Famous Patents
3M employee and church chorister Art Fry needed something to temporarily mark pages in his hymnal. He was in luck because his colleague, Spencer Silver, accidentally developed a glue that was too weak for other purposes. After initially discouraging consumer response, Post-it Notes became a hit in 1979.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5363294 | Surface light source device A surface light source device includes a light guiding plate which is transparent, a line light source provided on one end edge of the light guiding plate, an end edge reflection layer provided on the other end edge of the light guiding plate, and a light... | 11/08/1994 |
| 5357405 | Backlighting device for liquid crystal devices A backlighting device for producing a uniform luminance throughout a screen for use in LCD devices includes a semicylindrical concave surface on a light-transmitting top face of a light-guiding plate, lamps installed near two opposed edges of the light-gu... | 10/18/1994 |
| 5341231 | Liquid crystal display device with edge lit lightguide reflecting light to back reflector by total internal reflection A reflective type liquid crystal display device excelling in uniformity and capable of making a bright display is presented. At the front side of the liquid crystal display element, that is, at the observer side, a light guide plate is disposed, and a pai... | 08/23/1994 |
| 5289351 | Backlighting device A backlighting device for display panels operating on the edge lighting method that comprises a light conducting plate made of a light-transmissive material, a layer of light-diffusing material that partly covers one major surface of the light conducting ... | 02/22/1994 |
| 5255162 | Lighting device for a grille of a car stereo A grille of a car stereo has a recess, an operation flap pivotally mounted in the recess, an opening for inserting a sound recording medium formed at a position behind the flap, and a liquid crystal display panel provided in the flap. The lighting device ... | 10/19/1993 |
| 5249104 | Optical display device An optical display device such as an emblem mounted on an automotive vehicle is disclosed which is simple in structure and displays a display pattern in a silver metallic color by daylight. The interior of the device is kept invisible in the daytime, wher... | 09/28/1993 |
| 5228773 | Wide angle light diffusing lens A light diffusing lens for location in and extending across a downwardly facing light emitting opening of a light fixture of the type having a recessed light source. The lens comprises a lip such as a horizontally disposed peripherally extending lip suppo... | 07/20/1993 |
| 5226105 | Fiber optic backlighting panel and dot process for making same An improved fiber optic backlighting panel provides increased background illumination relative to the amount of light transmitted therethrough, in devices such as rubber keypads, membrane switches, liquid crystal displays, rigid panels or the like. The fi... | 07/06/1993 |
| 5197792 | Illuminator device for a display panel A device for providing large area uniform illumination of display panels comprises a light transmitting member including a light receiver for receiving light from a light source and reflecting that light within the light transmitting member in at least a ... | 03/30/1993 |
| 5184888 | Illuminating portion of vanity mirror An illuminating portion of a vanity mirror device disposed in a recessed portion in a body of the vanity mirror device and at one side of a mirror. A light conducting plate formed of a transparent material is fitted in the recessed portion and the front s... | 02/09/1993 |
| 5136479 | Device and method for creating an areal light source A device and method to convert light from a point source into an areal source of displayed light. The reflective faces of dielectric mirrors enclose a point source of light. The mirrors repeatedly reflect the light from the point source inside the enclosu... | 08/04/1992 |
| 5130897 | Light guide for a telephone dial An improved light guide for use in illuminating a telephone dial includes apertures through which individual buttons of a telephone dial extend. These buttons are used for dialing and are illuminated by one or more light sources that are positioned within... | 07/14/1992 |
| 5124890 | Display board illuminated by refracted light This display board consists of the transparent acrylic plastic plates in which surface desired letters or pictures are grooved, and a panel made by fitting together a number of the bricks of transparent acrylic plastic. The light receiving edges of the pl... | 06/23/1992 |
| 5115380 | Task light panel A task light panel for use with a light source for illuminating a work surface. The panel comprises an upper surface having a plurality of transverse grooves formed thereon and a lower surface having a plurality of longitudinal grooves formed thereon. The... | 05/19/1992 |
| 5113322 | Transit vehicle lighting fixture An elongated cornice lighting fixture in a public transit vehicle coupled with an advertising display panel is mounted above the windows on each side of the vehicle. Light from incandescent bulbs in each fixture is controlled by sheets of reflective optic... | 05/12/1992 |
| 5089944 | Planar light-source device and illumination apparatus using the same A box-type planar light-source device has incorporated therein a linear light source and is provided with a reflecting surface and a multi-prism sheet. The reflecting surface has such function that a major portion of a light reflected by the reflecting su... | 02/18/1992 |
| 5057984 | Light weight lighting panel A prismatic lighting panel of very low weight (less than four ounces per square foot), high strength, and good optical characteristics includes a grid of depending thin ribs on one inch centers, and a web of microprisms between the ribs.... | 10/15/1991 |
| 5040104 | Task light panel A task light panel for use with a light source for illuminating a work surface. The panel comprises an upper surface having a plurality of transverse grooves formed thereon and a lower surface having a plurality of longitudinal grooves formed thereon. The... | 08/13/1991 |
| 5003448 | Light-weight lenticular lighting panel A lighting panel has a planar upper face and a lower face having a system of aspherical female lenticules arranged in an overlapping offset pattern to form a network of diamond-shaped domed cells. The panel provides adequate light control and may be made ... | 03/26/1991 |
| 4994941 | Sign of character and figure A sign of character and figure which, in addition to using the AC power supply, is particularly suitable for use with a solar energy means, comprising a solar cell for supplying the electrical energy converted from the solar energy; a battery means for re... | 02/19/1991 |
