Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D1/00—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials
  • B05D1/32—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials using means for protecting parts of a surface not to be coated, e.g. using stencils, resists
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
  • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
  • G04B19/06—Dials
  • G04B19/10—Ornamental shape of the graduations or the surface of the dial; Attachment of the graduations to the dial
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
  • B44C1/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing decorative surface effects
  • B44C1/22—Removing surface-material, e.g. by engraving, by etching
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
  • B44C1/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing decorative surface effects
  • B44C1/24—Pressing or stamping ornamental designs on surfaces
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04D—APPARATUS OR TOOLS SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR MAKING OR MAINTAINING CLOCKS OR WATCHES
  • G04D3/00—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials
  • G04D3/0002—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe
  • G04D3/0043—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of the time-indicating mechanisms
  • G04D3/0048—Watchmakers' or watch-repairers' machines or tools for working materials for mechanical working other than with a lathe for components of the time-indicating mechanisms for dials

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a decorated relief piece and, more particularly, such a plastic piece whose decorations have a metallic appearance.
• a timepiece dial usually has sconces to decorate it. These appliques may for example represent a time lapse to facilitate the determination of the time relative to the location of the needles of the timepiece. These sconces can also be used to simply bring an aesthetic effect to the dial.
• these sconces are mounted on the dial by successive steps of gluing and possibly masking and / or buffering which, in addition to the price of the sconces, causes additional manufacturing costs due to the required positioning accuracy which is as much larger than the wall lamp is thick.
• the object of the present invention is to overcome all or part of the disadvantages mentioned above by more generally proposing a method of manufacturing a decorated part which has fewer steps and consumes less material to make the decorations.
• the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a raised piece, which reliefs are at least partially coated with a decorative layer comprising the following step:
• Step b) is intended to reduce locally the adhesion of the body surface so that, in step c), the deposited layer does not adhere to the modified parts;
• the decrease in adhesion is obtained by the formation of alternating bosses with depressions, the height and the width of the depressions being respectively between 50 and 200 ⁇ m and 5 and 20 ⁇ m, and the width of the bosses between 0.1 and 3 ⁇ m;
• Step b) is intended to locally increase the adhesion of the body surface so that, in step c), the deposited layer adheres to the modified parts;
• the adhesion increase is obtained by the formation of alternating bosses with recesses, the height and the width of the recesses being respectively between 2 and 10 ⁇ m and 5 and 20 ⁇ m, and the width of the bosses between 5 and 20 ⁇ m ;
• the widths of the recesses and bosses are substantially equal;
• step a) is carried out by injecting material into a mold; steps a) and b) are carried out at the same time by locally modifying the internal surface state of said mold; step b) is carried out by radiation of the laser type;
• step c) is carried out by a physical vapor deposition
• the decorative layer comprises at least one metallic material
• step d electroplating is carried out in order to thicken each part comprising said decorative layer;
• the body of the piece is made using a plastic material
• the relief piece is a timepiece dial.
• FIG. 1 is a typical dial timepiece seen from above;
• FIG. 2 is a schematic section according to section A-A of FIG. 1;
• FIGS. 3 to 7 are representations of successive steps of two embodiments of the manufacturing method according to the invention.
• FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the manufacturing method according to the invention.
• FIG. 9 is a schematic top view of a dial according to the invention.
• FIG. 10 is an enlarged representation of a portion of FIG. 9 according to a first embodiment
• FIG. 1 1 is a sectional view A-A of Figure 10;
• FIG. 12 is an enlarged representation of part of the figure
• FIG. 13 is a sectional view B-B of Figure 12.
• Figures 1 and 2 show a typical dial 1 1 for a timepiece. As explained above, the method 1 according to the invention - AT -
• a timepiece dial is not limited to the manufacture of a dial but to any type of plastic part decorated in relief.
• a timepiece dial is a good example of application of the method 1 according to the invention.
• a dial January 1 is typically a body 12 at several levels.
• the body 12 includes in particular a circular recess 19 adapted to form a secondary display of the timepiece.
• the upper face of the body 12 comprises one hour lap in the form of indexes 13 regularly spaced.
• the secondary display comprises a second series of indexes 15 which borders on said circular shape.
• the upper face comprises a decoration 17 intended to mask the shoulder between said upper face and the recess
• the manufacturing method 1 makes it possible to provide a new type of manufacturing which is particularly suitable for plastic parts 21 whose reliefs are very pronounced, that is to say greater than 40 ⁇ m.
• the manufacturing method 1 comprises a first step 3 for manufacturing the main body 22 of the future plastic part 21 (a dial 21 in the example below).
• step 3 is performed by injecting said plastic into a mold (not shown). Indeed, this type of manufacture allows the precise roughing of the raised portions of the dial 21.
• the plastic material for producing the body 22 may be, for example, thermoplastic resins such as styrene such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), acrylic resins such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and mixtures such as PMMA / ABS, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamides, polycarbonates (PC), ABS / PC mixtures, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer ( EVA), polyimides or fluorinated resins such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
• thermoplastic resins such as styrene such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), acrylic resins such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and mixtures such as PMMA / ABS
• PET polyethylene terephthalate
• PBT polybutylene terephthalate
• PC polycarbonates
• step 5 of the method 1 the surface of the body 22 is structured to locally modify its surface state.
