US 6,666,983 B2Granted

Patterned coated articles and methods for producing the same

AssigneePPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

InventorsGary J. Marietti, Mehran Arbab, James J. Finley

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to an article with a patterned appearance provided by a visually observable contrast between one or more genereally transparent thin film coatings deposited over a substrate. At least one of the deposited coatings exhibits a reflected color and/or contrast and visible differing transmitted color and/or contrast or a plurality of coatings together exhibit different reflected colors and/or contrasts. The coatings are selected from the group of: metals depositable by magnetron sputtering vacuum deposition, chemical vapor deposition, pyrolytic coating, or sol-gel techniques, metal oxide coatings, metal nitride coatings, semi-conductor containing coatings, metal oxynitrides and mixtures thereof. The present invention is also directed to a method of making the articles having a visually observable patterned appearance involving masking and applying the coating or applying the coating and removing a portion of the coating to form the pattern.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method for providing an article having a visually patterned appearance comprising the steps of:

a. providing a substrate that has at least one major surface that reflects visible light, or the substrate transmits visible light, or the at least one major surface reflects visible light and the substrate transmits visible light;
b. providing at least one mask over a portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate, the mask having a pattern form to provide a masked portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate and an unmasked portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate;
c. providing at least one transparent coating selected from the group of metal-containing coatings and semi-conductor-containing coatings over at least the unmasked portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate, comprising:
(i) depositing at least one coating by magnetron sputter vacuum deposition, chemical vapor deposition, spray pyrolysis process or sol-gel applications over at least the unmasked portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate, wherein the at least one coating is selected from the group of metal oxide coatings, metal nitride coatings, semi-conductor-containing coatings and metal-containing coatings and mixtures thereof;
and optionally
(ii) heating the at least one coating, the at least one transparent coating having a thickness in the range of fractions of visible light wavelengths to provide at least one interference color when visible light is reflected from the coated unmasked portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate and/or is transmitted through the coated unmasked portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate and the substrate;
and
d. removing the mask to expose uncoated portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate under the mask;
wherein color of visible light reflected from the coated unmasked portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate and/or transmitted through the coated unmasked portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate and the substrate is different from color of visible light reflected from the uncoated portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate and/or transmitted through the uncoated portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate and the substrate, respectively, to provide the article having a visually patterned appearance.

6 more elements

A method of providing an article having a visually patterned appearance comprising the steps of:

a. providing a substrate having at least one major surface;
b. depositing a first thin film metal coating over the at least one major surface of the substrate;
c. positioning at least one mask over a portion of the coated at least one major surface of the substrate, the mask having a pattern form to provide a masked portion of the coated at least one major surface of the substrate and an unmasked portion of the coated at least one major surface of the substrate;
d. depositing a second thin film metal coating over at least the unmasked coated portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate;
e. removing the mask to expose the uncoated first thin film coating;
and
f. heating the coated substrate in an oxidizing atmosphere or nitriding atmosphere or combinations thereof to provide a first transparent coating over the at least one major portion of the substrate, the first transparent coating comprising a metal oxide coating or metal nitride coating or combinations thereof, and a second transparent coating over at least the unmasked coated portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate, the second transparent coating comprising a metal oxide coating or metal nitride coating or combinations thereof wherein the first transparent coating has a thickness in the range of fractions of visible light wavelenqths to generate at least one interference color defined as a first interference color when visible light is reflected from the coated at least one major surface of the substrate and/or is transmitted through the coated at least one major surface of the substrate and the substrate, and the second transparent coating has a thickness in the range of fractions of visible light wavelengths to generate at least one interference color defined as a second interference color when visible light is reflected from the coated unmasked coated portion of the at least one surface and/or is transmitted through the coated unmasked coated portion of the at least one major surface of the substrate and the substrate, and wherein the first interference color is different from the second interference color to provide a visually patterned appearance to said article.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/263,499Filed 3 Oct 2002 · division
Priority: 24 Dec 1997
Published: US 2003/0031842 A113 Feb 2003
Granted: 23 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B44C 1/04
Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing decorative surface effects: producing precipitations
B32B 17/10174
Functional features of the laminated safety glass or glazing: coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
B32B 17/10247
Functional features of the laminated safety glass or glazing: laminated safety glass or glazing containing decorations or patterns for aesthetic…
B32B 17/10339
Functional features of the laminated safety glass or glazing: specific parts of the laminated safety glass or glazing being colored or tinted

Family

Application60/068,828Us provisional application · filed 24 Dec 1997
Application09/199,976Parent of this division · filed 25 Nov 1998
US 2003/0031842 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Feb 2003
US 6,514,621 B1Parent of this division
US 6,666,983 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.