Patents by Inventor Kristy A. Gillette

Kristy A. Gillette 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).

  • Publication number: 20240377568
    Abstract: An optical stack includes an optical film and an optical adhesive disposed on the optical film. The optical adhesive has a major structured surface facing away from the optical film that includes a plurality of channels formed therein. The channels define a plurality of substantially flat land regions therebetween. The land regions include at least about 50% of a total surface area of the major structured surface. When the optical stack is placed on a support surface with the major structured surface of the optical adhesive contacting the support surface, the optical stack bonds to the support surface and may be removed from, or slidingly repositioned on, the support surface without damage to the optical adhesive or the support surface, and upon application of at least one of heat and pressure, the optical stack substantially permanently bonds to the support surface and the plurality of channels substantially disappear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2024
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Inventors: Michelle L. Toy, Kristy A. Gillette, Matthew B. Johnson, Eileen M. Franey, Carley A. Haroldson, Joseph P. Attard, Guy M. Kallman, William Blake Kolb
  • Patent number: 12117635
    Abstract: An optical stack includes an optical film (200) and an optical adhesive (500) disposed on the optical film. The optical adhesive has a major structured surface facing away from the optical film that includes a plurality of channels formed therein. The channels define a plurality of substantially flat land regions therebetween. The land regions include at least about 50% of a total surface area of the major structured surface. When the optical stack is placed on a support surface with the major structured surface of the optical adhesive contacting the support surface, the optical stack bonds to the support surface and may be removed from, or slidingly repositioned on, the support surface without damage to the optical adhesive or the support surface, and upon application of at least one of heat and pressure, the optical stack substantially permanently bonds to the support surface and the plurality of channels substantially disappear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Michelle L. Toy, Kristy A. Gillette, Matthew B. Johnson, Eileen M. Franey, Carley A. Haroldson, Joseph P. Attard, Guy M. Kallman, William Blake Kolb
  • Publication number: 20240336037
    Abstract: A glass laminate including first and second glass layers, a reflective film having opposed first and second major surfaces and disposed between the first and second glass layers with the first and second major surfaces facing the respective first and second glass layers, a first adhesive layer disposed between and bonding together the first glass layer and the reflective film, and a second adhesive layer disposed between and bonding together the second glass layer and the reflective film is described. The second adhesive layer is thicker than the first adhesive layer such that the first major surface of the reflective film is separated from an outermost major surface of the first glass layer by a distance d1, the second major surface of the reflective film is separated from an outermost major surface of the second glass layer by a distance d2, and 0.05?d1/d2?0.9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2024
    Publication date: October 10, 2024
    Inventors: John F. VANDERLOFSKE, III, Eileen M. FRANEY, Stephan J. PANKRATZ, Matthew B. JOHNSON, Brianna N. WHEELER, Adam D. HAAG, Kristy A. GILLETTE, Jonah SHAVER
  • Patent number: 12111485
    Abstract: A coating composition includes a first polymer and a second polymer that are incompatible and non-reactive with one another. The absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the first polymer and the refractive index of the second polymer is about 0 to about 0.01. The first polymer and the second polymer are soluble in a carrier liquid that is a good solvent for the first polymer and a poor solvent for the second polymer. The carrier liquid is removed from the coating layer to spinodally decompose the mixture of the first polymer and the second polymer in an amount sufficient to form a substantially continuous first phase with a predominant amount of the first polymer and a substantially discontinuous second phase with a predominant amount the second polymer. At least 70% of the second phase includes droplets with an aspect ratio, when viewed in the plane of the surface of the substrate, of less than about 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Ludemann, Jeffrey W. Hagen, David T. Ask, Kristy A Gillette, Eric D. Shockey
  • Patent number: 12105302
