Method of making a coated abrasive

Abstract

An abrasive article includes an array of protruding abrasive units. Each unit has a base and a distal apex that is off-center from the base when projected on to a plane that is coplanar with the base. The abrasive article includes a backing bonded to an abrasive coating formed to include the aforementioned abrasive units. Methods for making the abrasive article include nipping a production tool, an abrasive slurry, and the backing. A binder within the slurry is cured during fabrication. The abrasive article may be used to abrade a workpiece.

1 . An abrasive array of a plurality of protruding units, each unit having a body composed of at least abrasive grains and a binder, each body having a base and a region most distal from the base, the abrasive array comprising: 
 a plurality of protruding units distributed in two dimensions, 
 wherein each protruding unit has a base that has a periphery,  
 wherein, for each unit, its respective distal region, when projected on to a plane that is coplanar with its respective base, falls within the periphery of the base, and defines an offset vector between the projection of the distal region and a center point of the base; and  
 wherein the offset vectors for the plurality of protruding units do not exhibit a sum that approaches a limit of zero.  
   
     
     
         2 . The abrasive array of  claim 1 , wherein each distal region is linear.  
     
     
         3 . The abrasive array of  claim 2 , wherein each distal region is rectilinear.  
     
     
         4 . The abrasive array of  claim 2 , wherein each linear region is curvilinear.  
     
     
         5 . The abrasive array of  claim 1 , wherein each base is a parallelogram.  
     
     
         6 . The abrasive array of  claim 5 , wherein none of the sides of the parallelogram is parallel to an edge of an article upon which the abrasive array is disposed.  
     
     
         7 . The abrasive array of  claim 1 , wherein for each unit, its respective distal region, when projected on to a plane that is coplanar with its respective base, falls within the periphery of the base.  
     
     
         8 . The abrasive array of  claim 1 , wherein consecutive bases do not abut.  
     
     
         9 . An abrasive article comprising: 
 a backing having a front and back surface; and    an abrasive coating bonded to the front surface of the backing, 
 wherein the abrasive coating includes a plurality of protruding units distributed in two dimensions,  
 wherein each protruding unit has a base that has a periphery,  
 wherein, for each unit, its respective distal region, when projected on to a plane that is coplanar with its respective base, falls within the periphery of the base, and defines an offset vector between the projection of the distal region and a center point of the base; and  
 wherein the offset vectors for the plurality of protruding units do not exhibit a sum that approaches a limit of zero.  
   
     
     
         10 . The abrasive article of  claim 9 , wherein each distal region is linear.  
     
     
         11 . The abrasive article of  claim 10 , wherein each distal region is rectilinear.  
     
     
         12 . The abrasive article of  claim 10 , wherein each distal region is curvilinear.  
     
     
         13 . The abrasive article of  claim 9 , wherein each base is a parallelogram.  
     
     
         14 . The abrasive article of  claim 13 , wherein none of the sides of the parallelogram is parallel to an edge of an article upon which the abrasive array is disposed.  
     
     
         15 . The abrasive article of  claim 9 , wherein for each unit, its respective distal region, when projected on to a plane that is coplanar with its respective base, falls within the periphery of the base.  
     
     
         16 . The abrasive article of  claim 9 , wherein consecutive bases do not abut.