Abstract: A two-piece edge protector for a roll of tape is described. The protector has a pair of sides and transverse, peripheral tape anchors which may receive a leading portion of a roll of tape to assist in dispensing the tape. The protector is particularly suitable to protect a roll of hand tearable medical tape.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 2, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 16, 1997
Assignee:
MinnesotaMining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A metered dose dispensing valve for use with an aerosol container is disclosed. The valve comprises, as a single integral component, a rim gasket for sealing the valve to the aerosol container, a sealing flap for pressure filling the valve, and an insert which takes up dead volume within the valve.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 14, 1995
Date of Patent:
December 16, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: Header padded stationery having an adhesive tape strip pad, adhesive tape flag pad and/or adhesive note pad recessively mounted to the header of the stationery pad.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 18, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 16, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: An organosol comprising a high molecular weight (co)polymeric steric stabilizer covalently bonded to an insoluble, high molecular weight thermoplastic (co)polymeric core is described which has the ability to form a three dimensional gel of controlled rigidity. The gel provides improved liquid ink or liquid electrophotographic/electrographic toner compositions by increasing sedimentation stability of the colorant, without compromising print quality or ink transfer performance. The gel is formed by manipulating the solubility parameter difference between the stabilizer and the solvent to achieve optimum performance of the dispersion.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 30, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 16, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
James A. Baker, Jai Venkatesan, Wu-Shyong Li, Gay L. Herman
Abstract: A self-propelling aerosol formulation which may be free from CFC's which comprises a medicament, 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, a surface active agent and at least one compound having a higher polarity than 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 4, 1993
Date of Patent:
December 9, 1997
Assignee:
Riker Laboratories, Inc.
Inventors:
Tarlochan S. Purewal, David J. Greenleaf
Abstract: A hydrophilic porous article is provided. The article comprises a hydrophobic porous substrate having coated on at least one external surface and on the internal surface a polyamide. Also provided is a method for making the hydrophilic porous article comprising forming a solvent solution of polyarnide in calcium chloride and methanol; treating a hydrophobic porous substrate by applying the solution to the substrate; rinsing the treated substrate with water to remove the calcium chloride and methanol; and drying the treated substrate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 1, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 9, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: The invention provides a clear and essentially colorless adhesive comprising (A) the polymerization reaction product of starting materials comprising: (a) 25 to 95 parts by weight of a polymerizable component comprising at least one acrylic or methacrylic ester of a non-tertiary alkyl alcohol in which the alkyl group contains 4 to 20 carbon atoms; (b) at least 5 parts by weight of at least one copolymerizable polar comohomer having a strong hydrogen bonding capability selected from an acid, an amide, an anhydride, or a lactam, the sum of (a) and (b) amounting to 100 parts by weight; and (B) 1 to 75 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the sum of components (a) and (b), of a tackifier; said tackifier comprising a water white, hydrogenated resin produced from a hydrocarbon feedstock containing at least 50 percent vinyl aromatic monomer and from 0 to 40 percent by weight of olefin chain transfer agents, said tackifier having: (i) a retained aromaticity on a weight percent of monomers in the feedstock basi
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 20, 1995
Date of Patent:
December 9, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Albert I. Everaerts, Mark D. Purgett, Bradley S. Momchilovich
Abstract: 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.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 20, 1994
Date of Patent:
December 9, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Gerald M. Benson, Kenneth L. Smith, John C. Kelliher, Mark E. Gardiner
Abstract: A photothermographic element containing a support bearing at least one heat-developable, photosensitive, image-forming photothermographic emulsion layer is provided. The emulsion layer comprises:(a) a photosensitive silver halide;(b) a non-photosensitive, reducible source of silver;(c) a leuco dye reducing agent; and(d) a binder;wherein the leuco dye reducing agent comprises a blocked leuco dye compound of the general formula L-R.sup.1, which is capable of being oxidized to a colored form, wherein:(i) L is a group remaining after removal of a hydrogen from a leuco dye; and(ii) R.sup.1 is a C(O)-NH-SO.sub.2 -R.sup.5 group wherein R.sup.5 is an aliphatic group or an aromatic group.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 16, 1995
Date of Patent:
December 9, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Larry R. Krepski, Sharon M. Simpson, Kim M. Vogel
