Sanitary equipment part

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023025955-A1
Application number	US-202117280659-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 1, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Jan 26, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A part includes a base material and a surface layer on the base material, wherein a curved surface of the part has: a root mean square height (Sq) of 0.03 μm to 1 μm, a skewness (Ssk) of −1 to 5, and an autocorrelation length (Sal) of 10 μm to 65 μm; and the surface layer is water-repellent, and exhibits a sputtering time of 5 minutes or less, the sputtering time being a time taken from the start of the sputtering to an end point of the surface layer, and the end point being defined, in a profile obtained by an XPS depth direction analysis of the surface layer, as a point where a difference of an absolute value between a carbon atom concentration at a certain measurement point and a carbon atom concentration at a measurement point just prior to the certain measurement point is 1.0 at % or less.

First claim

1 . A part comprising a base material and a surface layer on the base material, wherein
a surface of the part has a concave and convex structure characterized by the following properties defined in JIS B 0681-2 (2018):
a root mean square height (Sq) of 0.03 μm or more to 1 μm or less,
a skewness (Ssk) of −1 or more to 5 or less, and
an autocorrelation length (Sal) of 10 μm or more to 65 μm or less; and
the surface layer is water-repellent, and exhibits a sputtering time of 5 minutes or less, the sputtering time being a time taken from the start of the sputtering to an end point of the surface layer, and the end point being defined, in a profile obtained by an XPS depth direction analysis of the surface layer, as a point where a difference of an absolute value between a carbon atom concentration at a certain measurement point and a carbon atom concentration at a measurement point just prior to the certain measurement point is 1.0 at % or less.

2 . The part according to claim 1 , wherein the concave and convex structure has the following properties:
the root mean square height (Sq) of 0.04 μm or more to 1 μm or less, the skewness (Ssk) of −1 or more to 5 or less, and the autocorrelation length (Sal) of 10 μm or more to 55 μm or less.

3 . The part according to claim 1 , wherein the surface layer has a sputtering time of 3 minutes or less, the sputtering time being a time taken from the start of the sputtering from an end point of the surface layer, and the end point being defined, in a profile obtained by an XPS depth direction analysis of the surface layer, as a point where an absolute value of a difference between a carbon atom concentration at a certain measurement point and a carbon atom concentration at a measurement point just prior to the certain measurement point is 1.0 at % or less.

4 . The part according to claim 1 , wherein the part is used as a faucet, or a part constituting a toilet, or a part constituting a bathroom.

5 . The part according to claim 4 , wherein the surface of the part is applied for a surface facing down or a back surface of the faucet, or the part constituting a toilet, or the part constituting a bathroom.

6 . A method for manufacturing the part according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
(a) a step of providing a base material, a surface of which having a concave and convex structure characterized by the following properties defined in JIS B 0681-2 (2018):
a root mean square height (Sq) of 0.03 μm or more to 1 μm or less,
a skewness (Ssk) of −1 or more to 5 or less, and
an autocorrelation length (Sal) of 10 μm or more to 65 μm or less; and
(b) a step of forming a surface layer on the surface of the base material having the concave and convex structure.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising a step of plating the surface of the base material having the concave and convex structure between the step (a) and the step (b).

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the step (a) comprises:
(a1) a step of providing a support member, and (a2) a step of manufacturing the base material by forming a concave and convex structure on a surface of the support member, the concave and convex structure being characterized by the following properties defined in JIS B 0681-2 (2018):
a root mean square height (Sq) of 0.03 μm or more to 1 μm or less,
a skewness (Ssk) of −1 or more to 5 or less, and
an autocorrelation length (Sal) of 10 μm or more to 65 μm or less.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising a step of plating a surface of the support member to manufacture the support member including a plated layer on the surface thereof between the step (a1) and the step (a2).

10 . The part according to claim 2 , wherein the surface layer has a sputtering time of 3 minutes or less, the sputtering time being a time taken from the start of the sputtering from an end point of the surface layer, and the end point being defined, in a profile obtained by an XPS depth direction analysis of the surface layer, as a point where an absolute value of a difference between a carbon atom concentration at a certain measurement point and a carbon atom concentration at a measurement point just prior to the certain measurement point is 1.0 at % or less.

11 . The part according to claim 2 , wherein the part is used as a faucet, or a part constituting a toilet, or a part constituting a bathroom.

12 . The part according to claim 11 , wherein the surface of the part is applied for a surface facing down or a back surface of the faucet, or the part constituting a toilet, or the part constituting a bathroom.

13 . The part according to claim 3 , wherein the part is used as a faucet, or a part constituting a toilet, or a part constituting a bathroom.

14 . The part according to claim 13 , wherein the surface of the part is applied for a surface facing down or a back surface of the faucet, or the part constituting a toilet, or the part constituting a bathroom.

15 . A method for manufacturing the part according to claim 2 , the method comprising:
(a) a step of providing a base material, a surface of which having a concave and convex structure characterized by the following properties defined in JIS B 0681-2 (2018):
a root mean square height (Sq) of 0.03 μm or more to 1 μm or less,
a skewness (Ssk) of −1 or more to 5 or less, and
an autocorrelation length (Sal) of 10 μm or more to 65 μm or less; and
(b) a step of forming a surface layer on the surface of the base material having the concave and convex structure.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , further comprising a step of plating the surface of the base material having the concave and convex structure between the step (a) and the step (b).

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the step (a) comprises:
(a1) a step of providing a support member, and (a2) a step of manufacturing the base material by forming a concave and convex structure on a surface of the support member, the concave and convex structure being characterized by the following properties defined in JIS B 0681-2 (2018):
a root mean square height (Sq) of 0.03 μm or more to 1 μm or less,
a skewness (Ssk) of −1 or more to 5 or less, and
an autocorrelation length (Sal) of 10 μm or more to 65 μm or less.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising a step of plating a surface of the support member to manufacture the support member including a plated layer on the surface thereof between the step (a1) and the step (a2).

Assignees

• Toto Ltd

Inventors

• Hijikata Ryojiro
• Ukigai Saori

Classifications

• E03C1/0404 Primary

  Constructional or functional features of the spout · CPC title

• B32B9/041

  of metal · CPC title

• E03C2201/70

  Reducing or removing limescale at spout outlet · CPC title

• E03C1/04 Primary

  Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths (valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K) · CPC title

• B32B2255/28

  Multiple coating on one surface · CPC title