Abstract: The invention relates to a method for lowering the viscosity of a fat based mixture comprising solids and fat that have been previously refined to a powdery mass characterized in that the powdery mass is submitted to elongational flow effective as such to provide breaking up of the agglomerates and intimate interactions of the solids with the fat thereby resulting in the production of a pasty mass with coating of the solids with the fat. The method enables to replace conching in a traditional conche or at least reduce conching time or increase the subsequent loading and throughput of the fat based mass in traditional conches.

Abstract: A highback for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is comprised of at least two distinct materials with different stiffnesses to achieve a desired blend of stiffness and flexibility. The highback may employ a material of greater stiffness in one or more regions to provide high force transmission between the rider and the board. The highback may employ a material of lesser stiffness in one or more regions where flexibility is desired for more gradual power transmission, comfort and/or to facilitate highback adjustability. The arrangement of the different materials provides a lightweight highback with a relatively sleek profile having selected regions of stiffness and/or flexibility.

Abstract: This invention concerns a fat-based confectionery product which is coated with a film forming agent and characterised in that it is heat resistant and in that it retains its shape when submitted to heat. This invention also discloses the use of this coated fat-based confectionery in food product, as well as a food product comprising this coated fat-based confectionery, especially chocolate or baked food.

Abstract: A highback for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is comprised of at least two distinct materials with different stiffnesses to achieve a desired blend of stiffness and flexibility. The highback may employ a material of greater stiffness in one or more regions to provide high force transmission between the rider and-the board. The highback may employ a material of lesser stiffness in one or more regions where flexibility is desired for more gradual power transmission, comfort and/or to facilitate highback adjustability. The arrangement of the different materials provides a lightweight highback with a relatively sleek profile having selected regions of stiffness and/or flexibility.

Abstract: A highback for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is comprised of at least two distinct materials with different stiffnesses to achieve a desired blend of stiffness and flexibility. The highback may employ a material of greater stiffness in one or more regions to provide high force transmission between the rider and the board. The highback may employ a material of lesser stiffness in one or more regions where flexibility is desired for more gradual power transmission, comfort and/or to facilitate highback adjustability. The arrangement of the different materials provides a lightweight highback with a relatively sleek profile having selected regions of stiffness and/or flexibility.

Abstract: Methods describing a process for the production of polysiloxane containing masses, containing surface treated filler material, by continuously feeding materials to a screw extruder (12) in which they are mixed and conveyed to an outlet (14) with removal of gaseous materials therefrom. The screw extruder (12) has at least two screws (22) located in communicating chambers distributed radially about a common axis (26) and extending with the axis of each screw parallel to the common axis (26). The materials being mixed in the extruder typically comprise (a) a polysiloxane, (b a reinforcing filler and (c) a hydrophobing agent. Each material is fed into the extruder (12) as the material itself or in admixture with any one or more of the others of (a), (b) and (c).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for lowering the viscosity of a fat based mixture comprising solids and fat that have been previously refined to a powdery mass characterized in that the powdery mass is submitted to elongational flow effective as such to provide breaking up of the agglomerates and intimate interactions of the solids with the fat thereby resulting in the production of a pasty mass with coating of the solids with the fat. The method enables to replace conching in a traditional conche or at least reduce conching time or increase the subsequent loading and throughput of the fat based mass in traditional conches.

Abstract: A highback for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is comprised of at least two distinct materials with different stiffnesses to achieve a desired blend of stiffness and flexibility. The highback may employ a material of greater stiffness in one or more regions to provide high force transmission between the rider and the board. The highback may employ a material of lesser stiffness in one or more regions where flexibility is desired for more gradual power transmission, comfort and/or to facilitate highback adjustability. The arrangement of the different materials provides a lightweight highback with a relatively sleek profile having selected regions of stiffness and/or flexibility.

Abstract: A highback includes a wing-shaped leg support adjustably extending therefrom that cooperates with a rider's leg to transmit forces from the rider's leg to the highback. The support is movable between a plurality of positions relative to the highback so that the position of the support may be selectively adjustable by the rider to accommodate the rider's particular riding preferences. The adjustable support facilitates the selection of desired force transmission to the board and may enhance board control.

Abstract: A highback for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is provided with stiffness adjustability for accommodating the rider's particular riding preferences. Adjusting the highback stiffness allows the rider to selectively increase or decrease force transmission and board response based on individual riding preferences and/or riding conditions. Adjusting highback stiffness may also allow a rider to reduce pressure points between the highback and the leg, particularly the rider's calf muscle, for increased comfort while maintaining heelside support for board control. The highback includes a back member that may employ one or more sections that can be selectively adjusted to achieve a desired highback stiffness for board response and comfort. The degree of stiffness may be established by adjusting the flexibility of the highback at preselected locations of the back member.

