3m Innovative Properties Company

Christopher Bland Walker, Jr

Thomas P Klun

Richard John Pokorny

Zai-Ming Qiu

Mark J Pellerite

William D Coggio

Alexander J Kugel

Vivek Krishnan

Naiyong Jing

John Charles Clark

Lan Hong Liu

Marc Dudley Radcliffe

Joan M Noyola

Steven J McMan

Chuntao Cao

Sharon Wang

Michelle Lund Toy

Abdullahi A Mohamud

George G I Moore

David B Olson

Mikhail L Pekurovsky

Tatsuo Fukushi

Robert J Fleming

Evan L Schwartz

Richard S Buckanin

Paul C Kelley

Mary M Caruso Dailey

Toheeb B Alabi

Brant Ulrick Kolb

Michael A Kropp

William J Schultz

Joseph D Rule

Emily S Goenner

Ryan E Marx

Robert F Kamrath

Jingjing Ma

Brian J Gates

D Scott Thompson

John T Brady

Charlie C Ho

Kara A Meyers

Roger W Barton

Anthony M Renstrom

Taun L McKenzie

Cheryl L S Elsbernd

Bryon J Cronk

Saagar A Shah

Thomas J Metzler

Dora M Paolucci

James Zhu

Jonathan W Kemling

Teresa M Goeddel

Kevin T Reddy

Chris A Pommer

Christopher P Tebow

Timothy J Tatge

Ankit Mahajan, Jr

Matthew T Scholz

Kyle J Lindstrom

Caroline M Ylitalo

Encai Hao

Matthew S Stay

Mahfuza B Ali

Robert A Yapel

Aaron K Nienaber

Tri Dinh Pham

Kui Chen-Ho

Yongshang Lu

William Vogel Dower

Alphonsus V Pocius

Roger A Mader

Kevin W Gotrik

Vivian Wynne Jones

John J Gagliardi

Dwayne L LaBrake

Steven H Kong

Brian Kenneth Nelson

Chao Yang

Mitchell A F Johnson

Anthony William Gatica

Michael E Lauters

Jean A Tangeman

Ronald Phillip Pepin

Samad Javid

Joseph T Aronson

Stephen Paul LeBlanc

Benjamin G Sonnek

Matthew R C Atkinson

John T Cowher

David L Kordecki

James W Laumer

Linda K M Olson

Jeremy P Gundale

Gerald R A Hofmann

Michael K Gerlach

Dmitri D Iarikov

Cheryl L S Eisbernd

Jesper Karl Marklund

The invention provides a diaphragm for a microspeaker and a manufacturing method thereof. The diaphragm is a single-layer diaphragm or a multi-layer diaphragm and comprises at least one layer of a chemically cross-linked thermoplastic polyester elastomer, wherein: the chemically cross-linked thermoplastic polyester elastomer has a loss factor less than or equal to 0.4 at a temperature range not higher than a softening temperature of thermoplastic polyester elastomer before chemical crosslinking plus 40° C., as measured by a rheological curve; and the diaphragm further has a yield strain in the range of 7% to 30%. The diaphragm for a microspeaker according to the technical solution of the present invention is easy to be prepared by thermoforming, and has appropriate modulus, good strength, elasticity, and thermal stability.

Diaphragm for microspeaker and manufacturing method thereof

A stretchable conductor includes a substrate with a first major surface, wherein the substrate is an elastomeric material. An elongate wire is on the first major surface of the substrate; the wire includes a first end and a second end, and further includes at least one arcuate region between the first end and the second end. At least one portion of the arcuate region of the wire in the region has a first surface area portion embedded in the surface of the substrate and a second surface area portion unembedded on the substrate and exposed in an amount sufficient to render at least an area of the substrate in the region electrically conductive. The unembedded second surface portion of the arcuate region may lie above or below a plane of the substrate. Composite articles including a stretchable conductor in durable electrical contact with a conductive fabric are also disclosed.

