Swabs, materials and methods of making the same include randomly arranged sea-island bicomponent fibers which have randomly splayed terminal ends. According to certain embodiments, swabs are provide which include an applicator, and sea-island bicomponent fibers attached to the applicator, wherein at least about 70% of the fibers comprise randomly splayed terminal ends of the islands of said bicomponent fibers along a length of about 45% or less from said ends, and wherein the bicomponent fibers comprise 10-3000 island parts per fiber.

Plastic microfluidic structures having a substantially rigid diaphragm that actuates between a relaxed state wherein the diaphragm sits against the surface of a substrate and an actuated state wherein the diaphragm is moved away from the substrate. As will be seen from the following description, the microfluidic structures formed with this diaphragm provide easy to manufacture and robust systems, as well readily made components such as valves and pumps.

Swabs, materials and methods of making same, include randomly arranged sea-island bicomponent fibers. According to certain embodiments, swabs and methods of using such swabs are provided so as to collect and release a biological sample comprising a flock fiber tipped applicator wherein the flock fibers are sea-island bicomponent fibers attached to an end portion of the applicator with an adhesive selected from the group consisting of a photocurable acrylic adhesive and a polyurethane adhesive, the bicomponent fibers being structurally stable in water and the sea component of the bicomponent flock fibers being intact.

A method is provided for fabricating a construction (10) having a functional side (12). The method includes the steps of: supplying a flexible substrate (20); attaching one or more structures (30) to the substrate (20) on a surface or side thereof facing the functional side (12) of the construction (10); and forming one or more features, for example, such as fibrils (39), on at least one of the structures (30), wherein the features have at least one dimension which is at least one of micro-sized or nano-sized.

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

A method of making a spherical sport ball includes forming a casing having a first and a second substantially hemispherical panel component. The first panel component is a first unitary structure and has a first central panel, a first plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the first central panel and having a first plurality of edges, and a plurality of flange areas extending from the first plurality of edges. The second panel component is a second unitary structure and has a second central panel and a second plurality of polygonal peripheral panels adjacent to the second central panel. The method includes joining together the first panel component and the second panel component at a non-linear, circumferential seam between the first and second plurality of polygonal peripheral panels. The method also includes forming a vertex between adjacent ones of the plurality of flange areas.

A method for forming a thermoplastic composite material with continuous fiber reinforcement by stamping. A flat blank comprising a pre-consolidated stack of plies by automatic fiber placement of fibers referred to as the thermoplastic pre-impregnated fibers is obtained. The flat blank is reheated to a temperature greater than or equal to the melting temperature of the thermoplastic polymer making up the matrix of the thermoplastic pre-impregnated fibers. The reheated flat blank is hot stamped and the part formed between the stamping punch and die is consolidated.

At least one embodiment of the inventive technology relates to a snowboard having three cambers, a first of which may be disposed immediately inboard of a first tip section, a second of which may be disposed immediately inboard of a second tip section, and a third of which may be centrally disposed between tip section termina of the snowboard, and between said first and second cambers. The third camber may be part of a centrally disposed rocker.

An apparatus includes a substrate, a dielectric elastomer transducer electrically coupled to the substrate, and a compliant electrically conductive housing coupled to the dielectric elastomer transducer. A portion of the compliant electrically conductive housing projects through an opening defined in a housing. A method is disclosed for making the apparatus.

A dielectric elastomer transducer comprising a first and second ends and first and second electrical terminals connected to the respective first and second ends of the dielectric elastomer transducer is provided. A system also includes a substrate, a conductive flexure with one end attached to the substrate and another end configured to receive a load. A first electrical connector pin is attached to the flexure to receive the first electrical terminal and a second electrical connector pin is attached to the substrate to receive the second electrical terminal. Another system also includes a living hinge flexibly coupling two separate substrates, where at least one of the substrates is movable in response to energizing the dielectric elastomer transducer.