Abstract:
A method of machining a substrate to produce a cube corner element optical array (12). The method includes steps of directly machining a plurality of groove sets (14, 16, 20) into a directly machinable substrate to form an array having a plurality of geometric structures including cube corner elements (24, 26, 30), and machining at least two of the groove sets along the same path in the substrate but at different depths of groove to produce a geometric structure side surface having both an optical portion and a non-optical portion.
Abstract:
A cube corner article and method of manufacturing the article from a series of directly machinable unitary substrates (140). The method of manufacture comprises the first step of providing an initial unitary directly machinable substrate of material suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Then, a first cube corner element array zone (142) is formed having a plurality of geometric structures including cube corner elements. The zone is created by directly machining at least two sets of parallel grooves in the substrate. A replica of the cube corner element array zone is formed as an additional unitary substrate suitable for forming retroreflective surfaces. Portions of the replica substrate material are removed. The removal of these portions forms at least two intersecting cavities bounded by side walls in the replica at a depth at least that of the cube corner elements formed by the groove sets. Each cavity comprises at least one side wall which extends to a depth into the replica substantially equal to the deepest depth of any other intersecting cavity.
Abstract:
A retroreflective cube corner article which is a replica of a directly machined substrate in which a plurality of geometric structures including cube corner elements are machined in the substrate using only two sets of parallel grooves (205, 217). At least two of the grooves in at least one of the groove sets are at a different groove depth.
Abstract:
A retroreflective cube corner article (141) which is a replica of a directly machined substrate comprises a plurality of single cube corner elements which are machined in the substrate. Each cube corner element is bounded by at least one groove from each of three sets of parallel grooves (130, 106, 108) in the substrate so that the article comprises a plurality of different geometric structures.
Abstract:
A method is disclosed for manufacturing a cube corner article (191) comprising the steps of providing a machinable substrate material suitable for forming reflective surfaces, and creating a plurality of geometric structures including cube corner elements (198-203) in the substrate. The step of creating the cube corner elements (198-204) comprises directly machining at least three sets of parallel grooves (197, 196, 195) in the substrate so that only one side of at least one groove in at least one groove set forms cube corner elementoptical surfaces.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pressure-sensitive adhesive article capable of being tailored of its performance by independently varying microstructure and rheological properties of the adhesive. SOLUTION: The coated substrate comprises a substrate coated on at least one side with a continuous layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive, having microstructured surface, wherein the microstructured surface comprises a series of pyramidal shapes having 25-250 μm height and the pressure-sensitive adhesive is crosslinked. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI
Abstract:
A coated substrate is disclosed. The substrate is coated on at least one side with a continuous layer of a pressure-sensitive adhesive having a microstructured surface. The microstructured surface has a series of features, each of the features having a height 2.5 to 375 micrometers, a spacing aspect ratio of greater than 1 to 1.9, and a lateral aspect ratio of from 0.1 to 10. At least two dimensions of each feature selected from the group consisting of length, width, and depth or height, are microscopic.
Abstract:
A method is disclosed for manufacturing a plurality of laminae for use in a mold suitable for use in forming retroreflective cube corner articles. Each lamina has opposing first and second major surfaces defining therebetween a first reference plane. Each lamina further includes a working surface connecting the first and second major surfaces. The working surface defines a second reference plane substantially parallel to the working surface and perpendicular to the first reference plane and a third reference plane perpendicular to the first reference plane and the second reference plane. The method includes orienting a plurality of laminae to have their respective first reference planes parallel to each other and disposed at a first angle relative to a fixed reference axis. At least two groove sets are formed in the working surface. Each groove set includes at least two parallel adjacent V-shaped grooves in the working surface of the laminae. The at least two groove sets form first, second and third groove surfaces that intersect substantially orthogonally to form a plurality of cube corner elements. Each of the plurality of cube corner elements is preferably located on essentially one of the plurality of lamina. The plurality of laminae can be oriented at a second angle relative to the fixed reference axis prior to forming at least one of the groove sets. A mold according to the present invention and a retroreflective article made therefrom are also disclosed.