    Abstract: An integral optical stack includes a lens film having first and second major surfaces. The first major surface includes microlenses having an average peak-to-valley height PV1. A light absorbing layer is disposed on the lens film and defines a plurality of openings. A substantially planarizing optically diffusive layer is disposed on the first major surface of the lens film, conforming to the microlenses. The optically diffusive layer includes a plurality of nanoparticles. A polymeric material bonds the nanoparticles to each other to form a plurality of nanoparticle aggregates defining a plurality of voids therebetween. The optically diffusive layer has an average thickness greater than about 8 microns, and an index of refraction of less than about 1.25. Any non-planarity of a major surface of the optically diffusive layer due to the microlenses of the first major surface has an average peak-to-valley height PV2, PV2?0.7 PV1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, Zhaohui Yang, Joseph P. Attard, Martin E. Denker
  • Patent number: 12094238
    Abstract: An integral optical construction includes a lens layer including a structured first major surface having a plurality of microlenses. An optically opaque mask layer is disposed on the lens layer and defines a plurality of openings. Each of the openings extends from a first major surface of the mask layer facing the lens layer to an opposite second major surface of the mask layer. The openings are in a one-to-one correspondence with the microlenses. Regions of the mask layer between the openings have an optical density of greater than about 2 for at least a first visible wavelength in a visible wavelength range. An optical adhesive layer is disposed on, and makes physical contact with, the second major surface of the mask layer. The optical adhesive layer defines a recess at each of the openings. The recess includes a closed bottom and an opposite open top open to the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, Zhaohui Yang, Encai Hao, William J. Gray
  • Publication number: 20240272334
    Abstract: An integral optical stack includes a lens film having first and second major surfaces. The first major surface includes microlenses having an average peak-to-valley height PV1. A light absorbing layer is disposed on the lens film and defines a plurality of openings. A substantially planarizing optically diffusive layer is disposed on the first major surface of the lens film, conforming to the microlenses. The optically diffusive layer includes a plurality of nanoparticles. A polymeric material bonds the nanoparticles to each other to form a plurality of nanoparticle aggregates defining a plurality of voids therebetween. The optically diffusive layer has an average thickness greater than about 8 microns, and an index of refraction of less than about 1.25. Any non-planarity of a major surface of the optically diffusive layer due to the microlenses of the first major surface has an average peak-to-valley height PV2, PV2?0.7 PV1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, Zhaohui Yang, Joseph P. Attard, Martin E. Denker
  • Patent number: 12049062
    Abstract: A glass laminate (100) including first and second glass layers (102,104), a reflective film (110) having opposed first and second major surfaces and disposed between the first and second glass layers (102,104) with the first and second major surfaces facing the respective first and second glass layers (102,104), a first adhesive layer (117) disposed between and bonding together the first glass layer (102) and the reflective film (110), and a second adhesive layer (119) disposed between and bonding together the second glass layer (104) and the reflective film (110) is described. The second adhesive layer (119) is thicker than the first adhesive layer (117) such that the first major surface of the reflective film (110) is separated from an outermost major surface of the first glass layer (102) by distance d1, the second major surface of the reflective film (110) is separated from an outermost major surface of the second glass layer (104) by a distance d2, and 0.05<d1/d2<0.9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: John F. Vanderlofske, III, Eileen M. Franey, Stephan J. Pankratz, Matthew B. Johnson, Brianna N. Wheeler, Adam D. Haag, Kristy A. Gillette, Jonah Shaver
  • Patent number: 11921373
    Abstract: A backlight includes an extended light source adapted to emit light. A reflective polarizer is disposed on the extended light source, such that for substantially normally incident light and for at least a first wavelength in a range from about 420 nanometer (nm) to about 650 nm, the reflective polarizer reflects at least 60% of the incident light having a first polarization state and transmits at least 60% of the incident light having an orthogonal second polarization state. A first prismatic film is disposed between the extended light source and the reflective polarizer. A retarder layer is disposed between the reflective polarizer and the first prismatic film, such that for substantially normally incident light at a wavelength of about 550 nm, the retarder layer has a retardance nW, where n is an integer ?1 and W is a wavelength between about 160 nm and about 300 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, Michelle L Toy, William Blake Kolb, Jonah Shaver, Jason S. Petaja
