3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Barry S Carpenter

Terry Lee Smith

Jennifer J Sahlin

David Adams Ender

Takayuki Hayauchi

Mark E Napierala

Jaime B Willoughby

John Allen Wheatley

David F Slama

David Jon Lundin

Stephen K Eckhardt

James Craig Novack

Ryan C Shirk

Stephen J Znameroski

Karl A Vick

Robert J DeVoe

Raymond Patrick Johnston

John Charles Clark

Jun-Ying Zhang

Gordon D Henson

Bing Hao

Michael R Gorman

Haiyan Zhang

David H Redinger

Gina M Buccellato

Michael E Griffin

Robert G Smith

Kathy L Hagen

Robert S Reylek

Timothy V Stagg

Scott M Schnobrich

Kevin W Anderson

Randy Slater

Barbara A Fipp

An optical connector includes a first attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to an optical waveguide. A light coupling unit is disposed and configured to move translationally and not rotationally within the housing of the connector. The light coupling unit includes a second attachment area for receiving and permanently attaching to an optical waveguide received and permanently attached at the first attachment area. The light coupling unit also includes light redirecting surface. The light redirecting surface is configured such that when an optical waveguide is received and permanently attached at the first and second attachment areas, the light redirecting surface receives and redirects light from the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide limits, but does not prevent, a movement of the light coupling unit within the housing.

Optical connector

Nozzles and method of making the same are disclosed. The disclosed nozzles have at least one nozzle through-hole therein, wherein the at least one nozzle through-hole exhibits a coefficient of discharge, C, of greater than about 0.50. Fuel injectors containing the nozzle are also disclosed. Methods of making and using nozzles and fuel injectors are further disclosed.

Fuel injectors with improved coefficient of fuel discharge

A method of fabricating a fuel injector nozzle comprising the steps of: (a) forming a first microstructured pattern in a first material; (b) replicating the first microstructured pattern in a second material to make a first mold comprising a second microstructured pattern in the second material; (c) replicating the second microstructured pattern in a third material to make a second mold comprising a third microstructured pattern comprising a plurality of microstructures in the third material; (d) replicating the third microstructured pattern in a metal material to make a replicated structure; and (e) removing the third material resulting in a nozzle having a plurality of through-holes through the metal material and corresponding to the plurality of microstructures in the third microstructured pattern. Each of the plurality of through-holes has a hole wall connecting a hole entry to a hole exit, and the hole wall of at least one through-hole has a side that curves from its hole entry to its hole exit.

Method of making a fuel injector nozzle

A fuel injector nozzle comprising a plurality of holes formed therethrough connecting one side of the nozzle with an opposite side of the nozzle. Each of the holes comprises a hole entry on the one side of the nozzle having a first shape, a hole exit on the opposite side of the nozzle having a second shape, and a hole wall connecting the hole entry to the hole exit. The hole exit is smaller than the hole entry, and the hole wall comprises a side that is continuously curved from the hole entry to the hole exit.

Fuel injector nozzle

A method of fabricating a nozzle that includes casting and curing a first material using a patterned nip roller to form a first microstructured pattern of discrete microstructures, deforming at least one of the discrete microstructures; replicating the first microstructured pattern, including the at least one deformed discrete microstructure, in a second material different than the first material to make a replicated structure comprising a plurality of blind holes formed in the second material, removing second material of the replicated structure to expose tops of microstructures in the first microstructured pattern, and removing the first material from the replicated structure, resulting in a nozzle having a plurality of through-holes in the second material and corresponding to the first microstructured pattern.

Method of making a nozzle

An optical connector includes a first attachment area () for receiving and permanently attaching to an optical waveguide (). A light coupling unit () is disposed and configured to move translationally and not rotationally within the housing of the connector. The light coupling unit includes a second attachment area () for receiving and permanently attaching to an optical waveguide received and permanently attached at the first attachment area. The light coupling unit also includes light redirecting surface (). The light redirecting surface is configured such that when an optical waveguide is received and permanently attached at the first and second attachment areas, the light redirecting surface receives and redirects light from the optical waveguide. The optical waveguide limits, but does not prevent, a movement of the light coupling unit within the housing.

Nozzle and a method of making the same are disclosed. The method includes (a) providing a microstructured mold pattern defining at least a portion of a mold and comprising a plurality of replica nozzle holes and replica planar control cavities; (b) molding a first material into a nozzle forming microstructured pattern using the microstructured mold pattern, with the nozzle forming microstructured pattern comprising a plurality of nozzle hole forming features and planar control cavity forming features; (c) forming a second material into a nozzle pre-form using the nozzle forming microstructured pattern, with the nozzle pre-form comprising a plurality of nozzle pre-form holes and sacrificial planar control cavities; and (d) forming a nozzle from the nozzle pre-form, said forming the nozzle comprising removing enough of the second material to remove the sacrificial planar control cavities so as to form a top surface of the nozzle pre-form into a planar top surface of the nozzle, and to form each of the nozzle pre-form holes into a nozzle through hole.

Microstructured pattern for forming a nozzle pre-form

Illumination articles are described. More specifically, illumination articles that include a wearable device configured for wearing on the head of a wearer, a lightguide and light sources for emitting light into the lightguide are described. The illumination articles allow for wearable devices that uniformly illuminate a working area at high brightness without providing excessive glare to observers.

Illumination articles

Light assembly having reflector, light source, an outer light cover, and a curved transflective surface. Embodiments of light assemblies described herein are useful, for example, as signs, backlights, displays, task lighting, luminaire, and vehicle (e.g., cars, trucks, airplanes, etc.) components. Vehicle comprising light assemblies include those where the light assembly is a vehicle tail light assembly.

Light assembly

A method of fabricating a nozzle that includes providing a first material capable of undergoing multiphoton reaction; forming a first microstructured pattern in the first material using a multiphoton process; replicating the first microstructured pattern in a second material to make a first mold comprising a second microstructured pattern in the second material; replicating the second microstructured pattern in a third material to make a second mold comprising a third microstructured pattern comprising microstructures in the third material; replicating the third microstructured pattern in a fourth material to make a replicated structure; planarizing the replicated structure to expose tops of the microstructures in the plurality of microstructures in the third microstructured pattern; and removing the third material resulting in the nozzle having a plurality of holes in the fourth material.

Light assembly () having reflector (), light source (), an outer light cover (), and a curved transflective surface (). Embodiments of light assemblies described herein are useful, for example, as signs, backlights, displays, task lighting, luminaire, and vehicle (e.g., cars, trucks, airplanes, etc.) components. Vehicle comprising light assemblies include those where the light assembly is a vehicle tail light assembly.

Light assembly having reflector (), a light source (), an outer light cover () having a first color zone () and a second, different color or clear zone (), and an inner lens () with a transflective surface. Embodiments of light assemblies described herein are useful, for example, as signs, backlights, displays, task lighting, luminaire, and vehicle (e.g., cars, trucks, airplanes, etc.) components. Vehicle comprising light assemblies include those where the light assembly is a vehicle tail light assembly.

A fiber alignment device comprises a base having at least one alignment groove, a stripped portion of an optical fiber positioned in the at least one alignment groove, where a terminal end of the fiber extends beyond at least one of an end face of the base, and an end face of a cover bonded to the base to secure the optical fiber between the base and the cover, where an end face of the cover and the end face of the base are substantially non-parallel.

Growing community of inventors

Oakdale, MN, United States of America

Barry S Carpenter