Stretchable conductors

Described herein is an article comprising (i) bead film comprising a binder resin layer and a plurality of microspheres partially embedded in the binder resin layer such that a portion of the microspheres outwardly protrude a first distance from the surface of the binder resin layer; (ii) a stabilizing layer disposed on the outwardly protruding microspheres opposite the binder resin layer, wherein the stabilizing layer intimately conforms to the protruding microspheres, and wherein the stabilizing layer has a Tg less than 100 C and a storage modulus at 150&#xb0; C. of at least 1.5 MPa; and (iii) a release agent, wherein (a) the binder resin layer comprises the release agent, (b) the stabilizing layer comprises the release agent, and/or (c) an intermediate layer comprises the release agent, wherein the intermediate layer is disposed between the monolayer of microspheres and the stabilizing layer, with the proviso that when the binder resin layer has a fluorine content along the polymeric backbone greater than 65 wt %, the stabilizing layer comprises a release agent selected from a silicone and a fluoropolymer. Also disclosed herein are methods of making thermoformable bead films.

Thermoformable beaded articles with removable stabilizing layer and methods thereof

Described herein is an article having a microsphere layer comprising a monolayer of microspheres, the monolayer of microspheres comprising a first area substantially free of microspheres and a second area comprising a plurality of randomly-distributed microspheres, wherein the monolayer of microspheres comprises a predetermined pattern, the predetermined pattern comprises at least one of (i) a plurality of the first areas, (ii) a plurality of the second areas, and (iii) combinations thereof; and (b) a bead bonding layer disposed on the microsphere layer, wherein the plurality of microspheres are partially embedded in a first major surface of the bead bonding layer, wherein the article has a retroreflectivity (R) of less than 5.0 candelas/lux/square meter. Also disclosed herein are transfer carriers and methods of making the articles and transfer carriers.

Article featuring a predetermined pattern of randomly distributed microspheres and methods of making the same

Described herein is decorative article having a coefficient of friction less than 0.3 wherein the decorative articles comprises: (i) a microsphere layer comprising a plurality of microspheres, wherein the microsphere layer comprises a monolayer of microspheres and wherein the plurality of microspheres are in a microscopic periodic pattern; and (ii) a bead bonding layer disposed on the microsphere layer, wherein the plurality of microspheres are partially embedded in the bead bonding layer. Also disclosed herein are transfer articles and methods of making the decorative articles and transfer articles.

Decorative article featuring a microscopic periodic pattern and methods of making the same

Described herein is a construction comprising a microsphere layer comprising a plurality of microspheres, wherein the microspheres comprise glass, ceramic, and combinations thereof; a bead bonding layer, wherein the plurality of microspheres is partially embedded in the bead bonding layer forming a first surface comprising exposed microspheres, wherein the plurality of microspheres on the first surface are truncated. Also disclosed herein are articles comprising the construction and methods of making thereof.

Truncated beadfilm constructions and methods of making the same

A stretchable conductor includes a substrate with a first major surface and an elongate wire, wherein the substrate is an elastomeric material, the elongate wire is on the first major surface of the substrate, the wire includes a first end and a second end, and further includes at least one arcuate region between the first end and the second end. At least one portion of the arcuate region of the wire in the region has a first surface area portion embedded in the surface of the substrate and a second surface area portion unembedded on the substrate and exposed in an amount sufficient to render at least an area of the substrate in the region electrically conductive. The unembedded second surface portion of the arcuate region may lie above or below a plane of the substrate. Additionally, different methods of preparing said stretchable conductor are disclosed. Composite articles including said stretchable conductor in durable electrical contact with a conductive fabric are also disclosed.

Method of making a stretchable conductor

There is provided an article a binder resin layer comprising an aliphatic polyurethane polymer comprising a plurality of soft segments, and a plurality of hard segments, where the soft segments comprise polycarbonate polyol; and a plurality of microspheres partially embedded and adhered to a first major surface of the binder resin layer, wherein the specific chemical identities and relative amounts of the segments and moieties of the aliphatic polyurethane polymer are sufficient to impart a glass transition temperature of 10&#xb0; C. or less in the article and a storage modulus in the article that changes less than 15 MPa from 25&#xb0; C. to 175&#xb0; C.

