3m Innovative Properties Company

Other

Robert T Fehr

Caroline M Ylitalo

Patrick R Fleming

Todd R Williams

Lori P Engle

James A Servatius

Alan G Miller

Raymond Patrick Johnston

Jeffrey L Solomon

Paul D Graham

Vincent W King

Joseph M D'Sa

Douglas A Huntley

Verna J LeMire

A receptor medium with a sheet having an optically transmissive microembossed imaging surface as one major surface thereof. The receptor medium can receive jettable materials, which include inks, adhesives, biological fluids, chemical assay reagents, particulate dispersions, waxes, and combinations thereof. The microembossed medium unexpectedly solves such common inkjet printing problems as feathering, banding, and mudcracking in inkjet printing systems by controlling how an inkjet drop contacts and dries on an inkjet receptor medium and also Moire' effects but also provides sufficient optical transmissivity to be useful as overhead transparency media, backlit signage, and the like. Clear lines of demarcation between adjoining colors of a pigmented inkjet image graphic can be obtained without creation of the Moire' effects. Methods of making and using the inkjet receptor medium are also disclosed.

Method of making an optically transparent inkjet printing medium

In one embodiment, a microreplication tool includes gas release features that allow gas to escape from microreplication cavities of the tool. The gas release features can be disposed at the bottoms of the respective cavities to avoid air entrapment within the cavities of the tool during the microreplication process. In this manner, the quality of the microreplicated product can be improved.

Microreplication tool with gas release features

A multidirectional single surface optically shaped film is disclosed. The optically shaped film may include a film having only one surface structure with two or more different, overlapping Fresnel patterns formed in the structured surface for use as thin, decorative film.

Multidirectional single surface optically shaped film

A receptor medium with a sheet having a random microembossed imaging surface as one major surface thereof. The receptor medium can receive jettable materials, which include inks, adhesives, biological fluids, chemical assay reagents, particulate dispersions, waxes, electrically, thermally, or magnetically modifiable materials, and combinations thereof. The random microembossed medium unexpectedly solves such common inkjet printing problems as feathering, banding, and mudcracking in inkjet printing systems by controlling how an inkjet drop contacts and dries on an inkjet receptor medium and also Moire' effects. Clear lines of demarcation between adjoining colors of a pigmented inkjet image graphic can be obtained without creation of the Moire' effects. Methods of making and using the inkjet receptor medium are also disclosed.

Random microembossed receptor media

Optically transmissive microembossed receptor media

There is provided a liquid management film for use in rapid transport of liquid. The liquid management film is a thermoplastic film having at least one microstructured hydrophilic surface with a plurality of primary grooves. The primary grooves have at least two secondary grooves, each of said secondary grooves forming at least one notch which notches are substantially parallel and separated by a secondary peak. The notches or secondary grooves have an included angle of from about 10.degree. to about 120.degree., the depth of one of said secondary grooves (the height of the secondary peak over the notch) being at least 5 microns and said depth being from about 0.5 to about 80 percent of the depth of the primary groove. The said notches have a radius of curvature of less than about 15 microns and the primary and/or secondary groove depth and width varies by less than 20 percent for each groove over a given length of the film.

Liquid management film for absorbent articles

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Robert T Fehr