# US 7,608,766 B2 · Polymer treated surfaces and methods for making > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,766 B2 - Document ID: US7608766B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/740,001 - Filed: 2003-12-18 - Published: 2004-12-23 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2000-11-27 - Inventors: Todd Evan Shlesinger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608766B2 ## CPC - C23C 14/12: Organic material - C23C 16/30: Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides - G10D 3/10: Strings - Y10T 428/2933: Coated or with bond, impregnation or core - Y10T 428/31544: Addition polymer is perhalogenated - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - G10D: STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACCORDIONS OR CONCERTINAS; PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; AEOLIAN HARPS; SINGING-FLAME MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (organs, harmoniums or similar wind musical instruments with associated blowing apparatus G10B; pianos, harpsichords, spinets or similar stringed musical instruments with one or more keyboards G10C; automatic musical instruments G10F; electrophonic musical instruments in which tones are generated by electromechanical means G10H) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The performance of musical instrument strings is improved by treating the strings with a polymer vapor, avoiding problems common with spray type polymer coatings, extruded or laminate coatings or wipe-on liquid coatings, including heat damage, imprecise dimensional control, possible flaking, peeling or easy removal of the coating or adverse changes or damping of the musical qualities of the strings. The treatment may be applied either to the core of said strings, to strands wrapped around the core, or both. The treatment may be applied either before or after wrapping said strands around said core. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A musical instrument string, comprising: a core comprising a surface; and a vapor depositable polymer adhered to a pre-selected portion of the surface of said core by a vapor deposition process that deposits a vapor phase of the vapor depositable polymer in a vacuum on the pre-selected portion of the surface of the core. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A musical instrument string as in claim 1, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises plasma sputter deposition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A musical instrument string as in claim 1 wherein said vapor depositable polymer comprises PTFE. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A musical instrument string comprising a surface treatment as in claim 3 wherein the vapor deposition process comprises ion beam sputtering, laser deposition, or hot filament or plasma chemical vapor deposition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The musical instrument string of claim 1, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises plasma vapor deposition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The musical instrument string of claim 1, wherein the vapor deposition process utilizes a radio frequency cathode with an attached sheet of the vapor depositable polymer comprising a dimension that is at least about 100 times an average diameter of musical instrument strings. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The musical instrument string of claim 1, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises cycling a plasma on and off to control temperature and to maintain the musical instrument string within a desired temperature range. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The musical instrument string of claim 1, wherein the vapor depositable polymer adhered on the surface of the core comprises a porous polymer. ### Claim 9 A musical instrument string, comprising: a core comprising a surface; and a polymer condensed and nucleated from a vapor phase of the polymer formed in a vacuum chamber onto a pre-selected portion of the surface of said core such that no distinct junction is formed between the polymer and the surface of the core. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A musical instrument string as in claim 9, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises plasma sputter deposition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A musical instrument string as in claim 9 wherein said polymer condensed and nucleated on said surface is PTFE. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The musical instrument string of claim 9, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises plasma vapor deposition. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The musical instrument string of claim 9, wherein the vapor deposition process utilizes a radio frequency cathode with an attached sheet of the vapor depositable polymer comprising a dimension that is at least about 100 times an average diameter of musical instrument strings. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The musical instrument string of claim 9, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises cycling a plasma on and off to control temperature and to maintain the musical instrument string within a desired temperature range. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The musical instrument string of claim 9, wherein the vapor depositable polymer adhered on the surface of the core comprises a porous polymer. ### Claim 16 A method of producing a musical instrument string having a polymeric surface treatment, comprising the steps of: cleaning the musical instrument string to be treated; providing a suitable vapor source; placing said musical instrument string and said vapor source in a vacuum tight vessel; reducing the pressure in said vessel to a base pressure of about 10-5 Torr or less; and while maintaining a vacuum of about 20×10-3 Torr pressure and applying power to said source in said vessel, cycling the power to said source on and off until a desired thickness of PTFE coating is condensed and nucleated on said musical instrument string. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A polymeric treatment applied to a musical instrument string, produced by the process of claim 16. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A musical instrument string having a polymeric surface treatment wherein said treatment is applied according to the method of claim 16. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A musical instrument string as in claim 18 wherein said musical instrument string is a core. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) A musical instrument string as in claim 18 wherein said musical instrument string is a wound string, comprising a core and at least one strand wound around said core. ### Claim 21 A musical instrument string, comprising: a core; at least one strand wound around said core, the strand comprising a surface; and a vapor depositable polymer adhered to a pre-selected portion of the surface of said strand by a vapor deposition process that deposits a vapor phase of the vapor depositable polymer in a vacuum on the pre-selected portion of the surface of the strand. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A musical instrument string as in claim 21, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises plasma sputter deposition. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) A musical instrument string as in claim 21 wherein said vapor depositable polymer comprises PTFE. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A musical instrument string comprising a surface treatment as in claim 23 wherein the vapor deposition process comprises ion beam sputtering, laser deposition, or hot filament or plasma chemical vapor deposition. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The musical instrument string of claim 21, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises plasma vapor deposition. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The musical instrument string of claim 21, wherein the vapor deposition process utilizes a radio frequency cathode with an attached sheet of the vapor depositable polymer comprising a dimension that is at least about 100 times an average diameter of musical instrument strings. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The musical instrument string of claim 21, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises cycling a plasma on and off to control temperature and to maintain the musical instrument string within a desired temperature range. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The musical instrument string of claim 21, wherein the vapor depositable polymer adhered on the surface of the core comprises a porous polymer. ### Claim 29 A musical instrument string, comprising: a core; at least one strand wound around said core, the strand comprising a surface; and a polymer condensed and nucleated from a vapor phase of the polymer formed in a vacuum chamber onto a pre-selected portion of the surface of said strand such that no distinct junction is formed between the polymer and the surface of the strand. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A musical instrument string as in claim 29, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises plasma sputter deposition. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) A musical instrument string as in claim 29 wherein said polymer condensed and nucleated on said surface is PTFE. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The musical instrument string of claim 29 wherein the vapor deposition process comprises plasma vapor deposition. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The musical instrument string of claim 29, wherein the vapor deposition process utilizes a radio frequency cathode with an attached sheet of the vapor depositable polymer comprising a dimension that is at least about 100 times an average diameter of musical instrument strings. ### Claim 34 (depends on 29) The musical instrument string of claim 29, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises cycling a plasma on and off to control temperature and to maintain the musical instrument string within a desired temperature range. ### Claim 35 (depends on 29) The musical instrument string of claim 29, wherein the vapor depositable polymer adhered on the surface of the core comprises a porous polymer. ### Claim 36 A musical instrument string, comprising: a core; at least one strand wound around said core, the core and the strand each comprising a surface; and a vapor depositable polymer adhered to a pre-selected portion of the surface of both said core and said strand wound around said core by a vapor deposition process that deposits a vapor phase of the vapor depositable polymer in a vacuum on the pre-selected portion of the surface of both the core and the strand. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The musical instrument string of claim 36, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises plasma vapor deposition. ### Claim 38 (depends on 36) The musical instrument string of claim 36, wherein the vapor deposition process utilizes a radio frequency cathode with an attached sheet of the vapor depositable polymer comprising a dimension that is at least about 100 times an average diameter of musical instrument strings. ### Claim 39 (depends on 36) The musical instrument string of claim 36, wherein the vapor deposition process comprises cycling a plasma on and off to control temperature and to maintain the musical instrument string within a desired temperature range. ### Claim 40 (depends on 36) The musical instrument string of claim 36, wherein the vapor depositable polymer adhered on the surface of the core comprises a porous polymer.