Fluid guiding surfaces
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorTakayuki Fukui
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The fluid guiding surfaces of the present invention include a first elongate directional band A arranged substantially in parallel with a second elongate directional band B. Due to differences in physicochemical surface energy of the first and second bands, the contact angle of water on elongate directional band B may be smaller than the contact angle of water on elongate directional band A, thereby guiding fluid droplets along the surface in a direction parallel to elongate directional band B. For example, the difference 74 A−θB between a first contact angle of water on elongate directional band A, and a second contact angle of water on elongate directional band B, is from about 10° to about 140°.
Claims27
A fluid guiding surface comprising:
- a first elongate directional band A on a substrate, wherein a surface energy of a surface of the first elongate directional band A exhibits a first water contact angle θA at 20° C.;
- and
- a second elongate directional band B proximate the first elongate directional band A on the substrate, wherein a surface energy of a surface of the second elongate directional band B exhibits a second water contact angle θB at 20° C.,
- wherein the difference θA-θB between the first water contact angle on the surface of directional band A and the second water contact angle on the surface of directional band B is between 10°-140°.
A fluid guiding surface comprising:
- a plurality of elongate directional bands A positioned on a surface of a substrate, wherein a surface energy of the surface of the elongate directional bands A is such that water exhibits a first contact angle θA at 20° C.;
- a plurality of elongate directional bands B positioned on the surface of the substrate, wherein each elongate directional band B is positioned adjacent to at least one of the elongate directional bands A to form an arrangement of alternating directional bands A and B, and wherein a surface energy of the surface of the elongate directional bands B is such that water exhibits a second contact angle θB on directional band B at 20° C.;
- and
- wherein the difference θA-θB between the first contact angle of water on directional bands A and the second contact angle of water on directional bands B is from about 10° to about 140°.
A method of making a fluid guiding surface, comprising:
- forming a plurality of elongate directional bands A positioned on a surface of a substrate, wherein a surface energy of the surface of the elongate directional bands A is such that water exhibits a first contact angle θA at 20° C.;
- forming a plurality of elongate directional bands B positioned on the surface of the substrate, wherein each elongate directional band B is positioned adjacent to at least one of the elongate directional bands A to form an arrangement of alternating directional bands A and B, and wherein a surface energy of the surface of the elongate directional bands B is such that water exhibits a second contact angle θB on directional band B at 20° C.;
- and
- wherein the difference θA-θB between the first contact angle of water on directional bands A and the second contact angle of water on directional bands B is from about 10° to about 140°.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.