| 4972308 | Innovated lamp fitting set without welding A lamp set which is assembled without welding comprises a lamp seat for receiving a lamp bulb and a lower fixing frame connected to the lamp seat. An upper frame, a second lower frame and a cover frame are also included with all frames having a plurality ... | 11/20/1990 |
| 4969075 | Low-glare light A low-glare light having a light source behind a transparent sheet of dielectric material. The transparent sheet has a prismatic surface on one side containing a plurality of elongated prisms and a plano surface on the opposite side. The transparent sheet... | 11/06/1990 |
| 4961617 | Fibre optic waveguide illuminating elements A fibre optic element is disclosed capable of a wide range of uses, including illumination, lighted fixed or variable signs, and decorative applications. The element is formed in one piece of transparent material and has one or more generally planar areas... | 10/09/1990 |
| 4918577 | Illumination light transmitting device An illumination light transmitting device comprising a rectangular illumination light transmitting body and a light source disposed outside an illumination range of the body or at an end portion of the body. The body has an illuminating portion formed wit... | 04/17/1990 |
| 4890201 | Light transmitting plate member A light transmitting plate member for illuminated signals, illuminated tas or similar illuminated flat items and intended for uniform diffusion of light from a light source positioned at a side edge of the light transmitter which has a flat side and an o... | 12/26/1989 |
| 4885663 | Fiber optic light emitting panel and method of making same A light emitting panel and method of making same including an emitter surface having one or more layers of woven fiber optic material with disruptions or bends as discrete locations along the length of the fibers to allow light to be emitted therefrom and... | 12/05/1989 |
| 4709308 | Lighting device for an elevator A lighting device for an elevator car including light sources for emitting light toward the interior of the elevator car and a spectral resolution filter spaced apart and facing the light sources for spectrally resolving the light emitted from the light s... | 11/24/1987 |
| 4703405 | Glare reducing lens A refractive lens member for use with a luminaire is constructed to minimize high angle glare. The grid comprises a plurality of lenses which are interconnected by a rib structure to form a pattern of lenses in a network grid, with the lenses all lying su... | 10/27/1987 |
| 4644454 | Lensed indirect luminaire having improved light distribution control An elongated indirect luminaire is provided with two separate lens elements in the form of a primary trough-shaped lens cover supported over the luminaire's light source and at least one secondary lens strip supported laterally of the primary lens cover. ... | 02/17/1987 |
| 4620268 | Low-profile modular lightbar assembly A warning light assembly suitable for vehicle roof mounting is built around an I-beam structural member and includes lens elements which engage and are readily positionable on the beam so as to span the flanges at both sides thereof. The light assembly ma... | 10/28/1986 |
| 4545001 | Sealed lens member for use in a motor vehicle lighting system A lens member for use in a motor vehicle and adapted for being mounted in a recess within a front, contoured surface of the motor vehicle. The system especially designed for using the invention includes a plurality of separate lighting modules, each in tu... | 10/01/1985 |
| 4542449 | Lighting panel with opposed 45° corrugations The lighting panel has a first face for receiving light from a source and a second face. The panel includes a first and a second sheet of transparent dielectric material. Each sheet has a smooth surface on one side and is corrugated on the other side. The... | 09/17/1985 |
| 4536833 | Lighting fixture utilizing a multi-layered hologram as a lens element A lighting fixture utilizing a spatially fixed light source and a multi-layered hologram as a lens element. The hologram receives light from the source and directs it to a task area. The layers of the lens element are responsive to light of one or more wa... | 08/20/1985 |
| 4519017 | Light emitting optical fiber assemblies and method for forming the same The light emitting optical fiber assemblies include light emitting panels that employ a nonwoven geometric grid of light emitting optical fibers which can be arranged to permit air to pass through the panel or to define apertures providing access through ... | 05/21/1985 |
| 4511954 | Visor with auxiliary light An auxiliary visor light includes a visor body coupled to a vehicle and including a light housing coupled to the visor body and movable between a stored position substantially flush with the visor body and a use position projecting from the visor body and... | 04/16/1985 |
| 4510555 | Ornamental lighting device An ornamental lighting device includes a plurality of optical fibers to which condensed light from a light source is distributed through a fiber optic cable. The optical fibers are arranged parallel to each other and held between a pair of light transmitt... | 04/09/1985 |
| 4479172 | Illuminated mirror assembly A mirror assembly comprising a shallow dish-like housing containing at least one pair of elongate conductors together defining an electrically-conductive seating for at least one electric lamp to be mounted therebetween within the housing, the conductors ... | 10/23/1984 |
| 4462687 | Apparatus for spectral analysis of a broad beam of radiation using a dispersive element interposed between two modulators The present spectrometer features two modulators 11, 11' disposed one on either side of a dispersive member 19 which produces wavelength dependent deflections of the various spectral components in the radiation. In other words the precise angle of... | 07/31/1984 |
| 4460940 | Apparatus for uniform illumination employing light diffuser A light diffusing device and an illumination apparatus employing the light diffusing device, the light diffusing device including a light transmission element and a light diffusing layer carried on and different in refractive index from the light transmis... | 07/17/1984 |
| 4459643 | Artificial light source arrangement An artificial light source arrangement includes a tubular light source whose horizontal light distribution curve takes on a substantial circle, a plurality of elongated linear lenses arranged parallel with the light source, and a plurality of photoconduct... | 07/10/1984 |