• step 5 comprises two embodiments according to the adhesion characteristics of the plastic material used. Indeed according to the invention, the decorative layer will be applied directly to the body 22 of plastic.
• step 5 is intended to locally increase the adhesion of the body surface 22 at the parts to decorate, that is to say the elevations 24, 26 and 28.
• the materials with very low adhesion are, for example, but not exclusively, polyolefins (PE ⁇ 70%, PP ⁇ 60%, etc.), saturated polyesters ( PET, PBT, etc.), polyamides (PA, etc.), fluorinated polymers (PTFE> 50%, etc.) or polyoxymethylenes (POM ⁇ 80%, etc.).
• the structuring allowing the increase in adhesion comprises bosses 33 formed by making depressions 34 in the thickness of the part to be decorated 1 1 which is not limited. to a dial.
• the height h 1 of the recesses 34 is small, that is to say between 2 and 10 ⁇ m and preferably about 5 ⁇ m
• the width Ci of the recesses 34 is between 5 and 20 ⁇ m and preferably about 10 ⁇ m
• the width bi of the bosses 33 is between 5 and 20 ⁇ m and preferably about 10 ⁇ m.
• the widths d, b respectively of the recesses 34 and the bosses 33 are substantially equal. This local structuring thus advantageously allows an increase in the selective adhesion of the surface to be coated during step 7.
• step 5 is intended to reduce adhesion locally. of the surface of the body 22 at the level of the parts that are not to be decorated, that is to say all parts except the elevations 24, 26 and 28.
• the materials with good adhesion are, for example, but not exclusively, polycarbonates (PC, etc.), styrenics (ABS, PS, etc.), polyacrylics ( PMMA, MABS, etc.), aromatic polysulfones (PSU, etc.), aromatic polyamides (PPA-semi-crystalline 25%, amorphous PPA, etc.) or polyaryletherketones (PEEK-semi-crystalline, etc.).
• the structuring allowing the reduction in adhesion comprises bosses 35 formed by making recesses 36 in the thickness of the part to be decorated 11 which is not limited. to a dial.
• the height h 2 of the recesses 36 is large, that is to say between 50 and 200 ⁇ m and preferably about 100 ⁇ m
• the width C 2 of the recesses 36 is between 5 and 20 ⁇ m. ⁇ m and preferably about 10 microns
• the width b 2 of the bosses 35 is small, that is to say between 0.1 and 3 microns and preferably about 1 micron.
• This local structuring allows advantageously a decrease in the selective adhesion of the surface to be coated during step 7.
• Step 5 to selectively structure the surface condition of the body 22 may be destructively or non-destructively contemplated. Indeed, according to a non-destructive alternative, it can be envisaged that the surface condition is "manufactured" at the same time as the body 22 itself, adapting "in negative” the internal surface of the mold used during the step 3. It is then clear that steps 3 and 5 would then be performed at the same time.
• step 5 for selectively structuring the surface state of the body 22 may also be performed in another alternative in a destructive manner, i.e., by removal of material.
• the structuring of step 5 is performed by laser-type radiation which offers a very high precision for a modification of the surface state.
• the body 22 may be demolded and then subjected to said radiation or, alternatively, the mold may comprise transparent parts to said radiation which allows to structure said body "in situ" that is to say without prior demolding.
• the method 1 continues with a step 7 intended to deposit on the whole body 22, a decorative layer 31 as illustrated in FIG. 6.
• the Step 7 is carried out by physical vapor deposition (PVD), however, other types of deposition can be envisaged such as electroplating, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD) or even UV printing or lacquering.
• PVD physical vapor deposition
• CVD chemical vapor deposition
• ALD atomic layer deposition
• UV printing or lacquering even UV printing or lacquering.
• the last step 9 consists only of ridding the parts of the deposited layer 31 which have not adhered to the body 22 of the part 21.
• the decorative layer 31 remains, that is to say, adhere, only at the level of the indexes 23, 25 and decor 27 under the effect of step 9.
• the latter 9 can, for example, be performed by polishing, pressurized air jet or wet scrubbing.
• the decorative layer 31 comprises at least one metal material which allows the dial 21 to provide an appearance that can be shiny at its raised portions 23, 25 and 27.
• the decorative layer 31 is electrically conductive, according to a variant, following step 9, it can be envisaged to electroplate the decorations 23, 25, 27 to thicken each portion comprising said decoration.
• the method 1 uses less material to form the decorative layer 31 than for the usual processes shown in Figures 1 and 2.
• the problem of positioning parts 23, 25 and 27 is limited to the quality of realization of step 3.
• the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example but is susceptible of various variations and modifications that will occur to those skilled in the art.
• the body 22 may be made from a material other than a plastic material such as, for example, a composite material or a ceramic.
• Step 3 can also be carried out by a method other than the injection into a mold presented above, such as, for example, calendering, thermoforming, compression molding, stamping and / or stamping. on press.
• the flat surfaces of the dial 21, such as in particular the secondary display 29, can also be selectively covered with the decorative layer 31 to give an additional aesthetic effect. It suffices to provide a suitable structuring in step 5 so that said coated portions of the flat surfaces of the dial 21 remain after step 9.
• the shapes of the recesses 34, 36 and / or bosses 33, 35 are not limited to the examples of FIGS. 10 and 12, but may be, for example, round, elliptical, rectangular or more generally polygonal.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Laminated Bodies (AREA)
• Injection Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
• Shaping Of Tube Ends By Bending Or Straightening (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=41215208

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications Before (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (7)

Family Cites Families (14)

• 2009
  • 2009-07-06 EP EP09164688A patent/EP2273324A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2010
  • 2010-06-25 CN CN201080030427.6A patent/CN102483607B/zh active Active
  • 2010-06-25 WO PCT/EP2010/059085 patent/WO2011003756A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2010-06-25 US US13/378,833 patent/US9050626B2/en active Active
  • 2010-06-25 EP EP10726115.8A patent/EP2452231B1/de active Active
  • 2010-06-25 JP JP2012518879A patent/JP5584293B2/ja active Active
• 2012
  • 2012-11-29 HK HK12112297.1A patent/HK1171524A1/xx unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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