Abstract: An abrasive flap brush including a central core, a layer of adhesive disposed on the peripheral surface of the core by a coater, and a plurality of abrasive flaps adhered to the core by the adhesive. The adhesive is uniformly distributed around the core by providing either the core or the adhesive coater with spacing projections that maintain a predetermined minimum distance between the coater and the core when the adhesive is applied. A coater including the spacing projections is also disclosed, as is a method for making an abrasive flap brush.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 10, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 9, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Jeanne M. Carr, Jeffrey R. Clampitt, Dean R. Zimmerman
Abstract: The invention provides a thermal transfer element having an infrared sensitive adhesive topcoat and process for using the transfer element to generate a colored image on a receptor. The infrared sensitive adhesive topcoat allows for a more efficient transfer of the image to a receptor. The color transfer layer and/or infrared sensitive adhesive topcoat may optionally contain crosslinkable or polymerizable materials that allows one to crosslink the image after transfer to the receptor to produce a more durable image.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 14, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 9, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A method and apparatus of drying a substrate uses a condensing surface located adjacent the substrate on the side of the substrate being dried. The liquid from the substrate is evaporated and then condensed on the condensing surface without applied convection. The condensed liquid is removed from the condensing surface while the condensed liquid remains liquid. Evaporation can be performed by heating the substrate without applied convection.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 4, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 9, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A method and system for detecting and identifying microbial colonies in an inoculated growth medium first acquires a first image of the inoculated growth medium. After a selected incubation time interval, a second image of the growth medium is acquired. A difference image is produced by taking the difference between corresponding pixels in the first and second images. Potential colonies are identified within the difference image by locating peak pixels having local maximum pixel intensities within the difference image and having decreasing gradients in a predetermined number of directions. The potential colonies are validated as actual colonies by eliminating those potential colonies that are noise spikes or noise around previously validated colonies.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 15, 1994
Date of Patent:
December 2, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: An abrasive construction for modifying a surface of a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer. The abrasive construction comprises: a three-dimensional, textured, fixed abrasive element; at least one resilient element generally coextensive with the fixed abrasive element; and at least one rigid element generally coextensive with and interposed between the resilient element and the fixed abrasive element, wherein the rigid element has a Young's Modulus greater than that of the resilient element.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 8, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 2, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Denise R. Rutherford, Douglas P. Goetz, Cristina U. Thomas, Richard J. Webb, Wesley J. Bruxvoort, James D. Buhler, William J. Hollywood
Abstract: Orthodontic brackets made of a light-transmissive material such as plastic or ceramic have a removable, water-based colorant to facilitate identification of the bracket and alignment of the bracket on the patient's tooth. The colorant is received in a ligature channel of the bracket and is visible through adjacent tiewings of the bracket. The colorant is protected by the overlying tiewings from inadvertent damage or removal as might otherwise occur during initial handling and placement of the bracket.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 15, 1995
Date of Patent:
December 2, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Co.
Inventors:
Jirina V. Pospisil, John S. Kelly, Joseph M. Caruso
Abstract: An optical filter screen for a visual display monitor includes an optical filter supported by a support frame. A pair of adjustable mounting members support the support frame from the visual display monitor such that the optical filter is positioned adjacent a display area of the display monitor. Each mounting member includes a latch member that is movable between an unlatched state wherein the filter can be moved relative to the display area of the display monitor and a latched state wherein the filter is held in a desired position relative to the display area. Each mounting member further includes a movable latch operator for moving the latch member between the latched state and the unlatched state.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 23, 1995
Date of Patent:
December 16, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: This invention provides a composite article having discrete microstructures partially encapsulated within a layer. A method of making the same is also provided. The article of the present invention is useful for visible radiation absorbing devices, such as, for example, selective solar absorbers, flat plate solar collectors, solar absorption panels, and solar cells.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 20, 1996
Date of Patent:
December 16, 1997
Assignee:
Minnesota & Mining Manufacturing Company