Patents by Inventor Chester A. Bacon,
Chester A. Bacon, has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 6703108Abstract: Retroreflective pavement marking material comprising on the top surface thereof an enclosed-lens retroreflective sheet that comprises a monolayer of retroreflective elements wherein first portions of the monolayer are arranged in an upwardly contoured profile and second portions of the monolayer are arranged a lower, substantially planar position.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2000Date of Patent: March 9, 2004Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Chester A. Bacon, Jr., Louis C. Belisle, Larry K. Stump, Terry R. Bailey, T. Ian Bradshaw, Dale H. Haunschild, Gregory F. Jacobs
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Publication number: 20040018790Abstract: The invention relates to methods of seaming sheeting or films including retroreflective sheeting and the corresponding articles. The method comprises providing at least two pieces of polymeric sheeting or film such as retroreflective sheeting, each piece having a viewing surface and an opposing surface, overlapping the two pieces along an edge such that the viewing surface of the first piece is in contact with the opposing surface of the second piece and the exposed viewing surface is in contact with a removable protective top film at least at the overlap, and forming a seam at the overlap.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2002Publication date: January 29, 2004Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Kanta Kumar, Chester A. Bacon
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Patent number: 6660390Abstract: The present invention relates to articles having a printed surface as well as flexible coating and film compositions that are printable in combination with exhibiting stain resistance. The composition comprises a hard component having an elongation of less than about 150%, a soft component having an elongation of greater than about 200%, and a cross-linking agent. The hard component preferably comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane, acrylic polymer, polymeric polyol or mixture thereof. The soft component preferably comprises a thermoplastic urethane, polymeric polyol, or mixture thereof; whereas the cross-linking agent is preferably an isocyanate.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2002Date of Patent: December 9, 2003Inventor: Chester A. Bacon, Jr.
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Patent number: 6548164Abstract: The present invention provides improved and novel removable sheeting, having a specular reflective layer, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer adjacent the specular reflective layer. The adhesive layer of this sheeting includes an organofunctional coupling agent. In preferred embodiments the sheeting is retroreflective and further includes an array of retroreflective elements.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2000Date of Patent: April 15, 2003Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventor: Chester A. Bacon, Jr.
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Patent number: 6508559Abstract: Conformable cube corner retroreflective sheetings comprising a plurality of discrete cube corner segments which are conformably bonded together, each cube corner segment comprising a plastic body portion having a substantially planar front major surface and at least one minute cube corner retroreflective element projecting rearwardly from the body portion and defining a cube corner point side of the cube corner segment. The peripheries of the cube corner segments can be defined by a plurality of separations extending from the cube corner point sides to the front major surfaces, the separations being disposed between adjacent cube corner segments. Adjacent cube corner segments are conformably bonded together in the sense that they are either: (1) separated by a gap of less than about 1 millimeter and bonded together through a conformable carrier layer; or (2) separated by a gap which is substantially filled with a conformable resin that bonds the side walls of adjacent cube corner segments together.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2001Date of Patent: January 21, 2003Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Chester A. Bacon, Jr., Gerald M. Benson
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Publication number: 20020192459Abstract: The present invention relates to articles having a printed surface as well as flexible coating and film compositions that are printable in combination with exhibiting stain resistance. The composition comprises a hard component having an elongation of less than about 150%, a soft component having an elongation of greater than about 200%, and a cross-linking agent. The hard component preferably comprises a hydroxy functional thermoplastic polyurethane, hydroxy functional acrylic polymer, polymeric polyol or mixture thereof. The soft component preferably comprises a hydroxy functional thermoplastic urethane, polymeric polyol, or mixture thereof; whereas the cross-linking agent is preferably an isocyanate.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2001Publication date: December 19, 2002Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventor: Chester A. Bacon
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Publication number: 20020164460Abstract: The present invention relates to articles having a printed surface as well as flexible coating and film compositions that are printable in combination with exhibiting stain resistance. The composition comprises a hard component having an elongation of less than about 150%, a soft component having an elongation of greater than about 200%, and a cross-linking agent. The hard component preferably comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane, acrylic polymer, polymeric polyol or mixture thereof. The soft component preferably comprises a thermoplastic urethane, polymeric polyol, or mixture thereof; whereas the cross-linking agent is preferably an isocyanate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2002Publication date: November 7, 2002Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventor: Chester A. Bacon
