Multicolor fixture finishes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12366006-B2
Application number	US-202418752338-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2024
Priority date	Jan 6, 2018
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

A plumbing fixture having a multi-color appearance includes a first portion including a first finish having a first appearance and a second portion including a second portion having a second appearance that differs from the first appearance. The plumbing fixture further includes a transition region between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the appearance of the third region is graduated from the first appearance to the second appearance between a first end of the transition region adjacent the first portion and a second end of the transition region adjacent the second portion. The plumbing fixture has an ombre appearance as a result of the graduated transition between the first portion and the second portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A plumbing fixture having an ombré appearance, the plumbing fixture comprising:
a first portion comprising a first vacuum deposition coating having a first color;
a second portion comprising a second vacuum deposition coating having a second color that differs from the first color; and
a gradient portion between the first portion and the second portion, the gradient portion having varying intensities of the first and second vacuum deposition coatings such that the gradient portion has an appearance that transitions from the first color to the second color along a length of the gradient portion,
wherein the plumbing fixture is selected from the group consisting of a faucet, a faucet handle, water piping, a hose, a sink, a bathtub, a whirlpool, and a spa, and
whereby the plumbing fixture has an ombre appearance as a result of the gradient portion.

2. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the gradient portion comprises the first vacuum deposition coating at a first percentage in a range of about 5% to about 95% intensity with the remaining balance as a second percentage of the second vacuum deposition coating.

3. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the first vacuum deposition coating and the second vacuum deposition coating are selected from at least one of polished chrome, brushed chrome, polished French gold, polished titanium, brushed titanium, polished rose gold, polished modem gold, polished tungsten, polished modem brass, satin titanium, polished satin chrome, satin bronze, polished brass, satin brass, oil-rubbed bronze, polished nickel, brushed nickel, or matte black.

4. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the first finish deposition coating and the second deposition coating are physical vapor deposition (PVD) finishes, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) finishes, or atomic layer deposition (ALD) finishes.

5. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the first vacuum deposition coating or the second vacuum deposition coating is deposited on the gradient portion at varying intensities along different angles relative to the plumbing fixture.

6. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , further comprising:
a priming layer on the plumbing fixture disposed between the plumbing fixture and the first vacuum deposition coating or between the plumbing fixture and the second vacuum deposition coating.

7. A plumbing fixture having an ombré appearance, the plumbing fixture comprising:
a first portion comprising a first vacuum deposition coating having a first appearance;
a second portion comprising a second vacuum deposition coating having a second appearance that differs from the first appearance;
a third portion extending between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the third portion comprises varying intensities of the first vacuum deposition coating and the second vacuum deposition coating along a length of the third portion such that the third portion has an appearance that transitions in graduated fashion from the first appearance at a first end thereof adjacent the first portion to the second appearance at a second end thereof adjacent the second portion, and
wherein the plumbing fixture is selected from the group consisting of a faucet, a faucet handle, water piping, a hose, a sink, a bathtub, a whirlpool, and a spa.

8. The plumbing fixture of claim 7 , wherein the first appearance comprises a first finish and the second appearance comprises a second finish.

9. The plumbing fixture of claim 8 , wherein the first finish and the second finish are selected from at least one of polished chrome, brushed chrome, polished French gold, polished titanium, brushed titanium, polished rose gold, polished modem gold, polished tungsten, polished modem brass, satin titanium, polished satin chrome, satin bronze, polished brass, satin brass, oil-rubbed bronze, polished nickel, brushed nickel, or matte black.

10. The plumbing fixture of claim 7 , wherein third portion comprises a first percentage in a range of about 5% to about 95% of the first appearance with the remaining balance as a second percentage of the second appearance.

11. The plumbing fixture of claim 7 , wherein the third portion includes varying percentages of the first vacuum deposition coating and varying percentages of the second vacuum deposition coating along the length of the third portion.

12. The plumbing fixture of claim 7 , wherein the first vacuum deposition coating and the second vacuum deposition coating are physical vapor deposition (PVD) finishes, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) finishes, or atomic layer deposition (ALD) finishes.

13. A method of forming a multi-color plumbing fixture formed by a deposition coating process comprising:
vacuum depositing a first deposition coating having a first color on the plumbing fixture selected from the group consisting of a faucet, a faucet handle, water piping, a hose, a sink, a bathtub, a whirlpool, and a spa;
selectively applying a masking material in a graduated fashion over at least a portion of the first deposition coating to define a gradient portion from a first portion of the plumbing fixture that is substantially completely covered by the masking material to a second portion of the plumbing fixture that has substantially no masking material;
vacuum depositing a second deposition coating having a second color different than the first color over the masking material; and
removing the masking material from the plumbing fixture such that the plumbing fixture has a surface finish including the gradient portion representing a gradual transition between the first deposition coating and the second deposition coating;
wherein selectively applying the masking material in a graduated fashion comprises spraying the masking material at varying intensities such that the gradient portion has an appearance that transitions from the first color to the second appearance color along a length of the gradient portion.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the gradient portion comprises a first percentage of the first deposition coating and a second percentage of the second deposition coating.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first percentage is in a range of about 5% to about 95% with the remaining balance as the second percentage.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the gradient portion includes varying percentages of the first deposition coating and varying percentages of the second deposition coating along the length of the gradient portion.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the masking material includes at least one of molybdenum disulfide, tungsten disulfide, boron nitride, or graphite.

18. The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the first color is a first metallic finish and the second color is a second metallic finish.

19. The plumbing fixture of claim 8 , wherein the first finish is a first metallic finish and the second finish is a second metallic finish.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Moh Sarfaraz
• Clarke Gary N

Classifications

• C23C14/165

  by cathodic sputtering · CPC title

• C23C14/0647

  Boron nitride · CPC title

• C23C14/0623

  Sulfides, selenides or tellurides · CPC title

• B05D5/068

  achieved by multilayers (B05D5/066 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05D5/066

  achieved by multilayers · CPC title