3m Innovative Properties Company

Michael J Sykora

John C Schultz

Robert L Brott

Martin B Wolk

William J Bryan

Martin Kristoffersen

Audrey A Sherman

Erik A Aho

John Allen Wheatley

Michael Alan Meis

Mieczyslaw H Mazurek

Kevin R Schaffer

Andrew John Ouderkirk

Kenneth L Smith

Olester Benson, Jr

Gary Timothy Boyd

Thomas J Blong

Tao Liu

Robert R Kieschke

Gary E Gaides

Nicholas A Johnson

Glenn E Casner

John C Nelson

Michael E Lauters

William Blake Kolb

Encai Hao

Rolf W Biernath

Brian E Brooks

Billy Lee Weaver

Kui Chen-Ho

Daniel H Carlson

Scott Melvyn Tapio

James N Dobbs

Karl K Stensvad

John S Huizinga

Ellen O Aeling

John T Strand

Scott E Brigham

Kathy L Hagen

David L Hofeldt

Glen A Jerry

Bonnie Weiskopf Albrecht

Corey D Balts

Vincent W King

Guy M Kallman

Patrick J Yeshe

Andrzej P Jaworski

Alan G Hulme-Lowe

Kaitlin R Mohs

This disclosure describes a composition that includes a bulk diffuser that includes a film having a major surface; the film includes a polymer, and a scattering element. The scattering element includes a silicone bead having a mean particle diameter in a range of 2 micrometers (μm) to 9 μm. The linear density of the film is at least 5.1 W*μm, wherein the linear density equals the product of the mass fraction of the silicone bead (W) and film thickness in micrometers (μm). This disclosure further describes methods of making the film and the bulk diffuser and methods of using the film including, for example, as a bulk diffuser in a sign box.

Bulk diffuser

A light control film includes a plurality of spaced apart substantially parallel first light absorbing regions arranged along a first direction, each first light absorbing region having a width and a height, the plurality of first light absorbing regions including nonoverlapping first and second sub-pluralities of the plurality of first light absorbing regions, the first sub-plurality of the plurality of first light absorbing regions having a first viewing angle, the second sub-plurality of the plurality of first light absorbing regions having a different second viewing angle.

Light control film with varied viewing angle

Dual-sided optical films have extended split spreading structures formed on one major surface, and extended prisms formed on an opposite major surface. One portion of each split spreading structure has a low light spreading characteristic, and another portion has a high light spreading characteristic. For each split spreading structure, the low light spreading portion may be disposed alongside the high light spreading portion. The split spreading structures may be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the prisms. Light that enters a given prism from one inclined surface thereof can be associated primarily with light transmitted through the low light spreading portion of the split spreading structure, and light that enters the given prism from the other inclined surface thereof can be associated primarily with light transmitted through the high light spreading portion.

Dual-sided film with split light spreading structures

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

An optical article, such as a backlight for electronic display devices, is disclosed. The optical article includes a lightguide, a viscoelastic layer disposed on the light guide and a nanovoided polymeric layer disposed on the viscoelastic layer. The nanovoided polymeric layer comprises a plurality of interconnected nanovoids and at least some of the interconnected nanovoids are connected to one another by hollow passages. The lightguide may be optically coupled to a light source, and the viscoelastic layer and the nanovoided polymeric layer may be used in conjunction with the lightguide to manage light emitted by the light source. The viscoelastic layer may be a pressure sensitive adhesive.

Optical article having viscoelastic layer

Dual-sided optical films have extended prisms formed in one major surface, and extended lenslets formed in an opposite major surface. Some or all of the prisms are compound prisms, in which the two inclined surfaces of each compound prism each include a tip portion, a base portion, and an intermediate portion disposed between the tip portion and the base portion, the intermediate and tip portions forming a concave shape and the intermediate and base portions forming a convex shape, or vice versa. When obliquely incident light, e.g. from a light guide, is incident on the prism side of the film, an output beam emerges from the lenslet side of the film. The output beam has an intensity distribution with a sharp left beam edge and a sharp right beam edge, these beam edges having 10%-to-90% transition angles of no more than 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, or 2 degrees.

Dual-sided film with compound prisms

An illumination device, such as a backlight for electronic display devices, is disclosed. The illumination device includes a viscoelastic lightguide optically coupled to a light source, and a nanovoided polymeric layer is used in conjunction with the lightguide to manage light emitted by the light source. The viscoelastic lightguide may be a pressure sensitive adhesive.

Illumination device having viscoelastic lightguide

An optical light redirecting film that can be made by microreplication, and that is suitable for use in an autostereoscopic backlight or display, includes opposed first and second structured surfaces. The first structured surface includes lenticular features and the second structured surface includes prismatic features. In some cases, at least a first prismatic feature has a first prism optical axis that is tilted relative to a thickness axis of the film perpendicular to the film plane. In some cases, at least a first lenticular feature has a first lenticular optical axis that is tilted relative to the thickness axis. In some cases, the film may have a central film caliper (thickness) at a central portion of the film and an edge film caliper at a first edge portion of the film, the central film caliper being greater than the edge film caliper.

Microreplicated film for autostereoscopic displays

An illumination device, such as a backlight for electronic display devices, is disclosed. The illumination device includes a lightguide optically coupled to a light source, and a viscoelastic layer and a nanovoided polymeric layer are used in conjunction with the lightguide to manage light emitted by the light source. The viscoelastic layer may be a pressure sensitive adhesive.

Illumination device having viscoelastic layer

Stereoscopic displays and backlights include a light guide with individually addressable light sources disposed at opposite edges of the light guide, and a light redirecting film disposed in front of the light guide. Light from one light source is emitted from the backlight as a right eye elongated light beam, and light from the opposite light source is emitted as a left eye elongated light beam. Structured surface features, e.g. linear prismatic or linear lenticular features, on the light guide and/or the light redirecting film are oriented such that the elongated light beams are offset from an optical axis of the backlight. Moreover, each of the elongated light beams is oriented to intersect both a first observation plane and a second observation plane perpendicular to the first observation plane, the first observation plane defined by the optical axis and an in-plane axis along which the light sources are disposed.

Dual-orientation autostereoscopic backlight and display

Growing community of inventors

New Richmond, WI, United States of America

Michael J Sykora