Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080274293 | Spiral Multilayer Fibers - A spiral wound fiber that includes birefringent interfaces is useful in different optical devices. One type of wound fiber includes at least first and second material layers. At least one of the layers is polymeric and at least one of the layers is birefringent. The spiral wound fiber may be used alone, or in an optical device. Such an optical device can include the fiber embedded within a matrix or attached to a substrate. The spiral wound fiber can be made by rolling a stack of at least two layers, by coextruding the two layers or by coating a rotating form. | 11-06-2008 |
20090127238 | SEAMLESS LASER ABLATED ROLL TOOLING - A system for generating a laser machined tool from a substantially cylindrical work piece. The system includes a laser producing a laser beam, a mask positioned within the laser beam for shaping the laser beam into an image, and an optical system for imaging the laser beam image onto the outer surface of the work piece. The system coordinates rotational and translation movements of the work piece with activation of the laser in order to use the laser image for ablating the outer surface of the work piece, creating microstructures within the surface of the work piece to form the cylindrical tool. | 05-21-2009 |
20090251776 | MULTILAYER POLARIZING FIBERS AND POLARIZERS USING SAME - A polarizing film is made of multilayer polarizing fibers embedded within a matrix. The fibers are formed with layers of at least a first and a second polymer material. Layers of the first polymer material are disposed between layers of the second polymer material. At least one of the first and second polymer materials is birefringent. In some embodiments the thickness of the layers of at least one of the materials varies across the fiber, and may include layers are selected as quarter-wavelength thickness for light having a wavelength of more than 700 nm. | 10-08-2009 |
20100027956 | MULTIPHOTON CURING TO PROVIDE ENCAPSULATED OPTICAL ELEMENTS - Methods of fabricating optical elements that are encapsulated in monolithic matrices. The present invention is based, at least in one aspect, upon the concept of using multiphoton, multi-step photocuring to fabricate encapsulated optical element(s) within a body of a photopolymerizable composition. Imagewise, multiphoton polymerization techniques are used to form the optical element. The body surrounding the optical element is also photohardened by blanket irradiation and/or thermal curing to help form an encapsulating structure. In addition, the composition also incorporates one or more other, non-diffusing binder components that may be thermosetting or thermoplastic. The end result is an encapsulated structure with good hardness, durability, dimensional stability, resilience, and toughness. | 02-04-2010 |
20100230835 | COMPOSITE POLYMER FIBERS - A composite polymer fiber comprises a polymer filler material and a plurality of polymer scattering fibers disposed within the filler material. At least one of the filler material and the scattering fibers is formed of a birefringent material. The refractive indices of the filler material and the scattering fibers can be substantially matched for light incident in a first polarization state on the composite polymer fiber and unmatched for light incident in an orthogonal polarization state. The scattering fibers may be arranged to form a photonic crystal within the composite fiber. The composite fibers may be extruded and may be formed into a yarn, a weave or the like. If the filler material is soluble, it may be washed out of the yarn or weave, and the scattering fibers may then be infiltrated with a resin that is subsequently cured. | 09-16-2010 |
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 |
20110084126 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ENHANCING READ ACCURACY IN AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READER SYSTEMS - The systems, methods, and apparatuses of the present disclosure generally describe the use of one or both of human-readable information and machine-readable information printed on, adhered to, or adjacent to an object (e.g., a license plate or sticker), where at least a portion of the machine-readable information performs or assists in performance of at least one of the following functions: (a) correlating to license plate information stored in a remote lookup table; and (b) duplicating information about the license plate. | 04-14-2011 |
20110096395 | COLOR SHIFTING MULTILAYER POLYMER FIBERS AND SECURITY ARTICLES CONTAINING COLOR SHIFTING MULTILAYER POLYMER FIBERS - Polymer fibers are formed with concentric alternating layers of different polymer materials. The layers pairs have cross-sectional thicknesses selected for reflecting light at a selected visible wavelength. A cross-sectional dimension of the core is at least ten times an average of the selected thicknesses of the alternating layers. Some articles formed by the fibers are formed by attaching one fiber to another: the color of the fibers at the point of attachment is different from the colors of the fibers elsewhere. The fibers may be deformed to change its color properties by elongating the cross-section of the polymer fiber along a first cross-sectional axis. In some embodiments, the fibers are polarization sensitive. | 04-28-2011 |
20110149554 | STRUCTURED COMPOSITE OPTICAL FILMS - Optical films having structured surfaces are used, inter alia, for managing the propagation of light within a display. As displays become larger, it becomes more important that the film be reinforced so as to maintain rigidity. An optical film of the invention has a first layer comprising inorganic fibers embedded within a polymer matrix. The first layer has a structured surface to provide an optical function to light passing therethrough. The film may have various beneficial optical properties, for example, light that propagates substantially perpendicularly through the first layer may be subject to no more than a certain level of haze or light incident on the film may be subject to a minimum value of brightness gain. Various methods of manufacturing the films are described. | 06-23-2011 |
20110151199 | NEEDLE COATING AND IN-LINE CURING OF A COATED WORKPIECE - A method for coating a work piece with resin including applying a controlled volume of liquid resin to the work piece with an applicator and allowing consecutive streams of resin to meld together to form a self leveling surface. The resin can be actively or passively cured. The work piece can be planar or cylindrical. | 06-23-2011 |
20110248004 | SEAMLESS LASER ABLATED ROLL TOOLING - A system for generating a laser machined tool from a substantially cylindrical work piece. The system includes a laser producing a laser beam, a mask positioned within the laser beam for shaping the laser beam into an image, and an optical system for imaging the laser beam image onto the outer surface of the work piece. The system coordinates rotational and translation movements of the work piece with activation of the laser in order to use the laser image for ablating the outer surface of the work piece, creating microstructures within the surface of the work piece to form the cylindrical tool. | 10-13-2011 |
