Famous Patents
The ice cream cone was invented at the St. Louis Worlds Fair by Ernest Hamwi in 1904. His waffle booth was next to an ice cream vendor who ran short of dishes. Hamwi rolled a waffle to hold ice cream and the cone was born.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7349155 | Screen having a layer of reflectors A reflector comprises a core and a first dielectric mirror formed over at least a portion of the core to reflect light having a preselected wavelength. The reflector may comprise a plurality of dielectric mirrors formed concentrically over the first dielectric mirro... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7303292 | Hue variable retroreflective sheet The hue variable retroreflective sheet of the present invention includes: a surface layer (1) composed of at least one layer; and a plurality of retroreflective elements (3, 4, 5) that are positioned beneath the surface layer, wherein the retroreflecti... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7300695 | Alignable diffractive pigment flakes Diffractive pigment flakes are selectively aligned to form an image. In one embodiment, flakes having a magnetic layer are shaped to facilitate alignment in a magnetic field. In another embodiment, the flakes include a magnetically discontinuous layer. In a particul... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7258915 | Flake for covert security applications Covert flakes having one or more symbols and/or a selected shape are used in a composition, such as ink or paint, to provide a covert security feature to an object. In some embodiments the composition includes base pigment, and the covert flakes are covert pigment f... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7255909 | Security laminate In one aspect, the invention provides a security laminate comprising a retroreflective layer comprising a plurality of retroreflective microbeads partially embedded in and protruding from a beadbond layer and having image receptive material disposed around the protr... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7241489 | Opaque flake for covert security applications Opaque flakes, such as pigment or bright flake used in paints and inks, have a selected shape and/or other indicia to provide a covert security feature to an object. In some embodiments the composition includes base pigment, and the opaque covert flakes match the vi... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7224528 | Optically variable security devices A security article includes a light transmissive substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, with the first surface having an optical interference pattern such as a holographic image pattern or an optical diffraction pattern thereon. A color shi... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7140741 | Color shifting retroreflector and method of making same Color shifting retroreflective articles can provide features such as decorative effects, evidence of tampering, security authentication or positional information. In some embodiments, the color shifting retroreflective article includes a layer of microspheres, and a... | 11/28/2006 |
| 7095324 | Tamper evident smart label with RF transponder A tamper evident smart label with an RFID or RF transponder. Use of tamper evident label materials in the layered construction of the smart label prevents removal, transferal, replacement and or alteration of the smart label without noticeable evidence of tampering.... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7071913 | Retroreflective electrophoretic displays and materials for making the same Disclosed herein are novel electrophoretic displays and materials useful in fabricating such displays. In particular, novel encapsulated displays are disclosed. Particles encapsulated therein are dispersed within a suspending, or electrophoretic, fluid. This fluid m... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7006294 | Micro-optics for article identification The present invention provides methods and compositions for authentication of articles and counterfeit deterrence using non-holographic micro-optics and microstructures having a surface relief greater than a few microns. Embodiments of the present invention disclose... | 02/28/2006 |
| 6896757 | Rear projection screens and light filters with conformable coatings and methods of making the same This invention relates to light transmitting filters comprising: (a) a light absorbing layer of material having a front surface and a back surface, (b) transparent microspheres embedded in the light absorbing layer and contacting the front surface of the light absor... | 05/24/2005 |
| 6700707 | Optical sheet lamination In an optical sheet 10 having a prism surface 16 formed by providing unit prisms 14 on the upper surface of a transparent base material 12, a coating layer 18 is provided on the reverse surface of the transparent base material opposite to the prism surfac... | 03/02/2004 |
| 6560023 | Optical lamination sheet In an optical sheet 10 having a prism surface 16 formed by providing unit prisms 14 on the upper surface of a transparent base material 12, a coating layer 18 is provided on the reverse surface of the transparent base material opposite to the prism surfac... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6500526 | Retroreflective sheeting containing a validation image and methods of making the same This invention relates to retroreflective sheeting that has an image, such as a validation image. In one embodiment, the image is directional having varying appearance at different angles of view. The retroreflective sheeting comprises a layer of transparent m... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6451408 | Retroreflective article A retroreflective article that exhibits suitable retroreflective luminance under dry and dynamic wet conditions. The article includes an enclosed-lens retroreflective sheeting that, under dry conditions, exhibits a coefficient of retroreflective luminance... | 09/17/2002 |
| 6398369 | Surface covering intended to be used on marking coverings for roads, parking areas and the like Surface coverings for marking road surfaces are disclosed including elastic particles for application to the road surface, the elastic particles including a plurality of light reflectors such as glass beads or ceramic particles, which can also include var... | 06/04/2002 |
| 6344365 | Arc coating on mask quartz plate to avoid alignment error on stepper or scanner A new method and apparatus is provide whereby light diffusion within the light measurement toll has been eliminated. A layer of Anti Reflective Coating is deposited on the outside of the second surface of a quartz mask thereby preventing light that is ref... | 02/05/2002 |
| 6333817 | Optical lamination sheet In an optical sheet 10 having a prism surface 16 formed by providing unit prisms 14 on the upper surface of a transparent base material 12, a coating layer 18 is provided on the reverse surface of the transparent base material opposite to the prism surfac... | 12/25/2001 |
| 6168876 | Backlighted fluorescent/retroreflective safety device An improved, "fail-safe" safety device comprising, in combination, a backlighted fluorescent film and a retroreflective sheet.... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6147804 | Optical sheet lamination In an optical sheet 10 having a prism surface 16 formed by providing unit prisms 14 on the upper surface of a transparent base material 12, a coating layer 18 is provided on the reverse surface of the transparent base material opposite to the prism surfac... | 11/14/2000 |
| 6127020 | Method of making wet retroreflective marking material A method of making a retroreflective marking material is provided, the method has the steps of: (a) providing an enclosed-lens retroreflective sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface and comprising a cover layer and a monolayer of retroreflective ... | 10/03/2000 |
| 5710671 | Optical system An optical system with an optical unit consisting of a transmission unit with at least one transmission element for emitting optical radiation, a receiving unit with at least one receiving element for detecting optical radiation and an optical path for tr... | 01/20/1998 |
| 5620775 | Low refractive index glass microsphere coated article having a smooth surface and a method for preparing same This invention relates to glass microsphere (bead) coated articles having an upper surface comprising a layer of low refractive index transparent glass microspheres such as those made from recycled ordinary glass. The articles of the invention have an ext... | 04/15/1997 |
| 5614286 | Conformable cube corner retroreflective sheeting Conformable cube corner retroreflective sheetings comprising a plurality of discrete cube corner segments which are conformably bonded together, each cube corner segment comprising a plastic body portion having a substantially planar front major surface a... | 03/25/1997 |
| 5477219 | Composite electronic article surveillance, identification, and security marker assembly and system A composite marker providing electronic article surveillance (EAS), identification, and authentication. The marker preferably includes an EAS detection element which includes a low-coercive force, high-permeability ferromagnetic material, and an adjacent,... | 12/19/1995 |
| 5422162 | Pavement marking tape with support base comprising a highly saturated acrylonitrile elastomer grafted with a zinc salt of methyacrylic acid A conformable marking tape having improved mechanical properties comprises a support base and a top-coat layer, the support base comprising a highly saturated acrylonitrile elastomer grafted with a zinc salt of methacrylic acid. The top-coat layer prefera... | 06/06/1995 |
| 5236751 | Cone collars with temporary release coating and method for making and assembling same A relatively flexible retroreflective band for adhesive bonding about a support structure comprises a length of retroreflective sheeting formed into a continuous band with the outer portion of the band including retroreflective formations adapted to retro... | 08/17/1993 |
| 5171624 | Retroreflective microprismatic material and method of making same A microprism retroreflector material has a body portion with a planar front face and closely spaced microprisms extending thereacross in a plane spaced from and parallel to the front face. The microprisms are formed with three side surfaces disposed along... | 12/15/1992 |
| 4691993 | Transparent sheets containing directional images and method for forming the same A directional image is created in transparent sheeting comprising a monolayer of microlenses by forming deformations in at least some of the microlenses by irradiation with a laser beam which has a short pulse duration. The directional images may be forme... | 09/08/1987 |
| 4688894 | Transparent retroreflective sheets containing directional images and method for forming the same A directional image is created in substantially transparent retroreflective sheeting comprising a monolayer of microlenses and a partially light transmissive mirror disposed at the rear surfaces of at least some of said microlenses. The image is created b... | 08/25/1987 |
| 4650283 | Directionally imaged retroreflective sheeting Retroreflective sheeting of the prior art comprises a monolayer of transparent glass microspheres partially embedded in a binder layer and a specularly reflective layer covering the back surfaces of the microspheres. In the prior art, a laser beam directe... | 03/17/1987 |
| 4099838 | Reflective sheet material A new sheet material carries specially viewable reflective legends provided by a dielectric mirror. The mirror is patterned so that the reflectivity from the mirror carries a pattern of contrasting colors. In some embodiments the mirror is incorporated in... | 07/11/1978 |
| 4026634 | Directional light transmitting screen A light transmitting screen capable of directing and focusing light images falling thereon, comprising a plurality of lens systems, each having a particular optical axis, making up the screen elements and each of which transmits parallel light rays incide... | 05/31/1977 |
| 4012115 | Sawtooth shaped front screen A transparent front projection screen is disclosed having a plurality of ridges on the back thereof interrupted by flat portions and a plurality of curved sawtooth shaped ridges on the front thereof. The back ridges serve as a prism like element for refle... | 03/15/1977 |
