Granted Patent B2

US 7,887,901 · App. 11/462,821 · Granted Feb 15, 2011

Abstract

Claims (120)

1. An article comprising:

a paint film and a thermoplastic section;

wherein the paint film is disposed on at least a portion of the thermoplastic section; and

wherein the thermoplastic section comprises

a compatibilized blend of a poly(arylene ether) and a polyamide;

an electrically conductive carbon black; and

an impact modifier;

wherein the electrically conductive carbon black comprises agglomerates and the agglomerates have an average agglomerate size of 30 to 600 square micrometers; and

wherein a weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.043.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the paint film has less than or equal to 5 variations in thickness that are visible to the unaided eye at a distance of 25 centimeters.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the paint film has less than or equal to 3 variations in thickness that are visible to the unaided eye at a distance of 25 centimeters.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the paint film has less than or equal to 1 variation in thickness that is visible to the unaided eye at a distance of 25 centimeters.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the paint film is free of thickness variations visible to the unaided eye at a distance of 25 centimeters.

6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating and the paint film has less than or equal to 5 variations in thickness that are visible to the unaided eye at a distance of 25 centimeters.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating and the paint film has less than or equal to 3 variations in thickness that are visible to the unaided eye at a distance of 25 centimeters.

8. The article of claim 1 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating and the paint film is free of thickness variations visible to the unaided eye at a distance of 25 centimeters.

9. An article comprising:

a paint film and a thermoplastic section;

wherein the thermoplastic section comprises a surface A;

wherein the surface A has an edge B;

wherein the paint film is disposed on at least a portion of the surface A;

wherein the paint film is disposed on at least a portion of the edge B;

wherein the paint film has an edge thickness measured on a line perpendicular to the edge B at a distance of 3.175 millimeters from the edge B;

wherein the paint film has an interior thickness measured on the line perpendicular to the edge B at a distance of 14 millimeters from the edge B;

wherein the edge thickness is 60% to 150% of the interior thickness;

wherein the edge thickness and the interior thickness are determined after the paint film is disposed on the surface A and the edge B and before further processing of the paint film; and

wherein the thermoplastic section comprises

a compatibilized blend of a poly(arylene ether) and a polyamide;

an electrically conductive carbon black; and

an impact modifier;

wherein the electrically conductive carbon black comprises agglomerates and the agglomerates have an average agglomerate size of 30 to 600 square micrometers;

wherein the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.043.

10. The article of claim 9 wherein the average agglomerate size is greater than or equal to 32 square micrometers; and

wherein the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.045.

11. The article of claim 9 wherein the average agglomerate size is greater than or equal to 31 square micrometers.

12. The article of claim 9 wherein the average agglomerate size is greater than or equal to 32 square micrometers.

13. The article of claim 9 , wherein the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.045.

14. The article of claim 9 , wherein the paint film is produced by electrostatic painting.

15. The article of claim 9 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating; and

wherein the article has an average edge thickness that is 60% to 150% of the average interior thickness.

16. The article of claim 9 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating; and

there is no point along the edge B where the edge thickness is greater than 150% of the corresponding interior thickness.

17. An article comprising:

a paint film and a thermoplastic section;

wherein the thermoplastic section comprises a surface A;

wherein surface A comprises a surface feature edge D;

wherein the paint film is disposed on at least a portion of the surface A;

wherein the paint film is disposed on at least a portion of the surface feature edge D;

wherein the paint film has a surface feature edge thickness measured on a line perpendicular to the surface feature edge D at a distance of 2 millimeters from surface feature edge D;

wherein the paint film has an interior thickness measured on the line perpendicular to the surface feature edge D at a distance of 10 millimeters from surface feature edge B;

wherein the surface feature edge thickness is 60% to 150% of the interior thickness;

wherein the surface feature edge thickness and the interior thickness are determined after the paint film is disposed on the surface A and the surface feature edge D, and before further processing of the paint film;

wherein the thermoplastic section comprises

a compatibilized blend of a poly(arylene ether) and a polyamide;

an electrically conductive carbon black; and

an impact modifier;

wherein the electrically conductive carbon black comprises agglomerates and the agglomerates have an average agglomerate size of 30 to 600 square micrometers;

wherein the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.043.

