The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 24, 1998
Filed:
Apr. 30, 1996
Jeanine M Shusta, Mahtomedi, MN (US);
Paul E Marecki, May Township, MN (US);
Matthew R Atkinson, Cottage Grove, MN (US);
Cheryl M Frey, White Bear Lake, MN (US);
Olester Benson, Jr, Woodbury, MN (US);
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A cube-corner retroreflective sheeting 60 includes an array of cube-corner elements 30 that are defined by three sets of intersecting parallel grooves 45, 46, 47. The cube-corner elements 30 are arranged in the array such that the sheeting 60 glitters when exposed to light. The glitter is in the form of many discreet points of light that tend to blink on and off when viewed by the naked eye. The array may be configured such that a dihedral angle .alpha. varies between adjacent cube faces 31 of adjacent cube-corner elements 30 in each groove in one of the groove sets 45, 46, or 47 and such that base planes are not parallel to each other when the sheeting 60 is laid flat. Preferably, the dihedral angle .alpha. between faces 31 of adjacent cube-corner elements 30 varies in essentially all of the grooves such that the cube-corner elements are randomly tilted throughout the array. The sheeting glitters very well under daytime viewing conditions and also to some extent under nighttime or retroreflective conditions. The glittering effect can enhance the sheeting's conspicuity, and hence highlight a person's presence to give them improved safety and security.