Patents by Inventor Kunihide Tanaka

Kunihide Tanaka 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: 7244888
    Abstract: A solar energy converter comprises a thin panel enclosure, at least one solar cell contained within the enclosure, and a thin layer of gel contained within the thin panel enclosure and enclosing the at least one solar cell. The thin panel enclosure has a two-dimensional flat base, short side walls, and a transparent lid separated from the flat base by the short side walls, the short side walls enclosing an interior cavity having a depth substantially smaller than either of the two-dimensional base dimensions. The at least one solar cell has a front surface and a back surface. The thin layer of gel wets both the front surface and back surface of the at least one solar cell and holds the at least one solar cell separate from the base and lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Inventor: Kunihide Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6583349
    Abstract: Solar cells operating in liquid have an increased operating efficiency resulting from two independent physical phenomena, an increase in output current from the solar cells from simply wetting the solar cells, and enhanced collection of light through refraction and inner reflection of light in the liquid. Dielectric liquids are found to increase output power efficiency of n/p junction solar cells and also function as a medium for optical concentration. The properties of dielectric liquid permit the construction of a solar cell panel with a suitable geometry for functioning as an optical concentrator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Inventor: Kunihide Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20030029497
    Abstract: Solar cells operating in liquid have an increased operating efficiency resulting from two independent physical phenomena, an increase in output current from the solar cells from simply wetting the solar cells, and enhanced collection of light through refraction and inner reflection of light in the liquid. Dielectric liquids are found to increase output power efficiency of n/p junction solar cells and also function as a medium for optical concentration. The properties of dielectric liquid permit the construction of a solar cell panel with a suitable geometry for functioning as an optical concentrator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventor: Kunihide Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20030005957
    Abstract: Solar cells operating in liquid have an increased operating efficiency resulting from two independent physical phenomena, an increase in output current from the solar cells from simply wetting the solar cells, and enhanced collection of light through refraction and inner reflection of light in the liquid. Dielectric liquids are found to increase output power efficiency of n/p junction solar cells and also function as a medium for optical concentration. The properties of dielectic liquid permit the construction of a solar cell with a suitable geometry for functioning as an optical concentrator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2001
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventor: Kunihide Tanaka
  • Patent number: 4317700
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a bubble domain device composite structure on a substrate of depositing a barrier layer of a suitable polymeric dielectric material on the substrate; subsequently depositing a layer of electrically conductive material thereover; subsequently depositing a spacer layer of a liquid polymeric dielectric material over the conductive layer; processing the spacer layer so that the surface of the spacer layer is substantially planar; and subsequently depositing a layer of a magnetically operative material over the spacer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1982
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihide Tanaka, Michael T. Elliott, Sam Chung, James Pau, Linda Gray, Liping D. Hou, Mary F'Mayer, David Warren, Karen Finch