Patents by Inventor Kathy E. Roberts
Kathy E. Roberts 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).
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Patent number: 7508568Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrochemical medium for use in a reversible electrodeposition device including at least one solvent, at least one anodic electroactive material, at least one active metal; and optionally at least one redox buffer.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2007Date of Patent: March 24, 2009Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Rongguang Lin, David A. Theiste, Thomas F. Guarr, Kathy E. Roberts
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Patent number: 7193764Abstract: The present invention is directed to a reversible electrodeposition device comprising: a first substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; a nucleation layer at least partially covering at least one of the electrically conductive materials of the first and second substrates; an electrochemical medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2004Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Rongguang Lin, David Theiste, Thomas F. Guarr, Kathy E. Roberts
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Patent number: 7031044Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; an anodic electroactive material; a cathodic electroactive material, wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and a current-reducing additive, wherein the current-reducing additive comprises a polymer present in an effective concentration to materially reduce the current of the electrochromic medium upon application of an electrical potential, relative to an electrochromic medium without the current-reducing additive, while maintaining an electrochromic medium viscosity which facilitates acceptable production rates without a problematic degree of seal or other device component failure.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2004Date of Patent: April 18, 2006Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Kathy E. Roberts, Thomas F. Guarr
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Patent number: 7031043Abstract: An electrochromic device comprising: a first substantially transparent substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; and an electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates which comprises: at least one solvent; an anodic material; a cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic, and wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is slow-diffusing; and an electron shuttle, wherein the electron shuttle serves to decrease switching time of the electrochromic device relative to the same without the electron shuttle.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2004Date of Patent: April 18, 2006Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Kathy E. Roberts, Rongguang Lin, Kelvin L. Baumann, Thomas F. Guarr, David A. Theiste
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Patent number: 7001540Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; a cathodic electroactive material; an anodic electroactive material; wherein at least one of the cathodic and anodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and a self-healing cross-linked polymer gel.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2003Date of Patent: February 21, 2006Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Leroy J. Kloeppner, Thomas F. Guarr, Kevin L. Ash, Kathy E. Roberts
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Patent number: 6934067Abstract: An improved electrochromic rearview mirror for motor vehicles, the mirror incorporating thin front and rear spaced glass elements having a thickness ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5. A layer of transparent conductive material is placed onto the mirror's second surface, and either another layer of transparent conductive material or a combined reflector/electrode is placed onto the mirror's third surface. A chamber, defined by the layers on the interior surfaces of the front and rear glass elements and a peripheral sealing member, contains a free-standing gel comprising a solvent and a crosslinked polymer matrix. The chamber further contains at least one electrochromic material in solution with the solvent and interspersed in the crosslinked polymer matrix.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2002Date of Patent: August 23, 2005Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Kevin L. Ash, William L. Tonar, Frederick T. Bauer, Kathy E. Roberts
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Publication number: 20040239243Abstract: A light emitting assembly having a first light source and a second light source. The first and second light sources are oriented such that when the first and second light sources emit light, light emitted from the first and second light sources overlaps and is capable of forming effective white light. The light emitted from the first light source exhibits color coordinates different from the light emitted from the second light source. One of the light sources may be a photoluminescent source, such as a fluorescent dye or phosphor.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2004Publication date: December 2, 2004Inventors: John K. Roberts, Robert R. Turnbull, Robert C. Knapp, Kathy E. Roberts
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Publication number: 20040233500Abstract: An electrochromic device comprising: a first substantially transparent substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; and an electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates which comprises: at least one solvent; an anodic material; a cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic, and wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is slow-diffusing; and an electron shuttle, wherein the electron shuttle serves to decrease switching time of the electrochromic device relative to the same without the electron shuttle.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2004Publication date: November 25, 2004Inventors: Kathy E. Roberts, Rongguang Lin, Kelvin L. Baumann, Thomas F. Guarr, David A. Theiste
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Patent number: 6778311Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; an anodic electroactive material; a cathodic electroactive material, wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and a current-reducing additive, wherein the current-reducing additive comprises a polymer present in an effective concentration to materially reduce the current of the electrochromic medium upon application of an electrical potential, relative to an electrochromic medium without the current-reducing additive, while maintaining an electrochromic medium viscosity which facilitates acceptable production rates without a problematic degree of seal or other device component failure.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2003Date of Patent: August 17, 2004Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Kathy E. Roberts, Thomas F. Guarr
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Publication number: 20040061097Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising:Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2003Publication date: April 1, 2004Inventors: Leroy J. Kloeppner, Thomas F. Guarr, Kevin L. Ash, Kathy E. Roberts
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Patent number: 6710906Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; an anodic electroactive material; a cathodic electroactive material; wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic electroactive materials is associated with a diffusion coefficient controlling moiety which serves to lower the diffusion coefficient of the associated material relative to the same without the diffusion coefficient controlling moiety.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2001Date of Patent: March 23, 2004Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Thomas F. Guarr, Kathy E. Roberts, Rongguang Lin, Kelvin L. Baumann, David A. Theiste, Punam Giri, Elizabeth M. Sanford