  • Publication number: 20240012179
    Abstract: An optical lens includes a lens substrate including a cyclic olefin copolymer, an optical film including a plurality of alternating first and second polymeric layers, and a bonding film disposed on, and bonding the optical film to, a major surface of the lens substrate. The bonding film causes an average peel force to separate the optical film from the lens substrate to be greater than about 100 g/in while maintaining for at least one outermost major surface of the optical film, a mean displacement surface roughness Sa of less than about 10 nm and a slope magnitude error of less than about 100 ?rad, and/or lower and higher spatial frequency slope magnitude errors each less than about 100 ?rad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Adam D. Haag, Kristy A. Gillette, John D. Le, David J.W. Aastuen
  • Publication number: 20230365840
    Abstract: High temperature and high humidity stable optically clear adhesives include a curable (meth)acrylate copolymer having a weight average molecular weight in a range of 100,000 to 400,000 Da, an optional photoinitiator, and a co-curable additive mixture. The additive mixture has at least one epoxy (meth)acrylate oligomer, at least one amine-functional (meth)acrylate, and at least one urethane (meth)acrylate oligomer. The cured adhesive composition has a shear storage modulus (G?) greater than 90 kiloPascals (kPa) when measured at 70° C. and at a frequency of 1 radian/second, and a Tan Delta of 0.2 or less at 70° C., where Tan Delta is the calculated ratio (G?/G?) of the measured shear storage modulus (G?) and shear loss modulus (G?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Encai Hao, Kristy A. Gillette
  • Publication number: 20230368569
    Abstract: An integral optical construction includes a lens layer including a structured first major surface having a plurality of microlenses. An optically opaque mask layer is disposed on the lens layer and defines a plurality of openings. Each of the openings extends from a first major surface of the mask layer facing the lens layer to an opposite second major surface of the mask layer. The openings are in a one-to-one correspondence with the microlenses. Regions of the mask layer between the openings have an optical density of greater than about 2 for at least a first visible wavelength in a visible wavelength range. An optical adhesive layer is disposed on, and makes physical contact with, the second major surface of the mask layer. The optical adhesive layer defines a recess at each of the openings. The recess includes a closed bottom and an opposite open top open to the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, Zhaohui Yang, Encai Hao, William J. Gray
  • Publication number: 20230280512
    Abstract: An optical construction includes a lens layer having a structured first major surface including a plurality of microlenses; an optical filter disposed on the lens layer; an optically opaque mask layer disposed between the lens layer and the optical filter and defining a plurality of openings therein; and a low index layer disposed on the optical filter. For a first wavelength in a visible wavelength range, a second wavelength that can be in an infrared wavelength range, the optical filter has: an optical transmission of greater than about 50% for the first wavelength for each of a first incident angle of less than about 10 degrees and a second incident angle of greater than about 30 degrees, and for the second wavelength, an optical transmission of less than about 15% for the first incident angle and of greater than about 30% for the second incident angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Joseph P. Attard, Kristy A. Gillette, Tri D. Pham, Zhaohui Yang
  • Publication number: 20230066094
    Abstract: A backlight includes an extended light source adapted to emit light. A reflective polarizer is disposed on the extended light source, such that for substantially normally incident light and for at least a first wavelength in a range from about 420 nanometer (nm) to about 650 nm, the reflective polarizer reflects at least 60% of the incident light having a first polarization state and transmits at least 60% of the incident light having an orthogonal second polarization state. A first prismatic film is disposed between the extended light source and the reflective polarizer. A retarder layer is disposed between the reflective polarizer and the first prismatic film, such that for substantially normally incident light at a wavelength of about 550 nm, the retarder layer has a retardance nW, where n is an integer ?1 and W is a wavelength between about 160 nm and about 300 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, Michelle L. Toy, William Blake Kolb, Jonah Shaver, Jason S. Petaja
