The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 16, 1991
Filed:
Mar. 03, 1989
Jerry J Conley, Waseca, MN (US);
Gary B Mortensen, Waseca, MN (US);
E. F. Johnson Co., Waseca, MN (US);
Abstract
An electrical energy source is created by the combination of a light emitting polymer material having at least one light emitting surface emitting light energy of a specified frequency bandwidth and a photovoltaic cell having a light collecting surface and a pair of electrical contacts. The light collecting surface of the photovoltaic cell is optically coupled with the light emitting surface of the light emitting polymer material. An open-circuit voltage is generated between the pair of electrical contacts as a result of the absorption of emitted light energy from the light emitting polymer material by the photovoltaic cell. In the preferred embodiment, the light emitting polymer is a tritiated organic polymer to which at least one organic phosphor or scintillant is bonded. Maximum absorption of the emitted light energy is achieved by the intimate optical contact between the light emitting surface and the light collecting surface, by matching the maximum absorption frequency bandwidth of the photovoltaic cell with the specified frequency bandwidth of the emitted light energy from the light emitting polymer material, and by the structural arrangement of the light emitting polymer material itself.