John C Strand

US Patent:

6985789, Jan 10, 2006

Filed:

Dec 22, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/743206

Inventors:

Daniel H. Carlson - Arden Hills MN, US
Thomas M. Clausen - Minneapolis MN, US
John T. Strand - Stillwater MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

G06F 19/00
B23Q 15/00
B23Q 16/00
B65H 26/00
B65H 43/08

US Classification:

700122, 226 24

Abstract:

Web tension in web material passing through a web transport system is determined in real time using position sensors coupled to driven rollers that define a beginning and an end of a tension zone. The position sensors on the rollers provide information related to the amount of strained web material that has been added and subtracted from the web material present in the tension zone. The amount of web material added to, subtracted from and present in the tension zone in a sample time period is then converted to an unstrained amount of web material that when combined provides an estimate for the present amount of unstrained web material present in the tension zone. Because the length of the tension zone is both fixed and known, the tension in the web material is determined from the present amount of unstrained web material in the tension zone.

US Patent:

7165959, Jan 23, 2007

Filed:

Sep 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/657859

Inventors:

Larry D. Humlicek - Ham Lake MN, US
Daniel H. Carlson - Arden Hills MN, US
James N. Dobbs - Woodbury MN, US
Samuel Hunter, legal representative - Mendota Heights MN, US
Thelma Hunter, legal representative - Mendota Heights MN, US
John T. Strand - Stillwater MN, US
Gregory F. King - Minneapolis MN, US
David W. Kuhns - Minneapolis MN, US
John S. Huizinga - Dellwood MN, US
William V. Dower - Austin TX, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

B28B 17/00

US Classification:

4251744, 425115, 425327, 425363, 425385, 425150, 264405, 264494, 264410, 264284

Abstract:

An apparatus for casting a patterned surface on both sides of a web. The apparatus includes a first patterned roll; a second pattered roll; and a means for rotating the first and second patterned rolls such that their patterns are transferred to opposite sides of the web while it is in continuous motion. During this process, their patterns are maintained in continuous registration to within at least 100 microns, and preferably at least 20 microns.

US Patent:

7224529, May 29, 2007

Filed:

Sep 9, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/658730

Inventors:

Vincent W. King - Woodbury MN, US
John S. Huizinga - Dellwood MN, US
William V. Dower - Austin TX, US
David W. Kuhns - Minneapolis MN, US
Gregory F. King - Minneapolis MN, US
John T. Strand - Stillwater MN, US
Samuel Hunter - Mendota Heights MN, US
Thelma Hunter - Mendota Heights MN, US
James N. Dobbs - Woodbury MN, US
Daniel H. Carlson - Arden Hills MN, US
Larry D. Humlicek - Ham Lake MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St-Paul MN

International Classification:

G02B 27/10

US Classification:

359619, 359625

Abstract:

A microreplicated article is disclosed. The article includes a web including first and second opposed surfaces. The first surface includes a first microreplicated structure having a plurality of first features. The second surface includes a second microreplicated structure having a plurality of second features. Corresponding opposed features cooperate to form a lens features.

US Patent:

7417798, Aug 26, 2008

Filed:

May 11, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/747462

Inventors:

Vincent W. King - Woodbury MN, US
John S. Huizinga - Dellwood MN, US
William V. Dower - Austin TX, US
David W. Kuhns - Minneapolis MN, US
Gregory F. King - Minneapolis MN, US
John T. Strand - Stillwater MN, US
Thelma Hunter, legal representative - Mendota Heights MN, US
Samuel Hunter, legal representative - Mendota Heights MN, US
James N. Dobbs - Woodbury MN, US
Daniel H. Carlson - Arden Hills MN, US
Larry D. Humlicek - Ham Lake MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

G02B 27/10

US Classification:

359619, 359618

Abstract:

A microreplicated article is disclosed. The article includes a web including first and second opposed surfaces. The first surface includes a first microreplicated structure having a plurality of first features. The second surface includes a second microreplicated structure having a plurality of second features. Corresponding opposed features cooperate to form a lens features.

