JPH07197268A - Plating device for surface zipper - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To apply uniform metal plating on surface zippers by immersing the surface zippers into a catalyst liquid tank and a plating tank and evacuating the inside of these tanks to a reduced pressure, thereby expelling air bubbles in the fine gaps of the surface zippers and infiltrating the plating liquid therein. CONSTITUTION:Plural pieces of the surface zippers 1 are held via a strut 3 on a receiving tray 2 consisting of a perforated plate and are immersed into the catalyst liquid tank or plating tank 6 in which a catalyst liquid or plating liquid 5 is housed. This tank 6 is provided airtightly with a cap 8 via a rubber packing 7. The inside of the tank is then reduced to about 30 to 100mHg by a vacuum pump 11. As a result, the air bubbles are expelled from the fine gaps of the surface zippers 1 without allowing the air bubbles to remain. At this time, vibrations are applied to the liquid 5 under the reduced pressure by an ultrasonic oscillator 14 to accelerate defoaming. The catalyst liquid and the plating liquid 5 infiltrate uniformly into the gaps after this defoaming, by which the metal is uniformly electrodes-plated on the surface zippers 1 consisting of synthetic fibers and an electrical conductivity is imparted thereto.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plating device for imparting conductivity to a surface fastener by an electroless plating method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A surface fastener made of synthetic fiber is plated with conductivity to be used as a connector, which is disclosed in JP-B-54-21552 or JP-B-54-2.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4629. However,
No. 21552 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 54-24629 do not disclose the specific contents of the plating technique.

The synthetic fibers constituting the surface fastener of the present invention are hydrophobic, and the loop-shaped or hook-shaped fibers are densely planted on the base fabric, and when they are dipped in the plating solution, Although the surface of the fibers seems to be uniformly wet at first glance, it is difficult for the liquid to infiltrate and bubbles remain in the microscopic gaps where the fibers are overlapped with each other or the base fabric and the fibers that have been flocked.

Since the portion where the bubbles remain does not get wet with the plating solution, a metal plating film is not formed on that portion, so that uniform conductivity cannot be obtained. Even if the surface of the minute bubbles can be covered with a metal film, it does not adhere to the object to be plated, so the metal film easily cracks due to external force, and the desired conductivity is lost. Can't achieve its purpose.

Therefore, in the conventional method of removing bubbles, the surface fastener is immersed in a liquid and the portion where the bubbles are left is vibrated with a glass rod or the like, or the liquid is physically removed. Although air bubbles were floated and removed by applying vibration, this method is not suitable for mass production.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to uniformly infiltrate a plating solution without leaving air bubbles in the fine voids formed when the surface fastener made of synthetic fiber is immersed in the plating solution. Another object of the present invention is to provide a plating apparatus capable of performing various metal plating.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an electroless plating apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a fiber between fibers constituting a surface fastener, and a filament and a base cloth that are planted on a base cloth. In order to allow the catalyst solution and the plating solution to evenly penetrate into the minute gaps in the entangled portion, the decompression devices provided in the catalyst solution tank and the plating solution tank respectively remove residual bubbles after dipping in the catalyst solution and the plating solution. Let it bubble. Alternatively, it is characterized in that uniform plating is performed while degassing by vibrating the liquid under reduced pressure.

The surface fastener of the present invention is one in which loop or hook-shaped synthetic fibers are planted on a base cloth. On the surface of the surface fastener, a spinning oil, a smoothing agent for smoothly proceeding the knitting process, an antistatic agent, etc. are usually attached. Since the adhered smoothing agent or the like causes protrusion of the metal film and poor adhesion in the plating process, the surface is cleaned by degreasing and degreasing before plating. Next, in order to apply a plating catalyst, it is immersed in a catalyst solution consisting of a concentrated hydrochloric acid aqueous solution in which palladium chloride and tin chloride co-dissolve.

