Method of manufacturing a metallized plastic reflector

• US 4,188,358 A
• Filed: 03/14/1977
• Issued: 02/12/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: te Raa, Gerhardus A., Withoos, Wilhelmus H. C., Sprengers, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoag, W. E.
• Application Number:
  US05/777,036
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 264/129, 264/134, 264/135, 264/137, 264/250, 264/309, 264/255, 264/104, 264/257, 264/258, 264/236, 264/347, 428/118, 428/388, 428/389, 428/381, 428/432, 427/423, 427/427, 427/372 R, 343/912, 343/915, 204/20
• US Class Current: 264/255
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/003 characterised by the matrix material, e.g. material composition or physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/088 and with one or more layers of non-plastics material or non-specified material, e.g. supports
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/30 Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00596 Mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 15/142 using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/808 Lens mold

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a metallized plastic reflector in which a layer of fibrous material is provided on the convex surface of a mold. The layer is then just saturated with a thermohardening synthetic resin, and after partial hardening, a metal layer is applied onto the partially hardened resin layer by means of a spraying process. A supporting layer of a fiber reinforced thermohardening synthetic resin is then provided on the metal layer and after hardening the reflector is finally removed from the mold.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating an antenna reflector comprising the steps of coating a surface of a mold with a first layer of fibrous material, saturating said first layer with a thermo-hardening synthetic resin, partially hardening said resin and while said resin is still only partially hardened and has a slightly sticky surface, coating said sticky surface with a metal layer by flame spraying to form a reflector for electromagnetic radiation and applying a supporting layer onto said metal layer.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said applying step includes applying onto said metal layer a second layer of fibrous material impregnated with thermo-hardening synthetic resin and hardening said resin in said second layer to form said supporting layer, and including the step of removing from said mold the assembly formed by said first layer and said supporting layer with said metal layer therebetween.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said metal is an alloy of tin and antimony.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said resin is a polyester resin.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said fibrous material includes glass fibers.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said saturating step is performed in a manner such that said first layer is filled with said resin to a point slightly below the surface thereof remote from said surface of said mold so that some fibers of said first layer project beyond said resin.