Kitchen appliance, decorative article therefor, and method of manufacturing a decorative surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12509757-B2
Application number	US-202017617482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2020
Priority date	Jun 10, 2019
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

There is provided a method of manufacturing a decorative surface, comprising the steps of: coating a substrate with an opaque coating using a vapour deposition process; and etching the coating to expose the substrate selectively thereby to manufacture a decorative surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing a decorative surface, comprising:
coating a light transmissive substrate with an opaque non-light transmissive metallic coating using a vapour deposition process; thereafter, applying a lacquer layer to the coating; thereafter, etching the coating together with the lacquer layer to selectively remove portions of both layers so as to expose portions of the substrate thereby to manufacture a decorative surface; and wherein the decorative surface comprises a pattern that allows light to be transmitted through the exposed selected portions of the substrate.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating is an elemental coating.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating has a thickness of at most 0.5 μm.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating has a reflectance of at least 80%.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the coating has a Vickers hardness of 600 MPa or less, and a density of 2.7 g/cm 3 or less.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein etching comprises using a laser having a power output at peak of at least 50 watts being capable of emitting light having a wavelength for which the substrate is substantially transparent.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vapour deposition process is a physical vapour deposition process.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative surface consists of food safe materials, wherein said materials are physically and chemically stable at least at temperatures between 0 degrees and 100 degrees Celsius.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising applying a protective coating to the decorative surface following etching.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step(s) of applying a base coating to the substrate prior to coating with an opaque coating; optionally cleaning the substrate prior to applying a base layer; and optionally cleaning the base coating prior to coating with an opaque coating.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of applying a tint to at least part of the light transmissive substrate.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises an electrically insulating material, and wherein the method further comprises moulding a polymer to form the substrate.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the decorative surface is formed directly on a decorative article and wherein the decorative article is a three-dimensional object.

Assignees

• Kenwood Ltd

Inventors

• Spencer Rob

Classifications

• C23C14/5873

  Removal of material · CPC title

• C23C14/5813 Primary

  using lasers · CPC title

• C23C14/34

  Sputtering · CPC title

• C23C14/24

  Vacuum evaporation · CPC title

• C23C14/20

  on organic substrates · CPC title