3m Innovative Properties Company

Polaris Industries Inc.

Other

Kristopher K Biegler

Michael R Gorman

William C Unruh

Thomas J Gilbert

Robert A Yapel

William J Kopecky

Jennifer L Trice

Robert B Secor

Mark A Peltier

Keith R Bruesewitz

Pentti K Loukusa

Paul C Thomas

Leigh E Wood

Volker Hauschildt

Andreas Urban

Victor F Panza

Gabriela F Serra

Omar A Parodi

Jorge A Ferreiro

Terence D Neavin

Peter Kitzer

Scott T Mazour

Rickie A Evenson

Giancarlo Battaglini

Ryan M Luepke

Bret H RempelEwert

Bret H Rempelewert

Hiroshi Sakurai

Neelakandan Chandrasekaran

Steven J Perron

Timothy P Pariseau

Timothy Diekmann

Gregory D Kostuch

Neal C Rothwell

Peter J Bugeja

Yoshihisa Matsuda

Ethan B Secor

Edwin P Zonneveld

Timothy J Diekmann

A vehicle includes a plurality of ground-engaging members, a frame assembly supported by the ground-engaging members, and a powertrain assembly supported by the frame. The powertrain assembly includes at least an engine. The vehicle further includes a cooling assembly fluidly coupled to at least the engine and which includes a radiator and at least one fan positioned rearward of the radiator and angled relative to the radiator. A rear shroud is positioned between the radiator and fan and includes an air bypass assembly to exhaust air thought he rear shroud at higher speeds of the vehicle.

Three-wheeled vehicle

A fixing member including a sheet-like base memberand a surface fastenerprovided on the base memberis disclosed. The surface fastenercovers a surface of the base memberat a position separated from a tip endEof the base memberin a wrap-around direction, and minimum bending stiffness of the fixing memberas determined via a bending test using a Gurley tester being 150 mgf or less when measured using a test piece cut from a portion where the surface fasteneris provided. The surface Son the surface fastenerside of the portionon the tip endEside of the surface fastenerof the base memberis a surface with reduced engagement with the surface fastener

Fixing member and absorbent article

A vehicle includes a plurality of ground-engaging members, a frame assembly supported by the ground-engaging members, and a powertrain assembly supported by the frame. The powertrain assembly includes at least an engine. The vehicle further includes a cooling assembly fluidly coupled to at least the engine and which includes a radiator and at least one fan positioned rearward of the radiator and angled relative to the radiator.

A method of making a mechanical fastening strip and a reticulated mechanical fastening strip are disclosed. The method includes providing a backing having upstanding posts; providing interrupted slits through the backing, the interrupted slits being interrupted by at least one intact bridging region; spreading the slit backing to provide multiple strands separated from each other between at least some of the bridging regions to provide at least one opening; and fixing the multiple strands of the backing in a spread configuration. The reticulated mechanical fastening strip includes multiple strands of a backing attached to each other at bridging regions in the backing and separated from each other between the bridging regions to provide openings. Upstanding posts on each of the multiple strands have bases attached to the backing, and each of the multiple strands has a width that is greater than that of the bases of its attached upstanding posts.

Method of making a mechanical fastening strip and reticulated mechanical fastening strip therefrom

Herein are disclosed apparatus and methods for impinging fluids, e.g. heated fluids, onto the surface of substrates and then locally removing the impinged fluid. The apparatus may comprise at least first and second fluid delivery outlets that are in diverging relation to each other. The apparatus may comprise at least first and second fluid capture inlets that are locally positioned relative to the first and second fluid delivery outlets, respectively. The apparatus and method may be used e.g. to impinge fluids onto two converging substrates and may be used to heat the surfaces of the substrates so as to facilitate melt-bonding the substrates to each other.

Apparatus and methods for impinging fluids on substrates

Apparatus and methods for impinging a heated fluid onto the surface of a substrate and then locally removing the impinged fluid. The apparatus and methods may be used to heat a surface of a substrate e.g. so that the substrate can be melt-bonded to another substrate.

Apparatus and methods for impinging a fluid on a substrate

A method of controlling a slot die comprises, while continuing to pass the extrudate through the fluid flow path and out the applicator slot, changing the position of the actuators with the controller to either increase the cross-directional thickness of the fluid flow path adjacent each of the actuators or substantially close the fluid flow path adjacent the actuators, and after changing the cross-directional thickness of the fluid flow path adjacent each of the actuators, while continuing to pass the extrudate through the fluid flow path and out the applicator slot, repositioning each of the actuators with the controller according to the set of discrete settings to resume operating the slot die with the actuators positioned according to the set of discrete settings.

Slot die position adjustment and return to baseline

Mechanical closure element

A system comprises a slot die including an applicator slot extending about a width of the slot die, wherein the applicator slot is in fluid communication with a fluid flow path through the slot die, and a plurality of actuators spaced about the width of the slot die, wherein each actuator in the plurality of actuators is operable to adjust a cross-directional thickness of the fluid flow path at its respective location to provide a local adjustment of fluid flow through the applicator slot. The system further comprises a controller configured to set the position of each actuator according to one of a plurality of discrete settings for operation of the slot die. The controller is further configured to, using fluid dynamics and a digital model of the die, predict a set of discrete settings from the plurality of discrete settings corresponding to a preselected cross-web profile for the extrudate.

Slot die position adjustment control

A method of separating strands of a slit web is disclosed. The method includes providing a slit web having a length in a machine direction and running the slit web in the machine direction onto a stretchable surface. The slit web includes multiple strands provided by a plurality of slits extending in a first direction not parallel to a cross-machine direction. The slit web is in contact with the stretchable surface for a path length in the machine direction, and for at least a portion of the path length, the stretchable surface is stretching in the cross-machine direction. The traction between the slit web and the stretchable surface during the stretching at least partially separates at least some of the multiple strands of the slit web in a second direction transverse to the first direction. A method of increasing a width of a polymeric netting is also disclosed.

Method of separating strands on a stretching surface

A method of detecting the presence or position of a first component in an article is disclosed. The first component, which has a predefined response to incident light, includes a microporous film of a semi-crystalline polyolefin and a beta-nucleating agent. The method includes irradiating the article with incident light, detecting light received from the irradiated article; and identifying the predefined response of the first component in the light received from the irradiated article to detect the presence or the position of the first component. A method for preparing a mechanical fastening component for use in an article is also disclosed. The method includes stretching a film backing containing beta-spherulites and having upstanding fastening elements to provide a microporous film backing with sufficient porosity to allow it to be detected when subjected to an inspection system comprising a light detector.

Method of detecting a component of an article and method of preparing a component for detection

A method of controlling a slot die comprises positioning actuators of the slot die with a controller according to a first set of discrete settings, operating the slot die by passing an extrudate through the fluid flow path and out the applicator slot with the actuators positioned according to the first set of discrete settings, and while passing the extrudate through the fluid flow path and out the applicator slot, changing the positions of the actuators with the controller to create patterned features in the extrudate.

Slot die position adjustments to facilitate patterned products

Herein are disclosed apparatus and methods for impinging fluids, e.g. heated fluids, onto the surface of moving substrates and then locally removing the impinged fluid. The apparatus may comprise at least first and second fluid delivery outlets that are in diverging relation to each other. A long axis of the first fluid delivery outlet may be oriented obliquely to the path of the first moving substrate, and a long axis of the second fluid delivery outlet may be oriented obliquely to the path of the second moving substrate. The apparatus may comprise at least first and second fluid capture inlets that are locally positioned relative to the first and second fluid delivery outlets, respectively.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Kristopher K Biegler