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Patent number: 6700693Abstract: An electrochromic device comprising: a first substantially transparent substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; and an electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates which comprises: at least one solvent; an anodic material; a cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic, and wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is slow-diffusing; and an electron shuttle, wherein the electron shuttle serves to decrease switching time of the electrochromic device relative to the same without the electron shuttle.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2002Date of Patent: March 2, 2004Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Kathy E. Roberts, Rongguang Lin, Kelvin L. Baumann, Thomas F. Guarr, David A. Theiste
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Patent number: 6635194Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; a cathodic electroactive material; an anodic electroactive material; wherein at least one of the cathodic and anodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and a self-healing cross-linked polymer gel.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2001Date of Patent: October 21, 2003Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Leroy J. Kloeppner, Thomas F. Guarr, Kevin L. Ash, Kathy E. Roberts
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Publication number: 20030165000Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; an anodic electroactive material; a cathodic electroactive material, wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and a current-reducing additive, wherein the current-reducing additive comprises a polymer present in an effective concentration to materially reduce the current of the electrochromic medium upon application of an electrical potential, relative to an electrochromic medium without the current-reducing additive, while maintaining an electrochromic medium viscosity which facilitates acceptable production rates without a problematic degree of seal or other device component failure.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2003Publication date: September 4, 2003Inventors: Kathy E. Roberts, Thomas F. Guarr
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Publication number: 20030112489Abstract: An improved electrochromic rearview mirror for motor vehicles, the mirror incorporating thin front and rear spaced glass elements having a thickness ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5. A layer of transparent conductive material is placed onto the mirror's second surface, and either another layer of transparent conductive material or a combined reflector/electrode is placed onto the mirror's third surface. A chamber, defined by the layers on the interior surfaces of the front and rear glass elements and a peripheral sealing member, contains a free-standing gel comprising a solvent and a crosslinked polymer matrix. The chamber further contains at least one electrochromic material in solution with the solvent and interspersed in the crosslinked polymer matrix.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2002Publication date: June 19, 2003Inventors: Kevin L. Ash, William L. Tonar, Frederick T. Bauer, Kathy E. Roberts
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Patent number: 6545794Abstract: An electrochromic device comprising: a first glass element having an electrically conductive material associated therewith, wherein said first element comprises a height (h1), a width (w1), a thickness (t1), an inner surface, and an outer surface; a second element having an electrically conductive material associated therewith, wherein said second element comprises a height (h2), a width (w2) , and a thickness (t2), an inner surface, and an outer surface; a cell spacing (c) which comprises a distance between said inner surface of said first element and said inner surface of said second element; a gelled electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between said first and second elements; wherein (h1), (w1), (t1), (h2), (w2), (t2), and (c) are numerical values in millimeters; and wherein (h1), (w1), and (t1) of said first element, and (h2), (w2), and (t2) of said second element and (c) comprise numerical values such that the following inequality is satisfied:Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2000Date of Patent: April 8, 2003Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Kevin L. Ash, William L. Tonar, Frederick T. Bauer, Kathy E. Roberts, David A. Theiste
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Publication number: 20030053187Abstract: An electrochromic device comprising: a first substantially transparent substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; a second substrate having an electrically conductive material associated therewith; and an electrochromic medium contained within a chamber positioned between the first and second substrates which comprises: at least one solvent; an anodic material; a cathodic material, wherein both of the anodic and cathodic materials are electroactive and at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is electrochromic, and wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic materials is slow-diffusing; and an electron shuttle, wherein the electron shuttle serves to decrease switching time of the electrochromic device relative to the same without the electron shuttle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2002Publication date: March 20, 2003Inventors: Kathy E. Roberts, Rongguang Lin, Kelvin L. Baumann, Thomas F. Guarr, David A. Theiste
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Publication number: 20030042473Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; a cathodic electroactive material; an anodic electroactive material; wherein at least one of the cathodic and anodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and a self-healing cross-linked polymer gel.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2001Publication date: March 6, 2003Inventors: Leroy J. Kloeppner, Thomas F. Guarr, Kevin L. Ash, Kathy E. Roberts
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Patent number: 6525861Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in an electrochromic device comprising: at least one solvent; an anodic electroactive material; a cathodic electroactive material, wherein at least one of the anodic and cathodic electroactive materials is electrochromic; and a current-reducing additive, wherein the current-reducing additive comprises a polymer present in an effective concentration to materially reduce the current of the electrochromic medium upon application of an electrical potential, relative to an electrochromic medium without the current-reducing additive, while maintaining an electrochromic medium viscosity which facilitates acceptable production rates without a problematic degree of seal or other device component failure.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2001Date of Patent: February 25, 2003Assignee: Gentex CorporationInventors: Kathy E. Roberts, Thomas F. Guarr
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Publication number: 20030020053Abstract: The present invention provides improved electrochromic layers, which comprise polymeric matrices with electrochromic solutions interspersed therein. Varying an electrical potential difference across a layer of the invention results in reversible variation in the transmittance of light across the layer because of electrochemical processes in the electrochromic solution of the layer. The invention further provides electrochromic devices, in which the electrochromic layers of the invention provide reversibly variable transmittance to light, and various apparatus in which the devices of the invention provide light-filtering or light-color modulation. Such apparatus include windows, including those for use inside and on the outside walls of buildings and in sunroofs for automobiles, and variable reflectance mirrors, especially rearview mirrors for automobiles.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2002Publication date: January 30, 2003Inventors: William L. Tonar, Harlan J. Byker, Kathy E. Roberts, John S. Anderson, Kevin L. Ash