Bruce A Nerad

6467897, Oct 22, 2002

Jan 8, 2001

09/756303

Dong Wu - Woodbury MN
Brant U. Kolb - Afton MN
Kevin M. Eliason - Forest Lake MN
Kanta Kumar - Maplewood MN
Jennifer L. Lee - Eagan MN
Bruce A. Nerad - Oakdale MN
Jessica L. Voss - New Brighton MN
Caroline M. Ylitalo - Stillwater MN

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

B41J 201

347102

Compositions that incorporate relates to compositions that incorporate surface modified, nanometer sized, inorganic oxide particles into energy curable fluids. The surface modification aspect allows the compatibility between the particles and fluid to be controllably adjusted to achieve a wide range of rheological characteristics. For printing, preferred compositions have favorable dot gain and thickness build up. When the composition is cured, the presence of the particles also helps improve physical properties such as hardness, modulus, abrasion resistance, refractive index, and the like. The compositions are particularly well-suited for forming printed, radiation cured features on substrates such as paper, signs, walkways, roadways, motor vehicles, boats, aircraft, furniture, equipment, and the like.

6554414, Apr 29, 2003

Nov 15, 2001

10/001101

Caroline M. Ylitalo - Stillwater MN
Bruce A. Nerad - Oakdale MN
Richard L. Severance - Stillwater MN

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

B41J 201

347102

Inkjet printing apparatus includes a drum, a print head for directing radiation curable ink toward a substrate on the drum, and a curing device for directing radiation toward the ink that is received on the substrate. The curing device is selectively operable to direct radiation toward a certain portion of the ink received on the substrate only after that certain portion has moved with the substrate and the drum through an arc that is at least 360 degrees. In this manner, the ink on the substrate has sufficient time to spread and level and the resultant image is of high quality.

6569515, May 27, 2003

Jan 13, 1998

09/006456

Timothy J. Hebrink - Oakdale MN
Yaoqui Joe Liu - St. Paul MN
William W. Merrill - White Bear Lake MN
Bruce A. Nerad - Oakdale MN

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

B32B 702

428212, 428412, 428480, 428520, 4289033, 359494, 359580

A multilayered polymer film is formed with a stack of one or more first optical layers, one or more second optical layers, and one or more non-optical layers. These optical and non-optical layers are typically made using polymer materials, such as polyesters. In one embodiment, the non-optical layers are made from a polyester having a composition which corresponds to the average molar composition of the combination of all of the first and second optical layers. Using this formulation, scrap material from the manufacture of multilayered polymer films may be used to generate the non-optical layers in subsequent films. Alternatively, the non-optical layers of a multilayered polymer film are made using scrap material from prior-manufactured multilayered polymer films with the optional addition of other polymer material which may be either new or recycled.

6676869, Jan 13, 2004

Dec 21, 2001

10/028617

Brandon T. Berg - West Lakeland MN
Tony B. Hollobaugh - Mauldin SC
David D. Nguyen - Savage MN
Bruce H. Koehler - Maplewood MN
Bruce A. Nerad - Oakdale MN

3M Innovative Properties Company - Saint Paul MN

B29C 4324

264132, 264134, 264 39, 264167, 15624416

Described is a method of indirect printing on a thermoplastic film having texture, wherein said method comprises: a) providing a heated thermoplastic melt; b) providing a tool having a molding portion that comprises a texture having a surface and a plurality of cavities in said surface, and that comprises a material having a surface energy sufficient to release ink; c) applying ink to said texture; d) substantially drying or curing said ink; e) contacting said thermoplastic melt with said molding portion having ink applied to it; f) forming a texture in said thermoplastic melt, wherein said texture comprises a plurality of protrusions and an area between said protrusions, that is the inverse of the texture of said molding surface; g) transferring said ink from said molding portion to said thermoplastic melt; h) quenching said thermoplastic melt to form a thermoplastic film; and i) removing said thermoplastic film from said molding portion.

6830713, Dec 14, 2004

Mar 16, 2001

09/810743

Timothy J. Hebrink - Oakdale MN
Yaoqi J. Liu - Maplewood MN
William Ward Merrill - White Bear Lake MN
Bruce A. Nerad - Oakdale MN
John A. Wheatley - Lake Elmo MN

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

B29D 1100

264 16, 264 17, 26417312, 26417316

Methods and apparatuses are provided for the manufacture of coextruded polymeric multilayer optical films. The multilayer optical films have an ordered arrangement of layers of two or more materials having particular layer thicknesses and a prescribed layer thickness gradient throughout the multilayer optical stack. The methods and apparatuses described allow improved control over individual layer thicknesses, layer thickness gradients, indices of refraction, interlayer adhesion, and surface characteristics of the optical films. The methods and apparatuses described are useful for making interference polarizers, mirrors, and colored films that are optically effective over diverse portions of the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectra.

7140711, Nov 28, 2006

Jul 21, 2003

10/624012

Bruce A. Nerad - Oakdale MN, US
Robin E. Wright - Inver Grove Heights MN, US
Richard L. Severance - Stillwater MN, US
William J. Hunt - Afton MN, US
Caroline M. Ylitalo - Stillwater MN, US

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

B41J 29/393
B41J 2/01

347 19, 347102

Inkjet printing apparatus for use with radiation curable ink includes a sensor for sensing the amount of radiation emitted by a source of radiation. A controller is connected to the sensor and is operable to vary the amount of radiation emitted by the radiation source in accordance with a signal received from the sensor. A drive mechanism moves the source of radiation to a location laterally offset from the substrate where the sensor is positioned.

7341621, Mar 11, 2008

Mar 10, 2005

11/076885

Bruce A. Nerad - Oakdale MN, US
Richard L. Rosenberg - Woodbury MN, US

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

C09D 11/02

106 3127, 106 316

An ink set is disclosed that comprises a first ink composition containing a first colorant, and a second ink composition containing a second colorant, wherein the first colorant is different from the second colorant; wherein each ink composition, when printed at 100% fill on the same substrate, produces a color having a hue angle, h, and a lightness relative to that of the substrate, ΔL*, according to:=tan()Δwherein n=1 or 2 for the first and second ink compositions, respectively; hand hdiffer from each other by no more than 15; and ΔL*>ΔL*. An ink jet printing method that employs the ink set is also disclosed, as well as a printed image prepared with the ink set.

7369122, May 6, 2008

Dec 14, 2001

10/017268

Elisa M. Cross - Woodbury MN, US
Robert S. Moshrefzadeh - Oakdale MN, US
Jessica L. Voss-Kehl - Shoreview MN, US
Brant U. Kolb - Afton MN, US
Emily S. Goenner - Roseville MN, US
Brian E. Aufderheide - Cedarburg WI, US
Michael J. Robrecht - Shorewood WI, US
Bruce A. Nerad - Oakdale MN, US

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

G06F 3/041
G06F 3/045
H01L 29/04

345173, 178 1805, 257 59

The present invention provides touch panels and touch panel substrates that include spacer dots comprising a nanocomposite material. The present invention also provides methods of ink jet printing spacer dots for touch panel applications. The spacer dots and methods of making spacer dots can lead to spacers that have good durability, have controllable sizes, shapes, and spacings, and have desirable optical properties.