3m Innovative Properties Company

Other

Glen A Jerry

Karl K Stensvad

Jonathan J O'Hare

Mikhail L Pekurovsky

Moses Mekala David

Michael Benton Free

Daniel H Carlson

James N Dobbs

Christopher J Campbell

John T Strand

Robert L Brott

Matthew S Stay

Charles A Marttila

Michael J Sykora

Ronald P Swanson

John S Huizinga

Peter T Benson

Gary W Maier

Jennifer Rebecca Yi

M Benton Free

Tyler J Rattray

William R Dudley

David L Hofeldt

James Zhu

Serge Wetzels

Ellison G Kawakami

James R Starkey

Andrzej P Jaworski

Alan G Hulme-Lowe

Ameeta R Goyal

Matthew R Smith

Jonathan J O'HARE

Jennifer R Yi

A process for applying a coating material onto a substrate as a non-uniform discontinuous pattern of coating material, the method including the present disclosure describes a method of applying a coating material onto a substrate, including providing a first distribution manifold having a cavity and a multiplicity of first dispensing outlets in fluid communication with the cavity, creating relative motion between a substrate and the dispensing outlets in a first direction; dispensing a first coating material from the dispensing outlets while maintaining the relative motion and translating the multiplicity of dispensing outlets in a second direction non-parallel to the first direction, and varying a rate of dispensing of the first coating material in a predetermined fashion to form a discontinuous pattern of the first coating material on a major surface of the substrate. Useful non-uniformly patterned coated articles can be prepared using the process.

Method and apparatus for forming articles with non-uniform discontinuous patterned coatings

Coating apparatuses and methods are provided for dispensing coatings with various shapes. The coating apparatus includes a coating die body including a cavity and an opening on a dispensing side thereof. One or more movable components are disposed on the dispensing side of the die body to define at least a portion of a dispensing slot adjacent the opening of the cavity. The one or more movable components are movable with respect to the opening to allow a width of the dispensing slot along a cross direction to be dynamically adjustable.

Slot die with actively controlled coating width

Coating apparatuses and methods are provided for direct coatings with various shapes. The coating apparatus includes a die body with one or more bores. One or more cams are pivotally mounted within the bores and have one or more recessed areas formed into the respective peripheral surfaces thereof. The one or more cams are rotatable within the die body to dynamically, independently vary the width or shape of the respectively dispensed one or more fluid coatings.

Cam die coating systems

Electrically conductive patterns formed on a substrate are provided with a reduced visibility. A region of a major surface of the substrate is selectively roughened to form a roughened pattern on the major surface of the substrate. Electrically conductive traces are directly formed on the roughened region and are conformal with the roughened pattern on the major surface of the substrate.

Metallic microstructures with reduced-visibility and methods for producing same

A web path for conveying a web material includes at least two support rollers contacting a single major surface of the web material, wherein the web material is of indefinite length and has a first and a second edge. A first support roller contacts a first edge region of the web material, and a second support roller contacts a second edge region of the web material such that the web material has a substantial un-contacted region between the first and the second support roller including at least about 50% of the width of the web material. At least one of the first support roller and the second support roller are supported on a bowed shaft such that at least one of the first and second support rollers is angled with respect to the direction of motion of the web.

Edge contact substrate transport method and apparatus

A manufacturing system includes a sensing system that provides high-resolution feedback for web guiding and tension control. The system may be especially useful for web material that is manufactured to include micro-replicated structures with micron size scale. A micro-replication station forms a pattern of micro-replicated lenses on a web material. The sensing system illuminates a measurement area on the web material and detects an angular distribution of light exiting a set of the micro-replicated lenses within the first measurement area. A control system that adjusts at least one process control parameter of the transport system based on the detected angular distribution.

Precision control of web material having micro-replicated lens array

A process including positioning a coating head to define a gap between a first external opening in flow communication with a source of a first coating liquid, and a major surface of a substrate; creating relative motion between the first coating head and the substrate; dispensing a pre-determined quantity of the first coating liquid to form a discrete patch in a predetermined position on the substrate's major surface; positioning a second coating head to define a gap between a second external opening in flow communication with a source of a second coating liquid and a major surface of the patch; creating relative motion between the second coating head and the substrate, and dispensing a pre-determined quantity of the second coating liquid to form a discontinuous pattern on the patch's major surface. The first and optionally the second coating liquids exhibit a viscosity as dispensed of at least 1 Pascal-sec.

Discrete coating of liquid on a liquid-coated substrate and use in forming laminates

A process including providing a coating head having an external opening in flow communication with a source of a first coating liquid, positioning the coating head relative to a substrate to define a gap between the external opening and the substrate, creating relative motion between the coating head and the substrate in a coating direction, and dispensing a predetermined quantity of the first coating liquid from the external opening onto at least a portion of at least one major surface of the substrate to form a discrete patch of the first coating liquid in a predetermined position on at least a portion of the major surface of the substrate. The first coating liquid as dispensed exhibits a viscosity of at least 1 Pascal-sec. In some exemplary embodiments, the first coating liquid is a liquid optically clear adhesive composition used in a laminate including a light emitting or reflecting device component.

Precision coating of viscous liquids and use in forming laminates

A method of stencil printing includes printing a layer of non-sag adhesive onto a first substrate, adding topography to the layer of non-sag adhesive, and contacting the layer of non-sag adhesive with a second substrate. The second substrate initially contacts only about 5% or less of exposed surface area of the layer of non-sag adhesive.

Profiled coatings for enabling vacuumless lamination of stencil printed liquid optically clear adhesives

A keypad having a virtual floating image that appears to a user to be in a plane other than the apparent plane of the keypad surface. More particularly, the indicia on the keypad appear to float above or below the surface of the device. The keypad can be, for example, the keypad on a cell phone. For such an application there would be more than one array of indicia present on the keypad. For example, there might be ten arrays of indicia, which provide the numerals from 0 to 9 and two more arrays to provide virtual images of the * and # keys. In some embodiments, the keypad is integrated with an illumination source that light up the indicia. The present disclosure also provides a method of manufacturing a key pad with a virtual floating image.

Keypad with virtual image

Growing community of inventors

Blaine, MN, United States of America

Glen A Jerry