US6231939B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Acrylate composite barrier coating
Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Co
•
Filing: 1996-08-30
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Granted: 2001-05-15
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Expires: 2016-08-30
Abstract
Abstract A thermoplastic container or packaging material is given low oxygen permeability by coating with a cross-linked acrylate layer and a layer of oxygen barrier material deposited over the acrylate layer. Another acrylate layer may be deposited over the oxygen barrier. The oxygen barrier is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and metal. The acrylate layer may be formed from a photopolymerizable polyfunctional acrylate that is sufficiently low viscosity to be sprayed on the substrate or applied by dipping. Alternatively, the acrylate layer is a polymerization product of an acrylate monomer which is evaporated in a vacuum, condensed on the substrate and polymerized by irradiation by ultraviolet or an electron beam. The surface of the thermoplastic substrate is prepared for deposition of the acrylate by either flame treating the surface of the substrate to heat it above its melting point without deforming the substrate to thereby smooth the surface, or by plasma treating the surface for enhancing adhesion of the acrylate. Chilling the substrate enhances deposition efficiency.
Inventors
- 👤 David G. Shaw
- 👤 Eric Dawson
- 👤 Daniel Cline
- 👤 Marc Langlois
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 15:35
CPC Classifications
B; B05; B05D; B05D1/00; B05D1/60; H; H01; H01G; H01G4/00; H01G4/002; H01G4/018; H01G4/06; H01G4/14; H01G4/18; H01G2/00; H01G2/12; B05D3/00; B05D3/14; B05D3/141; B05D3/142; B05D3/144; B65; B65D; B65D1/00; B65D1/02; B65D1/0207; B65D1/0215; C; C08; C08J; C08J7/00; C08J7/04; H01G4/20; H01G4/206; H01G4/32; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/1334; Y10T428/1338; Y10T428/1352; Y10T428/1355; Y10T428/1359; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24942; Y10T428/2495; Y10T428/24967; Y10T428/24975; Y10T428/26; Y10T428/263; Y10T428/264; Y10T428/265; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31652; Y10T428/31667; Y10T428/31678; Y10T428/31692; Y10T428/31699; Y10T428/31725; Y10T428/31739; Y10T428/31743; Y10T428/3175; Y10T428/31786; Y10T428/31797; Y10T428/31855; Y10T428/31909; Y10T428/31928; Y10T428/31935
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
99 words
A barrier sheet comprising: a thermoplastic substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate, the acrylate layer being a polymerization product of a blend of acrylate monomers comprising at least one monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 400 and another acrylate having a molecular weight of more than 600; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
99 words
A barrier sheet comprising: a thermoplastic substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate, the acrylate layer being a polymerization product of a blend of acrylate monomers comprising at least one monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 400 and another acrylate having a molecular weight of more than 600; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A barrier as recited in claim 1 wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester and nylon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A barrier as recited in claim 1 wherein the gas barrier material is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and metal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A barrier as recited in claim 1 wherein each crosslinked acrylate layer has a thickness of more than one half micrometer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
88 words
A container comprising: a closable hollow container molded from a thermoplastic selected from the class consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester and nylon; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on the outside of the container, the outside surface of the container being sufficiently smooth that the acrylate layer is continuous; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier layer which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
88 words
A container comprising: a closable hollow container molded from a thermoplastic selected from the class consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester and nylon; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on the outside of the container, the outside surface of the container being sufficiently smooth that the acrylate layer is continuous; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier layer which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A container as recited in claim 5 wherein the gas barrier material is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide and aluminum oxide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A container as recited in claim 5 wherein the second crosslinked acrylate layer is a polymerization product of acrylate monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 600.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
A container as recited in claim 3 wherein at least one of the crosslinked acrylate layers is a polymerization product of a blend of acrylate monomers comprising at least one monomer having a molecular weight in the range of from 150 to 400 and an acrylate having a molecular weight of more than 600.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The container as recited in claim 5 wherein the gas barrier material is at least one of metal oxide, metal, and inorganic material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
The container of claim 5 further comprising: a second substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the second acrylate layer; and a third vapor deposited acrylate layer over the second layer of gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the second layer of gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
A gas barrier sheet comprising: a thermoplastic sheet substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited on one face of the sheet substrate; and an evaporated acrylate layer deposited over the gas barrier layer and crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacts any solid surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A gas barrier sheet comprising: a thermoplastic sheet substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited on one face of the sheet substrate; and an evaporated acrylate layer deposited over the gas barrier layer and crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacts any solid surface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
58 words
A barrier sheet comprising: a thermoplastic substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
58 words
A barrier sheet comprising: a thermoplastic substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A barrier as recited in claim 12 wherein the gas barrier material is at least one of metal oxide, metal, and inorganic material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
54 words
The barrier sheet of claim 12 further comprising: a second substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the second acrylate layer; and a third vapor deposited acrylate layer over the second layer of gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the second layer of gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
66 words
A barrier sheet comprising: a thermoplastic substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the acrylate layer, wherein the gas barrier material layer is transparent; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
66 words
A barrier sheet comprising: a thermoplastic substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the acrylate layer, wherein the gas barrier material layer is transparent; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
68 words
A barrier sheet made in a continuous in-line process comprising: a thermoplastic substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited in the in-line process over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
68 words
A barrier sheet made in a continuous in-line process comprising: a thermoplastic substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited in the in-line process over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
A barrier as recited in claim 16 wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester and nylon.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
A barrier as recited in claim 16 wherein the gas barrier material is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and metal.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
A barrier as recited in claim 16 wherein each crosslinked acrylate layer has a thickness of more than one half micrometer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
A barrier as recited in claim 16 wherein the gas barrier material is at least one of metal oxide, metal, and inorganic material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
54 words
The barrier sheet of claim 16 further comprising: a second substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the second acrylate layer; and a third vapor deposited acrylate layer over the second layer of gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the second layer of gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
71 words
A barrier sheet made in a moving web process comprising: a thermoplastic moving web substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited in the moving web process over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
71 words
A barrier sheet made in a moving web process comprising: a thermoplastic moving web substrate; a first vapor deposited, crosslinked acrylate layer on one face of the substrate; a substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited in the moving web process over the acrylate layer; and a second vapor deposited acrylate layer over the gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
A barrier as recited in claim 22 wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester and nylon.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
25 words
A barrier as recited in claim 22 wherein the gas barrier material is selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, aluminum oxide and metal.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
21 words
A barrier as recited in claim 22 wherein each crosslinked acrylate layer has a thickness of more than one half micrometer.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
A barrier as recited in claim 22 wherein the gas barrier material is at least one of metal oxide, metal, and inorganic material.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
54 words
The barrier sheet of claim 22 further comprising: a second substantially continuous layer of gas barrier material vacuum deposited over the second acrylate layer; and a third vapor deposited acrylate layer over the second layer of gas barrier material which was crosslinked before the second layer of gas barrier material contacted any solid surface.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-05-14 | 2004-11-13 | 2005-05-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-05-14 | 2008-11-13 | 2009-05-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-05-14 | 2012-11-13 | 2013-05-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |