An item may be formed from structures that include holes. Stitching may be used to form a seam that joins the structures. The stitching may be formed from a chain stitch that passes through the holes. The holes may be formed from loops of knit fabric or other holes. Leather layers, polymer layers, fabric layers, and other structures with holes may be joined using the stitching. During fabrication, a layer of material with holes may be placed on an adjustable-shape fixture having a bed of needles. The shape of the bed of nails in the adjustable-shape fixture may then be changed. After the fixture has been used to transform the shape of one or more of the structures, the structures may be placed on needles in an assembly fixture and the stitching between the structures may be formed. The item may be an electronic device cover or other item.

A composite laminate structure includes one or more layers of prepreg and a thermoplastic polyurethane film layer on the surface of the one or more prepregs. A method of making a composite laminate structure including a thermoplastic polyurethane film is also provided.

The present invention relates to the manufacturing equipment for web materials comprising fibers and particulate material, to a process of operating such an equipment and to particular materials resulting therefrom. Coaxially meltblown fibres are combined with a stream of particulate or short fiber material and the resulting commingled mixture is deposited onto a collector. The meltblown fibers are formed by nozzles which are divided into two or more sub-arrays configured to produce two or more different types of fiber, having e.g. different diameters and/or polymer composition.

Methods for stretch-forming a thermoplastic film comprises: stretching the thermoplastic film between a first roller and a second roller, wherein the first the roller rotates at a first peripheral velocity and the second roller rotates at a second peripheral velocity that is higher than the first peripheral velocity; and advancing the thermoplastic film from the second roller to a third roller, wherein the third roller rotates at a third peripheral velocity that is lower than the second peripheral velocity, wherein a ratio of the third peripheral velocity to the second peripheral velocity is no larger than 0.95. The resulting breathable thermoplastic films may have a basis weight of no larger than 15 g/m.sup.2 and a shrinkage of no larger than 5%.

A multi-layered product having an embossed interior layer is disclosed along with a method of making the product. The multi-layered product has a first layer with an interior surface, a second layer with an interior surface, and a third layer sandwiched between the first and second layers. The third layer has a first surface and a second surface, and has a thickness there between. The third layer is embossed into a waffle pattern having a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of recesses. Each of the plurality of protrusions and recesses is adjacently aligned and horizontally offset from one another. The plurality of protrusions form a horizontal plane, at the first surface, which is positioned above a horizontal plane formed by the plurality of recesses, at the first surface. The product also has an adhesive which secures the three layers together.

According to exemplary inventive practice, a personal armor system includes a textile-based layer not exceeding ½-half-inch thickness, and an elastomeric coating not exceeding ⅛-inch thickness. The textile-based layer includes a fiber reinforcement and a resin binder. The combined areal density of the textile-based layer and the elastomeric coating does not exceed 2.5 psf. According to a first mode of inventive practice, the elastomeric coating is essentially a strain-rate-sensitivity-hardening elastomer, and the areal density of the textile-based layer does not exceed 2.3 psf. According to a second mode of inventive practice, the elastomeric coating is essentially a microparticle-filled strain-rate-sensitivity-hardening elastomeric matrix material, and the areal density of the textile-based layer does not exceed 1.7 psf. The microparticles (e.g., spherical glass microparticles) do not exceed, by weight, 30 percent of the strain-rate-sensitivity-hardening elastomeric matrix material. The textile-based layer affords ballistic protection; the elastomeric coating affords protection against sharp/pointed objects.

A barrier material for a containment system comprising: a first portion of polymeric material having an open structure defined by a plurality of small openings to function as a fine screen, the first portion of polymeric material being formed from a plurality of fibrous materials and being configured to form a static structure having a display surface; and a second portion attached to a second surface of the first portion, the second portion having an open structure defined by a plurality openings to function as a reinforcing member for the first portion; wherein the display surface of the first portion is configured to receive and retain a printed image thereon.

Provided are a multi-layered composite film that may be thermally-bonded to a fabric by using a hot melt adhesive that is dot-coated on the surface thereof, and a method of manufacturing the same. In particular, the present invention relates to: a thermally-bondable multi-layered composite film which can be used in the manufacture of outdoor clothing, has excellent breathability and waterproofing properties, and can simplify the process of manufacturing the outdoor clothing; and to a method for manufacturing same.

Methods of making bearings using pressure sensitive macromolecular adhesive polymers and pressure sensitive polymer compositions capable of integrating fluoropolymeric properties with a catechol-amine functionality to form an adhesive system that allows bonding between metallic substrates and fluoropolymers are disclosed. Also disclosed are core-shell polymeric particles comprised of a core and a shell comprising a thermoplastic polydopamine polymer that may be prepared as a colloidal suspension and used as a hot-melt pressure sensitive adhesive capable of binding low surface energy materials, such as polyolefins and fluoropolymers, to diverse materials including metals in making bearings and/or bearing components.

A composite cooling film includes a reflective microporous layer that comprises a continous phase comprising an organic polymer, an ultraviolet-absorbing layer of organic polymeric material that is disposed outwardly of the reflective microporous layer, and an anti soiling layer being disposed outwardly of the reflective microporous layer.