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.

A stretch material according to one embodiment is a stretch material 10 including an elastomer and having multiple discretely formed slits 15. A stretchable member includes: a stretch part having a structure in which the skin layer of the stretch material 10 is plastically deformed; and a shape retaining part by which the layer structure of the stretch material 10 is maintained. A diaper, which is one example of a clothing product, includes the stretch material 10 or the abovementioned stretchable member.

Void structures, systems and devices with void structures, and methods of fabricating void structures are disclosed. A void structure is disclosed with a repeating elongated-aperture pattern designed to provide negative Poisson's Ratio behavior under macroscopic stress and strain loading. The pattern can include horizontal and vertical elliptically shaped apertures that are arranged on horizontal and vertical lines in a way that the lines are equally spaced in both dimensions. The centers of each aperture is on a crossing point of two of the lines. The vertical and horizontal elliptically shaped apertures alternate on the vertical and horizontal lines such that any vertical aperture is surrounded by horizontal apertures along the lines (and vice versa), and the next vertical apertures are found on both diagonals. The voids can also act as cooling and/or damping holes and, due to their arrangement, also as stress reduction features.

A method for making a vehicle seat cushion component includes a step of providing a viewable surface component having a first set of alignment features, the viewable surface component having a central section, a first flanking section and a second flanking section. A first side of a central foam panel is attached to the viewable surface component with a first flanking foam component separated from a central foam component to define a first gap and a second flanking foam component separated from the central foam component to define a second gap. A support foam panel is sewn to the central foam panel. The support foam panel includes a second set of attachment features and defines a plurality of slots that allow a removable component to be inserted between the central foam panel and the support foam panel after the components are sewn together.

A diaper includes a liquid permeable topsheet including a patterned apertured nonwoven material. The patterned apertured nonwoven material includes a plurality of land areas in the patterned apertured nonwoven material and a plurality of apertures defined in the patterned apertured nonwoven material. At least some land areas of the plurality of land areas surround at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures. The plurality of apertures are non-homogeneous in a repeat unit such that at least two apertures of the plurality of apertures have a different size or a different shape.

An auxetic metamaterial including a plurality of interconnected building blocks that are deformable between a collapsed position and an expanded position upon the application of a load. The building blocks are bistable, and define a stable state in both the collapsed position and the expanded position. In the stable state, the building blocks maintain the collapsed position or the expanded position, even after removal of the load applied on the building block.

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 patterned apertured web is disclosed. The patterned apertured web includes a plurality of land areas in the patterned apertured web and a plurality of apertures defined in the patterned apertured web. At least some land areas of the plurality of land areas surround at least some apertures of the plurality of apertures. The patterned apertured web has an Effective Open Area in the range of about 3% to about 30%, according to the Aperture Test herein. The plurality of apertures include a first set of apertures defining a first shape and a second set of apertures defining a second shape. The first shape is positioned within the second shape.

Briefly, a variety of embodiments of composite materials including part fabrication using composite materials is described.

A method for making a vehicle seat cushion component includes a step of providing a viewable surface component having a first set of alignment features, the viewable surface component having a central section, a first flanking section and a second flanking section. A first side of a central foam panel is attached to the viewable surface component with a first flanking foam component separated from a central foam component to define a first gap and a second flanking foam component separated from the central foam component to define a second gap. A support foam panel is sewn to the central foam panel. The support foam panel includes a second set of attachment features and defines a plurality of slots that allow a removable component to be inserted between the central foam panel and the support foam panel after the components are sewn together.