Method of manufacturing decorative plate

• US 20040094426A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gold Charm Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: FIH Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lai, Wente
• Granted Patent: US 6,790,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/199
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/022 by means of bombardment with energetic particles or radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0641 Nitrides C23C14/0617 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 11/022 Anodisation on selected surface areas

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a decorative plate (1) includes the steps of: preparing a metal substrate and covering selected areas (11, 16) of the substrate with a protective film; anodizing the substrate; and removing the protective film to expose metallic surfaces in the selected areas of the substrate.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a decorative plate comprising the steps of:

preparing a substrate;

covering selected areas thereof with a protective film;

anodizing the substrate; and

removing the protective film to expose metallic surfaces in the selected areas of the substrate.

2. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective film is a printing ink film formed by a silk screen process.

3. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein after anodization, the substrate is colored by electrolytic coloring, dye coloring or integral coloring.

4. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein a stamping step is further involved.

5. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective film is removed by washing in a solvent.

6. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein a step of depositing a chromium or chromium-containing layer on the selected areas of the substrate is further involved after preparing the substrate or after removing the protective film to expose metallic surfaces in the selected areas of the substrate.

7. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 6, wherein the chromium or chromium-containing layer is formed using a physical vapor deposition process in a vacuum chamber.

8. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 7, wherein the chromium-containing layer is a chromium nitride layer.

9. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 8, wherein the physical vapor deposition process includes a glow discharge cleaning step using an inert gas, and wherein a pressure in the vacuum chamber is between 7.0×

10<sup>−

3</sup> Pa and 9.0×

10<sup>−

3</sup> Pa, and a bias voltage applied to the decorative plate is in a range of −

950 volts to −

1100 volts.

10. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 9, wherein the physical vapor deposition process further includes a chromium ion sputter cleaning step, and wherein a pressure in the vacuum chamber is between 4.0×

10<sup>−

3</sup> Pa and 6.0×

10<sup>−

3</sup> Pa, and a bias voltage applied to the decorative plate is in a range of −

950 volts to −

1100 volts.

11. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 9, wherein for the deposition of chromium nitride, nitrogen is introduced into the vacuum chamber after the cleaning step, the ratio of the inert gas to nitrogen is less than 1, and a bias voltage applied to the decorative plate is in a range of 0 volts to −

500 volts.

12. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 11, wherein the deposition of chromium nitride is carried out in nitrogen alone.

13. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein after removing the protective film, applying a clear paint or other covering on the metallic surfaces in the selected areas of the substrate.

14. A method of manufacturing a decorative plate comprising the steps of:

preparing a metal substrate;

covering selected areas of the metal substrate with a protective film;

anodizing and coloring the metal substrate;

removing the protective film to expose metallic surfaces in the selected areas of the substrate.

15. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 14, wherein the protective film is a printing ink film formed by a silk screen process, and the protective film is removed by washing in a solvent.

16. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 14, wherein a stamping step is further involved.

17. The method of manufacturing a decorative plate as claimed in claim 14, wherein a step of depositing a chromium or chromium-containing layer onto the selected areas of the substrate using a physical vapor deposition process or a chemical vapor deposition process is further involved after preparing the substrate or after removing the protective film to expose metallic surfaces in the selected areas of the substrate.