Patents by Inventor Alison Linda May

Alison Linda May 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).

  • Process of preparing a multilayer cholesteric film I
    Patent number: 6417902
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process of preparing a multilayer cholesteric film comprising two or more layers of polymerized cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) material with planar orientation, with the cholesteric helix axis oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of the layer, wherein during preparation of the single layers the migration of unpolymerized material between adjacent layers is minimized, to a multilayer cholesteric film obtainable by such a process, and to the use of the process and a multilayer cholesteric film thereby prepared in optical elements such as polarizers, compensators, alignment layers, color filters or holographic elements, in cosmetics and liquid crystal pigments, for decorative and security applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft
    Inventors: Simon Greenfield, Alison Linda May
  • Cholesteric polymer network
    Patent number: 6010643
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid material in the form of cholesteric polymer network, wherein the polymerized material is obtainable by copolymerization of a compound (a) having at least two polymerizable functional groups and a chiral polymerizable compound (b), which is a terpinoid and to novel polymerizable terpinoids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: David Coates, Alison Linda May
  • Liquid crystalline material comprising terpenoids
    Patent number: 5746940
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystalline material in the form of an anisotropic gel consisting of a polymerized monotropic or enantiotropic liquid crystalline material and a chiral nematic low-molecular weight liquid crystalline material, wherein the polymerized material a) forms a permanently oriented network in the low-molecular weight liquid crystalline material b), characterized in that the low-molecular weight liquid crystalline material b) comprises at least one chiral mesogenic terpenoid derivative.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1998
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: David Coates, Alison Linda May
  • Thermochromic media
    Patent number: 5705093
    Abstract: An improved ink comprising a thermochromic liquid crystalline media comprising at least one optically inactive nematic component and at least one optically active component, the improvement wherein the optically active component comprises at least one menthol derivative of formula I ##STR1## wherein ##STR2## is 1,4-phenylene optionally substituted by up to 4 methyl group and/or halogen atoms, particularly fluorine atoms or is 1,4 cyclohexylene and MG is a mesogenic group, or forms a mesogenic group together with ##STR3##
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: David Coates, Alison Linda May, Jacqueline Dawn Percy