IP Library Granted Patent US 9,469,765
Granted Patent B2
US 9,469,765 · App. 14/385,166 · Granted Oct 18, 2016

Golden rigid decorative member

Inventor: Koutarou Takazaki (Saitama, JP)
Assignees: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.; CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
C09D1/00A44C27/007C23C14/0015C23C14/0036C23C14/025C23C14/0641C23C14/0676C23C14/14C23C14/3414G04B37/221A44C27/005Y10T428/265
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,469,765
App. No.
14/385,166
Granted
Oct 18, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A golden rigid decorative member in which scratch resistance and abrasion resistance are significantly improved and deterioration of appearance quality due to a flaw, abrasion, or the like is suppressed, and which has a pale color with a high quality feel is stably provided. A single layer or several layers of a coating including a reaction compound of an alloy of Ti and one or two or more metals selected from Nb, Ta, and V, and of one or two non-metallic elements mainly including nitrogen and selected from carbon and oxygen are stacked on a base.

Claims (18)

1. A rigid decorative member comprising:

a base; and

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

the plural layers include an adhesion layer stacked on a substrate, a gradient adhesion layer stacked on the adhesion layer, an abrasion-resistant layer stacked on the gradient adhesion layer, and a golden adjustment 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, that of the abrasion-resistant layer, and that of the golden adjustment gradient layer mainly comprise nitrogen and are selectively selected from 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 golden adjustment 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 alloy proportion of the Ti is 25 wt % or more.

4. The rigid decorative member according to claim 1 , wherein the appearance color of the golden adjustment gradient layer is a pale gold color.

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

6. The rigid decorative member according to claim 1 , wherein a value of L*, exhibiting brightness in Lab color space displaying, of the rigid decorative coating is 78 or more.

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

8. A method for producing the rigid decorative member according to claim 1 , comprising forming the rigid decorative coating layer by a reactive sputtering method using an alloy target of Ti and one or two or more metals selected from Nb, Ta, and V.

9. The method for producing a rigid decorative member according to claim 8 , wherein

a reactant gas containing the non-metallic element is used in the reactive sputtering method; and

the gradient adhesion layer and the golden adjustment gradient layer are formed by chronologically increasing or decreasing the amount of the reactant gas containing the non-metallic element.

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 033735/0971 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-062218 · Mar 19, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150044453A1 · Feb 12, 2015