A welding process of an inflatable product is provided that includes using isolating members between first and second portions of weldable tensioning members to resist the first and second portions of the weldable tensioning structures being welded together during welding of the first portions to a first sheet of weldable material and welding of the second portions to a second sheet of weldable material.

An additional chamber to watercraft that adds both volume and curvature to other compartments or components of the watercraft that are essentially flat is described. The additional chamber provides for modular construction of watercraft for creating volumetric space as well as a curved surface to the outer portion of the watercraft. The chamber advantageously increases the aesthetic appeal of the watercraft as well as provides a surface on which water is discouraged from pooling or collecting on. Various watercrafts having such a chamber are also described.

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 hollow structure for a face mask includes an inner wall, an outer wall spaced from the inner wall to define a hollow area between the inner wall and the outer wall, and a bottom wall that couples the inner wall to the outer wall. A first portion and a second portion together define a closable opening into the hollow area. The second portion is coupled to the outer wall by a bi-stable membrane that allows the second portion to move between (1) a first, opened position in which the second portion is spaced from the first portion to allow access to the hollow area through the opening, and (2) a second, closed position in which the second position abuts the first portion to close the opening.

An internal tensioning structure for use in an inflatable product fulfills the basic function of maintaining two adjacent inflatable surfaces in a desired geometric arrangement when the inflatable product is pressurized. The tensioning structure is formed by connecting a pair of plastic sheets to spaced-apart strands, such as strings or wires. When pulled taut, the strands provide a high tensile strength. At the same time, the plastic sheets facilitate a strong, long-lasting weld between the tensioning structure and the inflatable product.

A sealing device generally includes a rotatable support cylinder having an outer, circumferential surface and a heating element disposed about such surface and secured thereto such that the heating element rotates therewith. The heating element is coiled about the outer surface of the cylinder in the form of an overlapping helical pattern. Juxtaposed film plies may be sealed together by bringing the sealing device into rotational contact with the juxtaposed film plies and heating the heating element to a temperature sufficient to cause the film plies to seal together.

A method includes applying a transferrable material to an outer surface of a casting plate to form a pattern on the outer surface of the casting plate. After applying of the transferrable material, a composite material is applied to the outer surface of the casting plate to form an inflatable membrane. The composite material covers at least a portion of the pattern and includes a florescent material and a pigment material. The inflatable membrane is cured to allow removal of the inflatable membrane from the casting plate. The inflatable membrane has an inner surface having the pattern detectable upon receiving of light causing the fluorescing material to emit florescent light.

The invention relates to a method for the production of a bladder accumulator (10) which separates two media chambers (16, 18) from one another in a storage housing (12) by means of a bladder body (14), comprising at least the following production steps:extruding a plastic tube over the bladder body (14);shaping the plastic tube with the integrated bladder body (14) in a molding tool that corresponds to a predeterminable plastic core container (20), andwinding at least one plastic fiber from the outside on the plastic core container (20) for the purpose of creating the storage housing (12).

An internal tensioning structure for use in an inflatable product fulfills the basic function of maintaining two adjacent inflatable surfaces in a desired geometric arrangement when the inflatable product is pressurized. The tensioning structure is formed by connecting a pair of plastic strips sheets via spaced-apart strands, such as strings or wires. When pulled taut, the strands provide a high tensile strength between the two opposed plastic strips. At the same time, the plastic strips facilitate a strong, long-lasting weld between the tensioning structure and the inflatable product.

A manufacturing method of a seamless strip of the invention includes: filling plastic material into an extruding machine; extruding the plastic material through the extruding machine; forming a thin tubular body; and cutting the thin tubular body to form a seamless strip.