John Peter Kelliher, Age 66163 Bell St, Orono, MN 55331

8371703, Feb 12, 2013

Oct 22, 2009

12/604260

Kenneth L. Smith - White Bear Lake MN, US
James R. Imbertson - Maplewood MN, US
John C. Kelliher - Oakdale MN, US
John A. Worrell - Hudson WI, US
Sidney A. Ellingstad - Eau Claire WI, US

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

G02B 5/122

359530

The present application relates generally to retroreflective sheeting and the tools and methods used to make retroreflective sheeting. Microreplication tools and sheeting include controlled surface structure or haze. The surface structure or haze can be introduced, for example, by chemical etching of the tool surface and/or electroplating.

2011025, Oct 20, 2011

Oct 22, 2009

13/125610

Kenneth L. Smith - White Bear Lake MN, US
James R. Imbertson - Maplewood MN, US
John C. Kelliher - Oakdale MN, US
John A. Worrell - Hudson WI, US
Sidney A. Ellingstad - Eau Claire WI, US

G02B 5/124
B05D 5/06
C25D 7/08
B29D 11/00

359530, 264 25, 216 24, 4271634, 205116

The present application relates generally to retroreflective sheeting and the tools and methods used to make retroreflective sheeting. Microreplication tools and sheeting include controlled surface structure or haze. The surface structure or haze can be introduced, for example, by chemical etching of the tool surface and/or electroplating.

5706132, Jan 6, 1998

Jan 19, 1996

8/587719

Susan K. Nestegard - Woodbury MN
Gerald M. Benson - Woodbury MN
Cheryl Frey - White Bear Lake MN
John C. Kelliher - Oakdale MN
James E. Lasch - Oakdale MN
Kenneth L. Smith - White Bear Lake MN
Theodore J. Szczech - Woodbury MN

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company - St. Paul MN

G02B 5122
G02B 5124

359529

A cube corner retroreflective sheeting construction comprising alternating zones of cube corner element arrays disposed at approximately ninety degrees orientations to provide exactly two principal plane of improved retroreflective performance in response to light incident on the sheeting at high entrance angles is disclosed. According to one embodiment the sheeting includes a body layer which has an elastic modulus less than 7. times. 10. sup. 8 pascals and cube corner elements formed from a material which has an elastic modulus greater than 16. times. 10. sup. 8 pascals. According to a second embodiment the sheeting includes an overlay film having two major surfaces and comprising a first polymeric material and a plurality of arrays of substantially independent cube corner elements bonded to a major surface of the overlay film having a minimal, fractured land.

5946134, Aug 31, 1999

Sep 22, 1997

8/935247

Gerald M. Benson - Woodbury MN
Kenneth L. Smith - White Bear Lake MN
John C. Kelliher - Oakdale MN
Mark E. Gardiner - Santa Rosa CA

Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company - St. Paul MN

G02B 5122
G02B 5124

359529

A cube corner article and method of manufacturing the article from a series of directly machinable unitary substrates. The method of manufacture comprises the first step of providing an initial unitary directly machinable substrate of material suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Then, a first cube corner element array zone is formed having a plurality of geometric structures including cube corner elements. The zone is created by directly machining at least two sets of parallel grooves in the substrate. A replica of the cube corner element array zone is formed as an additional unitary substrate suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Portions of the replica substrate material are removed. The removal of these portions forms at least two intersecting cavities bounded by side walls in the replica at a depth at least that of the cube corner elements formed by the groove sets. Each cavity comprises at least one side wall which extends to a depth into the replica substantially equal to the deepest depth of any other intersecting cavity.

5959774, Sep 28, 1999

Jan 19, 1999

9/232264

Gerald M. Benson - Woodbury MN
Kenneth L. Smith - White Bear Lake MN
John C. Kelliher - Oakdale MN
Mark E. Gardiner - Santa Rosa CA

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

G02B 5124

359530

A cube corner article and method of manufacturing the article from a series of directly machinable unitary substrates. The method of manufacture comprises the first step of providing an initial unitary directly machinable substrate of material suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Then, a first cube corner element array zone is formed having a plurality of geometric structures including cube corner elements. The zone is created by directly machining at least two sets of parallel grooves in the substrate. A replica of the cube corner element array zone is formed as an additional unitary substrate suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Portions of the replica substrate material are removed. The removal of these portions forms at least two intersecting cavities bounded by side walls in the replica at a depth at least that of the cube corner elements formed by the groove sets. Each cavity comprises at least one side wall which extends to a depth into the replica substantially equal to the deepest depth of any other intersecting cavity.

5914812, Jun 22, 1999

Aug 8, 1997

8/907745

Gerald M. Benson - Woodbury MN
Kenneth L. Smith - White Bear Lake MN
John C. Kelliher - Oakdale MN
Mark E. Gardiner - Santa Rosa CA

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company - St. Paul MN

G02B 5122
G02B 5124

359529

A cube corner article and method of manufacturing the article from a series of directly machinable unitary substrates. The method of manufacture comprises the first step of providing an initial unitary directly machinable substrate of material suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Then, a first cube corner element array zone is formed having a plurality of geometric structures including cube corner elements. The zone is created by directly machining at least two sets of parallel grooves in the substrate. A replica of the cube corner element array zone is formed as an additional unitary substrate suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Portions of the replica substrate material are removed. The removal of these portions forms at least two intersecting cavities bounded by side walls in the replica at a depth at least that of the cube corner elements formed by the groove sets. Each cavity comprises at least one side wall which extends to a depth into the replica substantially equal to the deepest depth of any other intersecting cavity.

5696627, Dec 9, 1997

Oct 20, 1994

8/326258

Gerald M. Benson - Woodbury MN
Kenneth L. Smith - White Bear Lake MN
John C. Kelliher - Oakdale MN
Mark E. Gardiner - Santa Rosa CA

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company - St. Paul MN

G02B 5122
G02B 5124

359529

A cube corner article and method of manufacturing the article from a series of directly machinable unitary substrates. The method of manufacture comprises the first step of providing an initial unitary directly machinable substrate of material suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Then a first cube corner element array zone is formed having a plurality of geometric structures including cube corner elements. The zone is created by directly machining at least two sets of parallel grooves in the substrate. A replica of the cube corner element array zone is formed as an additional unitary substrate suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Portions of the replica substrate material are removed. The removal of these portions forms at least two intersecting cavities bounded by side walls in the replica at a depth at least that of the cube corner elements formed by the groove sets. Each cavity comprises at least one side wall which extends to a depth into the replica substantially equal to the deepest depth of any other intersecting cavity.

5936770, Aug 10, 1999

Jul 2, 1997

8/887006

Susan K. Nestegard - Woodbury MN
Gerald M. Benson - Woodbury MN
Cheryl M. Frey - White Bear Lake MN
John C. Kelliher - Oakdale MN
James E. Lasch - Oakdale MN
Kenneth L. Smith - White Bear Lake MN
Theodore J. Szczech - Woodbury MN

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

G02B 5124

359530

A cube corner retroreflective sheeting construction comprising alternating zones of cube corner element arrays disposed at approximately ninety degrees orientations to provide exactly two principal plane of improved retroreflective performance in response to light incident on the sheeting at high entrance angles is disclosed. According to one embodiment the sheeting includes a body layer which has an elastic modulus less than 7. times. 10. sup. 8 pascals and cube corner elements formed from a material which has an elastic modulus greater than 16. times. 10. sup. 8 pascals. According to a second embodiment the sheeting includes an overlay film having two major surfaces and comprising a first polymeric material and a plurality of arrays of substantially independent cube corner elements bonded to a major surface of the overlay film having a minimal, fractured land.