The present invention describes various methods for manufacturing gel composite sheets using segmented fiber or foam reinforcements and gel precursors. Additionally, rigid panels manufactured from the resulting gel composites are also described. The gel composites are relatively flexible enough to be wound and when unwound, can be stretched flat and made into rigid panels using adhesives.

Multifunctional surfacing materials for use in composite structures are disclosed. According to one embodiment, the surfacing material includes (a) a stiffening layer, (b) a curable resin layer, (c) a conductive layer, and (d) a nonwoven layer, wherein the stiffening layer (a) and the nonwoven layer (d) are outermost layers, and the exposed surfaces of the outermost layers are substantially tack-free at room temperature (20° C. to 25° C.). The conductive layer may be interposed between the curable resin layer and the stiffening layer or embedded in the curable resin layer. According to another embodiment, the surfacing material includes a fluid barrier film between two curable resin layers. The surfacing materials may be in the form of a continuous or elongated tape that is suitable for automated placement.

In a toothed belt including a toothed belt body and a reinforcing cloth, the toothed belt body includes a rubber composition and has a base part formed into a flat band shape and a plurality of rubber tooth parts, which are arranged integrally with one face of the base part and spaced apart from each other in a belt lengthwise direction. The reinforcing cloth is attached to the toothed belt body to cover a face, of the toothed belt body, with the rubber tooth parts. Each of the rubber tooth parts is covered with the reinforcing cloth in a corresponding one of cloth-covered tooth parts where a rate of a volume of the reinforcing cloth with respect to a volume of the cloth-covered tooth part is 60% or more.

A lightweight and portable inflatable assembly includes an inflatable structural component and a chemical reaction based inflator device. The inflatable structural component includes a flexible housing defining a cavity. The inflatable structure is uninflated in a first operational mode and filled with an inflation fluid retained for at least 4 hours in a second operational mode. At least one primary and at least one secondary charge unit are in fluid communication with the cavity. The primary charge unit includes a first gas generant material configured to generate a first predetermined volume of inflation medium for filling the cavity, while the secondary charge unit includes a second gas generant material configured to generate a second predetermined volume of inflation medium for filling the cavity in the second operational mode. The second predetermined volume is ≤about 40% by volume of the first predetermined volume.

A cover for a cable harness including: (i) a first layer comprising a first color; (ii) a second layer layered adjacent to the first layer, the second layer comprising a second color that is different than the first color; and (iii) an adhesive layer adhered to the first layer, at least a portion of the adhesive is not covered by the second layer. The first color can black, while the second color is white. The second layer comprises fibers that can be substantially free of dye. At least one of the first layer and the second layer can be polyethylene terephthalate. The cover can cover a plurality of cables of a cable harness. If wear forms a hole through the first layer, the second color of the second layer is visible from an environment external to the covered cable harness through the hole through the first layer.

The invention relates to a padding for a motor vehicle seat having a sheet for measuring multizone pressure. The sheet has a flexible support layer, with a first electrode having first contact elements, a second electrode having second contact elements and a plurality of intermediate contact elements having piezoresistive properties, each of the intermediate elements being inserted between a first and a second element to form a plurality of pressure sensors. The support layer is made of mesh. The first electrode is made from conductive ink printed on the support layer. The second electrode is made from printed conductive ink, and the intermediate contact elements are made from printed conductive ink with less conductivity than the inks of the electrodes.

A combination of materials that may be formed through an extrusion process. The resulting product has at least two layers. By coextruding multiple layers of at least two types of materials together, the final product may have improved mechanical, thermal, electrical, and other properties as compared to the original materials used. Additionally, by using an additive, filler, or doping material in at least one layer of the final product during the extrusion process, the mechanical, thermal, electrical, or other properties of the final product may be further improved.

The invention relates to an installation and a method for selectively producing a single- or multi-ply nonwoven includes an inclined wire former configured to deposit a sheet of wet-laid fibre material on a first circulating belt, a further belt configured to receive the sheet of wet-laid fibre material from the first circulating belt, a roller card arranged downstream in the material transport direction and configured to introduce a roller card web into the installation, a hydroentanglement arranged downstream in the material transport direction and including at least one water beam configured to entangle, bond and/or structure a single sheet of fibres or a plurality of sheets of fibres, and a dryer arranged downstream in the material transport direction.

An article comprising: (a) one or more nonwoven material layers comprising a lofted fibrous material; and (b) one or more molded material layers having a fibrous matrix, wherein the article is configured to at least partially thermally insulate an item or compartment and the article absorbs external heat or cold to substantially prevent amplitude of temperature fluctuation of the item or within the compartment.

A laminated body is disclosed. The laminate body has a leather layer comprising natural leather in which all or a portion of the reticular layer has been removed, a fiber layer comprising natural and/or synthetic fibers positioned at the rear-side of the leather layer, and an adhesive layer between the leather layer and the fiber layer, wherein, in the leather layer, the proportion of the thickness of the reticular layer is 5% or less and the proportion of the thickness of the papillary layer is 95% or more.