  • Patent number: 11573361
    Abstract: Rolls of film are described. In particular, rolls of film including a multilayer birefringent reflective polarizer and a polyvinyl alcohol layer are described. Such films exhibit low variation in pass axis across a full crossweb width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, Carl A. Stover, Matthew B. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11536886
    Abstract: Rolls of film are described. In particular, rolls of film including multilayer birefringent polarizers having low pass axis variation are described. The multilayer birefringent polarizers have low pass axis variation across a full crossweb width of the roll of film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, Matthew B. Johnson, Carl A. Stover
  • Patent number: 11520092
    Abstract: Optical stacks are described. In particular, optical stacks including reflecting-absorbing polarizers and quarter-wave plates are disclosed. The optical core of the optical stack—which includes a reflecting-absorbing polarizer with at least one skin layer including polarizing dye—may be co-extruded or co-stretched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Matthew B. Johnson, Adam D. Haag, Seong Taek Lee, Brianna N. Nieson, Kristy A. Gillette, Michelle L. Toy
  • Publication number: 20220187521
    Abstract: An optical stack includes an optical film (200) and an optical adhesive (500) disposed on the optical film. The optical adhesive has a major structured surface facing away from the optical film that includes a plurality of channels formed therein. The channels define a plurality of substantially flat land regions therebetween. The land regions include at least about 50% of a total surface area of the major structured surface. When the optical stack is placed on a support surface with the major structured surface of the optical adhesive contacting the support surface, the optical stack bonds to the support surface and may be removed from, or slidingly repositioned on, the support surface without damage to the optical adhesive or the support surface, and upon application of at least one of heat and pressure, the optical stack substantially permanently bonds to the support surface and the plurality of channels substantially disappear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Michelle L. Toy, Kristy A. Gillette, Matthew B. Johnson, Eileen M. Franey, Carley A. Haroldson, Joseph P. Attard, Guy M. Kallman, William Blake Kolb
  • Publication number: 20220050287
    Abstract: A glass laminate (100) including first and second glass layers (102,104), a reflective film (110) having opposed first and second major surfaces and disposed between the first and second glass layers (102,104) with the first and second major surfaces facing the respective first and second glass layers (102,104), a first adhesive layer (117) disposed between and bonding together the first glass layer (102) and the reflective film (110), and a second adhesive layer (119) disposed between and bonding together the second glass layer (104) and the reflective film (110) is described. The second adhesive layer (119) is thicker than the first adhesive layer (117) such that the first major surface of the reflective film (110) is separated from an outermost major surface of the first glass layer (102) by distance d1, the second major surface of the reflective film (110) is separated from an outermost major surface of the second glass layer (104) by a distance d2, and 0.05<d1/d2<0.9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: John F. VANDERLOFSKE, III, Eileen M. FRANEY, Stephan J. PANKRATZ, Matthew B. JOHNSON, Brianna N. WHEELER, Adam D. HAAG, Kristy A. GILLETTE, Jonah SHAVER
  • Patent number: 11231536
    Abstract: A polarizer including an oriented polymeric first layer is described. The oriented polymeric first layer is preparable from a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and crosslinker where the crosslinker is included in the mixture at 5 to 40 percent by weight based on the total weight of the polyvinyl alcohol and crosslinker. The oriented polymeric first layer is a substantially uniaxially drawn layer, in that for U=(1/MDDR?1)/(TDDR1/2?1), U is at least 0.85, with MDDR being a machine direction draw ratio and TDDR being a transverse direction draw ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Kristy A. Gillette, James E. Lockridge, Brianna N. Nieson, Joan M. Noyola, Jason S. Petaja, Matthew B. Johnson, Jeffrey W. Hagen