Work piece having electrical current pathways

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016333483-A1
Application number	US-201514712665-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 14, 2015
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for plating a work piece. An electroless layer of material is applied to the work piece using an electroless plating process. The method includes creating a barrier in electrical conductivity in the work piece to divide the work piece into a first segment and a second segment which are substantially electrically insulated from one another, prior to electroplating the work piece. A plurality of methods are disclosed for dividing the work piece into the first and second segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A decorative work piece, comprising:
a plastic substrate having a front surface and a back surface; a first barrier to electrical conductivity located on at least the front surface to divide the front surface into a first segment and a second segment; a first decorative layer being disposed on the first segment; a second decorative layer being disposed on the second segment; wherein the first decorative layer is different than the second decorative layer such that the first segment has a different appearance than the second segment.

2 . The work piece of claim 1 , wherein the first decorative layer is selected from at least one of the following: copper, nickel, zinc, palladium, gold, cobalt, or chromium.

3 . The work piece of claim 2 , wherein the second decorative layer is selected from at least one of the following: copper, nickel, zinc, palladium, gold, cobalt, or chromium.

4 . The work piece of claim 1 , wherein one of the first decorative layer or the second decorative layer is formed of an electrophoretic coating.

5 . The work piece of claim 1 , wherein the plastic substrate is formed of a conductive material.

6 . The work piece of claim 1 , wherein the first barrier consists of a non-plateable material disposed on front surface.

7 . The work piece of claim 6 , wherein the non-plateable material is an integral aspect of said outer surface that is formed by one of the following: a multi-shot injection molding process, a transfer molding process, or an over-molding process.

8 . The work piece of claim 6 , wherein the first barrier consists of a plating resist coating applied to the front surface.

9 . The work piece of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second barrier formed in a back surface of the plastic substrate.

10 . The work piece of claim 9 , wherein the first barrier and the second barrier reside in substantially the same plane.

11 . The work piece of claim 9 , wherein the first barrier and the second barrier are formed by different processes.

12 . The work piece of claim 1 , wherein at least the first barrier is formed of a colored material to provide a different visual effect.

13 . The work piece of claim 1 , wherein at least the first barrier is formed of a translucent or transparent material to allow for the passage of light therethrough.

14 . The work piece of claim 3 , further comprising:
an intermediate layer disposed beneath at least one of the first decorative layer or the second decorative layer.

15 . The work piece of claim 14 , wherein the intermediate layer is formed of an acid copper material.

16 . The work piece of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of barriers formed in the front surface to form multiple segments.

17 . A decorative work piece, comprising:
a plastic substrate having a front surface and a back surface; a barrier to electrical conductivity located on the front surface, which divides the front surface into a first segment and a second segment; a base metal layer disposed on the first segment and the second segment, the barrier being substantially free of the base metal layer; a first decorative surface being disposed on the first portion; a second decorative surface being disposed on the second portion; wherein the first decorative surface is different than the second decorative surface.

18 . The work piece of claim 17 , wherein the first decorative layer is selected from at least one of the following: nickel, zinc, palladium, gold, cobalt, or chromium.

19 . The work piece of claim 18 , wherein the second decorative surface is selected from at least one of the following: nickel, zinc, palladium, gold, cobalt, or chromium.

20 . The work piece of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first decorative layer or the second decorative layer is formed of an electrophoretic coating.

21 . The work piece of claim 17 , wherein the first barrier consists of a non-plateable material disposed on front surface.

22 . The work piece of claim 21 , wherein the non-plateable material is an integral aspect of said outer surface that is formed by one of the following: a multi-shot injection molding process, a transfer molding process, or an over-molding process.

23 . The work piece of claim 21 , wherein the first barrier consists of a plating resist coating applied to the front surface.

24 . The work piece of claim 17 , further comprising:
a second barrier formed in a back surface of the plastic substrate.

25 . The work piece of claim 24 , wherein the first barrier and the second barrier reside in substantially the same plane.

26 . The work piece of claim 24 , wherein the first barrier and the second barrier are formed by different processes.

27 . The work piece of claim 17 , wherein at least the first barrier is formed of a colored material to provide a different visual effect.

28 . The work piece of claim 17 , wherein at least the first barrier is formed of a translucent or transparent material to allow for the passage of light therethrough.

29 . The work piece of claim 19 , further comprising:
an intermediate layer disposed beneath at least one of the first decorative layer or the second decorative layer.

30 . The work piece of claim 29 , wherein the intermediate layer is formed of an acid copper material.

31 . The work piece of claim 17 , further comprising:
a plurality of barriers formed in the front surface to form multiple segments.

32 . An article, comprising:
a plastic substrate having a front surface and a rear surface; a first barrier to electrical conductivity disposed on the front surface of the plastic substrate to segregate the front surface into a first front surface segment and a second front surface segment, the first barrier being formed by a first process; a first decorative layer being disposed on the first front surface segment; a second decorative layer being disposed on the second front surface segment; a second barrier to electrical conductivity disposed on the rear surface of the plastic substrate to segregate the rear surface into a first rear surface segment and a second rear surface segment; wherein the first decorative layer and the second decorative layer are different.

33 . The article of claim 32 , wherein the first decorative layer is selected from at least one of the following: copper, nickel, zinc, palladium, gold, cobalt, or chromium.

34 . The article of claim 33 , wherein the second decorative layer is selected from at least one of the following: copper, nickel, zinc, palladium, gold, cobalt, or chromium.

35 . The article of claim 32 , wherein one of the first decorative layer or the second decorative layer is formed of an electrophoretic coating.

36 . The article of claim 32 , wherein the plastic substrate is formed of a conductive material.

37 . The article of claim 32 , wherein the first barrier and the second barrier consists of one of the following:
a non-plateable material disposed on front surface, a plating resist coating applied to the front surface or a break in an underlying metal layer disposed on the plastic substrate.

38 . The article of claim 3

Assignees

• Lavallee Michael
• Lacks Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Lavallee Michael

Classifications

• C25D13/12

  characterised by the article coated · CPC title

• C25D13/02

  with inorganic material · CPC title

• C23C28/023 Primary

  only coatings of metal elements only · CPC title

• C25D5/022

  using masking means · CPC title

• C25D5/12

  at least one layer being of nickel or chromium · CPC title