3m Innovative Properties Company

3m Innovative Properties

James A Stevenson

Kenneth A Epstein

Robert M Emmons

Mark David Gehlsen

Marc T Wiescinski

Ryan T Fabick

Timothy J Gardner

Kenneth Jason Hanley

Geoffrey P Morris

Linda Mae Rivard

Michael S Groess

James W Laumer

Paul J Donnelly

Richard F Griffith

Chideuk Kim

Youngsoo Park

Byungsoo Ko

Chingwen Chen

Leo A Meyer

Joseph John Bianconi

Lavern L Linse

Bruno Telesca

Mikhail Laksin

Laura A Dellevigne

Brijesh K Nigam

A directly illuminated display unit has a display panel and one or more light sources disposed behind the display panel. A diffuser is disposed between the light source unit and the display panel and a light diverting layer is disposed between the one or more light sources and the diffuser. The light diverting layer has light diverting members on a first side of the light diverting layer facing the diffuser. Surfaces of the light diverting members are disposed at more than one angle relative to a normal to the light diverting layer and also include one or more sharp changes of surface slope. The light diverting members spread the illumination light so as to be more uniform. Different light diverting members can have different apex angles. Also, different sides of a light diverting member can have best fit centers of curvature that are non-coincident.

Back-lit displays with high illumination uniformity

In a directly-illuminated liquid crystal display (LCD), for example an LCD monitor or an LCD-TV, a number of light management layers lie between the light source and the LCD panel to provide bright, uniform illumination. The light management layers, including, for example, a diffuser, a reflective polarizer and a brightness enhancing layer, are contained in a light management unit that is formed from two subassemblies. The two subassemblies each contain a substrate and are attached together so as to leave a gap between the two subassemblies. The diffuser is located in one of the subassemblies, and the other light management layers may be in either of the subassemblies, or may be disposed in the gap between the subassemblies.

Composite diffuser plates and direct-lit liquid crystal displays using same

Articles produced according to the present disclosure include a first film having a structured surface and a second film having a structured surface. The structured surface of the first film is releaseably mated with the structured surface of the second film. In some exemplary embodiments, such articles may be optical bodies including first and second optical films having structured surfaces. Methods of making such articles, which may be optical bodies, are also disclosed.

Articles including films with mating structured surfaces

A display includes an optical film that has a surface structure, such as a prismatically structured surface for increasing the brightness of the display. The structured surface is bonded to an opposing surface of a second film using a layer of adhesive, by penetrating the structured surface into the adhesive layer to a depth less than a feature height of the structured surface. The bonded film structure provides additional strength to the films and reduces the possibility of film damage during display assembly.

Method for stacking surface structured optical films

Projection screens and convenient and efficient methods of making such projection screens are provided. Recycled glass is reformed to provide glass microspheres of sufficient quality for use in a projection screen.

Projection screens and methods for making such projection screens

The present invention is a light directing construction for use in a display apparatus. The light directing construction includes a light directing film that has a prismatic structure having two sides, where one side includes saw tooth formations having tilted surfaces, and a metal coating on the side of the prismatic substrate having the saw-tooth formations. A corrosion-resistant feature is provided on the light directing construction to minimize the effects of corrosion experienced in salt atmospheres. In a first embodiment of the invention, the light directing construction includes an intermediate layer positioned between the light directing film and the metal coating. In a second embodiment of the invention, a peripheral polymeric coating is provided on the light directing constriction. This peripheral coating can be formed with a laser.

Light directing construction having corrosion resistant feature

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

James A Stevenson