An injection molding apparatus for generally toroidal or donut-shaped articles having a hollow interior includes a hollow-interior forming member that is positioned within the mold cavity during injection to form the hollow interior of the article, and that is moved away from the mold cavity to allow removal of the molded article when the injection molding apparatus is opened following molding. The hollow-interior forming member includes an open section or gap that is closed by a gap-filling member when the injection molding apparatus is closed. When the injection molding apparatus is opened following molding, the gap-filling member vacates the open section or gap to enable the molded article to be manually separated from the annular member.

The invention relates to a composition comprising A) a polyester, B) a polyolefin and C) a compatibilizer, wherein A) comprises a first polyester derived from an aromatic dicarboxylic acid, an acyclic aliphatic diol and at least one of a cycloaliphatic diol and spiroglycol and a second polyester different from the first polyester. The invention further relates to an article comprising the composition, particularly a toy block.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a molding system and kit for molding a modeling compound. The molding system is generally comprised of an openable interlocking molding device, the openable interlocking molding device is configured to cast external features onto a modeling compound surface by securing the modeling compound within a molding cavity of the openable interlocking molding device. Further, the molding system includes a substrate with movable joints that is configured to be enveloped by the modeling compound prior to casting the external features onto the modeling compound by the interlocking molding device.

Described are techniques for additive manufacturing of deformable objects. The techniques including a method comprising generating printing parameters for a deformable component. The method further comprises fabricating the deformable component by additive manufacturing, where a smart material is located at an articulation point of the deformable component, and where a base material is located at a static portion of the deformable component. The method further comprises supplying an environmental stimulus to the deformable component that causes the deformable component to transition from a first state to a second state.

The present invention relates to a toy building element made of a polymeric poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) material and manufactured by injection moulding of a resin comprising PET polyester. The present invention also relates to a method for the manufacture of such a toy building element.

A snow mold includes a front snow mold portion and a back snow mold portion. The back mold portion is operable to be coupled to the front mold portion by inserting protrusions disposed on a flange of the back mold portion into receptacles disposed on a flange of the front mold portion. The front and back mold portions may be coupled by rotation of a rotatable fastener.

The combination of 3D printing technology plus the additional dimension of transformation over time of the printed object is referred to herein as 4D printing technology. Particular arrangements of the additive manufacturing material(s) used in the 3D printing process can create a printed 3D object that transforms over time from a first, printed shape to a second, predetermined shape.

Provided is a manufacturing method for inserting an attachment device into a rotationally-molded product. An attachment device is provided having a first point, a second point having a cross-sectional area larger than the first point, and a flange including a back surface and a neck having a cross-sectional area smaller than the second point and the back surface. An end of a rope element is affixed to the attachment device. A ball-like element is molded. The attachment device is inserted into an opening in the ball-like element while the ball-like element is between 150 degrees Fahrenheit to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

A play ball has a rubber shell filled with resilient foam having an entire outer peripheral surface thereof intimately attached by heat fusion and adhesive to an entire interior surface of the shell. Such attachment enables the foam to provide additional resiliency by foam tension, as well as by foam compression, thereby significantly extending the effective bounce life of the ball. A seamed dog chew toy has essentially similar construction such that the increased retention force provided by the intimate attachment of the foam to the shell resists the chewing force of the dog popping a seam improving durability.

An injection molding tool comprising two mold parts arranged for mutual movement along a tool axis between a closed position and an open position. The injection molding tool comprises a first mold core having a mounting end and a core end. Each of the two mold parts, in the closed position, form a mold cavity and a socket adapted for holding the mounting end between the two mold parts, and for releasing the mounting end in the open position. The core end of the first mold core in the closed position, extends along a core axis from the mounting end and into the mold cavity in a transverse direction with respect to the direction of the tool axis, so that the mold cavity forms a tubular space extending axially along the core axis between both of the two mold parts and the core end of the mold core part.