Abstract: A reinforced viral resistant seam for an article of protective apparel constructed by arranging first and second thermoplastic webs and at least one reinforcing strip thermally bondable with the webs along a common seam edge. An ultrasonic welding wheel having a cutting edge immediately adjacent to the welding surface is used to form a viral resistant, comfortable, high tensile strength seam suitable for articles of protective apparel.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 2, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 9, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Mark V. Johnson, Nancy C. Rauschenberg, Sara L. Megchelsen
Abstract: Nanostructured elements are provided for use in the electrode of a membrane electrode assembly for use in fuel cells, sensors, electrochemical cells, and the like. The nanostructured elements comprise acicular microstructured support whiskers bearing acicular nanoscopic catalyst particles which may comprise alternating layers of catalyst materials, which may comprise a surface layer that differs in composition from the bulk composition of the catalyst particles, and which may demonstrate improved carbon monoxide tolerance.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 10, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 9, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Mark K. Debe, Gregory M. Haugen, Andrew J. Steinbach, John H. Thomas, III, Raymond J. Ziegler
Abstract: A linerless, coreless roll of tape includes a backing layer having an adhesive layer formed on one side. The tape is formed into a roll having a plurality of wraps with the adhesive side facing outwardly. The tape is sufficiently stiff and self-supporting to obviate the need for support material, and the entire roll, including the last wrap, is completely usable for its intended purpose without wasting any tape. As lint removal tape, the tape is used while it is still on the roll, and the tape is removed from the roll only after use, to discard it. The roll can be sufficiently compressible to create a plane of contact during use to remove lint. The roll of tape can be mounted on an applicator.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 25, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 9, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: Described is an adhesive clip including a back sheet with a first layer of removable pressure sensitive adhesive on its front major surface, and a second layer of removable pressure sensitive adhesive on its rear surface; and a front sheet of polymeric material having a size adapted to at least overlay the first layer of removable pressure sensitive adhesive on the back sheet which has a first edge attached to the back sheet with the front sheet overlying the first layer of removable pressure sensitive adhesive. When the back sheet is adhered to a planar substrate by the second layer of pressure sensitive adhesive, the front sheet can be pivoted away from the back sheet a distance affording positioning an edge portion of a sheet to be supported between the front sheet and the first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive and pressing of that portion of the sheet to be supported into engagement with the first layer of pressure sensitive adhesive so that the sheet will be supported along the substrate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 31, 1996
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: Coatings for hard tissue and surfaces of the oral environment are provided that reduce adhesion of bacteria and proteinaceous substances to these surfaces. Methods of reducing adhesion of these materials to such surfaces, and polymers for incorporation into such coatings are also provided.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 27, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Sumita B. Mitra, Sharon M. Rozzi, Brant L. Kedrowski
Abstract: This invention describes water-based microsphere adhesive formulations to be used in the sheet-to-sheet coating process. These adhesives have proven to have excellent wet-out of a difficult, high-energy surface, good shear stability to allow die-coating or gravure-coating of the adhesive onto an intermediate carrier belt, good elasticity to allow the wet adhesive to cling to the intermediate belt until it is dried (or partially dried), good integrity to allow complete transfer from the intermediate carrier belt onto the final substrate, and repositionable properties in a final product composition.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 19, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Kim K. Tsujimoto, Mark S. Vogel, Eric Francis Yves Baertich
Abstract: A method of damping floor vibrations and structures having damped floors is provided. Damping article(s) are attached to structural floor (A) (at a floor attachment location) and to at least two anchor attachment locations independently selected from the group consisting of locations on structural beams, structural columns, structural beam(s)/structural column intersection(s); and area(s) of a ground floor/structural floor (which may or may not be the same as structural floor (A)) within about one meter of a column and/or beam.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 10, 1996
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Ming-Lai Lai, Haregoppa S. Gopalakrishna
Abstract: A compact electronic projector has separate optics and electronics compartments which are thermally and electromagnetically isolated from each other. In this manner closely spaced components are prevented from electrically or thermally interfering with each other, and high quality projected images can be maintained. The optics compartment contains a display assembly, such as a liquid crystal display panel and associated Fresnel lenses, which is mounted inside the projector so as to rotate between a storage position in which the display assembly is generally parallel with the projection axis of the device, and an operational position in which the display assembly is disposed at an oblique angle with relative to the projection axis. The assembly can thus be rotated to occupy the voids needed for expansion and contraction of the optical beams when the projector is in use, but which have no useful function when the projector is not in use.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 16, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: An apparatus and method for recalibrating a multi-color imaging system are provided. The multi-color imaging system is capable of applying different colorants to a substrate based on a plurality of input color values. The input color values control amounts of the colorants to be applied to the substrate by the imaging system. A subset of the input color values is selected and used to control the imaging system to apply one or more of the different colorants to the substrate, thereby forming a plurality of different color patches on the substrate. The subset of input color values is selected such that one or more of the different color patches is formed by application of a combination of at least two of the different colorants to the substrate. Color values are measured for each of the different color patches, and compared to reference color values, representing a calibrated condition of the imaging system. An error value is calculated.