IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,522,569
Granted Patent B2
US 9,522,569 · App. 14/029,341 · Granted Dec 20, 2016

Articles, including wheels, having plasma vapor deposited (PVD) coating

Inventors: Larry P. Haack (Ann Arbor, MI); Ann Marie Straccia (Southgate, MI); Steven J. Simko (Shelby Township, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B60B19/00C23C28/00B60B2310/614B60B2310/616B60B2310/654B60Y2200/11Y10T428/12611Y10T428/263Y10T428/265Y10T428/31551Y10T428/31663
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,522,569
App. No.
14/029,341
Granted
Dec 20, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An article is disclosed that includes a metallic layer overlaying a substrate surface; a plasma vapor deposited (PVD) oxide layer overlaying the metallic layer; and an exposed polymeric layer overlaying the oxide layer to form a protective layer at the interface between the exposed polymeric layer and the oxide layer.

Claims (94)

1. An article comprising:

a substrate;

a primer polymer layer overlaying and contacting the substrate;

a chrome metallic layer overlaying and contacting the primer polymer layer;

a plasma vapor deposited (PVD) oxide layer overlaying the chrome metallic layer and having a thickness of 1 to 5 nanometers and a parameter of color change of the underlying chrome metallic layer determined according to the following equation:

Δ

⁢

⁢

E

ab

*

=

(

Δ

⁢

⁢

L

*

)

2

+

(

Δ

⁢

⁢

a

*

)

2

+

(

Δ

⁢

⁢

b

*

)

2

wherein L is a color brightness of the oxide layer, and a and b are color-opponent dimensions of the oxide layer and chrome metallic layer, wherein the ΔE* ab is less than 2.3;

an exposed polymeric layer overlaying the oxide layer; and

a protective layer at an interface between the exposed polymeric and oxide layers and being a reaction product of the exposed polymeric and oxide layers.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer directly contacts the exposed polymeric layer and the oxide layer.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer includes urethane linkages formed between the exposed polymeric layer and the oxide layer.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer includes M-O—Si bonds formed between the exposed polymeric layer and the oxide layer.

5. The article of claim 4 , wherein the exposed polymeric layer includes a siloxane coupling agent.

6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide layer includes titanium oxide.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the exposed polymeric layer includes a carbamate clearcoat.

8. The article of claim 1 , wherein the ΔE* ab is less than 1.0.

9. The article of claim 1 , wherein the chrome metallic layer includes first and second chrome metallic sub-layers.

10. The article of claim 1 , wherein the chrome metallic layer includes first, second and third chrome metallic sub-layers.

11. An article comprising:

a chrome metallic layer overlaying a substrate surface;

a plasma vapor deposited (PVD) oxide layer overlaying the chrome metallic layer and having a thickness of 1 to 5 nanometers and a parameter of color change of the underlying chrome metallic layer determined according to the following equation:

Δ

⁢

⁢

E

ab

*

=

(

Δ

⁢

⁢

L

*

)

2

+

(

Δ

⁢

⁢

a

*

)

2

+

(

Δ

⁢

⁢

b

*

)

2

wherein L is a color brightness of the oxide layer, and a and b are color-opponent dimensions of the oxide layer and chrome metallic layer, wherein the ΔE* ab is less than 2.3;

an exposed polymeric layer overlaying the oxide layer; and

a protective layer at an interface between the exposed polymeric and oxide layers and being a reaction product of the exposed polymeric and oxide layers.

12. The article of claim 11 , wherein the ΔE* ab is less than 1.0.

13. The article of claim 11 , wherein the chrome metallic layer is a plasma vapor deposited (PVD) chrome metallic layer.

14. The article of claim 11 , wherein the PVD oxide layer is a transparent PVD oxide layer.

15. The article of claim 11 , wherein the chrome metallic layer includes first and second chrome metallic sub-layers.

16. The article of claim 11 , wherein the chrome metallic layer includes first, second and third chrome metallic sub-layers.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 13178859 · Jul 8, 2011
Provisional Application 61365477 · Jul 19, 2010
Related Publication 20140017488A1 · Jan 16, 2014