In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, various novel dispensing devices can be provided. Such devices can involve a range of sprayer heads and sprayer/foamer systems incorporating such heads. Novel sprayer/foamer heads can include buffers of various types. By using a buffer, a user need not continually be pumping the device in order for the device to be spraying or foaming. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, such a buffer can be spring loaded, spring loaded combination, elastomeric or gas. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the buffer can be in line or adjacent to a piston chamber. If adjacent, it can be connected to the piston chamber with a one way valve, to provide for spray after a downstroke of the piston has been completed, or without, to allow spraying to cease once a user releases the trigger or other actuator. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, such novel sprayers and foamers can be mounted upside down, in various “Flairomop” devices, used to clean floors or the like. When using a buffer, a piston chamber can be designed to deliver greater amount of liquid per unit time than can be possibly dispensed through the nozzle or nozzles. The fraction of liquid that cannot be sent through the nozzle(s), due to their inherent restriction, can thus be sent to the buffer for dispensing after the piston downstroke has been completed. A volume of the piston chamber, a volume of the buffer, a pressure response of the buffer, the throughput of the nozzle, and the minimum opening pressure of the outlet valve can be arranged to restrict the outlet pressures of liquid droplets exiting the nozzle within a defined range.

To achieve universal welding of thermoplastic workpiece parts with simple equipment, an infrared light transmission welding method is disclosed in which simple polychromatic, incoherent infrared light is generated by a simple infrared light source and is directed through a first workpiece part to a weld point for the purposes of connection to a second workpiece part. In particular, the infrared light is directed through a transparent bracing element.

A resin film-laminated metal sheet includes a metal sheet and thermoplastic resin films that are fused to both surfaces of the metal sheet, the metal sheet is a steel sheet having a thickness of 0.08 mm or more or an aluminum sheet having a thickness of 0.15 mm or more, and, when a surface of the thermoplastic resin film opposite to a surface that is fused to the metal sheet is defined as a first surface, the surface tension on the first surface in at least one of the thermoplastic resin films is 50 mN/m or less, the surface tension on the surface that is fused to the metal sheet is 36 mN/m or more, and the amount of a wax attached to the first surface is more than 0 mg/m.sup.2 and 5.00 mg/m.sup.2 or less.

A method of induction welding a first thermoplastic composite (TPC) to a second thermoplastic composite (TPC) includes inductively heating a weld interface area between the first TPC and the second TPC, and cooling a surface of the first TPC opposite the weld interface area while inductively heating the weld interface area.

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a pipe liner for lining the inside of a pipe, for example a water or sewerage pipe requiring repair. The pipe liner is mainly formed of a fabric sleeve, or a plurality of fabric sleeves, and comprises a fluid-proof barrier coating on the inside surface of the pipe liner. The method involves arranging a strip of carrier material comprising a liquid sealant inside the fabric sleeve of the pipe liner and in registration with two opposing side edges of the sheet of fabric, facing an inner barrier coating of the fabric sleeve. The method can advantageously provide such a pipe liner with an inner barrier coating without everting the pipe liner after manufacture. The present invention may also provide a way of avoiding internal cross-welding of said pipe liners and a method for testing the integrity of the barrier coating of said pipe liners. The present invention also provides an apparatus for carrying out these methods.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to envelopes for aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle may include an envelope including a plurality of gores. The aerial vehicle may also include a seal arranged between a pair of the plurality of gores, the seal including six layers of envelope material heat-sealed together.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a number of tiles, where the tiles are electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive, a joint flexibly joining the tiles together, and a fluid path formed through the heat sink for communicating a coolant therethrough.

Device for forming a tube, for example a packaging tube, from a sheet (3), said device comprising at least one welding rod (2), means for welding and pressurizing the welded zone (7-9) and means (4-6) for driving the sheet (3) along the rod (2). The device also comprises means (10-12, 14) that reduce the friction between the welding rod (2) and the sheet (3).

Systems and methods are provided for consolidating thermoplastic parts. One embodiment is a method of automatically forming a thermoplastic composite structure. The method includes heating a thermoplastic preform to a forming temperature, forming the thermoplastic preform into a thermoplastic part having a desired shape, aligning multiple thermoplastic parts together, and consolidating the multiple thermoplastic parts together while controlling crystallization to form a complex thermoplastic part.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a flexible backing and a number of tiles disposed on the flexible backing in a single layer, wherein the tiles are electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive.