Abstract: An expansion device includes: an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a thermally-expandable sheet with light; a movement unit configured to relatively move the thermally-expandable sheet and the irradiation unit; an air-blowing unit configured to cool the irradiation unit by blowing air to the irradiation unit; and a control unit configured to execute a distension process of distending the thermally-expandable sheet by causing the irradiation unit to emit light while relatively moving the thermally-expandable sheet and the irradiation unit by the movement unit, wherein the control unit controls the air-blowing unit to stop or weaken blowing air toward the irradiation unit while the irradiation unit is caused to emit light in the distension process.

Abstract: A dry adhesive includes a first plurality of fiber segments mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fiber segments. A dry adhesive can include a first plurality of fibers mechanically interlocked with a second plurality of fibers or a single plurality of fibers having a first end region mechanically interlocked with a second end region. The fiber segments and fibers can be aligned, electrospun nanofibers. One or more continuous and scalable methods of making aligned fibers are also provided. One or more apparatuses are also provided.

Abstract: A tire comprising a plurality of tread blocks. At least one tread block includes one or more piers for stiffening the tread blocks while allowing normal lateral (tangential) or circumferential strain for normal braking and motive traction. The piers can extend the entire length dimension of the tread block or portions thereof.

Abstract: The tire comprises a tread portion whose position when mounted on a vehicle is specified and having an asymmetric pattern with respect to a tire equator. The tread portion includes an outer shoulder main groove, an outer crown main groove, an inner crown main groove, an outer crown land region, and a center crown land region. The outer crown land region is provided with first outer crown sipes and second outer crown sipes. The center crown land region is provided with first center crown sipes and second center crown sipes. Each of the second outer crown sipes is arranged so as to be smoothly continuous with a respective one of the first center crown sipes with the outer crown main groove therebetween.

Abstract: A tire includes a tread portion with a designated install direction to a vehicle to have an inboard tread edge and an outboard tread edge. The tread portion is provided with a circumferentially extending inboard shoulder main groove to form an inboard shoulder land portion and a circumferentially extending outboard shoulder main groove with a width smaller than a width of the inboard shoulder main groove to form an outboard shoulder land portion. The inboard shoulder land portion is provided with inboard shoulder lug grooves extending inwardly in a tire axial direction from at least the inboard tread edge and terminated within the inboard shoulder land portion. The outboard shoulder land portion is provided with outboard shoulder lug grooves extending inwardly in the tire axial direction from at least the outboard tread edge to the outboard shoulder main groove.

Abstract: A device for melt-spinning, drawing, and winding a thread group includes a spinning device having a row of spinning nozzles. The threads produced by the spinning nozzles are drawn by means of a godet device with multiple drivable godets. The device is paired with a winding device with multiple winding stations arranged in a row. The row of winding stations is arranged orthogonally to the row of spinning nozzles. The different thread spacings within the spinning device and the godet device are bridged by a thread deflecting device having a first group of thread guides and a second group of thread guides. The thread guides of the first group are arranged next to one another in a horizontal row with a spinning spacing. It is possible to obtain large deflections with a low height. The thread guides of the two groups are made of freely rotatable rollers.

Abstract: A print head is disclosed for use in an additive manufacturing system. The print head may include a discharge outlet configured to discharge a continuous reinforcement, and an applicator disposed upstream of the discharge outlet and configured to apply a solid film to the continuous reinforcement prior to discharge. The print head may also include a cure enhancer configured to soften the solid film after discharge.

Abstract: A tire with a sensor attachment reservoir is provided. The tire includes a pair of bead areas, a sidewall extending from each respective bead area to a tread, a carcass extending toroidally between each of the bead areas, and an innerliner disposed inwardly of the carcass. A compound ring is secured to the innerliner, and the compound ring defines a reservoir upon being secured to the innerliner. A sensor adhesive is disposed in the reservoir and a sensor is secured to the tire innerliner by the sensor adhesive. A corresponding method of attaching a sensor to a tire is also provided.

Abstract: A screw machine includes an inductive heating device for processing of material to be processed. The inductive heating device is used to heat the material in a heating zone. In the heating zone, at least one housing portion is made of an electromagnetically transparent material at least partly, the material being non-magnetic and electrically non-conductive, whereas at least one treatment element shaft is made of an electrically conductive material at least partly. The inductive heating device includes at least one coil formed integrally with a component of the at least one housing portion, in particular in such a way as to form a hybrid component. During the processing of the material, the inductive heating device generates an alternating magnetic field that produces eddy current losses in the at least one treatment element shaft, the eddy current losses leading to a temperature increase of the at least one treatment element shaft.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of additive manufacturing a 3D-printed article, comprising: (a) printing and depositing one or more layers of a slurry by using a 3D printer, wherein the slurry comprises a ceramic powder composition; (b) further injecting an oil around the one or more layers of slurry, wherein the height of the injected oil is lower than the height of the slurry; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a main body with desired geometric shape is obtained; and (d) sintering the main body by heating to obtain the 3D-printed article wherein the temperature of a printing carrier of the 3D printer is from 30 to 80° C.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for use in additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include at least one support, and a print head operatively connected to the at least one support and configured to discharge composite material. The system may further include an auxiliary tool operatively connected to the at least one support and configured to receive the composite material discharged by the print head.

