Patents by Inventor Jean-Francois Thomas

Jean-Francois Thomas 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: 5221352
    Abstract: Apparatus for pyrolytically forming an oxide coating on an upper face of a moving, hot glass substrate, including a substrate path and a downwardly opening hood positioned along the substrate path and defining together with the substrate path a coating chamber; support device for conveying a hot glass substrate along the substrate path past the coating chamber; a device for introducing coating precursor material in the vapor phase into a carrier gas stream comprised of a carrier gas including a device for inducing turbulence in the carrier gas stream to ensure intimate mixing of the carrier gas and the coating precursor material; a device including at least one venturi for introducing oxygen into the precursor-containing carrier gas stream before it enters the coating chamber and provide a gas mixture stream; a device for supplying to the coating chamber the gas mixture stream; and a device for aspirating atmosphere including coating reaction products and unused coating precursor material from the coating cha
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Robert Terneu, Jean-Francois Thomas
  • Patent number: 5089039
    Abstract: A method of pyrolytically forming a silicon oxide coating on a hot glass substrate as it travels past a coating chamber includes contacting the substrate with silane-containing coating precursor material in the presence of oxygen. The silane-containing coating precursor material is in the vapor phase and it and gaseous oxygen are intimately mixed before they enter the coating chamber to contact the substrate. Silane as coating precursor material may be conveyed towards the coating chamber in vapor phase in a substantially inert carrier gas stream and oxygen introduced into the silane-containing carrier gas stream before it enters the coating chamber. The coating operation may take place within a coating chamber within a float chamber in which the glass is formed into ribbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1992
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Robert Terneu, Jean-Francois Thomas
  • Patent number: 4968563
    Abstract: A light transmitting glazing pane includes a first coating on an exposed face of a glass sheet which reduces the emissivity of that face in respect of infra-red radiation having wavelengths in excess of 3 .mu.m, and on the or another face of the pane a solar radiation screening coating which is adapted to screen short wavelength infra-red radiation, the thickness of each coating being selected so that the pane has a visible light transmissivity of at least 70% and a total solar radiant energy transmissivity of at most 75%. Such panes are useful for limiting solar energy gain while allowing good through visibility, and they may therefore be used to form vehicle windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1990
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Thomas, Jean Roucour, Robert Terneu
  • Patent number: 4917717
    Abstract: Apparatus for pyrolytically forming a metal compound coating on an upper face of a hot glass substrate 1 comprises conveyor means 2 for conveying the substrate 1 in a downstream direction 3. A coating chamber 6 opening downwardly onto the path 1 and means 7 for spraying coating precursor downwardly towards the substrate.The spraying means 7 is located to spray the coating precursor solution from a height above the substrate path 1 of at least 75 cm. Heating means are provided for supplying heat to the spraying zone 9. Means such as aspirator boxes 39 is provided for generating aspirating forces on atmospheric material within the passageway 13 to encourage such material to flow along the substrate path to the downstream end (27) of the passageway and to enter exhaust ducting leading such material away from the substrate path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Thomas, Robert Terneu, Albert Van Cauter, Robert Van Laethem
  • Patent number: 4880677
    Abstract: Light transmitting glass having at least one surface area which is matted by surface pits, including an etched surface area having a population of merging or contiguous surface pits of polyhedral form, each pit having a small area so that at least 30% of visible light normally incident on the at least one surface is diffusely transmitted through the surface and the at least one surface having a total luminous transmittance of normally incident visible light of not less than TT-10 where TT is the total luminous transmittance through the same surface prior to etching expressed as a percentage of the total incident visible light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Andre Hecq, Jean-Francois Thomas
  • Patent number: 4880698
    Abstract: Flat glass is disclosed, bearing a tin oxide coating layer which is at least 200 nm in thickness. In order to promote a uniform visual appearance across the coated area, the expected grain area of a representative sample of the tin oxide coating crystals measured in units of 10.sup.-4 .mu.m.sup.2 is numerically equal to a value of at least 0.4 times the layer thickness measured in nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Thomas, Robert Terneu, Albert Van Cauter, Robert Van Laethem
  • Patent number: 4878934
    Abstract: Apparatus for use in pyrolytically forming a metal oxide coating on an upper face of a hot glass substrate 1 in sheet or ribbon form comprises conveyor means 2 for conveying the substrate 1 in a downstream direction 3 along a path also indicated at 1 and a roof structure 5 defining a coating chamber 6 opening downwardly onto the path and comprising a passageway 11 along which coating precursor vapor and oxidizing gas can be conducted downstream in contact with the upper substrate face during the conveyance of the substrate. The roof structure 5 defines, in or adjacent the upstream end of the passageway 11, a mixing zone 7 which opens downwardly onto the substrate path 1. Means such as spray nozzle 35 is provided for injecting coating precursor material into the mixing zone 7 from a height of at least 50 cm above the level of the substate path 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1989
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Thomas, Robert Terneu, Albert Van Cauter, Robert Van Laethem
  • Patent number: 4728353
    Abstract: Apparatus for pyrolytically forming a metal compound coating on an upper face of a hot glass substrate 1 in sheet or ribbon form comprises conveyor means 2 for conveying a the substrate along a path also indicated at 1 in a downstream direction 3, a roof structure 5 defining a coating chamber 6 opening downwardly onto the path 1 and means 7 for discharging coating precursor material into the chamber 6. Upstream of the coating chamber 6 there is an antechamber 25 which communicates with the coating chamber 6 via an entry slot 24 which is defined in part by the path of the substrate 1, and via which gas can be caused to flow into the coating chamber 6 so as to form (when the apparatus is in use) a blanket layer which covers the upper face of the substrate 1 along a first part of the length of the chamber 6. Means 26 is provided for controllably preheating the gas forming the blanket layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 1, 1988
    Assignee: Glaverbel
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Thomas, Robert Terneu, Albert Van Cauter, Robert Van Laethem