Method of characterization of surface coating containing metallic flakes and device used therein
First Claim
1. A device for characterizing a target coating containing unknown metallic flakes comprising:
- (i) means for positioning said device over said target coating;
(ii) means for producing one or more beams of light at one or more preset intensities;
(iii) means for imaging;
(iv) means for directing said beams of light towards a target portion of said target coating;
(v) means for directing a reflection of said target portion to a photosensitive surface located in said means for imaging to capture a target image of said portion;
(vi) means for measuring characteristics of said metallic flakes in said target image at said preset intensity;
(vii) means for correlating said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target image to stored characteristics of known metallic flakes at said preset intensity to identify one or more said known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes; and
(viii) means for displaying said identified one or more known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The method of present invention and the device used therein is directed for characterizing unknown metallic flakes present in an existing coating on a substrate such that a matching metallic paint composition can be formulated and applied over the substrate to produce a metallic coating having characteristics, such as flop, that match the existing coating. The method includes directing a beam of light at a preset intensity towards a target portion of a target coating; directing a reflection of the portion to a photosensitive surface to capture a target image of the target portion; measuring characteristics of the unknown metallic flakes in the target image at said preset intensity; correlating the characteristics of the unknown metallic flakes in the target image to stored characteristics of known metallic flakes at that preset intensity to identify one or more the known metal flakes that match the characteristics of the unknown metallic flakes; and displaying the identified one or more known metal flakes that match the characteristics of the unknown metallic flakes. Once the characteristics are known, a formulator can then formulate a metallic paint that can be applied over the surface of a substrate, such as a repaired autobody, to produce a metallic coating that matches the remainder of the autobody.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A device for characterizing a target coating containing unknown metallic flakes comprising:
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(i) means for positioning said device over said target coating;
(ii) means for producing one or more beams of light at one or more preset intensities;
(iii) means for imaging;
(iv) means for directing said beams of light towards a target portion of said target coating;
(v) means for directing a reflection of said target portion to a photosensitive surface located in said means for imaging to capture a target image of said portion;
(vi) means for measuring characteristics of said metallic flakes in said target image at said preset intensity;
(vii) means for correlating said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target image to stored characteristics of known metallic flakes at said preset intensity to identify one or more said known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes; and
(viii) means for displaying said identified one or more known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for characterizing a target coating containing unknown metallic flakes comprising:
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(i) directing one or more beams of light at a put intensity towards a target portion of said target coating;
(ii) directing a reflection of said portion to a photosensitive surface to capture a target image of said target portion;
(iii) measuring characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target image at said preset intensity;
(iv) correlating said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target image to stored characteristics of known metallic flakes at said preset intensity to identify one or more said known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes; and
(v) displaying said identified one or more known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for characterizing a target coating containing unknown metallic flakes comprising:
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(i) sequentially directing one or more beams of light at at least two preset intensities towards a target portion of said target coating;
(ii) directing a reflection of said portion to a photosensitive surface to sequentially capture target images of said target portion at said preset intensities;
(iii) sequentially measuring characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target images;
(iv) correlating said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target images to benchmark characteristics of known metallic flakes at said preset intensities to identify one or more said known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes; and
(v) displaying said identified one or more known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method for characterizing a target coating containing unknown metallic flakes comprising:
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(i) directing sequentially a collimated beam of light at three preset intensities upon a target portion of said target coating at a normal angle;
(ii) directing a reflection of said coated surface to a photosensitive surface to sequentially capture images in a gray scale of said target portion at said preset intensities at said three preset intensities;
(iii) sequentially measuring characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target images;
(iv) correlating said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target images to benchmark characteristics of known metallic flakes at said preset intensities to identify three said known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes;
(v) displaying said identified one or more known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes.
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52. A method for producing a metallic flake containing coating composition, wherein a coating therefrom matches characteristics of a target coating containing unknown metallic flakes, said method comprising:
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(i) directing one or more beams of light et a preset intensity towards a target portion of said target coating;
(ii) directing a reflection of said portion to a photosensitive surface to capture a target image of said target portion;
(iii) measuring characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target image at said preset intensity;
(iv) correlating said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes in said target image to stored characteristics of known metallic flakes at said preset intensity to identify one or more said known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes;
(v) displaying said identified one or more known metal flakes that match said characteristics of said unknown metallic flakes;
(vi) preparing one or more test coating compositions containing said identified known metal flakes;
(vii) applying said test coating compositions over test substrates to produce test coatings thereon;
(vii) comparing said test coatings against said target coating to select test coating having characteristics that match said characteristics of said target coating; and
(viii) selecting test coating composition that produces said matched test coating.
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Specification