Patents Assigned to AFG Industries, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6679978
    Abstract: A photocatalytically-assisted self-cleaning (“PASC”) coating on a substrate enables the substrate to shed dirt simply by rinsing with water. A method of making a PASC coating includes depositing by chemical vapor deposition an alkali metal diffusion barrier layer on a substrate; sputtering an ultraviolet radiation activated layer on the alkali metal diffusion barrier layer at a temperature of 100° C. or less; and, without heating above 100° C., exposing the ultraviolet radiation activated layer to ultraviolet radiation to form the self-cleaning substrate. The sputter deposition of the ultraviolet radiation activated layer on the chemical vapor deposited alkali metal diffusion barrier layer allows the ultraviolet radiation activated layer to be activated upon exposure to UV radiation without first having been heated during and/or after deposition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: AFG Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Herb Johnson, Mark Ford
  • Patent number: 6665995
    Abstract: Two parallel glass panes are separated by a core spacer made of either EPDM rubber or another solid rubber material with a nonheating, centrally positioned, nonstretchable fiberglass cord being embedded therein and extending longitudinally therethrough so that the core spacer is not stretchable. The EPDM rubber formulation is chemically compatible with hot melt butyl which is used as an adhesive between the solid rubber and the glass panes. The fiberglass cord is nonstretchable so that the core spacer does not deform or break apart when the core spacer is either initially manufactured or later placed between the pair of two glass panes. The core spacer and the cord extend around a periphery and go around corners between the panes in an airtight manner to form an insulated assembly. Also, the cord has a diameter no greater than about 10% of a width of the core spacer. A method for manufacturing the insulated assembly is likewise disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: AFG Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Deane
  • Publication number: 20030162033
    Abstract: A photocatalytically-assisted self-cleaning (“PASC”) coating on a substrate enables the substrate to shed dirt simply by rinsing with water. A method of making a PASC coating includes depositing by chemical vapor deposition an alkali metal diffusion barrier layer on a substrate; sputtering an ultraviolet radiation activated layer on the alkali metal diffusion barrier layer at a temperature of 100° C. or less; and, without heating above 100° C., exposing the ultraviolet radiation activated layer to ultraviolet radiation to form the self-cleaning substrate. The sputter deposition of the ultraviolet radiation activated layer on the chemical vapor deposited alkali metal diffusion barrier layer allows the ultraviolet radiation activated layer to be activated upon exposure to UV radiation without first having been heated during and/or after deposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Applicant: AFG INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Herb Johnson, Mark Ford
  • Publication number: 20030148115
    Abstract: A low-emissivity multilayer coating includes, in order outward from the substrate, a first layer including a layer containing titanium oxide, a layer containing silicon nitride, or a sublayer layer containing titanium oxide in combination with a sublayer containing silicon nitride; a second layer including Ag; a third layer including at least one layer selected from titanium oxide layers and silicon nitride layers; a fourth layer including Ag; and a fifth layer including silicon nitride. The color of the coatings can be varied over a wide range by controlling the thicknesses of the layers of titanium oxide, silicon nitride and Ag. A diffusion barrier of oxidized metal protects relatively thin, high electrical conductivity, pinhole free Ag films grown preferentially on zinc oxide substrates. Oxygen and/or nitrogen in the Ag films improves the thermal and mechanical stability of the Ag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2003
    Publication date: August 7, 2003
    Applicant: AFG INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Darin Glenn, Herb Johnson, Rand Dannenberg, Peter A. Sieck, Joe Countrywood
  • Publication number: 20030143401
    Abstract: An optical coating on a transparent substrate is provided with a temporary layer of carbon as protection during manufacturing against scratches and corrosive environments. When the optical coating and/or substrate are tempered in an atmosphere reactive to carbon, such as air, the layer of carbon is removed as a carbon-containing gas. For an optical coating with a brittle, glassy, outermost layer furthest from the substrate, additional protection is provided by a scratch propagation blocker layer between the outermost layer and the carbon protective layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicant: AFG INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Kyle W. Hukari, Peter A. Maschwitz
  • Publication number: 20030049464
