Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Robert L Keech

Gregory F Jacobs

Bernard A Gonzalez

Thomas J Dahlin

Richard E Fayling

David M Hopstock

Thomas P Hedblom

Richard G Newell

Kathleen A Hachey

Claud M Lacey

Gary W Clark

Magnetic, conformable articles for use with traffic bearing surfaces are disclosed which comprise an organic binder having magnetic particles distributed therein. The articles may be employed in intelligent vehicle guidance systems, and in systems to guide other mobile objects such as farm animals, pets, or visually impaired pedestrians. Methods of making the articles and methods of using the systems to control and/or guide a mobile object using the magnetic field generated from the articles are also described.

Conformable magnetic articles for use with traffic bearing surfaces methods of making same systems including same and methods of use

A conformable magnetic article for underlayment beneath a traffic-bearing surface which sends a magnetic signal to a sensor traveling over the traffic-bearing structure. The magnetic article comprises at least one conformable magnetic layer comprising a binder and a sufficient amount of magnetic particles dispersed within the binder to provide a magnetic signal through the traffic-bearing structure to a sensor.

Conformable magnetic articles underlaid beneath traffic-bearing surfaces

A pavement marking 10 includes a base sheet 12, a barrier layer 30, a layer 32 of bonding material, a multitude of optical elements 34, and skid-resistant particles 36. The base sheet 12 contains rubber and fillers and has a number of protuberances 14 projecting from its front side 28. Valleys 16 are disposed between the protuberances 14. The barrier layer 30 is disposed on the front side 28 at least in valleys 16 and preferably over protuberances 14. The layer 32 of bonding material is disposed predominantly on protuberances 14 and in this position secures the optical elements 34 and skid-resistant particles 36 to the protuberances 14 but not to the valleys 16. The coverage of the front side 28 of base sheet 12 with barrier layer 30 and bonding material 32 prevents the fillers in the base sheet 12 from becoming present on the top surface of the pavement marking 10 and thereby preserves the intended color of the marking 10.

Patterned chalk-resistant pavement marking and method of making

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White Bear Lake, MN, United States of America

Robert L Keech