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:
Oct. 17, 2000
Filed:
May. 04, 1998
Soonkun Kang, Lake Elmo, MN (US);
John L Ethen, Oakdale, MN (US);
Gregory E Gilligan, Hastings, MN (US);
Christopher J Gustafson, Husdson, WI (US);
Tzu Li Huang, Woodbury, MN (US);
Sithya Seda Khieu, Eden Prairie, MN (US);
Kanta Kumar, Maplewood, MN (US);
Thomas W Rambosek, Woodbury, MN (US);
3M Innovatives Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
A retroreflective article comprising a substrate and a cured ceramer coating provided on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate. The coated portion of the surface is retroreflective. The coating comprises a cured ceramer composite derived from ingredients comprising a free radically curable binder precursor and a plurality of surface treated, colloidal inorganic oxide components. The colloidal inorganic oxide components are surface treated with a surface treatment agent comprising a fluoro/silane component comprising a hydrolyzable silane moiety and a fluorinated moiety, and a crosslinkable silane component comprising a hydrolyzable silane moiety and a free radically crosslinkable moiety. The weight ratio of the crosslinkable silane component to the fluoro/silane component is from about 4:1 to 20:1, and the weight ratio of the free radically curable binder precursor to the colloidal inorganic oxide components is from about 1:10 to 8:10. A method of making a retroreflective article by coating a substrate with a ceramer composite coating is also described. A method of making a dew-resistant retroreflective article by coating a substrate with a ceramer composite coating and then surface treating the coating is also described.