Provided are a foam molded product and a method of producing the same. The foam molded product is a molded product containing a resin and including a surface layer, a compressive deformation layer, and a foam layer. The thickness of the surface layer is 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm. The compressive deformation layer is located between the surface layer and the foam layer. Foam particles forming the compressive deformation layer have an average H/L of 0.5 or less (H: length in compression direction; L: length in perpendicular direction relative to compression direction). Foam particles forming the foam layer have an expansion ratio of not less than 3.0 times and less than 30 times.

The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a copolymer foam containing polyamide blocks and polyether blocks, comprising the following steps: mixing the copolymer melt with a blowing agent, said copolymer having a coefficient of thermal diffusivity a and a crystallization temperature T.sub.c; providing a mold of thickness h at a temperature T.sub.m; injecting the mixture of the copolymer and of the blowing agent at a temperature T.sub.p, into the closed mold; foaming the mixture by opening the mold;
in which the maintenance time between the injection of the mixture of the copolymer and of the blowing agent into the closed mold and the opening of the mold is within the range extending from (t.sub.opt−25%) to (t.sub.opt+25%),
t.sub.opt being expressed in seconds and obtained by equation (I):

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}{t}_{\mathrm{opt}}=-\frac{1}{{\pi }^2}\frac{h^2}{a}\ln \left(\frac{\pi }{4}\frac{T_m-T_c}{T_m-T_p}\right),& \left(I\right)\end{array}$

in which a is expressed in m.sup.2/s, h is expressed in m and T.sub.m, T.sub.c and T.sub.p are expressed in ° C.

A method for producing a foam component includes providing a particulate starting material in a mold, softening the starting material, inducing a pressure change within the mold to cause foaming in at least a portion of the softened starting material without the use of a blowing agent, and solidifying the foamed starting material.

A method of manufacturing a footwear sole component is provided including projecting elongated pins into a mold cavity in the shape of the footwear sole component and partially filled with an expandable material including multiple unexpanded beads, and introducing steam into the cavity through ports defined by one or more cavity walls and through the pins in an internal region of the expandable material, to expand both exterior beads and interior beads in the internal region a predetermined amount. With the elongated pins, the interior beads can be expanded more, less and/or the same amount as exterior beads to provide particular physical characteristics to the component. For example, the interior beads can be fully expanded to a similar density as exterior beads, or expanded less to provide more density and rigidity in the internal region, or expanded more to provide less density and rigidity in the internal region.

Methods of forming an article from a molten plastic composition comprising a polymer and a blowing agent. The methods include injecting the molten plastic composition into a mould, allowing the plastic composition to form a first solid skin adjacent to an in contact with a first cavity-forming surface of the mould and a second solid skin adjacent to and in contact with a second cavity-forming surface of the mould, and then opening the mould before the molten plastic composition between the first and second solid skins in at least one portion of the circumference of a region of the mould cavity defining an annular cross-section of the cavity has solidified.

An orthosis for treating a spine, the orthosis comprising a body having a base to support the orthosis on a surface and an upwardly facing surface having an undulating profile to align the spine of a user and support thoracic spinous processes of the spine, the upwardly facing surface including a longitudinal channel for receiving thoracic spinous processes of the user and a plurality of transverse channels that are arranged transversely to the longitudinal channel, wherein the undulating profile includes crests that are located on either side of the longitudinal channel.

A thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) foam having a soft open-cell inner layer and a washable closed-cell outer layer which surrounds and substantially seals the inner layer, and which may be used alone or in combination with other components to produce useful articles. The TPE foam includes a base resin which is a styrenic block copolymer, and a foaming agent. A process of forming and molding the TPE foam includes using a shutoff nozzle to prevent the foaming agent from activating before reaching the mold cavity, using an oversized gate to minimize shear heat, and using oversized vents. An earplug may be constructed by molding the TPE foam over a core or body formed from a material which is denser than the TPE foam. A first earplug design may employ a constrained layer damping effect, while a second earplug design may employ an adjustable sound attenuation effect.

Provided are a foam molded product and a method of producing the same. The foam molded product is a molded product containing a resin and including a surface layer, a compressive deformation layer, and a foam layer. The thickness of the surface layer is 0.1 mm to 5.0 mm. The compressive deformation layer is located between the surface layer and the foam layer. Foam particles forming the compressive deformation layer have an average H/L of 0.5 or less (H: length in compression direction; L: length in perpendicular direction relative to compression direction). Foam particles forming the foam layer have an expansion ratio of not less than 3.0 times and less than 30 times.

Methods of forming an article from a molten plastic composition comprising a polymer and a blowing agent. The methods include injecting the molten plastic composition into a mould, allowing the plastic composition to form a first solid skin adjacent to an in contact with a first cavity-forming surface of the mould and a second solid skin adjacent to and in contact with a second cavity-forming surface of the mould, and then opening the mould before the molten plastic composition between the first and second solid skins in at least one portion of the circumference of a region of the mould cavity defining an annular cross-section of the cavity has solidified.

Systems and methods for making a thermoplastic carbon fiber plate having a plastic overmold. The method includes: heating a mold; inserting a thermoplastic carbon fiber component into a mold; mixing a supercritical fluid with a plastic mixture to infuse bubbles into the plastic mixture and to thereby reduce the density of the plastic mixture that includes a resin and glass fiber; injecting the mixture of the supercritical fluid and the plastic mixture into the mold so that a plastic overmold is formed and bonded to the thermoplastic carbon fiber component; and cooling the thermoplastic carbon fiber component and the plastic overmold. The cooled plastic overmold includes a foam core having a lower density due to the gas bubbles and a skin layer having a higher concentration of the resin than the foam core and a reduced surface roughness due to the heated mold.