Patents by Inventor Robert L. Elton

Robert L. Elton 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: 4145112
    Abstract: Low-profile raised retroreflective sheeting useful for retroreflecting light that strikes the sheeting at a high incidence angle comprises a base retroreflective layer and a light-directing layer disposed above the base retroreflective layer. The light-directing layer comprises a longitudinally-extending series of short transparent projections which each have upwardly extending front and back edge surfaces. The front edge surface is disposed across the path of high-incidence-angle light so as to transmit a high percentage of such light rays; and the back edge surface is disposed so as to reflect the light transmitted through the front edge surface to the retroreflective layer for retroreflection by the layer and to return light retroreflected by the retroreflection elements back through the front edge surface toward its source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1979
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Richard L. Crone, Robert L. Elton