The present invention provides means for improving bondability between a vehicle seat core and a cushion in a vehicle seat pad formed by integration of them without significantly impairing mechanical properties. A vehicle seat core is characterized in that it is a vehicle seat core for forming a vehicle seat pad by integration with a cushion, which comprises a foamed resin molded body obtained by filling a cavity of a mold with a plurality of foamed resin particles and performing in-mold foam molding, and that at least a partial region of a surface of the foamed resin molded body to which the cushion is bonded when forming the vehicle seat pad has a surface expansion rate of 40% to 85%, and the foamed resin molded body has a first fusion rate of 95% or more or a second fusion rate of 60% or more.

Described are methods for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such a method, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. According to an aspect of the invention, a method for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, is provided which includes loading a mold with a first material which includes particles of an expanded material, and, during loading the mold, pre-heating the particles by supplying energy, wherein the energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

There is provided a vehicle seat core member that is superior in terms of a dimensional accuracy as well as integrity of a thermoplastic resin expanded beads molded body and a frame member. A vehicle seat core member (100) is formed as an integrally molded article of a thermoplastic resin expanded beads molded body (10) and a frame member (20), the thermoplastic resin expanded beads molded body (10) is formed of thermoplastic resin expanded beads (30) having through holes (32), and a porosity of the thermoplastic resin expanded beads molded body (10) is 10 vol % or more and 40 vol % or less.

Described are methods for manufacturing a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such methods, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. The method for the manufacture of a plastic component includes loading a mold with a first material includes particles of an expanded material and fusing the surfaces of the particles by supplying energy. The energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the disclosed methods comprise selectively depositing a binding material on foam particles in a target area such that the binding material coats at least a portion of defining surfaces of the foam particles with the binding material. The binding material is then cured to affix foam particles in the target area to one another. In various aspects, the disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that differential levels of affixing between the foam particles, and thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A method of making molded foam articles and the articles produced. A molded foam article is produced by heating or preheating the mold to a temperature at or above the glass transition or melt temperature of the particles to be molded. Foamed particles are then introduced into the mold. The particle filled mold is then subjected to a vacuum to stabilize the molded article, without application of any additional heating or cooling. The molded article is then removed from the mold at a temperature at or below the glass transition temperature of the particles, and the cycle repeated to form multiple molded articles.

Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the disclosed methods comprise selectively depositing a binding material on foam particles in a target area such that the binding material coats at least a portion of defining surfaces of the foam particles with the binding material. The binding material is then cured to affix foam particles in the target area to one another. In various aspects, the disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that differential levels of affixing between the foam particles, and thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Described are methods for manufacturing a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such methods, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. The method for the manufacture of a plastic component includes loading a mold with a first material includes particles of an expanded material and fusing the surfaces of the particles by supplying energy. The energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

The invention relates to a method for producing a foam material body, as well as to a foam material body. A pourable starting granulate of expanded particles of a thermoplastic material is provided, which is subjected to a non-melting heat treatment. As a result, an intermediate granulate is formed with a bulk density higher than that of the starting granulate. The foam material body is then formed by materially connecting the volume-reduced particles of the intermediate granulate by heating the intermediate granulate to a temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic material in the molding cavity of a molding tool and then solidifying the thermoplastic material by cooling. The foam material body exhibits an overall density between 80 kg/m.sup.3 and 600 kg/m.sup.3.

Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the additive manufacturing methods comprise increasing the temperature of a plurality of foam particles with actinic radiation under conditions effective to fuse a portion of the plurality of foam particles comprising one or more thermoplastic elastomers. Increasing the temperature of the foam particles can be carried out for one or multiple iterations. The disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that exhibit differing degrees of fusion between the foam particles, thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.