Patents by Inventor Louis J. Gerenser

Louis J. Gerenser 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: 6603121
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating paper web materials with a plasma, said apparatus comprising a dark space generated by a treatment electrode in a treatment zone. There is a counter electrode having a surface area in said treatment zone which is not greater than a surface area of said counter electrode. A power supply is included for driving either said treatment electrode or said counter electrode with an oscillating high voltage at a frequency less than about 2 MHz and greater than 1/tc where tc is the charging time of a web surface exposed to a rms ion current in the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Christine J. Landry-Coltrain, Kurt D. Sieber, Michael J. Heinsler, Dennis R. Freeman
  • Patent number: 6565930
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are taught for treating paper webs for obtaining the proper surface characteristics to promote adhesion of nonphotosensitive coating materials and/or layers typically coated thereon. The web is passed through a high-voltage sheath region or dark space of the plasma generated by a powered electrode residing in a discharge zone. The frequency of the driving voltage must be above a lower bound dictated by the properties of the paper support and the plasma, and it must be below an upper bound beyond which the sheath voltages drop significantly and it is observed that the benefits of this approach diminish. The dark space is generated by a treatment electrode in a treatment zone. There is a counter electrode having a surface area in said treatment zone which is at least as great as the surface area of the treatment electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Christine J. Landry-Coltrain, Kurt D. Sieber, Michael J. Heinsler, Dennis R. Freeman
  • Publication number: 20030030000
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating paper web materials with a plasma, said apparatus comprising a dark space generated by a treatment electrode in a treatment zone. There is a counter electrode having a surface area in said treatment zone which is not greater than a surface area of said counter electrode. A power supply is included for driving either said treatment electrode or said counter electrode with an oscillating high voltage at a frequency less than about 2 MHz and greater than 1/tc where tc is the charging time of a web surface exposed to a rms ion current in the plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Christine J. Landry-Coltrain, Kurt D. Sieber, Michael J. Heinsler, Dennis R. Freeman
  • Patent number: 6399159
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are taught for treating polyolefin containing or polyolefin-coated webs or laminates for obtaining the proper surface characteristics to promote adhesion of photosensitive coating materials and/or layers typically coated thereon. The web is passed through a high-voltage sheath region or dark space of the plasma generated by a powered electrode residing in a discharge zone. The frequency of the driving voltage must be above a lower bound dictated by the properties of the paper support and the plasma, and it must be below an upper bound beyond which the sheath voltages drop significantly and it is observed that the benefits of this approach diminish. The dark space is generated by a treatment electrode in a treatment zone. There is a counter electrode having a surface area in said treatment zone which is at least as great as the surface area of the treatment electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Kurt D. Sieber, Michael J. Heinsler, Hengzhong K. Zhuang, Dennis R. Freeman, Mark M. Romach
  • Patent number: 6235459
    Abstract: An imaging support element comprising a polymeric film support and a thermally stable single subbing layer is made by forming a coating over the polymeric film support, the coating having a surface including amine reactive groups in a density of at least 1010 per cm2 and then heat treating the polymeric film support with the coating thereon at a temperature in the range of from about 50° C. below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymeric support up to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymeric support. The polymeric film support is nitrogen plasma treated. The layer is preferably formed by coating a monomer solution on the nitrogen plasma treated polymer support wherein the coated monomer has at least two vinyl sulfone groups which provide the amine reactive groups. Alternatively, the layer may be formed by applying to the polymeric support web a coating including at least one non-amine reactive comonomer and at least one comonomer having amine reactive side groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Wayne A. Bowman, Elizabeth G. Burns, Richard A. Castle, David M. Teegarden
  • Patent number: 6190842
    Abstract: An imaging support element comprising a polymeric film support and a thermally stable single subbing layer is made by forming a coating over the polymeric film support, the coating having a surface including amine reactive groups in a density of at least 1010 per cm2 and then heat treating the polymeric film support with the coating thereon at a temperature in the range of from about 50° C. below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymeric support up to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymeric support. The polymeric film support is nitrogen plasma treated. The layer is formed by applying to the polymeric support web a coating including at least one non-amine reactive comonomer and at least one comonomer having amine reactive side groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Wayne A. Bowman, Elizabeth G. Burns, Richard A. Castle, David M. Teegarden
  • Patent number: 6149985
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are taught for treating polymer webs for obtaining the proper surface characteristics to promote adhesion of photosensitive coating materials and/or layers typically coated thereon. The web is passed through a high-voltage sheath region or dark space of the plasma generated by a powered electrode residing in a discharge zone. The frequency of the driving voltage must be above a lower bound dictated by the properties of the polymer support and the plasma, and it must be below an upper bound beyond which the sheath voltages drop significantly and it is observed that the benefits of this approach diminish. The dark space is generated by a treatment electrode in a treatment zone. There is a counter electrode having a surface area in said treatment zone which is at least as great as the surface area of the treatment electrode. A power supply is included for driving the treatment electrode with an oscillating high voltage at a frequency less than about 2 MHz and greater than 1/t.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser
