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:
Nov. 13, 2007
Filed:
Aug. 23, 2004
Makoto Hayakawa, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Eiichi Kojima, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Keiichiro Norimoto, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Mitsuyoshi Machida, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Atsushi Kitamura, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Toshiya Watanabe, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Makoto Chikuni, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Akira Fujishima, Kawasaki, JP;
Kazuhito Hashimoto, Yokohama, JP;
Makoto Hayakawa, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Eiichi Kojima, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Keiichiro Norimoto, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Mitsuyoshi Machida, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Atsushi Kitamura, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Toshiya Watanabe, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Makoto Chikuni, Kita-kyushu, JP;
Akira Fujishima, Kawasaki, JP;
Kazuhito Hashimoto, Yokohama, JP;
Toto Ltd., Fukuoka, JP;
Abstract
A method of preventing or reducing fogging of a surface of a composite when subjected to humid conditions includes providing a composite with a surface. The composite includes a substrate and a photocatalytic surface layer. The photocatalytic surface layer includes a photocatalyst. The method further includes subjecting the photocatalyst to photoexcitation to render the surface of the composite hydrophilic, wherein, after the photoexcitation, the surface of the composite has a water wettability of less than 10° in terms of the contact angle with water. The method further includes subjecting the composite to humidity that is sufficient to induce fogging of the substrate if the photocatalytic surface layer were absent.