3m Innovative Properties Company

Alan B Campbell

Dale L Ehnes

Daniel S Wertz

Mark E Gardiner

Sanford Cobb, Jr

Wade D Kretman

James P Burke

Daniel H Carlson

Timothy L Hoopman

Bryan V Hunt

Levent Biyikli

John F Van Derlofske, Iii

Mark R Dupre

Patrick H Marushin

Luis A Aguirre

Stephen J Dreyer

Todd M Johnson

Marvin J Niezgocki

Kenneth A Epstein

Jennifer L Trice

Charles N DeVore

Richard F Griffith

Andrew McKee

A fly-cutting system is disclosed, and in particular one that comprises a dynamically-controllable actuator for controlling the position, orientation, or both position and orientation of a cutting element carried by a fly-cutting head. In certain embodiments, the actuator can adjust the position or orientation of a cutting element, or both, hundreds or thousands of times per second, enabling precise control over the shape of features formed by the cutting element in a surface of a workpiece.

Fly-cutting head, system and method, and tooling and sheeting produced therewith

A light directing film includes a structured major surface with a plurality of microstructures extending along a first direction. Each microstructure has a first region and a second region different from the first region, a substantially constant height in the first region and a non-constant maximum height in the second region greater than the substantially constant height in the first region, and a same lateral cross sectional shape in the first region and the second region.

Light directing film and method for making the same

Methods of fly-cutting a workpiece are disclosed, and in methods in which the position of a fly-cutting head or its associated cutting element is known as a function of time. Also disclosed are methods of forming features, such as grooves or groove segments, in a workpiece such as a cylindrical roll. The features may be provided according to one or more disclosed patterns. Articles made using tools machined in the manner described are also provided, such as polymeric film or sheeting that exhibit certain beneficial properties.

Fly-cutting system and method, and related tooling articles

Methods and systems for forming a displacement scale comprising TIR prisms on a substrate are described. A system for forming the displacement scale includes one or more rollers having a pattern of total internal reflection (TIR) prism features in negative relief. As the rollers are rotated, the scale is formed on the substrate. The rollers may also include pattern features in negative relief. Rotation of the rollers simultaneously forms the displacement scale and the pattern features on the substrate. The TIR prism features of the displacement scale may be oriented to provide measurement of one or more of lateral displacement, longitudinal displacement and angular displacement.

Systems and methods for fabricating displacement scales

Fly-cutting system and method, and related tooling and articles

Optical films having anti-Moir&#xe9; and anti-wetout features are described, along with systems and methods for making these optical films. A master used to make optical films is formed using a single axis actuator cutting along a trajectory that is out of plane with the surface of the master. Movement of the cutting tool along the trajectory cuts grooves having variable depth and variable pitch into the surface. Prisms formed from the master have variable depth, variable height prisms that provide anti-wetout and anti-Moir&#xe9; features.

Optical film

An optical film for use in transparent displays, such as reflective LCDs. The optical film has three-dimensional, prismatic structures that reflect incoming light. The prismatic structures are configured so that the reflecting facets orient the reflected light in desired reflective light pattern. The pattern shape and intensity can be controlled by the shape and dimensions of the various reflecting facets. In one embodiment, the height of the prismatic structure varies along two dimensions of the structure.

Optical film having microreplicated structures and methods

Methods and systems for indicating the displacement of a flexible web are described. An elongated, flexible web includes an integral scale having scale features configured to modulate energy directed towards the web. A transport mechanism provides relative movement between the web relative to a transducer. The transducer detects energy modulated by the scale features and generates a signal indicting a continuous web displacement based on the modulated energy.

Systems and methods for indicating the position of a web

The disclosure is directed to a cutting tool assembly used for creating grooves in a microreplication tool. The cutting tool assembly includes a mounting structure and multiple diamonds aligned in the mounting structure to a tolerance of less than 10 microns. For example, first and second tool shanks having first and second diamond tips can be positioned in the mounting structure such that a cutting location of the first diamond tip is identical to a cutting location of the second diamond tip. However, the second diamond tip may be a defined distance further away from the mounting structure than the first diamond tip, or the second diamond tip may have a different shape than the first diamond tip. In this manner, the first diamond tip may cut a groove into a work piece and the second diamond tip may cut a sub-feature into the groove to create a multi-featured groove.

Aligned multi-diamond cutting tool assembly for creating microreplication tools

A cutting tool assembly having a tool post capable of lateral movement along a work piece to be cut and an actuator with at least one machined tool tip and possibly other tool tips. The actuator provides for control of the movement of the tool tip in an x-direction into and out of the work piece in order to make continuous or discontinuous microstructures in it. The machined tool tip provides for microstructures within microstructures. The machined work piece can be used to make microstructured articles such as films having non-adjacent lenslets.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Rosa, CA, United States of America

Alan B Campbell