18. The article of claim 17 wherein the average agglomerate size is greater than or equal to 32 square micrometers; and

the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.045.

19. The article of claim 17 wherein the average agglomerate size is greater than or equal to 31 square micrometers.

20. The article of claim 17 wherein the average agglomerate size is greater than or equal to 32 square micrometers.

21. The article of claim 17 , wherein the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.045.

22. The article of claim 17 , wherein the paint film is produced by electrostatic painting.

23. The article of claim 17 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating; and

wherein the article has an average surface feature edge thickness that is 60% to 150% of the average interior thickness.

24. The article of claim 17 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating; and

there is no point along surface feature edge D where the surface feature edge thickness is greater than 150% of the corresponding interior thickness.

25. An article comprising:

a paint film and a thermoplastic section;

wherein the thermoplastic section comprises a surface A;

wherein surface A has adjoining edges, edge B and an edge K;

wherein the intersection of edge B and edge K is corner J;

wherein the paint film is disposed on the corner J and at least a portion of the edge B and the edge K;

wherein the paint film has an average edge thickness that is 60% to 150% of an interior thickness;

wherein the average edge thickness, and interior thickness are measured after the paint film is disposed on surface A , edge B, edge K and corner J and before further processing of the paint film;

wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises

a compatibilized blend of a poly(arylene ether) and a polyamide;

an electrically conductive carbon black; and

an impact modifier;

wherein the electrically conductive carbon black comprises agglomerates and the agglomerates have an average agglomerate size of 30 to 600 square micrometers;

wherein the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.043.

26. The article of claim 25 wherein the average agglomerate size is greater than or equal to 32 square micrometers and the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.045.

27. The article of claim 25 wherein the average agglomerate size is greater than or equal to 31 square micrometers.

28. The article of claim 25 wherein the average agglomerate size is greater than or equal to 32 square micrometers.

29. The article of claim 25 , wherein the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.045.

30. The article of claim 25 , wherein the paint film is produced by electrostatic painting.

31. The article of claim 25 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating.

32. The article of claim 25 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating; and

wherein the article comprises greater than or equal to two corners and greater than or equal to two corners have an average edge thickness that is 60% to 150% of the corresponding interior thickness.

33. The article of claim 25 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating; and

wherein the article comprises greater than or equal to three corners and greater than or equal to three corners have an average edge thickness that is 60% to 150% of the corresponding interior thickness.

34. The article of claim 25 , wherein the paint film is produced by powder coating; and

wherein the article comprises greater than or equal to four corners and greater than or equal to four corners have an average edge thickness that is 60% to 150% of the corresponding interior thickness.

35. An article comprising:

a paint film produced by powder coating and a thermoplastic section;

wherein the thermoplastic section comprises a surface A;

wherein the surface A has an edge B;

wherein the paint film is disposed on at least a portion of the surface A;

wherein the paint film is disposed on at least a portion of the edge B;

wherein the paint film has an edge thickness measured on a line perpendicular to the edge B at a distance of 3.175 millimeters from the edge B;

wherein the paint film has an interior thickness measured on the line perpendicular to the edge B at a distance of 14 millimeters from the edge B;

wherein the edge thickness is 60% to 150% of the interior thickness;

wherein the edge thickness and the interior thickness are determined after the paint film is disposed on the surface A and the edge B and before further processing of the paint film; and

wherein the thermoplastic section comprises

a compatibilized blend of a poly(arylene ether) and a polyamide;

an electrically conductive carbon black; and

an impact modifier;

wherein the electrically conductive carbon black comprises agglomerates and the agglomerates have an average agglomerate size of 32 to 600 square micrometers;

wherein the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.045.

36. A method of making an article comprising:

disposing electrically charged particles onto at least a portion of a grounded thermoplastic section,

wherein the thermoplastic sections comprises

a compatibilized blend of a poly(arylene ether) and a polyamide;

an electrically conductive carbon black; and

an impact modifier;

wherein the electrically conductive carbon black comprises agglomerates and the agglomerates have an average agglomerate size of 30 to 600 square micrometers; and

wherein the weight ratio of electrically conductive carbon black to polyamide is greater than or equal to 0.043.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the electrically charged particles are liquid paint particles.

38. The method of claim 36 , wherein the electrically charged particles are solid paint particles.

Assignments (6)