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Publication number: 20010053026Abstract: Conformable cube corner retroreflective sheetings comprising a plurality of discrete cube corner segments which are conformably bonded together, each cube corner segment comprising a plastic body portion having a substantially planar front major surface and at least one minute cube corner retroreflective element projecting rearwardly from the body portion and defining a cube corner point side of the cube corner segment. The peripheries of the cube corner segments can be defined by a plurality of separations extending from the cube corner point sides to the front major surfaces, the separations being disposed between adjacent cube corner segments. Adjacent cube corner segments are conformably bonded together in the sense that they are either: (1) separated by a gap of less than about 1 millimeter and bonded together through a conformable carrier layer; or (2) separated by a gap which is substantially filled with a conformable resin that bonds the side walls of adjacent cube corner segments together.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2001Publication date: December 20, 2001Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Chester A. Bacon, Gerald M. Benson
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Patent number: 6322652Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for making a substantially cylindrical tool from a substantially planar substrate, wherein the tooling has at least one patterned surface. The resulting tooling includes a patterned surface with a sufficiently strong weld that is capable of producing an article having a pattern surface that has a relatively narrow and preferably cosmetically pleasing seam line. Such articles include retroreflective sheeting, structured abrasive articles, adhesive articles suitable for use in personal care products, and the like.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 1999Date of Patent: November 27, 2001Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Verlyn H. Paulson, Gary J. Geissler, Gerald M. Benson, Chester A. Bacon, Jr.
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Patent number: 6318867Abstract: Conformable cube corner retroreflective sheetings comprising a plurality of discrete cube corner segments which are conformably bonded together, each cube corner segment comprising a plastic body portion having a substantially planar front major surface and at least one minute cube corner retroreflective element projecting rearwardly from the body portion and defining a cube corner point side of the cube corner segment. The peripheries of the cube corner segments can be defined by a plurality of separations extending from the cube corner point sides to the front major surfaces, the separations being disposed between adjacent cube corner segments. Adjacent cube corner segments are conformably bonded together in the sense that they are either: (1) separated by a gap of less than about 1 millimeter and bonded together through a conformable carrier layer; or (2) separated by a gap which is substantially filled with a conformable resin that bonds the side walls of adjacent cube corner segments together.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2000Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Chester A. Bacon, Jr., Gerald M. Benson
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Publication number: 20010040731Abstract: Conformable cube corner retroreflective sheetings comprising a plurality of discrete cube corner segments which are conformably bonded together, each cube corner segment comprising a plastic body portion having a substantially planar front major surface and at least one minute cube corner retroreflective element projecting rearwardly from the body portion and defining a cube corner point side of the cube corner segment. The peripheries of the cube corner segments can be defined by a plurality of separations extending from the cube corner point sides to the front major surfaces, the separations being disposed between adjacent cube corner segments. Adjacent cube corner segments are conformably bonded together in the sense that they are either: (1) separated by a gap of less than about 1 millimeter and bonded together through a conformable carrier layer; or (2) separated by a gap which is substantially filled with a conformable resin that bonds the side walls of adjacent cube corner segments together.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2000Publication date: November 15, 2001Inventors: Chester A. Bacon, Gerald M. Benson
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Publication number: 20010032703Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for making a substantially cylindrical tool from a substantially planar substrate, wherein the tooling has at least one patterned surface. The resulting tooling includes a patterned surface with a sufficiently strong weld that is capable of producing an article having a pattern surface that has a relatively narrow and preferably cosmetically pleasing seam line. Such articles include retroreflective sheeting, structured abrasive articles, adhesive articles suitable for use in personal care products, and the like.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2001Publication date: October 25, 2001Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Verlyn H. Paulson, Gary J. Geissler, Gerald M. Benson, Chester A. Bacon,
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Patent number: 6127020Abstract: A method of making a retroreflective marking material is provided, the method has the steps of: (a) providing an enclosed-lens retroreflective sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface and comprising a cover layer and a monolayer of retroreflective elements; (b) applying a conformance layer to the bottom surface of the retroreflective sheet; and (c) laminating a configuration member to the conformance layer thereby creating first portions and second portions in the sheet, the first portions being arranged in an upwardly contoured profile and the second portions being arranged in a lower, substantially planar position. A retroreflective article made by the method is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 1999Date of Patent: October 3, 2000Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties CompanyInventors: Chester A. Bacon, Jr., Louis C. Belisle, deceased, Larry K. Stump, Terry R. Bailey, T. Ian Bradshaw, Dale H. Haunschild, Gregory F. Jacobs
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Patent number: 5691846Abstract: A method for manufacturing flexible cube corner retroreflective sheeting comprising the steps of:a) providing a tool having a molding surface;b) applying to the molding surface a volume of a flowable resin composition;c) contacting the resin composition with a first major surface of an overlay film;d) minimizing excess resin composition;e) curing the resin composition to form a sheeting comprising an array of cube corner elements bonded to the overlay film;f) removing the sheeting from the tool; andg) applying mechanical stress to the sheeting so as to cause a fractured separation of substantially each individual cube corner element from surrounding cube corner elements.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: November 25, 1997Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Olester Benson, Jr., Cheryl M. Frey, Jeanine M. Shusta, Susan K. Nestegard, Vera L. Lightle, Kenneth L. Smith, Chester A. Bacon, Jr.
