3m Innovative Properties Company

Charles N DeVore

Raymond Patrick Johnston

Robert L Brott

Kayla A Hagens

Jennifer L Trice

Karl J L Geisler

Hamid R Mortazavi

James M Nelson

Martin E Broen

Sean C McGreevy

Paul Edward Humpal

Jorge C Ceballos

Michael Alan Meis

Andrew R Fox

Joseph Clark Carls

Wesley A Raider

Martin Kristoffersen

Dwight G Baldwin

Patrick R Fleming

Robert A Yapel

Steven Feldman

David Scott Thompson

Timothy L Hoopman

Alan B Campbell

Dale L Ehnes

William J Bryan

Steven A Neu

Robert B Secor

Keith R Bruesewitz

Martin J Vos

Brian W Lueck

Nelson D Sewall

William R Dudley

Greg E Schrank

James F Poch

Gary William Schukar

Steven G Lucht

Larry Allan Schleif

Jeffrey E Clements

Joseph W Woody, V

James R Starkey

Katie B Thompson

Bruce D Shalles

Michael J Tichy

Andrzej P Jaworski

Timothy J Pommer

An optical component array and method of making an optical component array includes a plurality of optical components useful for projection devices or other optical devices.

Method of making a polarizing beamsplitter array

A lightguide functioning as a luminaire. The luminaire includes at least one solid state light source, such as an LED, and a lightguide configured to receive light from the solid state light source. Light from the light source is coupled into the lightguide and transported within it by total internal reflection until the light exits the lightguide. A shape of the lightguide causes and directs extraction of the light, and can also be used to create a particular pattern of the extracted light. Such shapes include linear wedges and twisted wedges. Optical films can be included on the light input and output surfaces of the lightguide.

Lightguide as luminaire

The present disclosure provides an optical component array and method of making an optical component array that can include a plurality of optical components useful for projection devices or other optical devices. The optical component array can be fabricated such that individual optical components having several elements can be assembled in a massively parallel manner and then singulated as individual optical components, and can result in a large reduction in manufacturing cost.

Optical component array

A solid state light having a solid state light source such as LEDs, a light guide having an enclosed interior volume such as a bulb shape without vents, and a thermal guide. The light guide is coupled to the light source for receiving and distributing light from the light source. The thermal guide is at least partially contained within the interior volume with an air gap between a portion of the thermal guide and the light guide. The thermal guide provides for thermal conduction from the light source and dissipating heat through convection and radiation for cooling the light.

Solid state light with enclosed light guide and integrated thermal guide

A light having integrated light and thermal guides and separable electrical connectors. The light has a base for connection to a power supply, a light circuit electrically connected with solid state light sources such as LEDs, and a driver circuit for receiving power from the power supply and providing power to drive the light sources. A light guide is coupled to the light sources for receiving and distributing light from the light sources, and a thermal guide is integrated with the light guide for providing thermal conduction from the light source for cooling the light. The separable connectors include a first connector for providing an electrical connection between the driver circuit and light circuit, a second connector for providing an electrical connection between the power supply and driver circuit, and a third connector for providing a ground connection to the driver circuit.

Electrical connectors for solid state light

A light with integrated light and thermal guides, and having solid state light sources such as LEDs. The light guide includes a material having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface and forming an interior volume. The light guide is coupled to the LEDs for receiving and distributing light from them through the first surface, and the light is transported through the light guide until the light is extracted from the first or second surface. The light guide can include alignment features such as fiducials that mate with a base. The thermal guide is contained within the interior volume and integrated with the light guide for providing thermal conduction from the LEDs for cooling the light. The thermal guide can be vented to provide for internal cross flow of air for the cooling.

Solid state light with aligned light guide and integrated vented thermal guide

A solid state light having a solid state light source such as LEDs, an optical guide, and a thermal guide. The optical guide is coupled to the light source for receiving and distributing light from the light source, and the thermal guide is integrated with the optical guide for providing thermal conduction from the solid state light source and dissipating heat through convection and radiation for cooling the light. The optical guide can be tapered to enhance the efficiency of light distribution. The thermal guide can have an external shell connected with internal fins, and the external shell can have a reflective coating to provide for a back reflector behind the optical guide.

Solid state light with optical guide and integrated thermal guide

Computer implemented method for making a die includes: selecting coating uniformity required to produce a particular coated product with the die and a value for one or more dimensions of the die; determining (using a mathematical model determined by regression analysis) total indicated run-out (TIR) of a die surface and dimensions of the die not having a user specified value; and machining die part or parts to the determined TIR and dimensions. A thermal treatment process for reducing the number of finishing (e.g., grinding) cycles needed to produce a desired die flatness is provided. A coating fluid rheological characteristic can be an input to the method.

System and method for designing a die to yield a desired coating uniformity

Surface pattern applied to a light bulb

Light bulb

A cutting tool assembly using a machined tool operating in a plunge mode of electrical discharge machining to make microreplicated features in a work piece having a complex surface. The microreplicated features can be non-adjacent and can have any geometric configuration and micron-scaled dimensions, as determined by the microstructured features in the tool. The machined work piece can be used as a master tool in order to make microreplicated articles such as optical films, friction control films, plasma display panel molds, or micro-fasteners.

Microreplication on a complex surface

A method includes placing a conductive mold in a first bath of electroforming solution, the solution including metal and having a selected temperature. A current is provided to the electroforming solution so that metal deposits onto the mold, thereby forming an electroformed element on the mold, the electroformed element and the mold being a composite assembly. The method further includes removing the composite assembly from the electroforming solution and transferring the composite assembly to a second bath having the same selected temperature. Thereafter, the electroformed element is separated from the mold while the composite assembly is in the second bath.

Dimensional control in electroforms

Solid state light assembly

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

Growing community of inventors

Hugo, MN, United States of America

Charles N DeVore