Eastman-Kodak Company

Microgen Systems, Inc.

University of Michigan

David P Trauernicht

John Andrew Lebens

Christopher Newell Delametter

James Michael Chwalek

Yongcai Wang

Edward P Furlani

Antonio Cabal

David S Ross

Gary Alan Kneezel

Hwei-Ling Yau

Ronald S Cok

Stephen F Pond

Paul Matthew Hoderlein

Yonglin Xie

Joseph F Bringley

Gilbert Allan Hawkins

Constantine N Anagnostopoulos

David Louis Jeanmaire

Patrick M Lambert

Christopher R Morton

James D Huffman

Cathie J Burke

Hrishikesh Vijaykumar Panchawagh

Charles E Romano, Jr

Thomas M Stephany

Jeremy M Grace

Qing Yang

John Yorkston

Kathleen M Vaeth

Michael Frank Baumer

Robert G Andosca

Ravi Sharma

Jeffrey Charles Robertson

Keith B Kahen

Philip S Bryan

Roger Guy Markham

Gregory S Jarrold

Kurt DeLance Sieber

David Steven Weiss

David M Orlicki

Richard C VanHanehem

Michael K Rogers

Ali G Lopez

Michael B Brandt

Weibin Zhang

Andrea M Hyde

Martin E Trzcinski

Paul D Askins

Emmanuel K Dokyi

Kyle E Smith

Alok Verma

T Gus McDonald

The present invention relates to an energy harvester device comprising an elongate resonator beam comprising a piezoelectric material, the resonator beam extending between first and second ends; a base connected to the resonator beam at the first end with the second end being freely extending from the base as a cantilever; a mass attached to the second end of the resonator beam; a package surrounding at least a portion of the second end of the resonator beam; and a compliant stopper connected to the package, where the stopper is configured to stabilize motion of the cantilever to prevent breakage. Also disclosed is a system, a method of powering an electrically powered apparatus, and methods of producing an energy harvester device.

Packaged piezoelectric energy harvester device with a compliant stopper structure, system, and methods of use and making

The present invention relates to an energy harvester device comprising an elongate resonator beam comprising a piezoelectric material, the resonator beam extending between first and second ends; a base connected to the resonator beam at the first end with the second end being freely extending from the base as a cantilever; a mass attached to the second end of the resonator beam; a package surrounding at least a portion of the second end of the resonator beam; and a stopper connected to the mass and/or the second end of the resonator beam, where the stopper is configured to prevent contact between the second end of the resonator beam and the package. Also disclosed is a system, a method of powering an electrically powered apparatus, and methods of producing an anergy harvester device.

Piezoelectric energy harvester device with a stopper structure, system, and methods of use and making

The present invention relates to an energy harvester device comprising a plurality of elongate resonator beams. The resonator beams include a piezoelectric material extending between first and second ends. One or more bases are connected to the first end of each of the resonator beams, with the second end of the resonator beams being freely extending from the one or more bases as a cantilever. A mass is attached to each of the second ends of the resonator beams. Each of the resonator beams is tuned to a resonant frequency offset relative to each of the other resonator beams by 0.1/W to 0.9/W, wherein W is a temporal width between a first impulse and a second impulse which excite motion of the resonator beams. Also disclosed is a system comprising an apparatus and the energy harvester device, as well as methods of using and designing the system.

Piezoelectric energy harvester device with frequency offset vibrational harvesters

A method of making a conductive article includes providing a substrate having a surface with one or more micro-channels having a width of less than 12 &#x3bc;m. A composition is provided over the substrate and in the one or more micro-channels. The composition includes water and silver nanoparticles dispersed in the water and he weight percentage of silver in the composition is greater than 70% and the viscosity of the composition is in a range from 10 to 10,000 centipoise. The composition is removed from the surface of the substrate. The composition provided in the micro-channels is dried and converted to form one or more electrically conductive micro-wires.

Method of making electrically conductive micro-wires

A method of making a micro-channel structure and applying a curable ink to the micro-channel structure includes providing a substrate and depositing a single layer of a curable polymer on the substrate, the single curable layer having a layer thickness. One or more micro-channels adapted to receive curable ink are embossed into the single curable layer, the micro-channels having a micro-channel thickness that is in a range of two microns to ten microns less than the layer thickness. The single curable layer is cured to form a single cured layer so that deformations of the micro-channels or the surface of the single cured layer are reduced. Curable ink is coated over the surface and micro-channels of the single cured layer. The curable ink is removed from the surface of the single cured layer and the curable ink is cured.

