Patents by Inventor Thomas F. Guarr

Thomas F. Guarr 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: 6195193
    Abstract: An improved seal member is provided as a part of an electrochromic device to bond two glass elements together in a spaced-apart relationship. In one embodiment the seal member provides improved adhesion to a reflector/electrode on the third surface of an electrochromic mirror, or to a layer of metal on the second or third surface for an electrochromic light filter. This seal member comprises a mixture of an organic resin scaling system and an adhesion promoter, where the adhesion promotor comprises a first and a second region, where the first region interacts with the reflector/electrode or the metal layer, and a second region that interacts with the organic resin sealing system, and may even chemically react with the organic resin sealing system. In another embodiment the seal member is provided with a coefficient of thermal expansion that is closer to glass than a standard epoxy sealing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: John S. Anderson, William L. Tonar, Kevin L. Ash, Thomas F. Guarr
  • Patent number: 6195192
    Abstract: Electrochromic devices and materials having enhanced daylight stability are described. The materials have a redox center linked to an energy receptor site that may serve to dissipate excited state energy from the redox center, alternatively the receptor site may absorb harmful radiation prior to the absorption by the redox center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: Kelvin L. Baumann, Thomas F. Guarr, David A. Theiste
  • Patent number: 6188505
    Abstract: An electrochromic medium for use in a normally operating electrochromic device comprising an anodic material and 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, an additive, and means associated with the additive for maintaining a colorless or nearly colorless electrochromic medium while the electrochromic medium is in a high transmission state relative to an electrochromic medium without the additive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2001
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey R. Lomprey, Thomas F. Guarr
  • Patent number: 6157480
    Abstract: An improved seal member is provided as a part of an electrochromic device to bond two glass elements together in a spaced-apart relationship. In one embodiment the seal member provides improved adhesion to a reflector/electrode on the third surface of an electrochromic mirror, or to a layer of metal on the second or third surface for an electrochromic light filter. This seal member comprises a mixture of an organic resin sealing system and an adhesion promoter, where the adhesion promotor comprises a first and a second region, where the first region interacts with the reflector/electrode or the metal layer, and a second region that interacts with the organic resin sealing system, and may even chemically react with the organic resin sealing system. In another embodiment the seal member is provided with a coefficient of thermal expansion that is closer to glass than a standard epoxy sealing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: John S. Anderson, William L. Tonar, Kevin L. Ash, Thomas F. Guarr
  • Patent number: 6141137
    Abstract: Electrochromic compositions suitable for use in electrochromic media in electrochromic devices contain minimally two electrochromic compounds of the same redox type, whose redox potentials are greater than 30 mV. The lower redox potential electrochromic compound makes a large contribution to the absorbancy of the electrochromic medium despite being present in only minor concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: Harlan J. Byker, Thomas F. Guarr, Derick D. Winkle
  • Patent number: 6137620
    Abstract: Increased stability of electrochromic devices containing an electrochromic medium having two or more electroactive compounds is accomplished by establishing current limiting concentrations of electroactive compounds with the larger redox potential difference. A process for production of electrochromic devices uses targeted concentrations of electroactive materials during preparation of the electrochromic medium which results in substantially no devices being produced wherein the current is limited by an electroactive compound having a low redox potential difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas F. Guarr, David A. Theiste, David J. Cammenga, John S. Anderson
  • Patent number: 6037471
    Abstract: An improved electrochromic device, the device incorporating an electrochromic medium that comprises at least three electroactive materials having absorption spectra that add together such that the color of the electrochromic medium can be pre-selected by individually choosing the concentrations of the at least three electroactive materials. The electrochromic medium generally maintains the pre-selected perceived color throughout its normal range of voltages when used in an electrochromic device. The at least three electroactive materials include at least one electrochemically reducible material (cathodic material), at least one electrochemically oxidizable material (anodic material) and at least one additional electroactive material which may be either an anodic or cathodic material. Thus, there are always three electroactive materials present in the medium, with at least two either being anodic or cathodic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: Ramanujan Srinivasa, Darla J. French, Rongguang Lin, Thomas F. Guarr, Harlan J. Byker, Kelvin L. Baumann, David A. Theiste
  • Patent number: 6020987
    Abstract: An improved electrochromic device, the device incorporating an electrochromic medium that comprises at least three electroactive materials having absorption spectra that add together such that the color of the electrochromic medium can be pre-selected by individually choosing the concentrations of the at least three electroactive materials. The electrochromic medium generally maintains the pre-selected perceived color throughout its normal range of voltages when used in an electrochromic device. The at least three electroactive materials include at least one electrochemically reducible material (cathodic material), at least one electrochemically oxidizable material (anodic material) and at least one additional electroactive material which may be either an anodic or cathodic material. Thus, there are always three electroactive materials present in the medium, with at least two either being anodic or cathodic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: Kelvin L. Baumann, Harlan J. Byker, Thomas F. Guarr, Kathy E. Siegrist, David A. Theiste, Derick D. Winkle
  • Patent number: 5998617
    Abstract: An improved electrochromic device, the device incorporating an electrochromic medium that comprises at least three electroactive materials having absorption spectra that add together such that the color of the electrochromic medium can be pre-selected by individually choosing the concentrations of the at least three electroactive materials. The electrochromic medium generally maintains the pre-selected perceived color throughout its normal range of voltages when used in an electrochromic device. The at least three electroactive materials include at least one electrochemically reducible material (cathodic material), at least one electrochemically oxidizable material (anodic material) and at least one additional electroactive material which may be either an anodic or cathodic material. Thus, there are always three electroactive materials present in the medium, with at least two either being anodic or cathodic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Gentex Corporation
    Inventors: Ramanujan Srinivasa, Darla J. French, Rongguang Lin, Thomas F. Guarr, Harlan J. Byker, Kelvin L. Baumann, David A. Theiste