helical blades and methods of making are disclosed. In one method a helical auger blade is formed by twisting or sculpting a heated polymer tube which has been placed over a cylindrical drive shaft. In another method a drive shaft is placed within a helical winding and heat is applied to melt polymer which has been coated over one or both of the drive shaft and helical winding.

A process for producing a nonwoven web material with improved edge quality, and the product thereof, are disclosed. The process may include the steps of forming a batt of polymeric fibers; consolidating the batt in a z-direction and thereby forming a nonwoven web material, conveying the nonwoven web material to a nip between a bonding roller and anvil roller, and impressing a pattern of bond impressions into the nonwoven web material, the bond impressions lying along a cut path. When the web is subsequently cut along the cut path, fibers proximate the cut path are immobilized by the bonds, providing for relatively neater, cleaner cut edges and reducing the number of loose fibers that may be released into the plant environment in downstream processing operations.

Apparatus and methods for achieving a high strength bonded joint between a stub connector and a shaft.

A method for bonding at low or room temperature includes steps of surface cleaning and activation by cleaning or etching. The method may also include removing by-products of interface polymerization to prevent a reverse polymerization reaction to allow room temperature chemical bonding of materials such as silicon, silicon nitride and SiO.sub.2. The surfaces to be bonded are polished to a high degree of smoothness and planarity. VSE may use reactive ion etching or wet etching to slightly etch the surfaces being bonded. The surface roughness and planarity are not degraded and may be enhanced by the VSE process. The etched surfaces may be rinsed in solutions such as ammonium hydroxide or ammonium fluoride to promote the formation of desired bonding species on the surfaces.