Abstract: Provided is a sheet manufacturing apparatus that can suppress deposited material from wrapping onto a roller. A sheet manufacturing apparatus according to the invention includes: an air-laying unit that lays material containing fiber and resin; and a humidifying unit that humidifies the deposited material laid by the air-laying unit; the humidifying unit including a first air flow generator that generates air flow passing through the deposited material in a direction intersecting the support surface supporting the deposited material, and supplies droplets or humidified air to the deposited material by the air flow produced by the first air flow generator.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire 1 comprises a sidewall portion 3. The sidewall portion 3 comprises an outer surface (3a) provided with a plurality of protruding portions 9 protruding outwardly in a tire axial direction and arranged in a tire circumferential direction. Each of the protruding portions 9 comprises a pair of side surfaces 12 extending in a tire radial direction at both ends in a tire circumferential direction of each of the protruding portions 9 and a top surface 13 arranged outermost in the tire axial direction between the pair of the side surfaces 12. In at least one of the protruding portions 9, the top surface 13 is provided with at least one groove 16.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a decorative molding in which a transfer layer is transferred onto an injection molded product from a transfer sheet simultaneously with performing of injection molding in which at least one knockout pin in a second half-mold is caused to retreat to clamp a first half-mold and the second half-mold together; and the at least one knockout pin is made to advance so that the first half-mold and the second half-mold are released from each other until the second half-mold and the first half-mold open to a predetermined interval, while the transfer layer in a non-transfer area that is to remain on the transfer sheet is pushed against the first half-mold.

Abstract: A tyre that can be fitted to the front of a motorcycle. The tyre has a high void-to-rubber ratio and includes grooves located asymmetrically across the equatorial plane of the tyre, arranged substantially orthogonally to the equatorial plane of the tyre at the equatorial plane itself. According to one aspect, the grooves are close to one another in the circumferential direction of the tyre to increase their number in a footprint area of the tyre.

Abstract: A tire sidewall portion is provided with a circumferentially extending decorative zone which comprises a serrated region formed from ridges extending in a radial direction and arranged side by side in the tire circumferential direction. The ridges include continuous ridges and discontinuous ridges with a discontinuity part. A diagonal pattern is formed by discontinuity-pattern elements each formed from the discontinuity parts of the discontinuous ridges positioned adjacently in the tire circumferential direction. In the diagonal pattern, one of the continuous ridges is disposed between every two of the adjacent discontinuity-pattern elements.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is disclosed. The additive manufacturing system may include a moveable support, and a print head connected to the moveable support. The print head may be configured to discharge a continuous reinforcement that is wetted with a liquid matrix. The additive manufacturing system may also include an auto-threader configured to thread the continuous reinforcement through the print head, and a controller in communication with the moveable support, the print head, and the auto-threader. The controller may be configured to selectively activate the auto-threader at a start of a manufacturing process.

Abstract: A tire comprises a tread portion. The tread portion comprises a first tread edge, a shoulder main groove extending continuously in a tire circumferential direction between the first tread edge and a tire equator, and a shoulder land region defined between the first tread edge and the shoulder main groove. The shoulder land region is provided with a shoulder sipe extending in a tire axial direction with a width less than 1.5 mm. The shoulder sipe includes a narrow sipe portion and a wide sipe portion having a width larger than that of the narrow sipe portion. The wide sipe portion is arranged on a side of the shoulder main groove.

Abstract: A head is disclosed for use with an additive manufacturing system. The head may include a matrix reservoir, a first nozzle tip, and a second nozzle tip. The head may also include a tip changer mechanically connected between the first nozzle tip, the second nozzle tip, and the matrix reservoir.

Abstract: A process for producing gaskets by curing a liquid molding material applied over a plate by a dispenser, wherein in order to improve accuracy in the cross-sectional shape and/or height of the gaskets, the process comprises the steps of: using a dispenser to coat the upper surface of a plate with a liquid molding material, and form a coating layer extending endlessly in a prescribed pattern; and overlapping a molding jig on the plate, the molding jig having in a lower surface a molding groove extending endlessly in a prescribed pattern corresponding to the coating layer, correcting the cross-sectional shape of the coating layer to a cross-sectional shape that corresponds to the molding groove, and curing the coating layer.