Abstract: A curable orthopedic support material is disclosed comprising a flexible sheet material impregnated with a liquid resin system which cures upon exposure to a curing agent to a resilient, semi-rigid support device. The cured support is especially designed for orthopedic applications where conventional rigid casts are not desirable and/or necessary.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 3, 1986
Date of Patent:
November 6, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A transparent overlay that can protect a document from tampering has a transparent cover sheet, a layer of hot-melt adhesive over one surface of the transparent cover sheet, and an image formed on the exposed face of said hot-melt adhesive layer. The transparent cover sheet can be a simple thermoplastic film but preferably is retroreflective sheeting which can bear a pattern or legend that is noticeable only when viewed retroreflectively.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 19, 1989
Date of Patent:
November 6, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
John W. McConville, Susan K. Jongewaard, Douglas K. Fossum
Abstract: Disclosed are tapes for medical use, prepared in a one-pass coating operation in which an extensible tape backing is treated simultaneously with LAB material and elastomer. The resultant tapes exhibit release characteristics and elasticity that enable them to be dispensed in the form of a linerless rolls or in pads without deformation or loss of adhesion.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 8, 1989
Date of Patent:
November 6, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: Hollow, polymeric, acrylate, infusible, inherently tacky, solvent-insoluble, solvent-dispersible, elastomeric, nitrogen-containing, acid-free pressure-sensitive adhesive microspheres having an average diameter of at least about 1 micrometer wherein a majority of the microspheres contain multiple interior voids, a majority of the voids having a diameter of less than about 10% of the diameter of the microspheres, the total of the diameters of the voids being at least about 10% of the diameter of the microsphere.These hollow microspheres are useful as repositionable pressure-sensitive adhesives. The invention also provides pressure-sensitive adhesives consisting essentially of such acid-free hollow microspheres. Aqueous suspensions of these microspheres, processes for their preparation, spray repositionable pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions, and pressure-sensitive adhesive coated sheet materials are also provided.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 27, 1990
Date of Patent:
November 6, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: An optical fibre comprising a core coated with a cladding composition having a lower refractive index than the core, said cladding composition comprising a fluorinated mono-acrylate, a polyfunctional cross-linking acrylate being difunctional or higher, and a photoinitiator, said cladding composition comprising less than 0.3% by weight of a mono- or polyfunctional thiol and being cured or cross-linked.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 5, 1990
Date of Patent:
November 6, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Alan G. Hulme-Lowe, Alistair S. Dodds, Stefan A. Babirad, Patricia M. Savu
Abstract: This invention provides oligomer-free polyesters that consist essentially of repeating, interpolymerized units derived from isophthalic acid and/or terephthalic acid, and 9,9-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-fluorene, a process for making such polyesters and articles comprising said polyesters such as electrical capacitors, optical films and fibers.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 5, 1989
Date of Patent:
October 30, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A flexible, disposable ampule is pre-dosed with a first ingredient, and a second ingredient is introduced into the ampule immediately before a mixing operation. The ampule conveniently fits within a rigid capsule adapted for use with a dental amalgamator which, when activated, thoroughly mixes the ingredients within the ampule. After the ingredients are mixed and the preparation is formed, the ampule is removed from the capsule and the preparation is dispensed by establishing an outlet opening and compressing the ampule between the distal phalange segments of a thumb and a finger.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 2, 1988
Date of Patent:
October 30, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A multi-directionally responsive, dual-status marker for use in electronic article surveillance systems having an alternating magnetic field within an interrogation zone. The marker comprises a piece of a high permeability, low coercive force magnetic material substantially coextensive with a piece of remanently magnetizable material, in which the first piece is configured to exhibit at least two elongated responsive areas adjacent to edges of the piece perpendicular to each other, each area having a narrow width region forming a switching section and adjacent extensive regions forming flux collectors. In a preferred embodiment, the inner edges of all of the regions are defined by a narrow band of removed material, the remaining material in the center thereby being magnetically isolated from the responsive areas. The marker is desensitized by uniformly magnetizing the pace of unmagnetizable material.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 8, 1989
Date of Patent:
October 30, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A shield terminator for sealing the splice of a ground lead wire and the shield of a coaxial cable. The shield terminator includes a solder band and a dam of thermoplastic material which has at least two lumens therein. One larger lumen receives the coaxial cable while the small lumen receives the ground lead wire. The presence of the thermoplastic material around both the cable and the lead wire insures that all interstices between the cable, wire and the sleeve of the shield terminator will be filled, preventing the escape of solder from the sleeve, and precluding entry of water and other contaminants into the splice.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 6, 1989
Date of Patent:
October 23, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A process of producing alpha alumina ceramic abrasive grain by sintering alpha alumina monohydrate is improved by seeding with a crystalline oxide of iron having a particle size of less than 150 nm.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 12, 1988
Date of Patent:
October 23, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A shipping or secondary container, which can safely transport a plurality of breakable primary containers of a variety of sizes and shapes, has a pair of rigid shells that mate. A batt of sorptive material fills each shell, and a normally tacky, discontinuous adhesive layer covers the exposed face of at least one batt. The shells can be vacuum formed from a sheet of thermoplastic resin that is 0.25 to 0.5 mm in thickness. The two shells preferably are identical to each other. To permit them to interlock, each shell has an upstanding wall that is formed with both tongues and grooves which telescopically mate with the tongues and grooves of the other shell.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 9, 1990
Date of Patent:
October 23, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.
