Patents by Inventor Douglas E. Wilken

Douglas E. Wilken has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6350397
    Abstract: An improved transparent optical member, preferably a glass sheet, comprising a nanostructure layer with an enhanced geometry and a balance of chemical (hydrophobic and hydrophilic) characteristics can be formed on a surface. The geometry and chemistry of the layer combine to obtain improved washability. The layer can be manufactured by forming a layer comprising a silicon compound coating, including a silicon oxide coating, a silicon carbide coating, a silicon nitride coating or mixtures thereof. The coating can have a having a thickness of about 1 to 100 nm (10−9 meter). The layer has a preferred roughens from a random or ordered array of structure. The layer can be doped with di tri or polyvalent metal compounds. Such coatings have been found to have increased washability and such coatings have been found to preferentially bind to aqueous solutions applied to the glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Aspen Research Corporation
    Inventors: Kurt E. Heikkila, James E. Fairman, Russell J. Pylkki, Michael S. Arney, Douglas E. Wilken