Since the catalyst liquid has a large surface tension and a weak permeability as compared with water, it is difficult for the liquid to enter the fine voids. But,
After immersing the surface fastener, defoaming is performed under a reduced pressure of 30 to 100 mmHg by a decompression device provided in the catalyst liquid tank, or by applying vibration to the liquid under reduced pressure as necessary,
The catalyst can be uniformly applied. Then, the above-mentioned catalyst-attached surface fastener is immersed in a plating bath containing a plating solution, and the pressure reducing device provided in the plating bath is used for 30 minutes.
By maintaining a reduced pressure of -100 mmHg, uniform metal plating can be formed. At this time, it is preferable to give vibration to the liquid. Further, if the degassing is completed, the pressure may not be reduced more than necessary, the pressure may be returned to normal pressure to apply the catalyst, and metal plating may be performed. As the decompression device used in the present invention, a decompression device using a vacuum pump or the like can be used as long as it can decompress the inside of the tank. Further, the decompression device may be commonly used for the catalyst solution tank and the plating tank.

[0010]

According to the present invention, since the application of the catalyst solution and the plating with the plating solution are performed under reduced pressure, the application of the catalyst solution is carried out by removing the air bubbles remaining in the fine gaps of the loop- or hook-shaped synthetic fibers of the hook-and-loop fastener. And plating can be performed. Further, by applying vibration, the removal of bubbles can be further promoted. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a surface fastener having a uniform plating.

[0011]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The hook-and-loop fastener 1 (made by Kuraray: Velcro) shown in FIG.
It shows a state in which a plurality of sheets are piled up in a state of being passed through and are placed on the tray 2 made of a perforated plate. The catalyst liquid 5 is filled in the catalyst liquid tank 6 to a height at which the upper surface of the surface fastener 1 is completely immersed. When the surface fastener 1 is immersed in the catalyst solution 5,
The legs 4 are provided so that the saucer 2 does not come into close contact with the bottom surface of the catalyst solution tank 6 so that the solution at the bottom can pass through the perforated plate of the saucer 2 to the top of the surface fastener.

After the lid 8 is adhered to the catalyst liquid tank 6 via the rubber packing 7, the valve 9 is closed, the valve 10 is opened, the vacuum pump 11 is operated, and the inside of the tank 6 is visually checked while the pressure gauge 13 is being viewed. A reduced pressure of 30 to 100 mmHg is applied to remove fine bubbles remaining on the surface and the inside of the surface fastener, so that the catalyst liquid 5 is uniformly permeated to every corner. Further, if necessary, the ultrasonic oscillator 14 is operated to give vibration to assist degassing. By the above operation, the catalyst liquid is made to uniformly infiltrate even the fine gaps. Although the catalyst liquid tank has been described above, plating in the plating liquid tank can be performed by the same device. In the above embodiment of the catalyst solution tank, the plating solution tank may be replaced by a plating solution and the catalyst solution may be replaced by a plating solution. According to this embodiment, a uniform metal plating film having good adhesion is formed.

[0013]

According to the electroless plating apparatus of the present invention, even when it is immersed in a liquid due to its complicated shape such as a surface fastener, bubbles remain in the minute gaps, which makes uniform plating difficult. Uniform plating can be performed by immersing in plating solution while degassing under reduced pressure.

[0014]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a catalyst liquid tank or a plating tank showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1 hook-and-loop fastener 2 saucer (perforated plate) 3 pillar 4 leg 5 catalyst solution or plating solution 6 catalyst solution tank or plating tank 7 rubber packing 8 lid 9, 10 valve 11 vacuum pump 12 exhaust 13 pressure gauge 14 ultrasonic oscillator

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for plating a surface fastener made of synthetic fiber by electroless plating, wherein the catalyst solution tank and the plating tank are provided with a pressure reducing device. 2. The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the apparatus for performing metal plating, an ultrasonic oscillator is provided in the catalyst liquid tank and the plating tank.