IP Library Granted Patent US 9,471,040
Granted Patent B2
US 9,471,040 · App. 14/385,164 · Granted Oct 18, 2016

Rigid decorative member

Inventor: Koutarou Takazaki (Saitama, JP)
Assignees: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.; CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
G04B37/221C23C14/0015C23C14/0036C23C14/024C23C14/0635C23C14/0641C23C14/08C23C14/165C23C28/042C23C28/044C23C28/048
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,471,040
App. No.
14/385,164
Granted
Oct 18, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a rigid decorative member that has high film hardness, is excellent in scratch resistance performance and abrasion resistance performance, and has excellent color brightness and color saturation. The rigid decorative member of the present invention is a rigid decorative member wherein a reaction compound film of an alloy of Cr and a metal selected from one or two or more of Mo, W, Nb, Ta, Ti, Hf, Zr, and V, and of a non-metallic element selected from one or two or more of nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen is formed on a substrate. There is provided the rigid decorative member significantly improved in scratch resistance and abrasion resistance and having a color tone with a high quality feel; and there is further supplied a product of which the color tones of brightness and color saturation can be freely controlled. The rigid decorative member of the present invention includes the reaction compound film of the alloy of Cr, which is a metal having high adhesion to a metal and high brightness but having low hardness, and a metal having high film hardness and high corrosion resistance but having low brightness and low adhesion (Mo, W, Nb, Ta, Ti, Hf, Zr, V), and of the non-metallic element such as nitrogen, carbon, or oxygen.

Claims (19)

1. A rigid decorative member comprising:

a base; and

a rigid decorative coating with plural layers containing a reaction compound of an alloy of Cr and one or two or more selected from the group consisting of Mo, W, Nb, Ta, Ti, Hf, Zr, and V, and of one or two or more non-metallic elements of nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen, stacked on the base, wherein,

said rigid decorative coating with the several layers comprises an adhesion layer stacked on the substrate, a gradient adhesion layer stacked on the adhesion layer, an abrasion-resistant layer stacked on the gradient adhesion layer, and a recolored gradient layer stacked on the abrasion-resistant layer;

a non-metallic element in the adhesion layer is low-concentration oxygen;

a non-metallic element in the gradient adhesion layer, the abrasion-resistant layer, and the recolored gradient layer comprises one or two or more of nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen;

the content of a non-metallic element in a reaction compound included in the gradient adhesion layer is increased in a gradient manner in a thickness direction with departing from the substrate; and

the content of a non-metallic element in a reaction compound included in the recolored gradient layer is increased or decreased in a gradient manner in a thickness direction with departing from the substrate.

2. The rigid decorative member according to claim 1 , wherein the non-metallic element in the coating mainly comprises nitrogen.

3. The rigid decorative member according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the abrasion-resistant layer is 0.5 to 4 μm.

4. The rigid decorative member according to claim 1 , wherein the proportion of the Cr is 20 wt % or more.

5. The rigid decorative member according to claim 1 , wherein the appearance color of the rigid decorative member is a white color or a stainless steel color.

6. A watch comprising an exterior part of which at least a portion comprises the rigid decorative member according to claim 1 .

7. A method for producing the rigid decorative member according to claim 1 , comprising at least one step of:

a step of forming the adhesion layer by a reactive sputtering method;

a step of forming the gradient adhesion layer by a reactive sputtering method;

a step of forming the abrasion-resistant layer by a reactive sputtering method; and

a step of forming the recolored gradient layer by a reactive sputtering method.

8. The method for producing a rigid decorative member according to claim 7 , wherein the amount of a reactant gas containing the non-metallic element used in the reactive sputtering method in the step of forming the gradient adhesion layer and the step of forming the recolored gradient layer is chronologically increased or decreased.

Assignments (2)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 31, 2017
From: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.; CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
To: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 041570/0566 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2014
From: TAKAZAKI, KOUTAROU
To: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.; CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 033735/0965 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-062812 · Mar 19, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150044508A1 · Feb 12, 2015