Patents Assigned to 3M
  • Patent number: 10482703
    Abstract: An earplug dispensing mechanism defining a longitudinal axis, and including separator and index assemblies. The separator assembly includes a platform, a guide wall and bores. The guide wall projects from the platform to define a well for receiving earplugs. The bores each extend from an entrance opening to an exit opening. The index assembly is rotatably coupled to the separator assembly, and includes a handle, a plate, and a mixing body. The plate is connected to the handle and defines a dispensing aperture. The mixing body has an upper end, a lower end, and an exterior surface defined by a cone portion and a paddle portion. The cone portion tapers in diameter. The paddle portion projects radially from the cone portion at the lower end. The exterior surface is asymmetrical to encourage earplug mixing within the well, and to impede earplugs from entering a bore open to the dispensing aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: David M. Rudek, Ralf F. Korte, Guenter M. Zilligen
  • Patent number: 10478852
    Abstract: A device for dispensing a material has a container for holding the material, a piston movably arranged within the container and a spindle in cooperation with the piston. The device is configured such that the spindle and the container are rotatable relative to each other to move the piston for dispensing the material. The piston and the spindle are adapted to anti-twist lock against each other in a first axial position of the piston relative to spindle. And in a second axial position of the piston relative to spindle the anti-twist lock between the piston and the spindle is suspended. The device helps minimizing any residual dental material upon attempting to empty the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Helmut Pauser, Marc Peuker
  • Patent number: 10479067
    Abstract: Described herein is multilayer article made by the process comprising: delivering particles comprising a silicon compound from at least one fluid jet to a metal surface to embed the metal surface with the silicon compound to form a silicon compound layer; coating the silicon compound layer with an aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion to form a fluoropolymer layer and thereby forming a multilayered article, wherein the aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion comprises (i) a modifying agent; and (ii) a fluorinated polymer, wherein the fluorinated polymer comprises at least one of (a) a partially fluorinated polymer capable of forming a carbon-carbon double bond, (b) a functionalized fluorinated polymer, and (c) combinations thereof; and sintering the multilayered article to form the release surface coated substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Peter Bissinger, Michael C. Dadalas, Philipp Doebert, Rainer A. Guggenberger, Klaus Hintzer, Tilman C. Zipplies
  • Patent number: 10480710
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to an improved mounting assembly. In general, the mounting device includes a cover plate, a frame (at least a portion of which is adjacent to the cover plate), and an accessory that is attachable to the cover plate. The frame includes generally horizontal top and bottom portions or members that cooperatively limit or prohibit lateral motion of the cover plate relative to the frame when the cover plate is attached to the frame and is attached to a wall or vertical surface. The presence of the generally horizontal bottom and top portions or members facilitate faster and easier application and removal of the mounting assembly to a wall or other vertical surface by permitting the mounting assembly to be removed from the backplate on the wall in a single step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventor: Craig D. Thompson
  • Patent number: 10475858
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes nanostructured light extraction color filter laminates, and articles and methods of using nanostructured light extraction color filter laminates for the fabrication of an OLED including a nanostructure, using lamination techniques. Nanostructured OLED devices can exhibit enhanced light extraction efficiency. The methods involve transfer and/or replication of a film, layer, or coating in order to form a nanostructured surface that is in optical contact with the emitting surface of an OLED in, for example, a top emitting or a bottom emitting active matrix OLED (TE-AMOLED or BE-AMOLED) device. The articles having enhanced light extraction efficiency can be of particular use in color-by-white (CBW) OLED displays, which use white-light spectrum OLEDs with a color filter array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Martin B. Wolk, Seong Taek Lee, Michael Benton Free, Nicholas C. Erickson
  • Patent number: 10473846
    Abstract: An illumination system includes a lightguide having light extractors. A first light source is disposed at an end face of the lightguide. Light emitted by the first light source is extracted from the lightguide by the light extractors and exits the lightguide primarily along a first direction different than the length direction. A second light source is disposed along the length of the lightguide. Light emitted by the second light source enters the lightguide from a first side surface and exits the lightguide from a different second side surface along a second direction different than the first and length directions. Light emitted by the second light source has a first divergence in a first plane before entering the lightguide through the first side surface and a different second divergence in the first plane after exiting the lightguide from the second side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventor: Tao Liu
  • Patent number: 10471244
    Abstract: A liquid applicator comprising an absorbent member, and a single-piece, unitary body. The body can include a closed container defining a reservoir, and a tab. The container can include a main portion, a transition portion, a rib, and a chamber located in the tab and coupled to the transition portion via a frangible connection. The main portion, the transition portion, the rib, and the chamber can each define a portion of the reservoir, and at least the main portion, the transition portion, and the rib can have a uniform wall thickness. The tab can include the chamber and can be coupled to the transition portion at least by the frangible connection, the tab being movable with respect to the transition portion between a first position in which the frangible connection is intact and a second position in which the frangible connection is fractured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Alan R. Dombrowski, Stephane Levesque
  • Patent number: 10472834