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Patent number: 5632946Abstract: Methods for making a conformable cube corner retroreflective sheeting having a plurality of discrete cube corner segments that are conformably bonded together. Each cube corner segment includes at least one cube corner retroreflective element.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: May 27, 1997Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Chester A. Bacon, Jr., Gerald M. Benson
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Patent number: 5614286Abstract: Conformable cube corner retroreflective sheetings comprising a plurality of discrete cube corner segments which are conformably bonded together, each cube corner segment comprising a plastic body portion having a substantially planar front major surface and at least one minutes cube corner retroreflective element projecting rearwardly from the body portion and defining a cube corner point side of the cube corner segment. The peripheries of the cube corner segments can be defined by a plurality of separations extending from the cube corner point sides to the front major surfaces, the separations being disposed between adjacent cube corner segments. Adjacent cube corner segments are conformably bonded together in the sense that they are either: (1) separated by a gap of less than about 1 millimeter and bonded together through a conformable carrier layer; or (2) separated by a gap which is substantially filled with a conformable resin that bonds the side walls of adjacent cube corner segments together.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1993Date of Patent: March 25, 1997Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Chester A. Bacon, Jr., Gerald M. Benson
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Patent number: 5269840Abstract: Colorant clusters comprising an aggregation of a plurality of grains of sol-derived material and colorant. The clusters are particularly useful as pigments in liquid compositions, e.g., paints and inks, for forming coatings that are retroreflective immediately upon drying. Also, a process for preparing such colorant clusters comprising admixing colorant in a binder sol to yield a pigment sol and then removing liquid medium from the pigment sol to yield the clusters. Also, a coating composition comprising retroreflective elements, a vehicle, and the aforementioned colorant clusters. After application of the composition to a substrate, the resultant coating is immediately retroreflective upon drying.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1992Date of Patent: December 14, 1993Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Geoffrey P. Morris, Chester A. Bacon, Jr., Wallace K. Bingham
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Patent number: 5055347Abstract: A retroreflective sheeting comprising a monolayer of retroreflective elements partially embedded in an elastomeric support layer and protruding from the front side of the support layer, and an omni-directionally elastic filamentary reinforcing web at least partially embedded in the rear portion of the support layer, wherein at least the back stratum of the support layer is a vulcanizable or curable elastomer. The back stratum comprises an elastomer which is compatible with the desired substrate. The reinforcing web is typically a knit or nonwoven web. The support layer may be monolayer, dual-layer or multi-layer.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 1988Date of Patent: October 8, 1991Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventor: Chester A. Bacon, Jr.
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Patent number: 4955690Abstract: A thin caliper retroreflective transfer comprising a monolayer of retroreflective elements in a support layer, the back stratum of which is a vulcanizable elastomer, and a premask releasably adhered to the front surface thereof to facilitate handling of the transfer and protect the retroreflective elements during handling and application to a substrate. Also a method for making such transfers.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 1989Date of Patent: September 11, 1990Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventor: Chester A. Bacon, Jr.
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Patent number: 4943139Abstract: A retroreflective tubing adapted to be interwined among spokes of a wheel, comprising a core material, retroreflective microspheres attached to an outer surface of the core material, and a protective encapsulating material surrounding the microspheres. In a preferred embodiment, the cross section of the core material is U-shaped to maximize the retroreflective performance of the tubing, and the encapsulating material provides a multiplicity of sealed airspaces between the outer surface of the retroreflective microspheres and the inner surface of the encapsulating material.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 1988Date of Patent: July 24, 1990Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing CompanyInventors: Chester A. Bacon, Jr., James C. Coderre