A dental appliance for positioning a patient's teeth includes a removable orthodontic tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities shaped to directly receive at least some of the patient's teeth and apply a resilient positioning force to the patient's teeth. The appliance includes a hard polymer layer having a hard polymer layer elastic modulus disposed between a first soft polymer layer having a first soft polymer layer elastic modulus and a second soft polymer layer having a second soft polymer layer elastic modulus. The hard polymer layer elastic modulus is greater than each of the first soft polymer layer elastic modulus and the second soft polymer layer elastic modulus. At least one of the first soft polymer layer and the second soft polymer layer has a flexural modulus of greater than about 35,000 psi.

A dental appliance for positioning a patient's teeth includes a removable orthodontic tooth positioning appliance having teeth receiving cavities shaped to directly receive at least some of the patient's teeth and apply a resilient positioning force to the patient's teeth. The appliance includes a hard polymer layer having a hard polymer layer elastic modulus disposed between a first soft polymer layer having a first soft polymer layer elastic modulus and a second soft polymer layer having a second soft polymer layer elastic modulus. The hard polymer layer elastic modulus is greater than each of the first soft polymer layer elastic modulus and the second soft polymer layer elastic modulus. At least one of the first soft polymer layer and the second soft polymer layer has a flexural modulus of greater than about 35,000 psi.

Forming systems and assemblies as disclosed herein comprise a composite material comprising a structural component and a resin component combined with the reinforcing component. A forming element is disposed within the composite material and has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than that of the composite material. The forming element is positioned to provide a desired integral structural reinforcement and/or surface feature to the composite. The composite material may comprise one or more passages extending from a surface thereof to the forming element. The composite material may be cured by heat to take a set configuration and then allowed to cool. The cooling of the composite material and the forming element enables the forming element to contract relative to the composite material and become delaminated therefrom to facilitate easy removal, and thereby provide an improved method and assembly for making structural reinforcing features in composite structures.

Forming systems and assemblies as disclosed herein comprise a composite material comprising a structural component and a resin component combined with the reinforcing component. A forming element is disposed within the composite material and has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is greater than that of the composite material. The forming element is positioned to provide a desired integral structural reinforcement and/or surface feature to the composite. The composite material may comprise one or more passages extending from a surface thereof to the forming element. The composite material may be cured by heat to take a set configuration and then allowed to cool. The cooling of the composite material and the forming element enables the forming element to contract relative to the composite material and become delaminated therefrom to facilitate easy removal, and thereby provide an improved method and assembly for making structural reinforcing features in composite structures.

To solve the above problem, a pouch forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a die in which a forming space is recessed inward from a top surface thereof; a partition wall partitioning the forming space into first and second forming spaces; a stripper disposed above the die and configured to descend to contact the die with the pouch film therebetween to fix the pouch film to be seated on a top surface of the die; and an electromagnetic force generation part disposed above the forming space and configured to generate electromagnetic force and configured to apply the electromagnetic force to the forming space.

To solve the above problem, a pouch forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a die in which a forming space is recessed inward from a top surface thereof; a partition wall partitioning the forming space into first and second forming spaces; a stripper disposed above the die and configured to descend to contact the die with the pouch film therebetween to fix the pouch film to be seated on a top surface of the die; and an electromagnetic force generation part disposed above the forming space and configured to generate electromagnetic force and configured to apply the electromagnetic force to the forming space.

The present invention provides a composite structure, a method for its manufacture, a sewn product containing the composite structure, and a method for manufacturing the sewn product. The composite structure comprises a foam layer, a textile layer, a cover layer and a lacquer layer in this order, wherein the foam layer has a density of at most 300 kg/m.sup.3 and contains a polyolefin, the cover layer is thermoplastic and comprises at least two compact sublayers of different composition, each sublayer containing at least one thermoplastic selected from polyolefin and polyvinyl chloride.

The present invention provides a composite structure, a method for its manufacture, a sewn product containing the composite structure, and a method for manufacturing the sewn product. The composite structure comprises a foam layer, a textile layer, a cover layer and a lacquer layer in this order, wherein the foam layer has a density of at most 300 kg/m.sup.3 and contains a polyolefin, the cover layer is thermoplastic and comprises at least two compact sublayers of different composition, each sublayer containing at least one thermoplastic selected from polyolefin and polyvinyl chloride.

A patient securing overlay is provided that includes a sheet of fabric for supporting a patient's torso on a surgical table. The sheet of fabric has an upper surface configured to face the patient and a lower surface configured to face a surgical table mattress or underbody support. The sheet of fabric includes friction enhancing elements applied to at least a portion of the upper surface thereof. The sheet of fabric can include an extension at a foot end of the sheet of fabric that provides material to be tucked under a foot end of the surgical table mattress or underbody support for securing the foot end of the sheet of fabric to the surgical table mattress or underbody support. The extension can include one or more friction enhancing elements.

A resin granule mass including a plurality of resin granules, and a proportion of resin granules to which a magnetic foreign matter of 50 μm or greater is adhered in the plurality of resin granules is 30% or less.