Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Shih-Lai Lu

James J Kobe

Maurice E Freeman

Bradley D Zinke

John D Moon

Forrest J Rouser

Robert V Heiti

Thomas E Boettcher

Robert G Shaw

Todd R Williams

Jason A Chesley

Andrew H Wong

Robert C Brown

Eric V Malmberg

A security card comprising a backing, a cover film, and a security image, the security image being located between the backing and the cover film, the backing and the cover film being laminated together without an intermediate adhesive layer, wherein the backing comprises an amorphous copolyester or polyvinyl chloride, and the cover film comprises the other of polyvinyl chloride or an amorphous copolyester. Also, a method for making such security cards.

Security card and method for making same

A multi-cycle refastenable contact responsive non-tacky fastener system and method of use with a field of a contact responsive fastening layer having essentially no surface tack. The fastening layer is multiply releasable and refastenable against a non-tacky target surface, and has substantially constant 90.degree. peel strength of less than about 5 kN/m when in contact with the target surface. A mounting layer comprises a field of a pressure sensitive adhesive onto which the field of the contact responsive layer is directly attached.

Multiple releasable contact responsive fasteners

Multiple releasable contact responsive fastener

A retroreflective article comprising a transparent base sheet having first and second broad faces, the second face being substantially planar and the first face having an array of substantially hemi-spheroidal microlenses thereon, the microlenses being wider and shorter than portions of true spheres, the shape of the microlenses and thickness of the base sheet being such that collimated light substantially orthogonally incident to the array is focused approximately at the second face, wherein the second face has a coating of a nacreous pigment composition thereon. The article can include an optional layer of adhesive over the reflective layer to permit the article to be adhered to a document as a tamper-indicating, authenticating, and protective overlay. Special images can be formed within the article to enhance the security provided thereby. Also, a method for making such base sheets, and a method for making a forming master.

Retroreflective article comprising a transparent base sheet and nacreous

A reclosable mechanical fastener comprising a fastening component having a surface structure by which two such fastening components can become releasably attached. The novel fastening component is a composite of a tough substrate and a fastening layer that forms said surface structure, which fastening layer is formed from a cured oligomeric resin composition having one or more like or different hard segments, one or more like or different soft segments, and one or more like or different monovalent moieties containing a radiation-sensitive, addition-polymerizable, function group. The novel fastener forms stronger linkages than were possible with similar fasteners of the prior art.

Reclosable mechanical fastener based on a composite article

An article comprising a transparent plano-convex base sheet having first and second broad faces, the second face being substantially planar and the first face having an array of substantially hemi-spheroidal microlenses thereon, the shape of the microlenses and thickness of the base sheet being such that collimated light substantially orthogonally incident to the array is focused approximately at the second face. The article optionally further comprising a specularly reflective layer on the second face which renders the base sheet retroreflective. An optional layer of adhesive over the reflective layer permits the article to be adhered to a document as a tamper-indicating, authenticating, and protective overlay. Special images can be formed within the article to enhance the security provided thereby. Also, a method for forming such articles.

Plano-convex base sheet for retroreflective articles and method for

A microstructure-bearing composite plastic article can be superior, both in microstructure and in physical properties, when it is a composite of a tough, flexible substrate, at a surface of which is microstructure formed of a cured oligomeric resin having hard segments and soft segments, which cured resin is substantially confined to the microstructure portion of the composite. Such a composite plastic article can be made by depositing an uncured oligomeric resin composition onto a master negative molding surface, filling the cavities by moving a bead of the composition between a substrate and the master, and curing the deposited composition by ultraviolet radiation while keeping the temperature during curing from rising not more than about 30.degree. C. above a typical use temperature of the finished composite plastic article. Alternatively, instead of regulating the temperature during curing, the article can be made by limiting the resin composition to an amount which does not protrude above the cavities by more than 20% of the cavity depth.

Method of molding microstructure bearing composite plastic articles

A microstructure-bearing composite plastic article can be superior, both in microstructure and in physical properties, when it is a composite of a tough, flexible substrate, at a surface of which is microstructure formed of a cured oligomeric resin having hard segments and soft segments, which cured resin is substantially confined to the microstructure portion of the composite. Such a composite plastic article can be made by depositing an uncured oligomeric resin composition onto a master negative molding surface in an amount barely sufficient to fill the cavities of the master, filling the cavities by moving a bead of the composition between a substrate and the master, and curing the deposited composition by ultraviolet radiation while keeping the temperature during curing to not more than 50.degree. C. above the typical use temperature of the finished composite plastic article.

Microstructure-bearing composite plastic articles and method of making

Adhesive tape, the adhesive layer of which comprises a copolymer of (a) acrylonitrile and (b) butadiene and/or isoprene. Even though such an adhesive copolymer layer is usually substantially nontacky, it forms under moderate pressure bonds to many substrates which become stronger than the substrates. The bonds become strong more quickly when heated while the pressure is being applied. For a usefully long period of time after initiating a bond, the tape usually is repositionable.

Nontacky acrylonitrile/butadiene adhesive tape

An end portion for a container having a preformed opening therein and an easy-open closure system therefor, the closure system comprising an exterior tape over the opening which is manually removable, the tape being adhered by an adhesive which comprises the reaction mixture of an aryl isocyanate, an aliphatic glycol, and a defined mixture of hydroxy terminated polyesters.

Easy open closure system

Louvered plastic film can be more easily handled and installed by coating at least one surface with a solvent-free monomer composition and exposing the coating to ultraviolet radiation to polymerize the composition.

Growing community of inventors

Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Shih-Lai Lu