A kirigami structure including a thin flat sheet and a square-shaped array of perforations cut in the sheet. The array includes alternating rows and columns of adjacent orthogonal perforations interconnected via respective ligaments. The array forms a two-dimensional planar surface in a load-free state, and a three-dimensional kirigami surface in a tensile-load state in which a tensile load applied to the sheet causes out-of-plane buckling of the ligaments.

A composite element for the realization of protection devices of parts of the human body includes a matrix, a reinforcing element, at least partially embedded in the matrix, wherein the reinforcing element has at least one opening shaped so as to define an undercut between the matrix and the reinforcing element, such undercut being suitable for determining a mechanical constraint between the matrix and the reinforcement element.

An expandable support member for an article of footwear includes a plurality of expansion components that are joined together. The support member can be expandable between a contracted position and an expanded position. The plurality of expansion components are configured to expand along a non-linear path when the support member moves between the contracted position and the expanded position.

According to some illustrative embodiments, a protective product is provided that includes: at least one expandable slit paper sheet, said at least on expandable slit paper being expanded between opposing ends of said slit paper; a first embossed paper sheet facing said expanded slit paper sheet and a second paper sheet facing an opposite side of said at least one expanded slit paper sheet, at least one of said first embossed paper sheet and said second paper sheet being fixed to said expanded slit paper sheet at the opposing ends of said expanded slit paper sheet and thereby maintaining said expanded paper in its expanded state, said first embossed paper sheet having a plurality of embossings that increase the rigidity of said embossed paper sheet, whereby inhibiting deformation of said embossed paper sheet that is fixed to said expanded slit sheet paper.

A backing sheet for use in a wound dressing, comprising a semipermeable continuous film laminated to an adhesive-coated apertured layer, wherein the apertured layer comprises a solid substrate coated with a medically acceptable adhesive. Also provided is a method of making a backing sheet for use in a wound dressing, said method comprising the steps of: forming an adhesive-coated apertured layer by coating a medically acceptable adhesive onto an apertured solid substrate, followed by laminating the adhesive-coated apertured layer to a semipermeable continuous film.

An expandable support member for an article of footwear includes a plurality of expansion components that are joined together. The support member can be expandable between a contracted position and an expanded position. The plurality of expansion components are configured to expand along a non-linear path when the support member moves between the contracted position and the expanded position.

An article of apparel includes a base layer and an auxetic layer. The base layer includes a four way stretch material. The auxetic layer is coupled to the base layer and includes an auxetic structure defining a repeating pattern of voids. The base layer is exposed by at least one void of the auxetic layer.

An extensible slit sheet paper product is produced having an expandable slit pattern that forms open cells upon expansion of the paper product. The paper product is an extensible paper having an extensibility in the range from 1-9% in the machine direction and 1-5% in the cross direction. The expansion produces an array of hexagonal cells. The expanded extensible paper can be used to wrap an object for shipping by wrapping and cushioning the object in the expanded slit sheet material. The extensible, expandable slit sheet paper can be wrapped around itself to produce a void fill product.

In the preferred embodiments, the present invention provides substantially improved slit sheet cushioning products by advantageously combining novel paper properties with novel slit patterns for improved features and characteristics. In some illustrative and non-limiting example embodiments, cushioning products of the present invention can include, e.g., a novel slit sheet material in combination with extensible paper employed as, e.g., a cushioning pad or as cushioning within an envelope product, wherein the cushioning product can be substantially more resilient, but, yet, e.g., thinner for better utilization of space.

A metallic foil for lightning strike protection in a composite aerospace structure having a length, a width, and a thickness of not more than 30 microns. There are a plurality of pores of a predefined geometric shape extending through the thickness of the metallic foil and being distributed across a surface area defined by the length and the width of the metallic foil. The plurality of pores in the aggregate define an open area of not more than 40% of the surface area and the metallic foil has a weight of not more than 115 g/m.sup.2. The metallic foil has a weight to conductivity ratio of not more than 0.40 gram-ohms per square.