Graphic Formation via Material Ablation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016143170-A9
Application number	US-201313784746-A
Country	US
Kind code	A9
Filing date	Mar 4, 2013
Priority date	Oct 17, 2012
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for graphic formation via material ablation described. In at least some implementations, a graphic is applied to a surface of an object by ablating layers of the object to form an ablation trench in the shape of the graphic. In at least some embodiments, an object can include a surface layer and multiple sublayers of materials. When an ablation trench is generated in the object, the ablation trench can penetrate a surface layer of the object and into an intermediate layer. In at least some implementations, height variations in an object surface caused by an ablation trench can cause variations in light reflection properties such that a graphic applied via the ablation trench appears at a different color tone than a surrounding surface, even if the ablation trench and the surrounding surface are coated with a same colored coating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a housing formed from a substrate; a surface layer of at least one of a metal or a metal alloy applied on top of the substrate; an ablation trench in the shape of a graphic and formed into the surface layer without penetrating into the substrate; and at least one coating applied to the ablation trench and at least a portion of the surface layer.

2 . An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a computing device, the surface layer comprises an outer surface of the computing device, and the graphic comprises a visual image to be applied to the outer surface.

3 . An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the surface layer is formed from at least one of chromium, a chromium alloy, nickel, or a nickel alloy.

4 . An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the surface layer is formed at a thickness of up to 1500μ.

5 . An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the ablation trench is formed such that the ablation trench penetrates the surface layer at a depth range of up to 4μ.

6 . An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the at least one coating is colored such that a same color is applied to the ablation trench and the at least a portion of the surface layer.

7 . An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the at least one coating includes at least one of a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) coating, or an anti-fingerprint (AFP) coating.

8 . An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the at least one coating includes a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating applied to the ablation trench and the at least a portion of the surface layer, and an anti-fingerprint (AFP) coating applied to the PVD coating.

9 . An apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the ablation trench is formed such that incident light on the ablation trench and the portion of the surface layer causes variations in light reflection properties between the ablation trench and the portion of the surface layer.

10 . A housing comprising:
a substrate; multiple layers of materials applied on top of the substrate, at least some of the multiple layers being formed from different metals or different metal alloys; an ablation trench in the shape of a graphic and formed through a surface layer of the multiple layers into an intermediate layer of the multiple layers, the ablation trench being formed such that a lowermost portion of the trench is positioned within the intermediate layer without penetrating an interface between the intermediate layer and a lower layer of the multiple layers; and at least one colored coating applied to the ablation trench and at least a portion of the surface layer.

11 . A housing as described in claim 10 , wherein the housing comprises a portion of a computing device, the surface layer comprises an outer surface of the computing device, and the graphic comprises an image to be applied to the outer surface.

12 . A housing as described in claim 10 , wherein the surface layer is formed from at least one of chromium or a chromium alloy, the intermediate layer if formed from at least one of nickel or a nickel alloy, and the lower layer is formed from at least one of copper or a copper alloy.

13 . A housing as described in claim 12 , wherein the surface layer is formed at a thickness of 0.1μ to 0.3μ, the intermediate layer if formed at a thickness of 9.0μ+/−5μ, and the lower layer is formed at a thickness of 20μ+/−5μ.

14 . A housing as described in claim 13 , wherein the ablation trench is formed such that the ablation trench penetrates the intermediate layer at a depth range of 2μ to 4μ.

15 . A housing as described in claim 10 , wherein the at least one colored coating comprises a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating applied to the ablation trench and the at least a portion of the surface layer at a thickness that ranges from 0.8μ to 1.2μ.

16 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving specifications for a graphic to be applied to a surface of an object, the object including multiple layers of material including a surface layer and multiple layers beneath the surface layer; ablating the surface of the object based on the specifications to generate an ablation trench that corresponds to the graphic, the ablation trench being ablated such that the ablation trench penetrates the surface layer and a lowermost portion of the trench is positioned within an intermediate layer of the multiple layers without penetrating an interface between the intermediate layer and a lower layer of the multiple layers; and coating the ablation trench and at least a portion of the surface of the object with a coating.

17 . A computer-implemented method as described in claim 16 , wherein the specifications comprise a pattern for the graphic and at least one of an ablation depth or an ablation depth range for the ablation trench.

18 . A computer-implemented method as described in claim 16 , wherein said ablating is implemented via a laser.

19 . A computer-implemented method as described in claim 16 , wherein the coating comprises a colored vapor deposition coating.

20 . A computer-implemented method as described in claim 16 , wherein said ablating comprises varying an ablation depth of the ablation trench.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Mccormack Mark Thomas
• Master Raj N
• Lane Michael Joseph
• Darbha Krishna
• Groene Ralf
• Ishihara James Alec
• Fischer Joshua James

Classifications

• Y10T428/12389

  having variation in thickness · CPC title

• Y10T428/12854

  Next to Co-, Fe-, or Ni-base component · CPC title

• Y10T428/264

  Up to 3 mils · CPC title

• C23C14/0015

  characterized by the colour of the layer · CPC title

• Y10T428/12847

  Cr-base component · CPC title