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 8, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A method for polymerizing fluorine-containing ethylenically-unsaturated monomer and allylic-hydrogen containing olefin monomer is provided. The method involves the use of fluoroaliphatic-group containing sulfinate. Novel polymers are also disclosed, comprising interpolymerized units derived from tetrafluoroethylene and allylic-hydrogen containing olefin, for example, propylene.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 10, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: The invention provides a pressure-sensitive adhesive composition for medical applications comprising a blend of at least two components comprised of about 5 to about 95% by weight of a first component comprised of at least one acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive and about 5 to about 95% by weight of a second component comprised of either (a) at least one elastomer with a tackifying resin, or (b) at least one thermoplastic elastomer, wherein the resulting pressure-sensitive adhesive demonstrates a T.sub.0 of at least 1 N/dm and a T.sub.48 of less than 12 N/dm when adhered to skin. The pressure-sensitive adhesive composition is prepared either in the presence of a solvent or is alternatively prepared by melt blending. A method of preparing such an adhesive is also disclosed.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 22, 1995
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Roy Wong, Dennis L. Krueger, Patrick D. Hyde, Felix P. Lau, Eumi Pyun, Pamela S. Tucker
Abstract: A separable electrical connector assembly includes at least one connector body having a planar array of conductive protrusions. The conductive protrusions can be metallurgically bonded or pressure engaged with conductive contact pads on a surface of a printed circuit substrate, such as a printed circuit board or a flex circuit. In addition, a variety of decoupling means can be incorporated to substantially decouple the metallurgical bonds or pressure engagements from stresses produced by use of the separable electrical connector assembly and differential thermal expansion between the connector body and the printed circuit substrate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 1, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Rolf W. Biernath, Robert S. Reylek, Wing C. Chow
Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an article for rapidly polishing a glass workpiece surface using a structured abrasive article including cerium oxide particles dispersed in a binder. The abrasive article for rapid polishing of a glass workpiece comprising a backing and at least one polishing layer. The polishing layer comprises cerium oxide particles dispersed within a binder. The binder provides the attachment means of the at least one polishing layer to the backing. The abrasive article is capable of reducing an initial Rtm of about 0.8 .mu.m or greater on a glass test blank to a final Rtm of about 0.3 .mu.m or less in about one minute using an RPE procedure defined herein. The present invention is also directed to a method of polishing a glass workpiece using the present abrasive article.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 3, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Craig F. Lamphere, Chong Yong Kim, David A. Kaisaki, Heather K. Kranz, Julia P. Williams
Abstract: An adsorption medium that includes a finely divided substrate provided on at least a portion of its surface with the polymerization product of a silane that includes (a) two or three olefinic groups having the formula --(CH.sub.2).sub.m CH.dbd.CH.sub.2, where m is between 0 and 3, inclusive, and (b) at least one ligand selected to interact with a substance brought into contact with the adsorption medium to adsorb at least a portion of the substance on the surface of the adsorption medium.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 21, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Douglas A. Hanggi, Gaddam N. Badu, Terry L. Davis
Abstract: The present invention provides an abrasive article, particularly a cut-off wheel, having a mixture of rare earth oxide modified abrasive grains and alpha alumina seeded or iron oxide nucleated abrasive grains. Preferably, the rare earth oxide is present at a level between about 0.1 wt-% to 10 wt-% of the abrasive grain, based on a theoretical oxide basis. In one embodiment, the rare earth oxide modified abrasive grains are rods.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 1, 1997
Date of Patent:
March 2, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: A vinyl graphic marking film or label coated with a pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive designed to achieve high or permanent adhesion to polymeric low energy surfaces is disclosed. In addition to good adhesion to low energy surfaces, the graphic marking film or label may have microperforated or micro-rough edges which initiate tearing when removal is attempted. The article maintains flexibility and film strength for easy fabrication in graphic marking film or label manufacture.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 17, 1996
Date of Patent:
February 23, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Richard L. Peloquin, Albert I. Everaerts, Kenneth D. Wilson, Stephen J. Galick
Abstract: The present invention provides a novel silicone free copolymer and coating prepared therefrom. The coating which is capable of being written on effectively with both solvent-based and water-based inks is also bleedthrough resistant. A repositionable pressure sensitive adhesive note is capable of effectively adhering to the coating. The invention also provides substrates coated with the coatings and articles such as pads and rolls formed from the coated substrates.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 23, 1996
Date of Patent:
February 23, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Abstract: The invention provides novel macromonomer and carboxyl functional polyurethanes having a high carboxyl content. The invention further provides dispersions, coatings and magnetic recording media comprising these polyurethanes, or blends or copolymers of these polyurethanes with quaternary ammonium compounds. The invention further provides novel dispersions, coatings and magnetic recording media comprising combinations of carboxyl functional polyurethanes having a high carboxyl content with quaternary ammonium polymers.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 28, 1997
Date of Patent:
February 23, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
Inventors:
James G. Carlson, Nelson T. Rotto, Jeffrey T. Anderson, Carol-Lynn Spawn, Albena V. Blagev
Abstract: Heat activated, translucent marking films are disclosed. The translucent, heat activated marking film has a transferable, translucent, plastic film and field of a heat activated, translucent adhesive adhered to the plastic film. The marking film is prepared and stored on a polymeric liner until transfer by heat to a substrate, such as a back-lit sign or an awning. The film can be cut into images prior to heat transfer to the substrate according to commercial graphics techniques.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 11, 1996
Date of Patent:
February 23, 1999
Assignee:
Minnesota Mining and manufacturing Company
Inventors:
Bret W. Ludwig, Chi Chung Hsu, Roger E. Bakken