    Abstract: A low-emissivity multilayer coating includes, in order outward from the substrate, a first layer including a layer containing titanium oxide, a layer containing silicon nitride, or a sublayer layer containing titanium oxide in combination with a sublayer containing silicon nitride; a second layer including Ag; a third layer including at least one layer selected from titanium oxide layers and silicon nitride layers; a fourth layer including Ag; and a fifth layer including silicon nitride. The color of the coatings can be varied over a wide range by controlling the thicknesses of the layers of titanium oxide, silicon nitride and Ag. A diffusion barrier of oxidized metal protects relatively thin, high electrical conductivity, pinhole free Ag films grown preferentially on zinc oxide substrates. Oxygen and/or nitrogen in the Ag films improves the thermal and mechanical stability of the Ag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Applicant: AFG INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Darin Glenn, Herb Johnson, Rand Dannenberg, Peter A. Sieck, Joe Countrywood
  • Publication number: 20030029134
    Abstract: Two parallel glass panes are separated by a core spacer made of either EPDM rubber or another solid rubber material with a nonheating, centrally positioned, nonstretchable fiberglass cord being embedded therein and extending longitudinally therethrough so that the core spacer is not stretchable. The EPDM rubber formulation is chemically compatible with hot melt butyl which is used as an adhesive between the solid rubber and the glass panes. The fiberglass cord is nonstretchable so that the core spacer does not deform or break apart when the core spacer is either initially manufactured or later placed between the pair of two glass panes. The core spacer and the cord extend around a periphery and go around corners between the panes in an airtight manner to form an insulated assembly. Also, the cord has a diameter no greater than about 10% of a width of the core spacer. A method for manufacturing the insulated assembly is likewise disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Applicant: AFG INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Robert J. Deane
  • Patent number: 6434910
    Abstract: Two glass panes are separated by a so-called core spacer made of either EPDM rubber or another solid rubber material with a centrally positioned fiberglass cord extending longitudinally therethrough for imparting strength to the core spacer. The EPDM rubber formulation is chemically compatible with hot melt butyl which is used as an adhesive between the solid rubber and the glass panes. The fiberglass cord is nonstretchable so that the core spacer does not deform or break apart when the core spacer is either initially manufactured or later placed between the two glass panes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: AFG Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert J. Deane
  • Patent number: 6352780
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymeric coating composition for application onto glass substrates for anti-reflective properties. The coating is provided via chemical grafting that involves the use of monomers and/or prepolymers, catalyst, and graft initiator and when applied onto the surface of the glass substrate forms a polymeric film chemically bonded to the glass with excellent adhesion. This coating can reduce the reflectance of the coated glass surface to as close to zero as possible, thus maximizing transmittance and providing resistance to abrasion, water/chemical attack, and UV degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: AFG Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohan L. Sanduja, Carl Horowitz, Abraham Thomas, Paul Thottathil
  • Patent number: 6040378
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymeric coating composition for application onto glass substrates for anti-reflective properties. The coating is provided via chemical grafting that involves the use of monomers and/or prepolymers, catalyst, and graft initiator and when applied onto the surface of the glass substrate forms a polymeric film chemically bonded to the glass with excellent adhesion. This coating can reduce the reflectance of the coated glass surface to as close to zero as possible, thus maximizing transmittance and providing resistance to abrasion, water/chemical attack, and UV degradation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: AFG Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Mohan L. Sanduja, Carl Horowitz, Abraham Thomas, Paul Thottathil
  • Patent number: 4228425
    Abstract: A tamper-proof transparent security plate has a laminated structure of a break-resistant, normally transparent plate member which becomes opaque upon forceful penetration and a transparent alarm plate containing a plurality of frangible electrically conductive wires extending across an area to be protected. Efforts to break the laminated structure render it opaque, making it extremely difficult to locate and tamper with the wires of the alarm plate. Moreover, a selected subset of the wires can be excluded from a series alarm grid to further thwart efforts to bypass an associated alarm circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the voltage applied to the wires is adjustable to provide an optional heating, de-icing, or defogging capability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1980
    Assignee: AFG Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: William C. Cooke