Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7936510 | Optical films and method for fabricating the same The present invention provides an optical film that includes i) a (meth)acrylic resin, and 5 to 45 parts by weight of ii) a graft copolymer, prepared by grafting a (meth)acrylic resin onto a copolymer of (meth)acrylic rubber and aromatic vinyl compound, based on 100... | 05/03/2011 |
| 7764427 | Microlithography optical system An optical system, such as, for example, an illumination system or a projection lens of a microlithographic exposure system. The optical system can have an optical axis and include at least one optical element that includes an optically uniaxial material having, for... | 07/27/2010 |
| 7710649 | Optical polarizer and method for fabricating the same An optical polarizer includes a supporting member and a polarizing film supported by the supporting member. The polarizing film includes at least one layer of a carbon nanotube film, and the carbon nanotubes in a given carbon nanotube film are aligned in the same di... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7679824 | Polarizing device, cross dichroic prism, liquid crystal projector, and method for fabricating polarizing device A polarizing device having a synthetic resin film of a polarizing plate sandwiched and bonded between two glass members. At least a surface on one side of the polarizing plate is bonded to one of glass members by the use of a tackiness agent. Adjoining surfaces of t... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7532398 | Light pipe and polarized-light source A light pipe is obtained by laminating on one or both surfaces of a light-transmitting resin plate a polarized-light scattering plate having fine birefringent domains dispersed therein and hence showing anisotropy in scattering. The polarized-light scattering plate ... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7515339 | Light pipe and polarized-light source A light pipe is obtained by laminating on one or both surfaces of a light-transmitting resin plate a polarized-light scattering plate having fine birefringent domains dispersed therein and hence showing anisotropy in scattering. The polarized-light scattering plate ... | 04/07/2009 |
| 7446938 | Light pipe and polarized-light source A light pipe is obtained by laminating on one or both surfaces of a light-transmitting resin plate a polarized-light scattering plate having fine birefringent domains dispersed therein and hence showing anisotropy in scattering. The polarized-light scattering plate ... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7443585 | Polarizer, polarization light source and image display unit using them A polarization component, capable of efficiently reflecting an obliquely transmitted light beam toward a light source without degrading the transmission-polarization property of a perpendicular incident light beam, is provided. A C-plate having an oblique retardatio... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7414786 | System and method converting the polarization state of an optical beam into an inhomogeneously polarized state A system for converting the polarization state of an optical beam which propagates along a path from an initial polarization state into an inhomogeneous polarization state includes a first isotropic material and a first anisotropic material. The first anisotropic ma... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7411656 | Optically polarizing retardation arrangement, and a microlithography projection exposure machine A retardation arrangement for converting an input radiation beam, incident from an input side of the retardation arrangement, into an output radiation beam which has over its cross section a spatial distribution of polarization states which can be influenced by the ... | 08/12/2008 |
| 7408711 | Polarizing plate, method for manufacturing the same, and liquid crystal display panel having the same A polarizing plate including a polarizer for polarizing incident light; first and second protection films arranged respectively on top and bottom surfaces of the polarizer; and an optical compensation film arranged on the first or second protection film, wherein the... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7407686 | Optical film, polarizing plate and display device utilising the film, and production method of optical film An optical film is disclosed having minimal curl, minimal coating unevenness and no cracks. The optical film is obtained by casting a dope comprising a cellulose ester and a non-chlorinated solvent on a metal support, the cellulose ester having a total acyl substitu... | 08/05/2008 |
| 7399376 | Polarizing plate laminated with an improved glue composition and a method of manufacturing the same The present invention generally relates a method of forming a polarizing plate comprising providing two protective cover sheets, each protective cover sheet for polarizers comprising a low birefringence protective polymer film and a layer promoting adhesion to poly(... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7394188 | Phosphor based light source component A method of making a light source includes the steps of forming a first optical component having a phosphor material in fixed relation to a first multilayer interference reflector, providing a second optical component having an LED capable of emitting light that exc... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7390864 | Norbornene-based polymer, film, polarizing plate and liquid crystal display device A norbornene-based polymer, which is formed by addition polymerization of a composition comprising at least one norbornene derivative represented by formula (1): wherein R1, R2... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7382535 | Wave plate and associated method An improved wave plate and associated method are provided. The wave plate includes a plurality of layers of uniaxial crystal including at least one layer of positive uniaxial crystal and at least one layer of negative uniaxial crystal. The thicknesses of the layers ... | 06/03/2008 |
| 7375888 | Optical component An optical component contains two or more hidden images for authentication and antiforgery purposes. The images are successively revealed and concealed when the optical component is held between two polarisers and one of them is rotated. The optical component compri... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7365906 | Projection screen and projection system containing same A projection screen capable of sharply displaying an image even under bright environmental light with high image visibility. A projection screen has a polarized-light selective reflection layer with a cholesteric liquid crystalline structure, capable of selectively ... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7362943 | Polymeric photonic crystals with co-continuous phases An optical element is formed by co-extruding to have an arrangement of polymer scattering fibers within a polymer matrix. The scattering fibers lie substantially parallel to a first axis. The scattering fibers are arranged at positions across the cross-section of th... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7362507 | Polarizing beam splitter A polarizing beam splitter is disclosed that includes a first prism, a second prism, and a reflective polarizing film disposed between the first prism and the second prism. The first prism comprises a first polymeric material, and has a first outer curved surface an... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7356229 | Reflective polarizers containing polymer fibers A polarizer is formed with an arrangement of polymer fibers substantially parallel within a polymer matrix. The polymer fibers are formed of at least first and second polymer materials. At least one of the polymer matrix and the first and second polymer materials is... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7355791 | Optical system and photolithography tool comprising same An optical system, for example a lens for a photolithography tool, includes a group of optical elements (L1, L2) that each comprise a birefringent cubic crystal such as CaF2. The crystal lattices of the crystals have different orientations, ... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7351346 | Non-photolithographic method for forming a wire grid polarizer for optical and infrared wavelengths A method for forming a plurality of parallel metal lines on a substrate of thin film elastomeric material and a wire grid polarizer formed by such method. A sacrificial layer is formed by coating the substrate with a water soluble polymer while the substrate is stre... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7339491 | Light-emitting diode backlight module An LED backlight module includes a substrate. An LED array, composed of a plurality of red, blue and green lamp LEDs, is mounted on the substrate. A light-mixing chamber is mounted on the substrate and is used to seal the LED array inside. A diffusion sheet is secur... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7327422 | Optical compensation film, display, and process A multilayer optical compensation film comprises one or more optically anisotropic layers X and one or more optically anisotropic layers Z wherein, said each layer X has its optic axis tilted with respect to the plane of said multilayer compensation film, and said e... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7324281 | Refractive boundary elements, devices, and materials An optical device includes an interface between two or more media. The refractive indices, orientations of media, and alignment relative to a propagating wave define a refractive boundary at which reflections may be reduced or eliminated, and at which, for certain i... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7321463 | In-line optical isolator In conventional optical isolators, an optical signal is dispersed by polarization or the characteristics are varied by heat generation in a garnet crystal. According to the invention, the crystal optical axis (3c) of rutile crystal (3) is orient... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7321464 | Electroluminescent light source and display incorporating same A brightness enhanced reflective polarizer includes a reflective polarizer and a structured surface material. ... | 01/22/2008 |
| 7319558 | Wide-band wave plate and a controlling method thereof A wide-band wave plate having at least two wave plates, each of which has a microstructure to generate a phase difference, the microstructure having a cycle not shorter than 1/nmin of a shortest wavelength of light in use, wherein the two wave plates are ... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7315418 | Polarizing beam splitter assembly having reduced stress A polarizing beam splitter includes a multilayer polarizing film, a first cross-linked silicone gel layer disposed on the multilayer polarizing film, a first rigid cover disposed on the cross-linked silicone gel layer, and a second rigid cover disposed adjacent to t... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7312913 | Imaging light source with polarization and color recovery The present invention provides a polarized colored light source for a display system in which light of other polarization states and colors are recycled. The color can be scrolled synchronously with a display. In one embodiment, the invention includes a tunnel havin... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7304719 | Patterned grid element polarizer The invention relates to a patterned grid polarizer for use in lithography, comprising a substrate that is transparent to ultraviolet (UV) light; and an array of elements patterned on the substrate, wherein the elements polarize UV light. The array of elements can b... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7297393 | Optical film Birefringent optical films have a Brewster angle (the angle at which reflectance of p-polarized light goes to zero) which is very large or is nonexistent. This allows for the construction of multilayer mirrors and polarizers whose reflectivity for p-polarized light ... | 11/20/2007 |
| 7286154 | Polarization-direction-controlling element and exposure device A polarization-direction-controlling element comprising a ½ wavelength plate disposed with a crystal optical axis tilted at substantially 45 degrees with respect to a polarization direction of a beam of light separated by a polarization-separating element with a pa... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7283302 | Wavelength filter and wavelength monitor device A wavelength filter includes a solid material that is optically transparent and including a pair of planar surfaces substantially parallel to each other; and a supporting member that supports the solid material on a planar surface of the solid material other than th... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7277141 | Optical bodies containing cholesteric liquid crystal material and methods of manufacture An optical body includes a substrate and a cholesteric liquid crystal layer disposed on the substrate. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer has a non-uniform pitch along a thickness direction of the layer and comprises a crosslinked polymer material that substantial... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7262920 | Optical element and manufacturing method therefor An optical element and a manufacturing method therefor, an exposure apparatus, and a device manufacturing method that can reduce the effect of intrinsic birefringence under high NA conditions. According to an optical element as one aspect of the present invention, a... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7258445 | Polarization splitter, optical unit and image projector A polarization splitter includes first and second glass members, and a polarization splitting layer and an adhesive layer arranged between the first and second glass members, wherein the polarization splitter satisfies α2×E0.5, where α i... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7256936 | Optical polarizing films with designed color shifts Multilayer films are provided that exhibit a colored appearance when viewed at an oblique angle as a result of one or more reflection bands in the visible region of the spectrum. The films however provide no substantial reflection bands in either the visible or near... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7247380 | Laminated phase retarder film and a liquid crystal display using the same The objective of the present invention is to provide a laminated phase retarder film that is superior in evenness, exhibits a biaxial optical property as a whole, and makes it possible to set the biaxial optical property over a wide range. This object is achieved by... | 07/24/2007 |
