EP0613962B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for producing high gloss bright colored plastic articles
Assignee: Textron Automotive Interiors Inc
•
Filing: 1993-11-12
•
Granted: 1997-05-14
•
Expires: 2013-11-12
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard Eisfeller
- 👤 Gerard Vachon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 14:38
CPC Classifications
B; B05; B05D; B05D7/00; B05D7/50; B05D7/52; B05D7/53; B05D7/536; B05D1/00; B05D1/36; B05D1/38; B05D5/00; B05D5/06; B05D5/067; B05D5/068; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/06; C23C14/14; C23C14/20; B05D2350/00; B05D2350/60; B05D2350/65; B05D2503/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
193 words
A process for applying a high gloss color coating on an article characterized by the steps of providing a colored surface on a substrate, vacuum depositing metal with a melting point between 100° and 350°C on the substrate to a thickness up to approximately 10 nm (100 Angstroms), and applying a clear resinous protective top coat as a liquid, and drying said top coat to adhere said protective film to the article, characterized in that the metal is deposited in discrete thin islands formed to visually appear macroscopically as a continuous film while having spaces between said discrete islands where said colored surface of said substrate remains visible through said spaces and through said thin islands, by etching the vacuum deposited material to remove small islands that have been deposited on said substrate in the spaces between said discrete islands and enlarging the spaces through which said colored surface is visible between the remaining islands, by wetting the colored substrate surface with said top coat liquid, drying said top coat so applied to a protective film encapsulating said discrete islands and adhering said protective film directly to said colored surface of said substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as defined in Claim 1 further characterized by; said islands formed from the group of indium, tin, lead and alloys thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process as defined in Claim 2 further characterized by: said islands formed from the group of indium and alloys thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as defined in Claim 2 further characterized by; said high gloss colored coating having a gloss rating in the range of 60 to 200.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
180 words
A process for applying a high gloss color coating on an article characterized by the steps of; applying and adhering a dielectric colored layer on a dielectric substrate; vacuum depositing on said colored coating of said substrate a metal having a thickness up to approximately 10 nm (100 Angstroms), applying a clear resinous protective dielectric top coat as a liquid and drying said top coat so applied to a protective film characterized in that said metal is a low melting metal which is deposited to form discrete thin islands formed to visually appear macroscopically as a continuous film while having spaces between said discrete islands where said colored surface of said substrate remains visible through said spaces and through said thin islands, etching the vacuum deposited material to remove smaller islands that have been deposited on said substrate and enlarging the spaces through which said colored surface is visible between remaining islands, and in that the top coat liquid wets the colored coating and dries to encapsulate said discrete islands and adhere directly to said colored coating of said substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as defined in Claim 5 further characterized by; said islands formed from the group of indium, tin, lead and alloys thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as defined in Claim 6 further characterized by: said high gloss colored coating having a gloss rating in the range of 60 to 200.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
A process as defined in Claim 5 further characterized by; said colored layer on said substrate comprising a colored primer applied onto a dielectric substrate and a clear basecoat applied onto said colored primer and allowed to dry and adhere to said substrate before the vacuum deposition of said islands thereon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
108 words
An article with a high gloss colored coating characterized by; a substrate having a dielectric colored surface; spaced apart electrically discrete islands thereon of a low melting metal having a macroscopic visual appearance of a continuous film, the thickness of the islands being up to approximately 10 nm (100 Angstroms), and spaces between said islands for allowing the transmission of light therebetween onto said dielectric colored surface; and a dielectric protective clear resinous top coat over said islands and insulating said islands from one another and providing for the transmission of light through the top coat and between said islands to said dielectric colored surface of said substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A high gloss colored coating as defined in Claim 9 further characterized; said islands formed from the group of indium, tin, lead and alloys thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A high gloss colored coating as defined in Claim 10 further characterized by; said high gloss colored coating having a gloss rating in the range of 60 to 200.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A high gloss colored coating as defined in Claim 11 further characterized by; said dielectric surface of said substrate being a layer of colored liquid resinous material applied to said substrate and allowed to dry and adhere to said substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
59 words
A high gloss colored coating as defined in Claim 11 further characterized by; said dielectric surface of said substrate including a layer of colored liquid resinous primer material applied to said substrate and a clear basecoat applied thereon with both primer and basecoat allowed to dry and adhere to said substrate before the electrically discrete islands are applied thereon.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4551387A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.