Multicolor fixture finishes
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorsSarfaraz Moh, Gary N. Clarke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plumbing fixture having a multi-color appearance includes a first portion including a first finish having a first appearance and a second portion including a second portion having a second appearance that differs from the first appearance. The plumbing fixture further includes a transition region between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the appearance of the third region is graduated from the first appearance to the second appearance between a first end of the transition region adjacent the first portion and a second end of the transition region adjacent the second portion. The plumbing fixture has an ombre appearance as a result of the graduated transition between the first portion and the second portion.
Claims19
A plumbing fixture having an ombré appearance, the plumbing fixture comprising:
- a first portion comprising a first vacuum deposition coating having a first color;
- a second portion comprising a second vacuum deposition coating having a second color that differs from the first color;
- and
- a gradient portion between the first portion and the second portion, the gradient portion having varying intensities of the first and second vacuum deposition coatings such that the gradient portion has an appearance that transitions from the first color to the second color along a length of the gradient portion,
- wherein the plumbing fixture is selected from the group consisting of a faucet, a faucet handle, water piping, a hose, a sink, a bathtub, a whirlpool, and a spa, and
- whereby the plumbing fixture has an ombre appearance as a result of the gradient portion.
A plumbing fixture having an ombré appearance, the plumbing fixture comprising:
- a first portion comprising a first vacuum deposition coating having a first appearance;
- a second portion comprising a second vacuum deposition coating having a second appearance that differs from the first appearance;
- a third portion extending between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the third portion comprises varying intensities of the first vacuum deposition coating and the second vacuum deposition coating along a length of the third portion such that the third portion has an appearance that transitions in graduated fashion from the first appearance at a first end thereof adjacent the first portion to the second appearance at a second end thereof adjacent the second portion, and
- wherein the plumbing fixture is selected from the group consisting of a faucet, a faucet handle, water piping, a hose, a sink, a bathtub, a whirlpool, and a spa.
A method of forming a multi-color plumbing fixture formed by a deposition coating process comprising:
- vacuum depositing a first deposition coating having a first color on the plumbing fixture selected from the group consisting of a faucet, a faucet handle, water piping, a hose, a sink, a bathtub, a whirlpool, and a spa;
- selectively applying a masking material in a graduated fashion over at least a portion of the first deposition coating to define a gradient portion from a first portion of the plumbing fixture that is substantially completely covered by the masking material to a second portion of the plumbing fixture that has substantially no masking material;
- vacuum depositing a second deposition coating having a second color different than the first color over the masking material;
- and
- removing the masking material from the plumbing fixture such that the plumbing fixture has a surface finish including the gradient portion representing a gradual transition between the first deposition coating and the second deposition coating;
- wherein selectively applying the masking material in a graduated fashion comprises spraying the masking material at varying intensities such that the gradient portion has an appearance that transitions from the first color to the second appearance color along a length of the gradient portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.