Method of making micro-channel structure for micro-wires

A method of making a multi-layer micro-wire structure includes providing a substrate having a surface and forming a plurality of micro-channels in the surface. A first material composition is located in a first layer only in each micro-channel and not on the surface. A second material composition different from the first material composition is located in a second layer different from the first layer only in each micro-channel and not on the surface. The first material composition in the first layer and the second material composition in the second layer form an electrically conductive multi-layer micro-wire in each micro-channel.

Making multi-layer micro-wire structure

A method of making a connection-pad structure includes providing a substrate and coating a curable layer over the substrate. A group of intersecting micro-channels is embossed in the curable layer. Each micro-channel extends from a surface of the curable layer into the curable layer toward the substrate. The curable layer is cured to form a cured layer having embossed intersecting micro-channels in the cured layer; the group of intersecting micro-channels forms a connection pad. A curable electrical conductor is located in the intersecting micro-channels. The curable electrical conductor is cured to form an electrically continuous cured electrical conductor formed in the group of intersecting micro-channels and an electrical connector is electrically connected to the cured electrical conductor.

Micro-channel connection method

Micro-wires are arranged to form an electrical conductor connected to an electrode structure. The electrical conductor includes a plurality of spaced-apart first micro-wires extending in a first direction, wherein one of the first micro-wires is a connection micro-wire. A plurality of spaced-apart second micro-wires extends in a second direction different from the first direction. At least two adjacent second micro-wires are spaced apart by a distance greater than the spacing between at least two adjacent first micro-wires. Each second micro-wire is electrically connected to at least two first micro-wires. The electrode structure includes a plurality of electrically connected third micro-wires electrically connected to the connection micro-wire at spaced-apart connection locations and at least some of the adjacent connection locations are separated by a distance greater than any of the distances separating the second micro-wires.

Micro-wire pattern for electrode connection

An electrical conductor includes a substrate having micro-channels formed in the substrate. A plurality of spaced-apart first micro-wires is located on or in the micro-channels, the first micro-wires extending across the substrate in a first direction. A plurality of spaced-apart second micro-wires is located on or in the micro-channels, the second micro-wires extending across the substrate in a second direction different from the first direction. Each second micro-wire is electrically connected to at least two first micro-wires and at least one of the second micro-wires has a width less than the width of at least one of the first micro-wires.

Micro-wire electrode buss

A metal nanoparticle composition includes water and a water-soluble polymer having both carboxylic acid and sulfonic acid groups. Silver nanoparticles are dispersed in the water such that the weight percentage of silver in the composition is greater than 10%.

Silver metal nanoparticle composition

A conductive micro-wire structure includes a substrate. A plurality of spaced-apart electrically connected micro-wires is formed on or in the substrate forming the conductive micro-wire structure. The conductive micro-wire structure has a transparency of less than 75% and greater than 0%.

Conductive micro-wire structure

A method of ejecting a drop of fluid includes providing a fluid ejector. The fluid ejector includes a substrate, a MEMS transducing member, a compliant membrane, walls, and a nozzle. The substrate includes a cavity and a fluidic feed. A first portion of the MEMS transducing member is anchored to the substrate. A second portion of the MEMS transducing member extends over at least a portion of the cavity and is free to move relative to the cavity. The compliant membrane is positioned in contact with the MEMS transducing member. A first portion of the compliant membrane covers the MEMS transducing member, A second portion of the compliant membrane being anchored to the substrate. Walls define a chamber that is fluidically connected to the fluidic feed. At least the second portion of the MEMS transducing member is enclosed within the chamber. A quantity of fluid is supplied to the chamber through the fluidic feed. An electrical pulse is applied to the MEMS transducing member to eject a drop of fluid through the nozzle.

Fluid ejection using MEMS composite transducer

A micro-channel structure for facilitating the distribution of a curable ink includes a substrate and a single cured layer formed on the substrate. The single cured layer has one or more micro-channels adapted to receive curable ink embossed therein and an RMS surface roughness between or within micro-channels of less than or equal to 0.2 microns. Cured ink is located in each micro-channel. The thickness of the single cured layer is in a range of about two microns to ten microns greater than the micro-channel thickness.

Micro-channel structure for micro-wires

A conductive article includes a metal nanoparticle composition formed on a substrate. The metal nanoparticle composition includes silver nanoparticles and a polymer having both carboxylic acid and sulfonic acid groups. The weight ratio of the polymer to silver is 0.0005 to 0.04.

Conductive article having silver nanoparticles

A method of making a conductive article includes depositing on a substrate a metal nanoparticle composition having water, silver nanoparticles dispersed in the water and a water-soluble polymer having both carboxylic acid and sulfonic acid groups. The weight percentage of silver in the composition is greater than 10%. The metal nanoparticle composition is dried. The dried metal nanoparticle composition is converted to improve the electrical conductivity of the dried metal nanoparticle composition.

Making a conductive article

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

David P Trauernicht