A method of making a case for a mobile device with a screen. The method comprising 3D printing of the case in a partially finished form on a support surface in a configuration in which rear wall (1) and sidewalls (2-5) lie alongside one another on the surface, and folding the sidewalls up relative to the rear wall to at least partially create a cavity for the device. Separate corner portions (10, 11) may be provided to connect the sidewalls. The invention also extends to a 3D printed blank from which the case is formed.

A reusable plastic container is provided. The container includes a plastic container body having opposing side panels and opposing end panels. The container body also includes top side panel flaps attached to a top portion of each side panel, and bottom side panel flaps attached to a bottom portion of each side panel. The container body has top end panel flaps attached to a top portion of each end panel, and bottom end panel flaps attached to a bottom portion of each end panel. The top and bottom side panel flaps are each defined with respect to the side panels by a fold line. The fold lines including at least one scored portion and at least one welded portion.

A reusable plastic container is provided. The container includes a plastic container body having opposing side panels and opposing end panels. The container body also includes top side panel flaps attached to a top portion of each side panel, and bottom side panel flaps attached to a bottom portion of each side panel. The container body has top end panel flaps attached to a top portion of each end panel, and bottom end panel flaps attached to a bottom portion of each end panel. The top and bottom side panel flaps are each defined with respect to the side panels by a fold line. The fold lines including at least one scored portion and at least one welded portion.

A structural component for a floor assembly of a vehicle. The structural component is formed integrally and includes at least one hinge element and a base part. The base part is configured to support the structural component on the vehicle when the structural component is installed in the vehicle. The at least one hinge element includes at least one flap element which is connected at least in regions to the base part and is configured to be pivoted relative to the base part and, in an end position, to at least partially enclose at least one predetermined construction space of the vehicle. The at least one flap element is furthermore configured in order, in the end position, to abut or to engage in a form-fitting manner against or on respective vehicle elements delimiting the at least one construction space of the vehicle.

An apparatus includes a fluid reservoir and a laminate fluidic circuit positioned above the fluid reservoir. The laminate fluidic circuit includes two or more layers laminated together to define a substantially planar substrate and one or more channels defined within the substrate. The laminate fluidic circuit includes a flexible conduit defined by a portion of the substrate encompassing an extent of at least one of the channels that is partially separated or separable from the remainder of the substrate. The flexible conduit is deflectable with respect to the planar substrate toward the fluid reservoir such that the flexible conduit fluidly connects the at least one channel to the fluid reservoir.

The purpose of the present invention is to further enhance the strength of a manufactured composite structure by further suppressing the occurrence of wrinkling. A method for manufacturing a composite structure, the method comprising: a lamination step for layering a plurality of fiber sheets and molding a plate-form laminate; a forming step for forming a recess formed by a curved surface in a prescribed portion of the laminate; a short-direction deformation step for deforming the laminate in the short direction thereof after the forming step to configure a long-direction cross-section of the laminate in a prescribed shape; and a long-direction deformation step for deforming the laminate in the long direction after the forming step, so that the recess formed in the forming step deforms, to configure a short-direction cross section in a prescribed shape.

An apparatus for forming pre-shaped insulating sheets comprises a first bending station and a second bending station. The first bending station is used for bending a flat sheet of insulating material into a Z-shaped sheet (5). The second bending station is used for bending the Z-shaped sheet into an S-shape. The first and second bending stations comprise pairs of first (13a, 13b) and second bending operators for creating bending movements.

An apparatus for forming pre-shaped insulating sheets comprises a first bending station and a second bending station. The first bending station is used for bending a flat sheet of insulating material into a Z-shaped sheet (5). The second bending station is used for bending the Z-shaped sheet into an S-shape. The first and second bending stations comprise pairs of first (13a, 13b) and second bending operators for creating bending movements.

An apparatus includes a fluid reservoir and a laminate fluidic circuit positioned above the fluid reservoir. The laminate fluidic circuit includes two or more layers laminated together to define a substantially planar substrate and one or more channels defined within the substrate. The laminate fluidic circuit includes a flexible conduit defined by a portion of the substrate encompassing an extent of at least one of the channels that is partially separated or separable from the remainder of the substrate. The flexible conduit is deflectable with respect to the planar substrate toward the fluid reservoir such that the flexible conduit fluidly connects the at least one channel to the fluid reservoir.

There is provided a polymer fabrication method for forming 3-dimensional shapes from a sheet polymer blank (10) by machining at least one re-entrant, elongate groove forming a reduced thickness portion (25) permitting the blank to be folded and having opposed edges (12) at the surface, folding the blank about the groove to form at least a portion of the 3-dimensional shape, the re-entrant of the groove forming an elongate chamber (21) adjacent the reduced thickness portion and opening through an elongate gap (20) between the opposed edges, hot air welding the opposed edges across the gap with filler rod (22), and heating the reduced thickness portion to a selected thermo-reforming temperature via the chamber.