3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Wayne K. Dunshee

Thomas P. Klun

Jeffrey F. Andrews

Debra M. Neu

Kevin R. Schaffer

Matthew T. Scholz

Matthew T. Scholtz

Kevin R Schaffer

Audrey A Sherman

Michael Alan Meis

David Scott Thompson

Steven D Solomonson

Mieczyslaw H Mazurek

Robert L Brott

Zhaohui Yang

William J Bryan

Marie A Boulos

Martin B Wolk

Mikhail L Pekurovsky

Encai Hao

John C Schultz

Joseph D Rule

Wendi J Winkler

Thu-Van T Tran

Erik A Aho

John Allen Wheatley

Matthew S Stay

John James Stradinger

Ellen O Aeling

Soemantri Widagdo

Matthew T Scholz

Catherine A Leatherdale

Michael A Johnson

Robert F Kamrath

Michael J Sykora

John E Potts

Martin Kristoffersen

Ryan M Braun

Thomas P Klun

Lan Hong Liu

Margot A Branigan

Richard John Pokorny

William Blake Kolb

Wayne K Dunshee

James M Nelson

Raymond Patrick Johnston

Marc Dudley Radcliffe

John Charles Clark

Sergey Lamansky

Peter D Condo

Jun-Ying Zhang

David J Kinning

Scott Melvyn Tapio

Ross E Behling

Ryan E Marx

Patrick A Thomas

Yufeng Liu

Karissa L Eckert

Malcolm B Burleigh

Jeffrey F Andrews

Evan Louis Breedlove

Derek W Patzman

Peihui Zhang

Joseph W Woody, V

Joseph W Woody

John C Newland

David A Harper

Debra M Neu

Michael H Hansberry

William Ward Merrill

Mark J Pellerite

Michael C Palazzotto

Caroline M Ylitalo

Wayne Scott Mahoney

Rolf W Biernath

Jeffrey Jacob Cernohous

Michael L Steiner

Ying-Yuh Lu

John P Baetzold

Robert S Moshrefzadeh

Kevin D Landgrebe

Vivian Wynne Jones

Maureen Ann Kavanagh

Kanta Kumar

Shawn C Dodds

Arlin Lee Weikel

Yaoqi Joe Liu

Christopher J Campbell

Robert R Kieschke

Daniel W Hennen

Corinne Elizabeth Lipscomb

Maria A Appeaning

Narina Y Stepanova

Patrick J Yeshe

Leslie A Todero

Vivan W Jones

Matthew T Scholtz

Evan L Breedlove

A display film includes a transparent cross-linked polyurethane acrylate layer. The transparent cross-linked polyurethane acrylate layer having a glass transition temperature of 10 degrees Celsius or less and a Tan Delta peak value of 0.5 or greater.

Polyurethane acrylate protective display film

A display film includes a transparent polymeric substrate layer and a transparent energy dissipation layer disposed on the transparent polymeric substrate layer. The transparent energy dissipation layer includes cross-linked polyurethane and a polyacrylate polymer. The transparent energy dissipation layer has a glass transition temperature of 27 degrees Celsius or less and a Tan Delta peak value of 0.5 or greater.

Dual cure protective display film

Optically clear curable adhesive films that are heat conformable prior to setting include a reactive composition. The curable films are flexible and free-standing, and have a complex viscosity of greater than 100,000 poise (10,000 Pascal seconds) at 25&#xb0; C. and less than 100 poise (10 Pascal seconds) at 85&#xb0; C., prior to setting. The set film has an adhesive shear strength of greater than 100 Newtons per square centimeter (N/cm) to a glass substrate when measured according to the Shear Adhesion Test Method. The reactive composition includes an ethylenically unsaturated polyester-containing oligomeric composition that is the reaction product of a saturated, amorphous co-polyester polyol and a compound with a terminal polyol-reactive group and a terminal ethylenically unsaturated group, a (meth)acrylate functional material, and at least one initiator.

Heat conformable curable adhesive films

Surface-modified adhesives may be prepared by contacting an adhesive layer to an at least partially discontinuous layer on a releasing substrate and removing the adhesive layer such that at least a portion of the at least partially discontinuous layer adheres to the adhesive surface. The modified adhesive surface remains an adhesive surface. The modified adhesive layer can be used to prepare adhesive articles, including articles containing multiple surface-modified adhesive layers.

Surface-modified adhesives

Heat de-bondable adhesive articles include a heat-shrinkable optical substrate with optically clear adhesive disposed on the two major surfaces of the heat-shrinkable substrate. Optical articles can be prepared by disposing the heat de-bondable adhesive articles between two optical substrates. Other optical articles can be prepared by disposing an optically clear adhesive layer and a heat-shrinkable optical substrate on an optical substrate.

Heat de-bondable adhesive articles

Optical adhesives that also diffuse visible light include a blend of an adhesive matrix which is an optical adhesive and a block copolymer. The adhesive may be a pressure sensitive adhesive and contains either acid or basic functionality. The block copolymer, which may be a diblock copolymer, contains a high Tg block and a functional block, the functionality of the functional block is complimentary to the functionality of the adhesive matrix to form an acid-base interaction. The adhesive may also contain a crosslinking agent.

