The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.

The present invention relates to an enhanced method for the manufacture of a plastic component (135), in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, the method comprising: opening a mold (100) by a predetermined amount into a loading position, wherein the mold comprises at least two mold parts (110, 112) and wherein the amount by which the mold is opened influences an available loading volume of the mold, loading a material comprising expanded particles (130) into the loading volume, closing the mold into a closed position, wherein during closing of the mold the mold parts are moved together over different distances (140) in different areas of the mold, compressing the expanded particles by closing the mold and fusing at least the surfaces of the expanded particles to mold the plastic component.

A dual density molded member, a dual density molded tooling, and a method of forming the dual density molded member, the dual density molded member including an outer shell comprising a self-skinning polyurethane foam, and a core comprising a urethane foam, the self-skinning polyurethane foam being higher in density than the urethane foam

A mould for forming a collapsible container from an expandable material, the container comprising, at least a base and two pairs of a side walls extending at right angles from opposing sides of the base, the mould comprising: a first mould member and a second mould member movable with respect to each other between an open and a closed moulding position to define a mould cavity; and a plurality of anvils mounted on a rear surface of at least one of the first mould member and/or second mould member, each anvil being movable so as to be extended into the mould cavity so as to form one or more hinges in the expandable material at predetermined locations within the mould cavity; wherein the mould cavity defined by the first mould member and the second mould member is a three-dimensional representation of an inside-out configuration of the assembled container.

There is described a method of creating a hinge in a body of expandable material, said body being substantially flat and having at least two planar regions connected by said hinge to facilitate folding of the planar regions about said hinge, comprising: expanding said expandable material to form said body; creating a region of excess expandable material in said body adjacent said hinge; and compressing said region of excess expandable material into the hinge of said body after the expandable material has fused to create a hinge having a concentrated volume of expanded material when compared to said at least two planar regions of said body.

A foamed plastic foldable container has a first wall, a pair of mutually facing second walls hingedly coupled to the first wall, a pair of mutually facing third walls hingedly coupled to the first wall, and a closing wall defined by at least one panel hingedly coupled to one of the second walls.

A processing method for molding a foamed polymer, which includes molding a mixture of a polymer material and a foaming agent in a space of a mould chamber into a molded article having a predetermined shape. The shape of the entire space of the mould chamber is an injection molding shape that is different from the shape of the molded article before the mould chamber is fully filled with the mixture, and a shape of at least one local part of the mould chamber is changed after the space of the mould chamber is fully filled with the mixture. An exterior peripheral surface of a substrate of a movable portion and an adjustment end face are located in a center portion of a first mould surface and are spaced apart from all outer edges of the first mould surface.

Described are methods for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such a method, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. According to an aspect of the invention, a method for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, is provided which includes loading a mold with a first material which includes particles of an expanded material, and, during loading the mold, pre-heating the particles by supplying energy, wherein the energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

Described are methods for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, a plastic component manufactured with such a method, for example a sole or a part of a sole for a shoe, and a shoe with such a sole. According to an aspect of the invention, a method for the manufacture of a plastic component, in particular a cushioning element for sports apparel, is provided which includes loading a mold with a first material which includes particles of an expanded material, and, during loading the mold, pre-heating the particles by supplying energy, wherein the energy is supplied in the form of at least one electromagnetic field.

A method of molding a collapsible, foam plastic container; the method employs two half-molds defining a molding chamber negatively reproducing the container in an erect work configuration, and forms a hinge for each lateral wall of the container when molding the container; each hinge being formed by a parting member which is inserted through the molding chamber at the hinge to be formed, and by a compression member opposite the parting member and which is moved towards the parting member to form, on the lateral wall, a small-section, higher-density portion defining the respective hinge.