Patents by Inventor Robert Hammond-Smith

Robert Hammond-Smith 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: 20130029169
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing multicoloured coatings on substrates, whereby a first and a second coating composition are subsequently coated onto a substrate by partially overlapping each other in a wet-on-wet state, the first and the second coating containing a polymerisable nematic liquid crystal material, followed by polymerisation of the resulting coating, to a multicoloured coating produced by said method as well as to products comprising said multicoloured coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: MERCK PATENT GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, Philip Edward May
  • Patent number: 7495740
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing a birefringent marking by printing a polymerisable liquid crystal material onto at least one side of a substrate and polymerising the liquid crystal material, to a birefringent marking obtained by this method, and to the use of the birefringent marking for decorative, security, authentification and identification applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, John Patrick, Rodney Riddle, Matthias Kuntz, Michael Ukelis, Peter Schmitt, Siegfried Schmitzer
  • Publication number: 20080261130
    Abstract: The invention relates to a laser-induced process that employs a transfer element comprising a liquid crystal material for a thermal transfer onto a receiving surface. The process is suitable for generating markings with various appearance or optical effects on a surface of choice. The transfer element comprises a light-to-heat conversion layer and a transfer layer The transfer layer comprises a liquid crystal material, especially a liquid crystal polymer film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, Sylke Klein, Philip Edward May
  • Patent number: 7344762
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of a printable polymerisable liquid crystal material as printable system for the preparation of polymers and pigments, to printable polymerisable liquid crystal materials and pigments and polymers prepared thereof, and to the use of the printable materials, pigments and polymers in optical, electrooptical, semiconductor and electronic applications and as birefringent and optically variable markings for decorative, security, authentification or identification applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, John Patrick, Rodney Riddle
  • Patent number: 7297292
    Abstract: The invention relates to liquid crystal flakes, to methods of their preparation and to their use as pigments for security or decorative applications or optical elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Merck Patent Gesellschaft Mit Beschrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, Rodney Riddle, John Patrick
  • Publication number: 20070224341
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method in which a chiral liquid-crystal layer is brought into contact with an extraction medium (extractant) by coating or printing methods in such a way that diffusion of substances out of the liquid-crystal layer into the extractant occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Inventors: Matthias Kuntz, Robert Hammond-Smith, Rodney Riddle, John Patrick, Michael Ukelis, Siegfried Schmitzer, Peter Schmitt
  • Publication number: 20070065600
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a barrier coating composition comprising a liquid crystalline polymer, which is characterized in that the liquid crystalline polymer is formed in that a polymerizable liquid crystalline mixture comprising one or more polymerizable mesogenic compounds is first applied onto a substrate and polymerized afterwards, a method of its preparation, its use as well as to devices, preferably displays, food and medical packagings each having at least one barrier coating layer comprising a barrier coating composition of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Inventor: Robert Hammond-Smith
  • Publication number: 20070059519
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a barrier coating composition which is characterized in that it comprises a polymeric material and at least one inorganic flake material, its use as well as to a device, preferably a display, comprising a barrier coating layer, which is characterized in that the barrier coating layer comprises a barrier coating composition of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2004
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Applicant: MERCK PATENT GMBH
    Inventors: Iain McCulloch, Udo Heider, David Sparrowe, Robert Hammond-Smith
  • Patent number: 7083834
    Abstract: An anisotropic polymer film with improved alignments prepared by coating onto a substrate with a structured surface. The polymer films thereby obtained are useful in optical and electrooptical devices for decorative and security applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Kuntz, John Patrick, Guy Gregory, Tony Bleasdale, Rodney Riddle, Robert Hammond-Smith, Peter Howarth, Allan Marshall
  • Patent number: 7081282
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optically variable marking comprising a semiopaque substrate with a first surface that is covered with an optically variable layer that is for example a liquid crystal polymer layer or a layer comprising pearlescent pigments, and a second surface that is partially covered with a metal layer in the shape of a pattern, to methods of its preparation and to its use for decorative or security applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Kuntz, Reiner Delp, Rodney Riddle, John Patrick, Robert Hammond-Smith
  • Publication number: 20060154077
    Abstract: The invention relates to polymerizable liquid crystal or mesogenic formulations, to polarizers obtained from this formulation, and to their use in optical devices and security markings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, Rodney Riddle, Matthias Kuntz, Matthew Francis
  • Patent number: 7041233
    Abstract: A method for generating a 3-dimensional effect involves providing at least one first image layer of a chiral liquid crystal material, and at least one second image layer of a chiral liquid crystal material, wherein one of the first and second image layers reflects right-handed circularly polarised light and the other reflects left-handed circularly polarised light, is suitable creating a 3-dimensional image that can be used for decorative and security applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Kuntz, Rodney Riddle, John Patrick, Robert Hammond-Smith
  • Patent number: 7033653
    Abstract: The invention relates to a birefringent marking comprising a liquid crystal material. The invention further relates to method of providing such a birefringent marking and to the use of the birefringent marking for decorative or security applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Kuntz, Robert Hammond-Smith, Rodney Riddle, John Patrick, Donald Graham
  • Publication number: 20060023157
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preparing a birefringent marking by printing a polymerisable liquid crystal material onto at least one side of a substrate and polymerising the liquid crystal material, to a birefringent marking obtained by this method, and to the use of the birefringent marking for decorative, security, authentification and identification applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, John Patrick, Rodney Riddle, Matthias Kuntz, Michael Ukelis, Peter Schmitt, Siegfried Schmitzer
  • Publication number: 20050249889
    Abstract: The invention relates to liquid crystal flakes, to methods of their preparation and to their use as pigments for security or decorative applications or optical elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, Rodney Riddle, John Patrick
  • Patent number: 6953611
    Abstract: An anisotropic polymer film comprising a polymeriZed chiral liquid crystal material with helically twisted structure and having areas with different helical twist sense is useful for decorative or security applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, John Patrick, Alison Linda May
  • Patent number: 6924861
    Abstract: A birefringent film comprising at least one birefringent layer of liquid crystal material forming multi domains with a splayed structure may be coated onto a reflective substrate, e.g., with an aluminium surface. The birefringent film is particularly suited for decorative, security, authentification or identification applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Merck Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, John Patrick, Donald Gordon Graham
  • Publication number: 20050118355
    Abstract: An anisotropic polymer film with improved alignments prepared by coating onto a substrate with a structured surface. The polymer films thereby obtained are useful in optical and electrooptical devices for decorative and security applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Publication date: June 2, 2005
    Inventors: Matthias Kuntz, John Patrick, Guy Gregory, Tony Bleasdale, Rodney Riddle, Robert Hammond-Smith, Peter Howarth, Allan Hawkhurst
  • Publication number: 20040155221
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of a printable polymerisable liquid crystal material as printable system for the preparation of polymers and pigments, to printable polymerisable liquid crystal materials and pigments and polymers prepared thereof, and to the use of the printable materials, pigments and polymers in optical, electrooptical, semiconductor and electronic applications and as birefringent and optically variable markings for decorative, security, authentification or identification applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Robert Hammond-Smith, John Patrick, Rodney Riddle
  • Publication number: 20040124398
    Abstract: The invention relates to a birefringent marking comprising a liquid crystal material. The invention further relates to method of providing such a birefringent marking and to the use of the birefringent marking for decorative or security applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2003
    Publication date: July 1, 2004
    Inventors: Matthias Kuntz, Robert Hammond-Smith, Rodney Riddle, John Patrick, Donald Graham