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:
May. 14, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 07, 2000
Kent E. Coulter, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Thomas Mayer, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Roger W. Phillips, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
John S. Matteucci, Healdsburg, CA (US);
Flex Products, Inc., Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Abstract
A flake-based pigment is provided having improved specular reflectance characteristics in the visible wavelength range. The flake-based pigment has a plurality of core flake sections each formed of a central reflector layer and dielectric support layers on opposing sides of the reflector layer. The resulting core flake section is a very thin three-layered structure that exhibits a uniaxial compressive strength much greater than a corresponding uniaxial tensile strength. This structure provides the benefits of rigidity and brittle fracture during manufacturing and application processes, which ultimately provides favorable planar and specular reflectance characteristics for the pigment in the visible wavelength range. A variety of outer coating layers can be formed around the core flake sections, such as various dielectric and absorber layers having thicknesses dependent upon the desired optical characteristics of the pigment.