Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080232135 | Light guide - A light guide includes an extractor layer and a substrate layer. Each layer has a first major surface and a second major surface. The second major surface of the extractor layer is in contact with the first major surface of the substrate layer, and the first major surface of the extractor layer has a plurality of discrete light extractors capable of extracting light propagating in the light guide such that light is extracted in a predetermined pattern over the first major surface of the extractor layer. In some embodiments, at least one of the extractor layer or substrate layer is flexible. | 09-25-2008 |
20090038450 | FLY-CUTTING HEAD, SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND TOOLING AND SHEETING PRODUCED THEREWITH - A fly-cutting system is disclosed, and in particular one that comprises a dynamically-controllable actuator for controlling the position, orientation, or both position and orientation of a cutting element carried by a fly-cutting head. In certain embodiments, the actuator can adjust the position or orientation of a cutting element, or both, hundreds or thousands of times per second, enabling precise control over the shape of features formed by the cutting element in a surface of a workpiece. | 02-12-2009 |
20090041553 | FLY-CUTTING SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND RELATED TOOLING AND ARTICLES - Methods of fly-cutting a workpiece are disclosed, and in methods in which the position of a fly-cutting head or its associated cutting element is known as a function of time. Also disclosed are methods of forming features, such as grooves or groove segments, in a workpiece such as a cylindrical roll. The features may be provided according to one or more disclosed patterns. Articles made using tools machined in the manner described are also provided, such as polymeric film or sheeting that exhibit certain beneficial properties. | 02-12-2009 |
20090147361 | MICROREPLICATED FILMS HAVING DIFFRACTIVE FEATURES ON MACRO-SCALE FEATURES - An optical film having a substrate and microreplicated features on a major surface of the substrate. The features include microreplicated macro-scale features and one or more microreplicated diffractive features on the macro-scale features. The films can be made from work pieces machined with tool tips having diffractive features. The tool tip forms both the macro-scale features and diffractive features while machining the work piece. A coating process can then be used to make the optical films from the machined work piece. | 06-11-2009 |
20090284836 | LIGHT CONTROL FILM WITH OFF-AXIS VISIBLE INDICIA - In one aspect, the invention provides a light control film having an indicium visible at a range of viewing angles. The light control film comprises a light input surface and a light output surface opposite the light input surface. The control film further comprises alternating transmissive and absorptive regions disposed between the light input surface and the light output surface. Each absorptive region has a height and a length, wherein the heights of the absorptive regions corresponding to the indicium are different that the heights of the absorptive regions that surround the absorptive regions corresponding to indicium. | 11-19-2009 |
20100128351 | CURVED SIDED CONE STRUCTURES FOR CONTROLLING GAIN AND VIEWING ANGLE IN AN OPTICAL FILM - A method of making an optical film includes the steps of making a substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first surface and forming a plurality of curved sided cone structures on the first surface. Each of the curved sided cone structures include a base located on the first surface, a vertex, and a curved side formed from an arc extending between the base and the vertex. The optical gain and viewing angle for the film can be controlled by adjusting angles representing a shape of each curved sided cone structure at its vertex and base. | 05-27-2010 |
20100186570 | METHOD FOR MAKING AN OPTICAL FILM HAVING A VARIABLE PRISMATIC STRUCTURED SURFACE - A method for machining a workpiece can be used to make prismatic structures in the workpiece. The method involves machining the surface of the workpiece using an FTS actuator to make continuous features in the surface and machining the surface of the workpiece using flycutting to make discontinuous features in the surface through the continuous features. The discontinuous features are machined at a non-parallel angle to the continuous features. The machined workpiece can then be used to make films having particular optical or mechanical properties. | 07-29-2010 |
20100187277 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INDICATING THE POSITION OF A WEB - Methods and systems for indicating the displacement of a flexible web are described. An elongated, flexible web includes an integral scale having scale features configured to modulate energy directed towards the web. A transport mechanism provides relative movement between the web relative to a transducer. The transducer detects energy modulated by the scale features and generates a signal indicting a continuous web displacement based on the modulated energy. | 07-29-2010 |
20100188668 | TOTAL INTERNAL REFLECTION DISPLACEMENT SCALE - Methods and systems for determining the displacement of a substrate using a scale comprising TIR scale features are described. A scale that includes a number of total internal reflection (TIR) prisms as scale elements is disposed on the substrate. Light directed towards the scale is modulated by the TIR prisms. A signal indicating a displacement of the substrate is generated based on the modulated light. The signal | 07-29-2010 |
20100188751 | OPTICAL FILMS WITH INTERNALLY CONFORMABLE LAYERS AND METHOD OF MAKING THE FILMS - A co-extrusion method for making a replicated film. The method includes the steps of providing at least three materials and co-extruding them between a nip roll and a structured roll. The materials include a backside layer material, a core layer material, and a replicated layer material. The structured roll has a surface structure that is replicated onto the replicated layer, and the core layer is an internally conformable layer that conforms with the replicated layer. | 07-29-2010 |
20100196607 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FABRICATING DISPLACEMENT SCALES - Methods and systems for forming a displacement scale comprising TIR prisms on a substrate are described. A system for forming the displacement scale includes one or more rollers having a pattern of total internal reflection (TIR) prism features in negative relief. As the rollers are rotated, the scale is formed on the substrate. The rollers may also include pattern features in negative relief. Rotation of the rollers simultaneously forms the displacement scale and the pattern features on the substrate. The TIR prism features of the displacement scale may be oriented to provide measurement of one or more of lateral displacement, longitudinal displacement and angular displacement. | 08-05-2010 |