Flexible microsphere articles having high temperature stability

There is provided an article comprising at least a first surface having a fluorine-containing polymeric binder resin layer and a plurality of microspheres partially embedded in a first major surface of the binder resin layer and adhered thereto; wherein the fluorine-containing polymer is derived in part from at least one partially fluorinated, or non-fluorinated, monomer; and wherein the article exhibits a stain resistance to yellow mustard at elevated temperature and humidity as measured by the change in b* of less than 50. There are also provided such articles wherein the fluorine-containing polymer is derived in part from at least one partially fluorinated, or non-fluorinated, monomer; and wherein the fluorine content along the polymeric backbone of the fluorine-containing polymer is from about 27% to 72% by weight. There are also provided such articles wherein the article is a thermoformable article exhibiting chemical resistance according to ASTM D5402-06.

Stain resistant microsphere articles

There is provided an article having at least a first surface having: a binder resin layer comprising an actinic radiation reactive polyurethane dispersion, where the binder resin layer has a first major surface opposite a second major surface; and a plurality of microspheres partially embedded and adhered to the first major surface of the binder resin layer. There is also provided a thermoset article derived from such thermoformable articles.

Chemical resistant microsphere articles

There is provided a thermoformable article comprising at least a first surface having a binder resin layer comprising a fluorine-containing polymer, where the binder resin layer has a first major surface opposite a second major surface; and a plurality of microspheres partially and adhered to the first major surface of the binder resin layer; where the fluorine-containing polymer is a partially fluorinated polymer derived from at least one fluorine containing monomer and two or more non-fluorinated monomers having at least one active hydrogen functional group, and further wherein at least one but not all of the active hydrogen functional groups are reacted with at least one curing agent having latent functionality. In some instances the curing agent comprises polyisocyanate. There is also provided a thermoset article derived from such thermoformable articles.

Dual cure stain resistant microsphere articles

There is provided an article a binder resin layer comprising an aliphatic polyurethane polymer comprising a plurality of soft segments, and a plurality of hard segments, where the soft segments comprise poly(alkoxy) polyol, and where the poly(alkoxy) polyol is essentially free of crosslinker; and a plurality of microspheres partially embedded and adhered to a first major surface of the binder resin layer, wherein the specific chemical identities and relative amounts of the segments and moieties of the aliphatic polyurethane polymer are sufficient to impart a glass transition temperature of 10&#xb0; C. or less in the article and a storage modulus in the article that changes less than 15 MPa from 25&#xb0; C. to 175&#xb0; C.

There is provided an adhesive composition comprising at least 50 wt % of an aqueous dispersion of an amorphous polyurethane having a Tg below 25&#xb0; C.; and a water dispersible cross-linker, where the adhesive composition has a peel retention of greater than or equal to 5% according to the Water/IPA Exposure Test.

Polyurethane laminating adhesive composition

There is provided an article comprising at least a first surface having a first binder layer selected from at least one of linear resins and resins having low cross link densities, where the first binder layer has a first major surface opposite a second major surface; and a plurality of microspheres at least partially embedded in the first major surface of the first binder layer. There is also provided an article comprising a first surface having a first binder layer selected from at least one of linear resins and resins having low cross link densities; and a plurality of microspheres at least partially embedded a the first major surface of the first binder layer, where for at least a portion of the first major surface the plurality of microspheres covers 30% to 50% of that portion, and the microspheres are substantially uniformly spaced.

Thermoformable microsphere articles

There is provided an article comprising at least a first surface having a first binder layer selected from at least one of linear resins and resins having low cross link densities, where the first binder layer has a first major surface opposite a second major surface; and a plurality of microspheres at least partially embedded in the first major surface of the first binder layer. For at least a portion of the first major surface, the plurality of micro spheres may cover 30% to 50% of that portion, and the microspheres may be substantially uniformly spaced.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Christopher Bland Walker, Jr