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. 12, 2002
Filed:
Jan. 18, 2001
Matthew H. Frey, Maplewood, MN (US);
Charles J. Studiner, III, Oakdale, MN (US);
Kenton D. Budd, Woodbury, MN (US);
Toshihro Kasai, Tsukui-gun, JP;
Stephen B. Roscoe, St. Paul, MN (US);
Chikafumi Yokoyama, Zama, JP;
John E. Bailey, Shorewood, WI (US);
3M Innovative Properties Company, St. Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to transparent microspheres (i.e., beads) that impart yellow color to retroreflected light. The microsphere preferably comprise titania plus alumina, zirconia, and/or silica and iron oxide, manganese oxide, or mixtures thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to fused microspheres that impart yellow color to retroreflected light having both transparency and mechanical properties suitable, for example, for lens elements in retroreflective articles.