Coated article having a stainless steel color

• US 6,551,722 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Jonte, Patrick B., Lipe, James S., Chen, Guocun
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Deborah
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIZIALI, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US09/832,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20020150797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 428/472, 428/621, 428/629, 428/632, 428/660, 428/675, 428/680, 428/687, 428/702, 428/622, 428/623, 428/627, 428/628, 428/633, 428/663, 428/666, 428/667, 428/668, 428/674, 428/469, 428/698, 428/699, 428/701, 428/707
• US Class Current: 428/687
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/321 with at least one metal alloy layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/322 only coatings of metal elements only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/34 including at least one inorganic non-metallic material layer, e.g. metal carbide, nitride, boride, silicide layer and their mixtures, enamels, phosphates and sulphates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/3455 with a refractory ceramic layer, e.g. refractory metal oxide, ZrO2, rare earth oxides or a thermal barrier system comprising at least one refractory oxide layer
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/347 with layers adapted for cutting tools or wear applications
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/14 two or more layers being of nickel or chromium, e.g. duplex or triplex layers
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/48 After-treatment of electroplated surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/611 Smooth layers
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/627 Electroplating characterised by the visual appearance of the layers, e.g. colour, brightness or mat appearance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12535 with additional, spatially distinct nonmetal component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12542 More than one such component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12549 Adjacent to each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12576 Boride, carbide or nitride component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12583 Component contains compound of adjacent metal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1259 Oxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12611 Oxide-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12618 Plural oxides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12806 Refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12826 Group VIB metal-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12847 Cr-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12854 : Next to Co-, Fe-, or Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12861 : Group VIII or IB metal-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12903 : Cu-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1291 : Next to Co-, Cu-, or Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12944 : Ni-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12993 : Surface feature [e.g., rough, mirror]

Abstract

An article is coated with a multi-layer coating having a stainless steel color. The coating comprises an electroplated layer or layers on the article surface, a refractory metal or refractory metal alloy strike layer on the electroplated layer or layers, a color layer containing a refractory metal oxide or refractory metal alloy oxide having a substoichiometric oxygen content on the strike layer, and a refractory metal oxide or refractory metal alloy oxide having a substantially stoichiometric oxygen content layer on said color layer.

Claims

1. An article having on at least a portion of its surface a multi-layer coating having the appearance of stainless steel said coating comprising:

at least one electroplated layer;

a color layer comprised of a refractory metal oxide or refractory metal alloy oxide wherein the oxygen content of said refractory metal oxide or refractory metal alloy oxide is a substoichiometric amount of from about 5 atomic percent to about 25 atomic percent.

2. The article of claim 1 wherein said substoichiometric oxygen content is from about 8 atomic percent to about 18 atomic percent.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein a strike layer comprised of a refractory metal or refractory metal alloy is intermediate said at least one electroplated layer and said color layer.

4. The article of claim 3 wherein a layer comprised of refractory metal oxide or refractory metal oxide having a substantially stoichiometric oxygen content is on said color layer.

5. The article of claim 3 wherein a layer comprised of the reaction products of a refractory metal or refractory metal alloy, oxygen and nitrogen is on said color layer.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein a layer comprised of the reaction products of a refractory metal or a refractory metal alloy, oxygen and nitrogen is on said color layer.

7. The article of claim 1 wherein said at least one electroplated layer is comprised of at least one nickel layer.

8. The article of claim 7 wherein said at least one electroplated layer is comprised of a chromium layer.

9. The article of claim 8 wherein said at least one electroplated layer is comprised of a copper layer.

10. The article of claim 1 wherein said at least one electroplated layer is comprised of a nickel layer on said article and a chromium layer on said nickel layer.

11. The article of claim 1 wherein said electroplated layer is comprised of at least one copper-layer on said article, at least one nickel layer on said at least one copper layer, and a chromium layer on said at least one nickel layer.

12. An article having on at least a portion of its surface a multi-layer coating having the appearance of stainless steel said coating comprising:

at least one electroplated layer on the surface of said article, and

a color layer comprised of a refractory metal oxide or refractory metal alloy oxide having a substoichiometric oxygen content of from about 5 to about 25 atomic percent on said at least one electroplated layer; and

a refractory metal oxide or refractory metal alloy oxide having a substantially stoichiometric oxygen content on said color layer.

13. The article of claim 12 wherein said substoichiometric oxygen content is from about 8 to about 18 atomic percent.

14. The article of claim 12 wherein a layer comprised of refractory metal or refractory metal alloy is intermediate said at least one electroplated layer and said color layer.

15. The article of claim 14 wherein said at least one electroplated layer is comprised of at least one nickel layer.

16. The article of claim 15 wherein a chromium layer is on said at least one nickel layer.

17. The article of claim 15 wherein a layer comprised of the reaction products of refractory metal or refractory metal alloy, oxygen and nitrogen is on said color layer.