  • Patent number: 5968646
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a polyester film support in which the surface has been subjected to an energetic treatment with nitrogen plasma to produce amine groups on the polyester surface. The treated surface is then coated with a dilute solution of amine reactive hardener and gelatin. After drying the hardener/gelatin coated support a photographic emulsion is coated on the surface. The resulting film element has excellent adhesion of the photographic emulsion after photoprocessing, and it is safer to coat and handle than previously known methods involving grafting of hardener directly to the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Richard A. Castle, Janglin Chen, Edgar E. Riecke
  • Patent number: 5700577
    Abstract: The present invention is a biaxially oriented polyester film support in which the surface has been subjected to an energetic treatment to produce amine groups on the polyester surface. The treated surface is then coated with a dilute amine reactive hardener solution. After drying the hardener solution a photographic emulsion is coated to the surface. The resulting film element has better adhesion of the photographic emulsion after photoprocessing than previous known methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Janglin Chen, Edgar E. Riecke
  • Patent number: 5618659
    Abstract: The present invention is a polyester film base which has a surface approximately 5 nm thick. The surface of the film base has been altered to include about 6 to 15 atomic percent nitrogen in the form of imines, secondary amines and primary amines in the ratio of about 1:1:2. The invention also includes a film base whose surface includes oxygen in the form of hydroxyl, ether, epoxy, carbonyl or carboxyl groups wherein the oxygen is about 4 to 10 atomic percent above the original surface content of the base. The polyester film base can be either polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Janglin Chen, Louis J. Gerenser, David A. Glocker
  • Patent number: 5582921
    Abstract: The present invention is a polyester film base which has a surface approximately 5 nm thick. The surface of the film base has been altered to include about 6 to 15 atomic percent nitrogen in the form of imines, secondary amines and primary amines in the ratio of about 1:1:2. The invention also includes a film base whose surface includes oxygen in the form of hydroxyl, ether, epoxy, carbonyl or carboxyl groups wherein the oxygen is about 4 to 10 atomic percent above the original surface content of the base. The polyester film base can be either polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Janglin Chen, Louis J. Gerenser, David A. Glocker
  • Patent number: 5576164
    Abstract: The present invention is a polyester film base which has a surface approximately 5 nm thick. The surface of the film base has been altered to include about 6 to 15 atomic percent nitrogen in the form of imines, secondary amines and primary amines in the ratio of about 1:1:2. The invention also includes a film base whose surface includes oxygen in the form of hydroxyl, ether, epoxy, carbonyl or carboxyl groups wherein the oxygen is about 4 to 10 atomic percent above the original surface content of the base. The polyester film base can be either polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Janglin Chen, Louis J. Gerenser, David A. Glocker
  • Patent number: 5563029
    Abstract: The present invention is a biaxially oriented polyester film support in which the surface has been subjected to an energetic treatment to produce amine groups on the polyester surface. The treated surface is then coated with a dilute amine reactive hardener solution. After drying the hardener solution a photographic emulsion is coated to the surface. The resulting film element has better adhesion of the photographic emulsion after photoprocessing than previous known methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Janglin Chen, Edgar E. Riecke
  • Patent number: 5538841
    Abstract: The present invention is a polyester film base which has a surface approximately 5 nm thick. The surface of the film base has been altered to include about 6 to 15 atomic percent nitrogen in the form of imines, secondary amines and primary amines in the ratio of about 1:1:2. The invention also includes a film base whose surface includes oxygen in the form of hydroxyl, ether, epoxy, carbonyl or carboxyl groups wherein the oxygen is about 4 to 10 atomic percent above the original surface content of the base. The polyester film base can be either polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Janglin Chen, Louis J. Gerenser, David A. Glocker
  • Patent number: 5425980
    Abstract: The present invention is a polyester film base which has a surface approximately 5 nm thick. The surface of the film base has been altered to include about 6 to 15 atomic percent nitrogen in the form of imines, secondary amines and primary amines in the ratio of about 1:1:2. The invention also includes a film base whose surface includes oxygen in the form of hydroxyl, ether, epoxy, carbonyl or carboxyl groups wherein the oxygen is about 4 to 10 atomic percent above the original surface content of the base. The polyester film base can be either polyethylene terephthalate or polyethylene naphthalate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Janglin Chen, Louis J. Gerenser, David A. Glocker
  • Patent number: 5324414
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing Ag/Ni composite ion selective electrode on polymer substrates. By utilizing a nitrogen glow discharge pretreatment of the polymer substrate, silver may be deposited directly thereon. Further, because of the glow discharge pretreatment, aging of the silver layer prior to nickel deposition and bleaching operation is not necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1994
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert G. Spahn, Louis J. Gerenser