Invention Publication
- Patent Title: ARTICLES INCLUDING A MICROSTRUCTURED CURVED SURFACE AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME
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Application No.: US18293452Application Date: 2022-09-13
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Publication No.: US20240343550A1Publication Date: 2024-10-17
- Inventor: Ta-Hua Yu , Olester Benson , Timothy J. Hebrink , Jodi L. Connell , Bruce R. Broyles , Ming-Lai Lai , Raymond P. Johnston
- Applicant: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
- Applicant Address: US MN St. Paul
- Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
- Current Assignee: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
- Current Assignee Address: US MN St. Paul
- International Application: PCT/IB2022/058618 2022.09.13
- Date entered country: 2024-01-30
- Main IPC: B81B1/00
- IPC: B81B1/00 ; A61C7/08 ; A63B71/08 ; B29C51/02 ; B29C59/02 ; B29L31/00

Abstract:
The present disclosure provides a microstructured article (830, 930) including a thermoplastic polymer shaped to have a curve. At least a portion of the curve includes a microstructured surface (1010B, 10, 1110A, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 810, 840, 910, 940) of utilitarian discontinuities and the microstructured surface (101B, 10, 1110A, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 810, 840, 910, 940) includes peak structures and adjacent valleys (810, 910). The peak structures and the curve are formed of a single piece of the thermoplastic polymer. A method of making the microstructured articles is also provided including a) obtaining a tool (820, 920) shaped to include at least one of a protrusion or a concavity; b) disposing a microstructured film (800A, 800C, 900) on at least a portion of the tool (820, 920) including the protrusion and/or the concavity; and c) thermoforming a single piece of thermoplastic polymer onto the tool (820, 920) to form a microstructured article (830, 930) shaped to include a curve. The curve is an inverse of the protrusion or the concavity of the tool (820, 920).
Information query