A retroreflector includes an arrangement of triples, each having three side surfaces, which are disposed in the manner of a cube corner and stand approximately perpendicular on one another. The retroreflector can be produced from a carrier material by injection molding. An optical silicone resin is used as the carrier material. The retroreflector is based on triple mirrors that are both easily unmolded from a die and easily applied to curved surfaces even after unmolding or are usable for reflection of ultraviolet light.

Provided are microcellular plastic articles having improved reflective properties. Also provided are methods of utilizing the disclosed articles.

Provided are microcellular plastic articles having improved reflective properties. Also provided are methods of utilizing the disclosed articles.

Methods for producing tooling and sheeting using laser writing techniques, and corresponding products thereof, are presented. In one embodiment, a seamless sheet having a plurality of microstructures formed in a continuous microstructured pattern is provided. In the methods described herein, a substrate having a photosensitive coating on a surface thereof is provided. A surface-relief microstructured pattern is produced in the photosensitive coating by selectively exposing the photosensitive coating to a beam of electromagnetic radiation. The exposed portions of the photosensitive coating are developed to form a microstructured pattern on the surface of the substrate. The microstructured pattern is then transferred into retroreflector tooling comprising the microstructured pattern on a surface thereof. A sheet containing the microstructured pattern on a surface thereof is then formed from the retroreflector tooling.

A method of forming a partial retroreflector tool includes forming a substrate comprising a retroreflective microstructure pattern on a surface thereof. The surface of the substrate is machined to remove at least a portion of the retroreflective microstructure pattern to form a partial retroreflective microstructure pattern on the surface of the substrate to generate the partial retroreflector tool. A method of fabricating a partially retroreflective sheeting utilizing the partial retroreflector tool is also disclosed.

A flexible sheet-form optical system, referenced to as a light redirecting fabric, which has a fabric-like behavior and light redirecting properties. The light redirecting fabric comprises a soft and flexible sheet of optically transmissive material, such as plasticized polyvinyl chloride. A surface of the flexible sheet includes a plurality of parallel slits having spaced-apart walls configured to reflect light by means of a total internal reflection. At least a portion of daylight incident onto the sheet is internally redirected at bend angles greater than the angle of incidence. Disclosed also are a method and apparatus for making the light redirecting fabric. The method includes steps of mechanical slitting of the flexible sheet with a blade, elastic stretch-elongation of the sheet along a direction perpendicular to the slits, and making at least a portion of the sheet elongation irreversible.

Various geometries are described for forming retroreflective structures in polymeric sheets or films. The geometries enable venting of volatile gases that can otherwise become trapped between the embossing surface and the polymeric sheet or film. The geometries are incorporated in tooling belts or other pattern forming surfaces.

A tool for making retroreflective articles comprises (a) a substrate comprising a patterned surface comprising an array of microstructured retroreflective elements and (b) a welding seam through at least a portion of the array. An optically degraded area adjacent the welding seam on the patterned surface has a width of about 400 m or less.

The present application relates generally to retroreflective sheeting and the tools and methods used to make retroreflective sheeting. Microreplication tools and sheeting include controlled surface structure or haze. The surface structure or haze can be introduced, for example, by chemical etching of the tool surface and/or electroplating.

A display system comprises a projector combined with a retro reflective screen and a viewer distance from the projector such that the observation angle is less than approximately 2-3 degrees. The brightness of the image on the screen for the proposed display system is increased by a factor of 100-500 as compared to traditional display systems with for an equivalent power/intensity light source.