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US4533592A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Thermally stable flame retardant reflective and retroreflective trim

Assignee: 3M Co
•
Filing: 1984-08-02
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Granted: 1985-08-06
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Expires: 2004-08-02
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Abstract

Abstract A new trim material is disclosed comprising a fire resistant fabric having a weight of at least about 85 g/m 2 and characterized by: (A) A fluorescent coating; (B) a flexible, drapable, stretchable, retroreflective sheeting covering a portion of the fluorescent coating of part (A); (C) the combined thickness of the fluorescent coating and any flammable part of the retroreflective sheeting being about 5 to 60% of the thickness of the fire resistant fabric. This trim material is useful for such articles such as firemen's coats in that it meets most of the same requirements for flame retardance as are applied to the outer shell material itself. Specifically, it retains its reflectivity in a laboratory oven test at 260° C. for five minutes and retains the color of the fluorescent portion at 204° C. in a laboratory oven for five minutes. The fabric properties of strength, fire retardancy, and resistance to heat are preserved in the composite trim material.

Inventors

  • 👤 Wallace K. Bingham

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 07:52
CPC Classifications
A; A41; A41D; A41D13/00; A62; A62B; A62B17/00; A62B17/003; A41D13/01; G; G08; G08B; G08B5/00; G08B5/004; D; D10; D10B; D10B2331/00; D10B2331/02; D10B2331/021; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/913; Y10S428/92; Y10S428/921; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24942; Y10T428/2495; Y10T428/25; Y10T428/252

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 98 words
A material suitable for incorporation into fabrics which will be exposed to high temperatures comprising a fire resistant fabric having a weight of at least 85 grams per square meter and characterized by: (A) a fluorescent coating on the fabric; (B) a flexible, drapable, stretchable, retroreflective sheeting covering a portion of the material and comprising a layer of transparent lens elements in optical connection with a reflecting means; (C) the combined thicknesses of the fluorescent coating and any flammable part of the retroreflective sheeting being about 5 to 60 percent of the thickness of the fire resistant fabric.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 98 words
A material suitable for incorporation into fabrics which will be exposed to high temperatures comprising a fire resistant fabric having a weight of at least 85 grams per square meter and characterized by: (A) a fluorescent coating on the fabric; (B) a flexible, drapable, stretchable, retroreflective sheeting covering a portion of the material and comprising a layer of transparent lens elements in optical connection with a reflecting means; (C) the combined thicknesses of the fluorescent coating and any flammable part of the retroreflective sheeting being about 5 to 60 percent of the thickness of the fire resistant fabric.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 40 words
The trim material of claim 1 wherein the fire resistant fabric is selected from the group consisting of cotton treated with a fire resistant chemical, modacrylic fabrics, glass fiber fabric, ceramic fiber fabric, aramid fabrics and blends of the foregoing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 18 words
The trim material of claim 1 wherein the fire resistant fabric is about 0.1 to 2.5 millimeters thick.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 51 words
The trim material of claim 1 wherein the reflecting means of the retroreflective sheeting is selected from the group consisting of a reflective metal coating on the lens elements, reflective metal particles dispersed in a matrix and located behind the lens elements and a dielectric reflector located behind the lens elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 48 words
The trim material of claim 4 wherein the transparent lens elements of the retroreflective sheeting are selected from the group consisting of cube corner lens elements and glass beads having a diameter between about 40 and 150 micrometers and an index of refraction of at least about 1.7.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 23 words
The trim material of claim 5 wherein the retroreflective sheeting is an exposed lens retroreflective sheeting utilizing glass beads as the lens element.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 35 words
The trim material of claim 5 wherein the retroreflective sheeting is enclosed lens sheeting utilizing glass beads as the lens elements and having a transparent spacing layer between the lens elements and the reflecting means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3172942A Cited
US3607798A Cited
US3549307A Cited
US3758192A Cited
US3684348A Cited
US3700305A Cited
US3992080A Cited
US4047965A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1988-08-05 1989-02-04 1989-08-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1992-08-05 1993-02-04 1993-08-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1996-08-05 1997-02-04 1997-08-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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