    Abstract: To provide a sheet and a system for curing concrete, in which the moisture amount to be used is small and which are able to reduce temporal and local variations in the moisture amount supplied to the concrete surface, a concrete curing method, and a method for producing a concrete structure. There is provided a concrete curing sheet of some embodiments of the present disclosure having a solid structure group on at least a first surface, the solid structure group having grooves defined between adjacent solid structures, and the grooves transporting water using the capillary phenomenon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Norihisa Watanabe, Tatsunori Ishizuka, Naoyuki Toriumi, Hitoshi Morimoto
  • Patent number: 10474940
    Abstract: Flexible, stretchable RFID tags are formed by a pocket that is formed from one or more substrates and layers of adhesive, and an electronic circuit that is located within this pocket. The RFID tags can include a stretchable substrate and an electronic circuit attached to the stretchable substrate by one or a finite number of discrete spaced apart attachment locations. When the pocket is formed by relatively thick adhesive layers adhering together one or more flexible substrates to form an internal cavity, the electronic circuit is located within this cavity and either is not adhered to any of the substrates of the cavity, and is free to move about within the cavity, or the electronic circuit can be attached to a substrate by a thin layer of adhesive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Nicholas T. Gabriel, Ronald D. Jesme, Andrew P. Bonifas, Dylan T. Cosgrove, John P. Baetzold
  • Patent number: 10472420
    Abstract: The present invention provides IRM conjugates that includes an IRM moiety and a second active moiety covalently linked to the IRM moiety in which the covalent link does not depend on UV irradiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Doris Stoermer, George W. Griesgraber, James D. Mendoza, Jason D. Bonk
  • Patent number: 10471398
    Abstract: Guanidinyl ligand-functionalized polymers, methods of making the same, and substrates bearing a grafted coating of the ligand-functional polymers are described. The grafted polymer has the requisite affinity for binding neutral or negatively charged biomaterials, such as cells, cell debris, bacteria, spores, viruses, nucleic acids, endotoxins and proteins, at pH's near or below the pI's of the biomaterials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Catherine A. Bothof, George W. Griesgraber, James I. Hembre, Jerald K. Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 10471571
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a bonded abrasive article comprising shaped abrasive particles and a bonding medium comprising a vitreous bond, said shaped abrasive particles each comprising a first side and a second side separated by a thickness t, wherein said first side comprises a first face having a perimeter of a first geometric shape, wherein said thickness t is equal to or smaller than the length of the shortest side-related dimension of the particle, wherein the article exhibits at least on a part of its surface a surface profile comprising at least one surface feature wherein said shaped abrasive particles have a largest dimension of about the same order of magnitude or larger as compared to said surface feature. The present invention also relates to a composition for use of the preparation of a bonded abrasive article, to methods of preparing and using the bonded abrasive article and to methods of grinding and providing a workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Walter Flaschberger, Andrea Veronika Kirschner
  • Patent number: 10477194
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes optical elements and optical devices that use the optical elements to allow the output of two imagers to be combined onto a single optical axis. Each of the two imagers can be based on alternate polarization directions, and the disclosed embodiments can enable high contrast 3D projectors without requiring either time or polarization sequencing. The present disclosure further describes projection systems that include the optical devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Joseph C. Carls, Craig R. Schardt, Duane E. Preiss, Dwight E. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 10471036
    Abstract: Antimicrobial compositions, especially those useful when applied topically, particularly to mucosal tissues (i.e., mucous membranes), including, in particular, an antimicrobial lipid component, such as a fatty acid ester, fatty ether, or alkoxide derivative thereof. The compositions can also include an enhancer component, a surfactant, a hydrophobic component, and/or a hydrophilic component. Such compositions provide effective topical antimicrobial activity and are accordingly useful in the treatment and/or prevention of conditions that are caused, or aggravated by, microorganisms (including viruses).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Matthew T. Scholz, Dianne L. Gibbs, John T. Capecchi, Jeffrey F. Andrews
  • Patent number: 10471681
    Abstract: Heat de-bondable adhesive articles include a heat-shrinkable optical substrate with optically clear adhesive disposed on the two major surfaces of the heat-shrinkable substrate. Optical articles can be prepared by disposing the heat de-bondable adhesive articles between two optical substrates. Other optical articles can be prepared by disposing an optically clear adhesive layer and a heat-shrinkable optical substrate on an optical substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Scott M. Tapio, Audrey A. Sherman, Kevin R. Schaffer, Joseph D. Rule, Lan H. Liu, Margot A. Branigan, Ross E. Behling
  • Patent number: 10476179
    Abstract: A connector (100) is disclosed that includes a housing (2) having a length, a width, a first end wall (15), a second end wall (19), and a plurality of first (17) and second (18) grooves disposed on upper-portion main surface and bottom-portion main surface of a base (2). The grooves receive pluralities of first (70) and second (71) insulated conductors, respectively. A plurality of terminals (16) make contact with the first and second insulated conductors so that the first insulated conductors and the second insulated conductors are electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hayashi, Hiroyuki Matsuoka, Toshio Ohta
  • Patent number: D866303
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Bryan A. Berger, Angela L. Pan
  • Patent number: D866892
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Lucas J. Hunt, James P. Endle
  • Patent number: D866893
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Lucas J. Hunt, Carolina Bautista-Brown, Douglas C. Blackwell, James P. Endle, Matthew W. Gorrell, Robert J. Maki, Hannah L. Stoughton
  • Patent number: D867451
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Traxton J. Turner, Alonso M. Hernandez, Jacob T. Lusson