Inventors:
Thomas I. Insley, James F. Dyrud, Donald E. Young
Abstract: A method of providing patterned, thin-film materials on flexible substrates by depositing a first, etchable, integral mask onto a substrate, depositing a second pattern material over the mask region and then removing the mask, such as by etching. Patterned films useful as printed circuits and the like can be prepared by this method. In an alternate embodiment, patterned particles can be prepared for dispersion in a vehicle or matrix using the described process.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 9, 1988
Date of Patent:
October 23, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A film comprising a combination of a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer and a host polymer. The surface of the film comprises a plurality of discrete protrusions or peaks whose height can be tailored to provide a desired surface roughness.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 21, 1987
Date of Patent:
October 16, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: Tape for encasing electronic parts comprising a carrier tape having a plurality of recesses for encasing electronic parts and a plurality of guide perforations, and a cover tape pasted onto said carrier tape with an adhesive so as to seal only said recesses while leaving said guide perforations open.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 20, 1989
Date of Patent:
October 16, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A storage-stable, high potency allergenic extract is prepared by ultrafiltration, retaining fractions having molecular weights of from 1000 to 100,000, and drying the retained fraction to a moisture content of less than one weight percent. The extract can also be pretreated with amylase before ultrafiltration, treated with affinity chromatography before drying, and/or treated with gamma radiation after drying.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 20, 1987
Date of Patent:
October 16, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Emanuel Calenoff, Myron A. Beigler, Gerald L. Friesen, James L. Nichols
Abstract: A paint finishing pad adapted to be used on a drive assembly including a back up pad and a drive motor for rotating the back up pad. The paint finishing pad includes a layer of open cell polymeric foam having a front surface defined by a plurality of spaced projecting portions of the layer of foam, and loops projecting from a rear surface of the layer of foam for releasably attaching the paint finishing pad to a support surface on the back up pad.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 18, 1989
Date of Patent:
October 16, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A process for determining whether a heat recoverable article has achieved sufficient temperature comprising applying to the surface of the article to be heated a composition comprising a chlorinated polymer and a zinc salt and the resultant article.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 11, 1985
Date of Patent:
October 16, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: Stretched surface recording disk (SSR) 10 comprising an annular support 12 having raised annular ridges 28 and 42 at its inside and outside diameters 22 and 30 with a base portion 24 in between the two ridges, and an annular recording medium film 14 held in radial tension and stretched across the base portion by adhering the film to attachment surfaces 48 and 36 near the inside and outside diameters respectively. The bond between the recording medium film and the support at the inner and outer attachment surfaces is formed by an electron beam cured adhesive such as a mixture of hydantoin hexacrylate and dimethylacrylamide. By manufacturing the stretched surface recording disks with the e-beam process, significantly less time is required to adhere each stretched recording medium to its support, and the quality of the bond between the support and recording medium film is improved.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 1, 1989
Date of Patent:
October 16, 1990
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
John G. Chernega, John A. Martens, Felix P. Lau, Leslie M. Milner
Abstract: An orthodontic buccal tube appliance for use with the molars has a tube with a mesial, open-ended cylindrical passage and a distal rectangular passage aligned with the cylindrical passage. The tube is thus adapted for use with either round or rectangular wire in accordance with the preference of the orthodontist. A funnel-shaped wall connects the cylindrical passage to the rectangular passage in order to guide an end of rectangular wire toward a position within the rectangular passage.