20120122383 | DOATED ABRASIVE ARTICLE AND METHODS OF ABLATING COATED ABRASIVE ATRICLES - A coated abrasive article comprises an abrasive layer secured to a backing. The abrasive layer comprises abrasive particles secured by at least one binder to a first major surface of the backing. A supersize is disposed on at least a portion of the abrasive layer. The coated abrasive article has a melt flow zone adjacent to an edge of the coated abrasive article, wherein the melt flow zone has a maximum width of less than 100 micrometers, and the melt flow zone has a maximum height of less than 40 micrometers. Methods of using infrared lasers to ablate coated abrasive articles are also disclosed, wherein a laser wavelength is matched to a component of the coated abrasive article. | 05-17-2012 |
20120195470 | HIGH CONTRAST RETROREFLECTIVE SHEETING AND LICENSE PLATES - The present disclosure relates to the formation of high contrast, wavelength independent retroreflective sheeting made by including a light scattering material on at least a portion of the retroreflective sheeting. The light scattering material reduces the brightness of the retroreflective sheeting without substantially changing the appearance of the retroreflective sheeting when viewed under scattered light. | 08-02-2012 |
20130003354 | Light Directing Sign Substrate - A light directing substrate includes a back major surface and a front major surface opposing the back surface. The back major surface includes light reflection regions and light transmission regions. The front surface includes a plurality of lenticular lens elements. A graphic image disposed on or in the light directing substrate. | 01-03-2013 |
20130004967 | MICROWELL ARRAY ARTICLES AND METHODS OF USE - The disclosure provides microstructured articles and methods useful for detecting an analyte in a sample. The articles include microwell arrays. The articles can be used with an optical system component in methods to detect or characterize an analyte | 01-03-2013 |
20130033875 | ENERGY EFFICIENT SIGN - A light directing composite film includes a planar top major surface, a planar bottom major surface, a plurality of lenticular lens elements disposed between the top major surface and the bottom major surface, and a plurality of light reflection regions and light transmission regions disposed between the plurality of lenticular lens and the planar bottom major surface. | 02-07-2013 |
20130068367 | ADHESIVE-BACKED ARTICLES - Methods of preparing adhesive-backed articles and methods of applying adhesives backed articles are described. The adhesive-backed articles include a compliant film and a pressure-sensitive adhesive having a microstructured surface opposite the compliant film. | 03-21-2013 |
20130071622 | LAMINATES WITH STRUCTURED LAYERS - An article including at least one first layer with a first major surface and a second major surface, wherein at least one of the first and second major surfaces is a structured surface; and a cap layer in contact with a structured surface of the first layer. | 03-21-2013 |
20130243972 | NEEDLE COATING AND IN-LINE CURING OF A COATED WORKPIECE - A method for coating a work piece with resin including applying a controlled volume of liquid resin to the work piece with an applicator and allowing consecutive streams of resin to meld together to form a self leveling surface. The resin can be actively or passively cured. The work piece can be planar or cylindrical. | 09-19-2013 |
20130272580 | Methods and Systems for Enhancing Read Accuracy in an Automated License Plate Reader System - One embodiment of the apparatuses, methods, and systems of the present disclosure is a license plate, sticker, or ALPR system having enhanced or increased accuracy. At least one of the license plate, sticker, or ALPR system includes useful information that is transmitted over a first channel and checking information that is transmitted over a second channel. The second channel is devoted solely to transmitting the checking information (e.g., the second channel does not transmit useful information). In other words, the license plates, stickers, and ALPR systems of the present disclosure include at least one channel that is devoted solely to transmitting checking information. | 10-17-2013 |
20140340927 | LIGHTGUIDE AS LUMINAIRE - A lightguide functioning as a luminaire. The luminaire includes at least one solid state light source, such as an LED, and a lightguide configured to receive light from the solid state light source. Light from the light source is coupled into the lightguide and transported within it by total internal reflection until the light exits the lightguide. A shape of the lightguide causes and directs extraction of the light, and can also be used to create a particular pattern of the extracted light. Such shapes include linear wedges and twisted wedges. Optical films can be included on the light input and output surfaces of the lightguide. | 11-20-2014 |
20150060551 | RETROREFLECTIVE ARTICLES HAVING A MACHINE-READABLE CODE - Retroreflective articles comprise a substrate and a bar code provided on the substrate. The bar code comprises at least one human-readable information which provides framing information and a machine-readable information which provides variable information. The human-readable information is visible under a first condition and invisible under a second condition, and the machine-readable information is invisible under the first condition and visible under the second condition. | 03-05-2015 |
20150069916 | KINEMATIC LIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM - The present disclosure provides a system and method for controlling spot lights, such as theater or display lights, which incorporates a handheld remote control that uses intuitive motions for selecting, positioning, dimming and other lighting setup functions. The present disclosure describes a spotlight control device, a lighting system including the spotlight control device, and a method for spotlight control. The spotlight control device incorporates a first light source that emits a first control beam that activates a desired spotlight. The activated spotlight can provide feedback to indicate that it has been activated. A second light source from the control device emits a second control beam that is used to direct the activated spotlight to an illumination region. | 03-12-2015 |
20150070900 | CATADIOPTRIC SPOTLIGHT - The present disclosure describes a compact spotlight that can change the area which it illuminates. The spotlight incorporates a wide angle light source, a catadioptric lens, and a bearing system for moving the catadioptric lens, the light source, or both. Movement of the light source relative to the catadioptric lens along the optical axis can change the beam diameter of the spotlight, while providing an acceptable illumination pattern. | 03-12-2015 |