Paint coated article

#This invention relates to paint coated articles, and more particularly, to such articles coated with paints which contain light reflective flakes.

#Paint compositions containing light reflective flakes and colorants are used for protective and decorative coatings, for example, on automobile bodies. Such coatings accentuate the styling lines and contoured surfaces and are characterized by what is known as geometric metamerism. Geometric metamerism, also referred to as goniochromatism or "flop", is the ability of a paint film to exhibit subtle variations in color and lightness depending upon the direction from which it is viewed. This effect is produced by metal or other reflective flakes such as mica incorporated into the film at varying depths. The aesthetics of such decorative and protective coatings are further influenced by the sharpness of the image outlines. This characteristic is known in the paint industry as "distinctness of image" (DOI), or simply "gloss".

#Acceptable appearance of a metallic pigmented coating further depends on the correct covering power, or optical density, provided by the metal particles. Acceptable covering power is usually defined as that which matches the appearance of a reference standard. If no such standard exists, the coating should exhibit a covering power sufficient to obscure the substrate onto which it is protectively bonded.

#FIGS. 1-3 are fragmentary cross-sectional views of paint coated articles in accordance with this invention.

#The present invention provides an improvement in the appearance of protective and decorative metallic paint layers. The coated layers provide excellent distinctness of image, gloss, flop and covering power and reduce the potential for loss of these qualities when films comprising the dried coated layers are stretched in thermoforming procedures and bonded to substrates.

#In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a paint coated article which comprises a substrate, and coated on the substrate, an outer paint layer and an inner paint layer, each of the layers comprising a polymeric binder and reflective flakes dispersed therein.

#As used herein the terms "outer" and "inner" are intended to define the relative space relationship of the two essential flake containing layers of the coated article of this invention. However, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art, the paint coated article can contain one or more additional layers, for example, substantially transparent layers, disposed between the substrate and the inner layer, between the inner layer and the outer layer, or over the outer layer.