Patents by Inventor Patrick G. Zimmerman

Patrick G. Zimmerman 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).

  • Patent number: 4950537
    Abstract: The invention relates to a foamlike pressure-sensitive adhesive tape comprising a flexible carrier supporting one or more pressure-sensitive adhesive layers, at least one layer of the pressure-sensitive adhesive having pigment-coated microbubbles dispersed therein having an average diameter from 5 to 200 micrometers, wherein the coat comprises pigment particle aggregates having an average pigment aggregate size being from about 0.5 microns to about 5 microns.The invention further relates to pigment-coated microbubbles, and to a method for making coated microbubbles involving rolling the pigment and the microbubbles in a cylindrical container with two or more mixing rods having lengths at least about equal to the interior diameter of the container, and a combined surface area at least about 5% of the interior surface area of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: George F. Vesley, Patrick G. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 4895738
    Abstract: A pressure-sensitive adhesive tape comprising a plurality of superimposed layers, at least one outer layer being a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, contiguous layer defining an interface therebetween, each of said layers comprising a photopolymerized matrix of polymeric chains; said polymeric chains extending from the matrix of one of said layers through said interface into the matrix of a contiguous layer; said polymeric chains comprising polymerized monomers having migrated from the matrix of each contiguous layer prior to polymerization, whereby said layers cannot be delaminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1990
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Patrick G. Zimmerman, Gordon G. Johnson, Susan L. Korpela, Caroline L. Vernon
  • Patent number: 4818610
    Abstract: A pressure-sensitive adhesive tape comprising a plurality of superimposed layers, at least one outer layer being a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, contiguous layers defining an interface therebetween, each of the layers comprising a photopolymerized matrix of polymeric chains; the polymeric chains extending from the matrix of one of the layers through the interface into the matrix of a contiguous layer; the polymeric chains comprising polymerized monomers having migrated from the matrix of each contiguous layer prior to polymerization, whereby the layers cannot be delaminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Patrick G. Zimmerman, Gordon G. Johnson, Susan L. Korpela, Caroline L. Vernon
  • Patent number: 4749590
    Abstract: By incorporating hydrophobic silica into acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, the shear strength at elevated temperatures is significantly improved, and adhesion and physical properties are maintained or improved. The hydrophobic silica preferably has a surface area from 50 to 400 m.sup.2 /g. A preferred acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive layer comprises a copolymer of (a) at least one alkyl acrylate having an average of 4-12 carbon atoms in its alkyl group and (b) from 3 to 20% by weight of copolymerizable monomer having a polar group such as acrylic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Jurgen Klingen, Patrick G. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 4710536
    Abstract: By incorporating hydrophobic silica into acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, the shear strength at elevated temperatures is significantly improved, and adhesion and physical properties are maintained or improved. The hydrophobic silica preferably has a surface area from 50 to 400 m.sup.2 /g. A preferred acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive layer comprises a copolymer of (a) at least one alkyl acrylate having an average of 4-12 carbon atoms in its alkyl group and (b) from 3 to 20% by weight of copolymerizable monomer having a polar group such as acrylic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Jurgen Klingen, Patrick G. Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 4618525
    Abstract: The invention concerns glass microbubbles having an inorganic thin-film coating not exceeding about 10 nm in thickness, especially a coating of a metal, a metalloid, or an alloy thereof. When dispersed throughout a matrix such as a polymer, the coated glass microbubbles can afford surprisingly good hiding power while also imparting esthetically pleasing colors to otherwise transparent articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1986
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Craig S. Chamberlain, George F. Vesley, Patrick G. Zimmerman, Jerome W. McAllister
  • Patent number: 4612242
    Abstract: The invention primarily concerns a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, the adhesive layer of which is filled with glass microbubbles and has a dark appearance by virtue of the microbubbles having a thin-film coating having an average thickness from 0.05 to 30 nm. A preferred thin-film coating is silver which can be applied by sputtering or by vapor deposition, preferably to an average thickness of between 1 and 10 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1986
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: George F. Vesley, Patrick G. Zimmerman, Craig S. Chamberlain, Jerome W. McAllister