Article with microstructured layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11312100-B2
Application number	US-201616066903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

Article comprising a first microstructured layer comprising a first material, and having first and second opposed major surfaces, the first major surface being a microstructured surface, and the microstructured surface having peaks and valleys, wherein the peaks are microstructural features each having a height defined by the distance between the peak of the respective microstructural feature and an adjacent valley; and a second layer comprising an adhesive material, and having a first and second opposed major surfaces, the adhesive material comprising a reaction product of a mixture comprising (meth)acrylate and epoxy in the presence of each other, wherein at least a portion of the second major surface of the second layer is directly attached to at least a portion of the first major microstructured surface of the first layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article comprising:
a first, microstructured layer comprising a first material, and having first and second opposed major surfaces, the first major surface being a microstructured surface, and the microstructured surface having peaks and valleys, wherein the peaks are regular, prismatic microstructural features of a totally internal reflecting film each having a height defined by the distance between the peak of the respective microstructural feature and an adjacent valley, and wherein the microstructured surface is an embedded microstructured surface, such that each of the peaks and valleys is coated by an embedding material having a refractive index different from the first material; and
a second layer comprising an adhesive material, and having a first and second opposed major surfaces, the adhesive material comprising a reaction product of a mixture comprising (meth)acrylate and epoxy in the presence of each other, wherein at least a portion of the second major surface of the second layer is directly attached to at least a portion of the first major, microstructured surface of the first layer, wherein a portion of each of the peaks of the embedded microstructured surface of the first, microstructured layer at least partially penetrates into the adhesive material of the second layer.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the penetration depth of the each penetrating peak is not greater than 25 percent of the respective height of the microstructural feature.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the (meth)acrylate is present in a range from 5 to 95 percent by weight and the epoxy is present in a range from 5 to 95 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the mixture.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the (meth)acrylate is at least one of a monofunctional, difunctional or polyfunctional (meth)acrylate.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the epoxy is at least one of monofunctional or difunctional epoxy.

6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the (meth)acrylate and the epoxy are present on the same molecule.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the mixture further comprising polyol functionalities.

8. The article of claim 1 , wherein the mixture is substantially free of monofunctional (meth)acrylates.

9. The article of claim 1 , wherein the (meth)acrylate and the epoxy do not react with each other.

10. A method of making the article of claim 1 , the method comprising:
providing a first layer comprising a mixture comprising (meth)acrylate and an epoxy in the presence of each other, and having a first and second opposed major surface;
at least partially reacting the (meth)acrylate;
laminating a first, microstructured layer having first and second opposed major surfaces such that the first major surface of the first, microstructured layer is attached to the second major surface of the first layer, wherein the first major surface of the first, microstructured layer is a microstructured surface having microstructural features, and wherein the first major surface of the first, microstructured layer is attached to the second major surface of the first layer; and
at least partially reacting the epoxy.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Solomon Jeffrey L
• Chakraborty Saswata
• Devoe Robert J
• Mahoney Wayne S
• Nelson Eric W
• Shenoy Kundapur Raveesh

Classifications

• B32B27/285

  comprising polyethers · CPC title

• B32B2307/732

  Dimensional properties · CPC title

• B32B2270/00

  Resin or rubber layer containing a blend of at least two different polymers · CPC title

• B32B37/144

  using layers with different mechanical or chemical conditions or properties, e.g. layers with different thermal shrinkage, layers under tension during bonding (constructional features for tensioning B32B38/1825) · CPC title

• B32B27/40

  comprising polyurethanes · CPC title