US Patent:

7767273, Aug 3, 2010

Filed:

Mar 6, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/370136

Inventors:

John S. Huizinga - Dellwood MN, US
Vincent W. S. King - Woodbury MN, US
John T. Strand - Stillwater MN, US
James N. Dobbs - Woodbury MN, US
Thomas B. Hunter - Mendota Heights MN, US
William V. Dower - Austin TX, US
Daniel H. Carlson - Arden Hills MN, US
Serge Wetzels - Maplewood MN, US
Gregory F. King - Minneapolis MN, US
Olester Benson, Jr. - Woodbury MN, US
Brian W. Lueck - Houlton WI, US
Haiyan Zhang - Woodbury MN, US
Jeremy K. Larsen - New Richmond WI, US
M. Benton Free - St. Paul MN, US
David W. Kuhns - Minneapolis MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

B05D 5/06

US Classification:

427558, 427167, 427359, 118212, 359443, 359455, 359459, 359545, 359599, 359619, 430300, 430320, 264405, 264410, 264494

Abstract:

An apparatus for casting a patterned surface on both sides of an opaque web. The apparatus includes a first patterned roll, a second pattered roll, and a means for rotating the first and second patterned rolls such that their patterns are transferred to opposite sides of the opaque web while it is in continuous motion. During this process, their patterns are maintained in continuous registration to within at least 100 micrometers.

US Patent:

7830368, Nov 9, 2010

Filed:

May 31, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/755819

Inventors:

Charles A. Marttila - Shoreview MN, US
John T. Strand - Stillwater MN, US
Alan G. Hulme-Lowe - Woodbury MN, US
M. Benton Free - St. Paul MN, US
John S. Huizinga - White Bear Lake MN, US
James N. Dobbs - Woodbury MN, US
Serge Wetzels - Maplewood MN, US
Glen A. Jerry - Roseville MN, US
Jennifer R. Yi - Woodbury MN, US
William R. Dudley - Geneseo NY, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

G06F 3/42

US Classification:

345175, 345176

Abstract:

A keypad having a virtual floating image that appears to a user to be in a plane other than the apparent plane of the keypad surface. More particularly, the indicia on the keypad appear to float above or below the surface of the device. The keypad can be, for example, the keypad on a cell phone. For such an application there would be more than one array of indicia present on the keypad. For example, there might be ten arrays of indicia, which provide the numerals from 0 to 9 and two more arrays to provide virtual images of the * and # keys. In some embodiments, the keypad is integrated with an illumination source that light up the indicia. The present disclosure also provides a method of manufacturing a key pad with a virtual floating image.

US Patent:

7931841, Apr 26, 2011

Filed:

Mar 6, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/369372

Inventors:

John S. Huizinga - Dellwood MN, US
Vincent W. King - Woodbury MN, US
John T. Strand - Stillwater MN, US
James N. Dobbs - Woodbury MN, US
Thomas B. Hunter - Mendota Heights MN, US
Samuel W. Hunter - Mendota Heights MN, US
William V. Dower - Austin TX, US
Daniel H. Carlson - Arden Hills MN, US
Serge Wetzels - Newport MN, US
Gregory F. King - Minneapolis MN, US

Assignee:

3M Innovative Properties Company - St. Paul MN

International Classification:

B32B 3/30
B32B 27/06
G02B 5/00

US Classification:

2641731, 26417219, 264496, 359530

Abstract:

A microreplicated article is disclosed. The article includes an opaque web having first and second opposed surfaces. The first surface includes a first microreplicated structure having a plurality of first features. The second surface includes a second microreplicated structure having a plurality of second features. The first microreplicated structure and the second microreplicated structure retain registration within 100 micrometers.

US Patent:

20070141249, Jun 21, 2007

Filed:

Dec 21, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/614433

Inventors:

Larry Humlicek - Harn Lake MN, US
Daniel Carlson - Arden Hills MN, US
James Dobbs - Woodbury MN, US
Thomas Hunter - Mendota Heights MN, US
Samuel Hunter - Mendota Heights MN, US
Thelma Hunter - Mendota Heights MN, US
John Strand - Stillwater MN, US
Gregory King - Minneapolis MN, US
David Kuhns - Minneapolis MN, US
John Huizinga - Dellwood MN, US
William Dower - Austin TX, US

International Classification:

B05D 1/00
C08J 7/18

US Classification:

427211000, 427553000

Abstract:

An apparatus for casting a patterned surface on both sides of a web. The apparatus includes a first patterned roll; a second pattered roll; and a means for rotating the first and second patterned rolls such that their patterns are transferred to opposite sides of the web while it is in continuous motion. During this process, their patterns are maintained in continuous registration to within at least 100 microns, and preferably at least 20 microns.