Method of color-matching powder coating and coating method using color-matched powder coating

• US 6,146,145 A
• Filed: 04/07/1999
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Itakura, Takayuki, Horikami, Norio
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Bena B.
• Application Number:
  US09/287,131
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 434/81, 434/84, 434/88, 434/93, 106/31.64, 106/493, 106/496, 106/497, 106/498, 106/499
• US Class Current: 434/93
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/03 Powdery paints
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0023 Colour matching, recognition, analysis, mixture or the like

Abstract

A method of blending a light-transmittable powder coating which is colored in at least one color and a colorless light-transmittable powder coating which is not colored, and dryblending the powder coatings, to color-match the powder coatings, capable of reproducing colors which could not be reproduced in conventional powder coatings, for example, light colors, transparent colors, or brilliant colors.

Claims

1. A method of producing a color-matched powder coating, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one of a plurality of colored light-transmittable powder coatings which are colored by a coloring agent, and a colorless light-transmittable powder coating containing no coloring agent;

calculating a blending ratio of the colored powder coatings and the colorless powder coating;

weighing the colored powder coatings and the colorless powder coating on the basis of the calculating step; and

dryblending the powder coatings using a mixer.

2. The color-matching method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

calculating a K/S value which is the ratio of an absorption coefficient K and a scattering coefficient S of light from a wavelength-reflectance curve prepared by measuring a color which is a target for color-matching;

performing isomeric matching using the K/S value and calculated reflectance previously calculated from K/S values [(K/S)₁ ˜

(K/S)_n ] of n pieces of basic data obtained by measuring the respective colors of the colored powder coatings and the colorless powder coating which are used for color-matching;

performing metameric matching using the results of the isomeric matching and tristimulus values calculated from the calculated reflectance, to calculate the blending ratio of the colored powder coatings and the colorless powder coating; and

weighing and blending the powder coatings in the respective colors and the colorless powder coating on the basis of the results of the calculation.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of colored light-transmittable powder coatings includes three colors of powder coatings which are, cyan, magenta and yellow powder coatings.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of colored light-transmittable powder coatings includes three colors of powder coatings which are, cyan, red and yellow powder coatings.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of colored light-transmittable powder coatings includes five colors of powder coatings which are, cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta and yellow powder coatings.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of colored light-transmittable powder coatings includes five colors of powder coatings which are, cyan, light cyan, red, light red and yellow powder coatings.