Abstract: A highback for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is comprised of at least two distinct materials with different stiffnesses to achieve desired blend of stiffness and flexibility. The highback may employ a material of greater stiffness in one or more regions to provide high force transmission between the rider and the board. The highback may employ a material of lesser stiffness in one or more regions where flexibility is desired for more gradual power transmission, comfort and/or to facilitate highback adjustability. The arrangement of the different materials provides a lightweight highback with a relatively sleek profile having selected regions of stiffness and/or flexibility.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a removable strap for a snowboard boot to preventing the rider's foot from lifting in the boot. The ankle strap enables a soft boot to be used with both a strap-less step-in binding system, and a strap binding system. Another aspect is a snowboard binding including a strap adapted to releasably secure the snowboard boot and constructed and arranged to avoid creation of a pressure point at an instep bone of the rider. A further aspect is an apparatus comprising a snowboard boot and a strap attached thereto. The strap is arranged to prevent the rider's heel from lifting in the snowboard boot, and is constructed and arranged to avoid creation of a pressure point at an instep bone of the rider.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a snowboard boot and a binding interface including an interface feature that is adapted to releasably engage with a snowboard binding. The binding interface is movably mounted to the boot so that the boot can flex in a side-to-side direction through an angle relative to the binding interface to provide side-to-side flexibility. In one embodiment, the binding interface is mounted to the boot at a pair of laterally spaced attachment points with a pair of strapless fasteners. In another embodiment, the binding interface is mounted to at least one attachment point and a portion of the boot is flexible between the attachment point and a side. In other embodiments, at least a portion of the interface feature does not protrude below the bottom surface of the boot, and the interface feature does not protrude beyond the sides of the boot.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a snowboard boot and a binding interface including an interface feature that is adapted to releasably engage with a snowboard binding. The binding interface is movably mounted to the boot so that the boot can flex in a side-to-side direction through an angle relative to the binding interface to provide side-to-side flexibility. In one embodiment, the binding interface is mounted to the boot at a pair of laterally spaced attachment points with a pair of strapless fasteners. In another embodiment, the binding interface is mounted to at least one attachment point and a portion of the boot is flexible between the attachment point and a side. In other embodiments, at least a portion of the interface feature does not protrude below the bottom surface of the boot, and the interface feature does not protrude beyond the sides of the boot.

Abstract: An adjustable strap that limits separation of the strap portions from each other. The strap provides for quick and easy one hand operation by allowing a user to fully loosen and tighten the strap without the need for rejoining the strap portions to each other. The strap may also maintain the overlapping sections of the strap portions in close proximity and generally parallel to each other, such as when bending and/or adjusting the strap across a curved surface, to substantially reduce the likelihood of a loose strap end. The adjustable strap may include an engagement strap with a fastening device, such as a ratchet buckle, mounted to one end thereof, and a ratchet strap that passes through the ratchet buckle to be adjusted relative to the engagement strap for a desired tightness. The engagement strap may include a stop that coacts with the ratchet strap to limit relative movement between the engagement and ratchet straps.

Abstract: A highback for controlling a gliding board, such as a snowboard, through leg movement of a rider. The highback is provided with shape adjustability for accommodating a rider's particular riding preferences. Shape adjustability may allow the rider to reduce pressure points between the highback and the leg, particularly the calf muscle, for increased comfort while maintaining proper heelside support for board control. Shape adjustability may also allow the rider to selectively increase or decrease force transmission and board response based on individual riding preferences and/or riding conditions. The highback may employ one or more sections that may be selectively arranged to achieve a desirable highback shape for board response and rider comfort. The highback may be rigidly fixed in the selected shape to maintain comfort while delivering desired power transmission to the board.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a snowboard boot and a binding interface including an interface feature that is adapted to releasably engage with a snowboard binding. The binding interface is movably mounted to the boot so that the boot can flex in a side-to-side direction through an angle relative to the binding interface to provide side-to-side flexibility. In one embodiment, the binding interface is mounted to the boot at a pair of laterally spaced attachment points with a pair of strapless fasteners. In another embodiment, the binding interface is mounted to at least one attachment point and a portion of the boot is flexible between the attachment point and a side. In other embodiments, at least a portion of the interface feature does not protrude below the bottom surface of the boot, and the interface feature does not protrude beyond the sides of the boot.