IP Library Granted Patent US 9,790,592
Granted Patent B2
US 9,790,592 · App. 14/779,375 · Granted Oct 17, 2017

Decorative article having black hard coating film

Inventor: Osamu Tanaka (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
C23C16/26C23C16/006C23C16/513C23C16/52
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,790,592
App. No.
14/779,375
Granted
Oct 17, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a decorative article including a black hard coating film which is excellently inhibited from suffering a deterioration of appearance quality such as a scratch due to use thereof, and which has excellent decorativeness. The decorative article according to the present invention is a decorative article including: a base; and a black hard coating film which is formed on the base, and which includes diamond-like carbon, wherein the hydrogen content of a surface, reverse to a surface closer to the base, of the black hard coating film is more than the hydrogen content of the surface, closer to the base, of the black hard coating film; and the hydrogen content of the surface, reverse to the surface closer to the base, of the black hard coating film is 30.0 to 75.0 atm %.

Claims (27)

1. An article comprising a decorative article,

the decorative article comprising: a base; and a black hard coating film which is formed on the base, and which comprises diamond-like carbon,

wherein a hydrogen content of a surface, reverse to a surface closer to the base, of the black hard coating film is more than a hydrogen content of the surface, closer to the base, of the black hard coating film; and the hydrogen content of the surface, reverse to the surface closer to the base, of the black hard coating film is 30.0 to 75.0 atm %, and

wherein the article comprising the decorative article is a timepiece, a necklace, a pendant, a brooch, or glasses.

2. The article comprising a decorative article according to claim 1 , wherein

the black hard coating film comprises a gradient layer comprising diamond-like carbon;

a hydrogen content in the gradient layer is increased with increasing a distance from the base; and

a hydrogen content of a surface, reverse to a surface closer to the base, of the gradient layer is 30.0 to 75.0 atm %.

3. The article comprising a decorative article according to claim 2 , wherein

the black hard coating film further comprises a low-hydrogen-content layer which is formed in a portion closer to the base than the gradient layer, and which comprises diamond-like carbon; and

a hydrogen content in the low-hydrogen-content layer is less than 30.0 atm %.

4. The article comprising a decorative article according to claim 3 , wherein the low-hydrogen-content layer and the gradient layer are formed in this order from a side closer to the base; and a hydrogen content of a surface, closer to the gradient layer, of the low-hydrogen-content layer and a hydrogen content of a surface, closer to the low-hydrogen-content layer, of the gradient layer are equal.

5. The article comprising a decorative article according to claim 3 , wherein

the black hard coating film layer comprises a first low-hydrogen-content layer and a second low-hydrogen-content layer as the low-hydrogen-content layer and further comprises an intermediate layer comprising diamond-like carbon;

the first low-hydrogen-content layer, the intermediate layer, the second low-hydrogen-content layer, and the gradient layer are formed in this order from a side closer to the base;

a hydrogen content in the first low-hydrogen-content layer is less than a hydrogen content in the second low-hydrogen-content layer;

a hydrogen content in the intermediate layer is increased with increasing a distance from the base; and

a hydrogen content of a surface, closer to the intermediate layer, of the first low-hydrogen-content layer and a hydrogen content of a surface, closer to the first low-hydrogen-content layer, of the intermediate layer are equal, a hydrogen content of a surface, closer to the second low-hydrogen-content layer, of the intermediate layer and a hydrogen content of a surface, closer to the intermediate layer, of the second low-hydrogen-content layer are equal, and a hydrogen content of a surface, closer to the gradient layer, of the second low-hydrogen-content layer and a hydrogen content of a surface, closer to the second low-hydrogen-content layer, of the gradient layer are equal.

6. The article comprising a decorative article according to claim 2 , wherein

the black hard coating film further comprises an outermost surface layer which is formed on a side, reverse to a side closer to the base, of the gradient layer, and which comprises diamond-like carbon; and

a hydrogen content in the outermost surface layer is an amount of ±10.0 atm % with respect to a hydrogen content of a surface, reverse to a surface closer to the base, of the gradient layer.

7. The article comprising a decorative article according to claim 1 , wherein a hydrogen content in the black hard coating film is increased with increasing a distance from the base.

8. The article comprising a decorative article according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the black hard coating film is 0.4 to 3.0 μm.

9. A method for producing an article comprising a decorative article comprising a base and a black hard coating film which is formed on the base, and which comprises diamond-like carbon,

the method comprising a black hard coating film formation step of forming the black hard coating film by a plasma CVD method, wherein

in the black hard coating film formation step, the black hard coating film is formed so that a hydrogen content of a surface, reverse to a surface closer to the base, of the black hard coating film is more than a hydrogen content of the surface, closer to the base, of the black hard coating film, and the hydrogen content of the surface, reverse to the surface closer to the base, of the black hard coating film is 30.0 to 75.0 atm %,

wherein the article comprising the decorative article is a timepiece, a necklace, a pendant, a brooch, or glasses.

Assignments (2)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 23, 2016
From: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD; CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD; CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD
To: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 040759/0196 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 23, 2015
From: TANAKA, OSAMU
To: CITIZEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.; CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 036634/0368 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-068677 · Mar 28, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160053371A1 · Feb 25, 2016