20100218650 | FLY-CUTTING SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND RELATED TOOLING AND ARTICLES - Methods of fly-cutting a workpiece are disclosed, and in methods in which the position of a fly-cutting head or its associated cutting element is known as a function of time. Also disclosed are methods of forming features, such as grooves or groove segments, in a workpiece such as a cylindrical roll. The features may be provided according to one or more disclosed patterns. Articles made using tools machined in the manner described are also provided, such as polymeric film or sheeting that exhibit certain beneficial properties. | 09-02-2010 |
20100227121 | FLY-CUTTING SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND RELATED TOOLING AND ARTICLES - Methods of fly-cutting a workpiece are disclosed, and in methods in which the position of a fly-cutting head or its associated cutting element is known as a function of time. Also disclosed are methods of forming features, such as grooves or groove segments, in a workpiece such as a cylindrical roll. The features may be provided according to one or more disclosed patterns. Articles made using tools machined in the manner described are also provided, such as polymeric film or sheeting that exhibit certain beneficial properties. | 09-09-2010 |
20100227123 | FLY-CUTTING SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND RELATED TOOLING ARTICLES - Methods of fly-cutting a workpiece are disclosed, and in methods in which the position of a fly-cutting head or its associated cutting element is known as a function of time. Also disclosed are methods of forming features, such as grooves or groove segments, in a workpiece such as a cylindrical roll. The features may be provided according to one or more disclosed patterns. Articles made using tools machined in the manner described are also provided, such as polymeric film or sheeting that exhibit certain beneficial properties. | 09-09-2010 |
20100227750 | FLY-CUTTING SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND RELATED TOOLING AND ARTICLES - Methods of fly-cutting a workpiece are disclosed, and in methods in which the position of a fly-cutting head or its associated cutting element is known as a function of time. Also disclosed are methods of forming features, such as grooves or groove segments, in a workpiece such as a cylindrical roll. The features may be provided according to one or more disclosed patterns. Articles made using tools machined in the manner described are also provided, such as polymeric film or sheeting that exhibit certain beneficial properties. | 09-09-2010 |
20100227751 | FLY-CUTTING SYSTEM AND METHOD, AND RELATED TOOLING AND ARTICLES - Methods of fly-cutting a workpiece are disclosed, and in methods in which the position of a fly-cutting head or its associated cutting element is known as a function of time. Also disclosed are methods of forming features, such as grooves or groove segments, in a workpiece such as a cylindrical roll. The features may be provided according to one or more disclosed patterns. Articles made using tools machined in the manner described are also provided, such as polymeric film or sheeting that exhibit certain beneficial properties. | 09-09-2010 |
20100277802 | MICROREPLICATED FILMS HAVING DIFFRACTIVE FEATURES ON MACRO-SCALE FEATURES - An optical film having a substrate and microreplicated features on a major surface of the substrate. The features include microreplicated macro-scale features and one or more microreplicated diffractive features on the macro-scale features. The films can be made from work pieces machined with tool tips having diffractive features. The tool tip forms both the macro-scale features and diffractive features while machining the work piece. A coating process can then be used to make the optical films from the machined work piece. | 11-04-2010 |
20100285398 | TAMPER INDICATING ARTICLE - Tamper indicating articles that include a surface-feature image-generating layer and an adhesive layer are described. The surface-feature image-generating layer generates a visible, surface-feature-generated image upon exposure to light. The intensity of the surface-feature-generated image is reduced when taped-over. Single-image and dual-image tamper indicating articles are also described, including buried dual-image and adjacent dual-image tamper indicating articles. | 11-11-2010 |
20110032623 | OPTICAL FILM - Optical films having anti-Moiré and anti-wetout features are described, along with systems and methods for making these optical films. A master used to make optical films is formed using a single axis actuator cutting along a trajectory that is out of plane with the surface of the master. Movement of the cutting tool along the trajectory cuts grooves having variable depth and variable pitch into the surface. Prisms formed from the master have variable depth, variable height prisms that provide anti-wetout and anti-Moiré features. | 02-10-2011 |
20110181971 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FABRICATING OPTICAL FILMS HAVING SUPERIMPOSED FEATURES - An approach for making a master tool used to fabricate optical films involves cutting a series of base structures. Modifying features are superimposed with the base structures, producing abruptly discontinuous variations in the shape of the base structures. Diffraction elements may be formed in one or both of the base structures and the modifying features. The modifying features can be formed by moving the cutting tool in the x-direction, in the z-direction, or along a trajectory having both an x component and a z component. | 07-28-2011 |
20110199697 | LIGHT DIRECTING FILM AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A light directing film includes a structured major surface with a plurality of microstructures extending along a first direction. Each microstructure has a first region and a second region different from the first region, a substantially constant height in the first region and a non-constant maximum height in the second region greater than the substantially constant height in the first region, and a same lateral cross sectional shape in the first region and the second region. | 08-18-2011 |
20120058310 | METHODS FOR MAKING MICROREPLICATION TOOLS - A method for cutting a pattern in a work piece ( | 03-08-2012 |
20130301150 | OPTICAL FILM - Optical films having anti-Moiré and anti-wetout features are described, along with systems and methods for making these optical films. A master used to make optical films is formed using a single axis actuator cutting along a trajectory that is out of plane with the surface of the master. Movement of the cutting tool along the trajectory cuts grooves having variable depth and variable pitch into the surface. Prisms formed from the master have variable depth, variable height prisms that provide anti-wetout and anti-Moiré features. | 11-14-2013 |