Optical adhesive with diffusive properties

This application describes a back-lit transmissive display including a transmissive display and a variable index light extraction layer optically coupled to a lightguide. The variable index light extraction layer has first regions of nanovoided polymeric material and second regions of the nanovoided polymeric material and an additional material. The first and second regions are disposed such that for light being transported at a supercritical angle in the lightguide, the variable index light extraction layer selectively extracts the light in a predetermined way based on the geometric arrangement of the first and second regions. The transmissive display may be a transmissive display panel or a polymeric film such as a graphic.

Back-lit transmissive display having variable index light extraction layer

This application describes a front-lit reflective display assembly including a reflective display and an illumination article for front-lighting the display when the article is optically coupled to a light source. The illumination article includes a variable index light extraction layer optically coupled to a lightguide. The variable index light extraction layer has first and second regions, the first region comprising nanovoided polymeric material, the second region comprising the nanovoided polymeric material and an additional material, the first and second regions being disposed such that for light being transported at a supercritical angle in the lightguide, the variable index light extraction layer selectively extracts the light in a predetermined way based on the geometric arrangement of the first and second regions. Front-lit reflective display devices including the front-lit reflective display assembly optically coupled to a light source are also described.

Front-lit reflective display device

Disclosed herein is an optical device having a light source and a viscoelastic lightguide. Light from the light source enters the viscoelastic lightguide and is transported within the lightguide by total internal reflection. The viscoelastic lightguide may comprise a pressure sensitive adhesive. The optical device may be used in a variety of constructions wherein the device emits light being transported within the viscoelastic lightguide. Constructions include those used for signs, markings, illumination devices, display devices, keypad assemblies and tail light assemblies for vehicles.

Light source and optical article including viscoelastic lightguide disposed on a substrate

Variable index light extraction layers that contain a first region with a first material and a second region including a second material are described, where the first region has a lower effective index of refraction than the second region. Optical films and stacks may use the variable index light extraction layers in front lit or back lit display devices and luminaires.

Variable index light extraction layer and method of making the same

A display film includes a transparent polymeric substrate layer and a transparent aliphatic cross-linked polyurethane layer disposed on the transparent polymeric substrate layer. The transparent aliphatic cross-linked polyurethane layer has a glass transition temperature in a range from 11 to 27 degrees Celsius and a Tan Delta peak value in a range from 0.5 to 2.5. The display film has a haze value of 1% or less.

Protective display film

Marketing strips having a light source and a flexible viscoelastic lightguide for displaying products or product related information, or illuminating a graphic on the marketing strip and products adjacent it. Light from the light source enters the viscoelastic lightguide and is transported within the lightguide by total internal reflection until the light exits from surfaces of the lightguide and through the graphic. The viscoelastic lightguide can include a pressure-sensitive adhesive, which adheres the lightguide to the marketing strip and enhances structural support for it. The light from the lightguide can illuminate products and labels on the marketing strip. The lightguide can also include a bevelled edge with light exiting the edge downward and backward from the marketing strip to illuminate products it.

Marketing strip with viscoelastic lightguide

Transfer tapes include an optically transparent adhesive layer with a first major surface and a second major surface, with at least one of the major surfaces including a microstructured pattern that is a permanent feature of the adhesive surface. The microstructured surface alters the direction of light. The optically transparent composition may include a low Tg polymeric component with a Tg of less than 20&#xb0; C., and an acid or base functionality, and a high Tg polymeric component with a Tg of greater than 20&#xb0; C., and an acid or base functionality, such that the functionality of the low Tg polymeric component and the functionality of the high Tg polymeric component form an acid-base interaction when mixed. The transfer tapes can be adhered to substrates to provide a microstructured surface to the substrate surface.

Microstructured transfer tapes

Disclosed herein is an optical device having a light source, a viscoelastic lightguide and a retroreflective film suitable for retroreflecting light. Light from the light source enters the viscoelastic lightguide and is transported within the lightguide by total internal reflection. The optical device may have a 'front lit' configuration such that light being transported within the lightguide is extracted and retroreflected by the film toward a viewer. The optical device may have a 'back lit' configuration such that light being transported within the lightguide is extracted and transmitted through the film toward a viewer. The retroreflective film may comprise beaded retroreflective sheeting such as that used in traffic signs and markings.

Retroreflective articles and devices having viscoelastic lightguide

Heat de-bondable optical articles include two optical substrates and a heat de-bondable adhesive article disposed between them. The adhesive article includes a heat-shrinkable substrate and an optically clear adhesive proximate to the heat-shrinkable substrate. Optical articles can be prepared by disposing the heat-shrinkable substrate and the optically clear adhesive between two optical substrates. The optically clear adhesive covers a majority of the surface area of the optical substrates, and the heat-shrinkable substrate is located near the edge of the optical substrates.

Heat de-bondable optical articles

Growing community of inventors

Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Kevin R Schaffer