A large area patterned film includes a first patterned area; a second patterned area; and a seam joining the first patterned area and the second patterned area, wherein the seam has a width less than about 20 micrometers. A method for tiling patterned areas includes depositing a predetermined thickness of a curable material; contacting a first portion of the curable material with a mold; curing the first portion of the curable material; removing the mold from the cured first portion of the curable material; contacting a second portion of the curable material with the mold, such that the mold contacts a portion of the cured first portion of the curable material; curing the second portion of the curable material; and removing the mold to yield a seam between the cured first portion of the curable material and the cured second portion of the curable material, wherein the seam has a dimension less than about 20 micrometers.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for manufacturing a transaction card. The disclosed methods and apparatuses may be used to form a transaction card frame within a mold. The transaction card frame may include one or more recessed portions formed within a first surface of the transaction card frame. The one or more recessed portions may be configured for affixing one or more electronic components.

A friction transmission belt includes a belt body looped over a pulley, and transmitting power. The belt body includes a rubber composition in which at least one of montmorillonite and magnesium carbonate is mixed. The friction transmission belt includes a fabric layer coating at least a surface, of the belt body, making contact with the pulley. The fabric layer has a portion making contact with at least one of the montmorillonite and the magnesium carbonate mixed into the rubber composition.

A pressware product includes a top piece and a bottom piece. The top piece includes a planar central portion, a sidewall extending from the central planar portion, and a flange extending horizontally from the sidewall. The flange includes a slot and a radially extending top groove. The bottom piece cooperatively defines an inner space with the top piece. The bottom piece includes a planar central portion, a sidewall extending from the central planar portion, and a flange extending horizontally from the sidewall. The flange includes a locking flap configured to engage the slot of the top piece and a radially extending bottom groove. The radially extending bottom groove cooperatively defines a channel with the top groove so that the channel is in fluid communication with the inner space.

Foam edge waste may be shredded or ground into foam particles rather than discarding them. The particles may be mixed with an adhesive and subject to high temperature and high pressure to form into new foam bodies with configurable densities. Utilizing discarded foam sections this way reduces the waste of foam, reduces environmental pollution caused by foam waste combustion, offers more environmental protection and saves resources. The resulting foam articles have reduced water retention and provide superior comfort by making a foam with consistent properties from inconsistent materials.

A method of forming a tire that includes providing a mold configured to mold a tire tread and having a sipe-forming element, spaced apart inwardly from an outermost molding surface, that includes a knife edge oriented towards the outermost molding surface and a submerged void-forming portion extending from the knife edge, arranging an uncured tire tread within the mold, molding the tire tread arranged within the mold, and demolding the tire tread from the mold such that the sipe-forming element forms a sipe by the knife edge (48) lacerating a thickness of the tire tread as the sipe-forming element is pulled in a direction toward the outermost molding surface and forms a submerged void arranged below the sipe within the tire tread. A tire including a sipe (30) and a submerged void (32) as described above is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a ringed tubular sheath including at least one internal means (5) for clamping a tube (11) in particular, and more specifically a smooth tube, located inside said sheath, said sheath being unique in that at least one flexible area (8) is associated with the internal clamping means (5). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a sheath, and to a method for maintaining a ringed tubular sheath on a tube (11), in which: a ringed tubular sheath is used according to the invention; the flexible area(s) (8) are controlled such as to the deform the sheath; the tube (11) is inserted in the ringed tubular sheath, and the flexible area(s) (8) are then released.

To reduce an occurrence of a defect and a shear force occurring between a mold and a substrate, an imprint apparatus that brings a curable composition on a substrate and a mold into contact with each other to be cured, and molds the curable composition into a pattern shape of the mold includes an irradiation unit configured to irradiate the curable composition on the substrate with a first energy to increase a viscosity of the curable composition and a second energy to cure the curable composition, and a control unit configured to control the irradiation unit such that the curable composition on a specific region that is a part of a molding region of the substrate is irradiated with the first energy before the mold and the curable composition are brought into contact with each other, and the curable composition over an entire molding region of the substrate is irradiated with the second energy after the mold and the curable composition are brought into contact with each other.

A mould assembly is provided, comprising an upper mould and a lower mould, a release film is provided between the upper mould and the lower mould, the lower mould defines a cavity for processing a workpiece, the release film covers the cavity, a bottom surface of the cavity provides an exhaust area, the exhaust area defines a plurality of exhaust grooves, the lower mould defines one or more through-holes, the plurality of exhaust grooves is communicated with one or more through-holes, a width of the plurality of exhaust grooves is less than a width of the release film, one or more through-holes draw the air to make the release film attach on the bottom surface of the cavity.

A pressware product includes a top piece and a bottom piece. The top piece includes a planar central portion, a sidewall extending from the central planar portion, and a flange extending horizontally from the sidewall. The flange includes a slot and a radially extending top groove. The bottom piece cooperatively defines an inner space with the top piece. The bottom piece includes a planar central portion, a sidewall extending from the central planar portion, and a flange extending horizontally from the sidewall. The flange includes a locking flap configured to engage the slot of the top piece and a radially extending bottom groove. The radially extending bottom groove cooperatively defines a channel with the top groove so that the channel is in fluid communication with the inner space.