Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3M Innovative Properties Company

Timothy S Skogland

Chester A Bacon, Jr

Stewart H Corn

William B Robbins

Bradley R Ray

Michael J Petrich

Scott T Ginkel

Joan V Brennan

Thomas G Cheesebrow

A transfer article, a retroreflective article and methods of making the same. The transfer article can include an overlay. The retroreflective article can include an optical layer and an overlay. The optical layer can include a front surface and a rear surface, and can include retroreflective optical elements. The overlay can include a front surface and a rear surface adapted to be coupled to the front surface of a substrate, such as the optical layer. The overlay can further include a graphic, such that the graphic is buried with respect to the front surface of the overlay. A method of making the retroreflective article can include applying a graphic to the rear surface of the overlay, and coupling the overlay bearing the graphic to the front surface of a substrate, such as the optical layer.

Protective overlay bearing a graphic and retroreflective articles comprising the overlay

Electromagnetic and electrical apparatuses use a laminate structure having a thermoplastic elastomer with variable dielectric loss as a dielectric layer. A conductive layer laminated to the thermoplastic elastomer allow use for applications such as printed circuit boards and slot antennas. Additional conductive and dielectric layers still allow use as a printed circuit board as well as other antenna structures. Some embodiments of the apparatuses disclosed exhibit many desired properties, such as flexibility, conformability and weatherability.

Electrical and electromagnetic apparatuses using laminated structures

A microstrip patch antenna has a first conductive layer adjacent a dielectric substrate. The first conductive layer has a thickness of less than one skin depth of the material of the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer acts as the ground plane for the first conductive layer and a feed network feeds the radiating patch of the first conductive layer.

Microstrip patch antennas using very thin conductors

Growing community of inventors

Scandia, MN, United States of America

Timothy S Skogland