US20080017515A1

US20080017515A1 - Forming method for manufacturing model

Info

Publication number: US20080017515A1
Application number: US11/521,447
Authority: US
Inventors: Ted Ju
Original assignee: Lotes Co Ltd
Current assignee: Lotes Co Ltd
Priority date: 2006-07-21
Filing date: 2006-09-15
Publication date: 2008-01-24
Also published as: TWI315748B; TW200806812A

Abstract

The invention discloses a forming method including the steps of: (1) providing a nonconductor; (2) vacuum-sputtering a first metal layer onto the nonconductor; (3) plating an outer metal layer onto the first metal layer, wherein the material of the outer metal layer is different from that of the first metal layer. The invention also discloses a model including a first metal layer formed by a vacuum-sputtering process and an outer metal layer plated onto the first metal layer. The forming method of the invention involves vacuum-sputtering a metal layer onto the nonconductor, such that the surface quality is better. Consequently, the surface quality of other materials plated onto the metal layer will also be better. Furthermore, the method of the invention is simple to operate and will not pollute the environment.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a forming method and a model manufactured by the forming method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, the method for manufacturing a model, such as some decorations, usually includes the following steps. At the start, an internal model is provided. Afterward, based on practical requirement, various paints are sprayed onto the surface of the internal model, and then the required model will be obtained. However, according to the aforesaid method, the operator must be highly skilled to be able to uniformly spray the paints onto the surface of the internal model, and the quality of the surface paint is difficult to be controlled. On the other hand, since the paints are chemical products, the paints will pollute the environment and endanger the operator during operation.
Therefore, the scope of the invention is to provide a forming method and a model manufactured by the forming method to solve the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A scope of the invention is to provide a forming method, which can be easily operated, can obtain better quality, and does not pollute the environment. Furthermore, the invention also discloses a model manufactured by that method.
To achieve the aforesaid scope, the forming method of the invention comprises the steps of: (a) providing a nonconductor; (b) vacuum-sputtering a first metal layer onto the nonconductor; and (c) plating an outer metal layer onto the first metal layer, wherein the material of the outer metal layer is different from that of the first metal layer.
The invention further discloses a model comprising a first metal layer formed by a vacuum-sputtering process and an outer metal layer plated onto the first metal layer, wherein the material of the outer metal layer is different from that of the first metal layer.
Another scope of the invention is to provide a forming method for manufacturing a model that has lighter weight. Also, the forming method can be easily operated, can obtain better quality, and does not pollute the environment.
To achieve the aforesaid scope, the forming method of the invention comprises the steps of: (a) providing a nonconductor; (b) vacuum-sputtering a first metal layer onto the nonconductor; (c) plating an outer metal layer onto the first metal layer, wherein the material of the outer metal layer is different from that of the first metal layer; and (d) melting the nonconductor out of the first metal layer and the outer metal layer by utilizing an organic solvent.
Compared to the prior art, the forming method of the invention vacuum-sputters a metal layer onto the nonconductor, so as to obtain better surface quality when other materials are plated onto the surface subsequently. Furthermore, the forming method of the invention can be easily operated and does not pollute the environment.
The advantage and spirit of the invention may be understood by the following recitations together with the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE APPENDED DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the model of the invention before being vacuum-sputtered.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the model in FIG. 1 after being vacuum-sputtered.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the model in FIG. 2 along the line A-A.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view illustrating the model in FIG. 2 along the line A-A according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the model in FIG. 2 along the line A-A according to a third preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, the forming method and the model manufactured by the forming method are disclosed in the following along with the appended drawings.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the forming method of a first preferred embodiment of the invention comprises the steps of: (a) providing a nonconductor for manufacturing an internal model of a model (i.e. a flower pattern 10 in this embodiment); (b) vacuum-sputtering a first metal layer 11 onto the nonconductor (i.e. the flower pattern 10), wherein the first metal layer is copper; and (c) plating an outer metal layer 13 onto the first metal layer 11, wherein the material of the outer metal layer 13 is different from that of the first metal layer 11; the outer metal layer 13 is plated onto the first metal layer 11 by an electroplating process, and the outer metal layer 13 is gold. Accordingly, the model (i.e. the flower 10′ plated by gold) of the invention will be obtained after the aforesaid steps have been performed.
The forming method of the invention vacuum-sputters a metal layer onto the internal model, so as to obtain better surface quality when other materials are plated onto the surface subsequently. Furthermore, the forming method of the invention can be easily operated and does not pollute the environment.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, FIGS. 1, 2, and 4 illustrate a second preferred embodiment of the invention. The main difference between the first embodiment and this second embodiment is that after the aforesaid flower 10′ is completed, the flower pattern 10 can be melted out of the metal layers 11 and 13 by utilizing the difference in melting points among the flower pattern 10 and the metal layers 11 and 13, or the flower pattern 10 can be melted out of the metal layers 11 and 13 by utilizing an organic solvent (not shown), so as to obtain the hollow flower 10′. The model manufactured by this forming method has lighter weight and also has the advantages of the first embodiment.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, FIGS. 1, 2, and 5 illustrate a third preferred embodiment of the invention. The main difference between the first embodiment and this third embodiment is that a middle metal film 12 is between the outer metal layer 13 and the first metal layer 11. Furthermore, there may be also more layers of metal films between the outer metal layer 13 and the first metal layer 11. It depends on the practical application.
In the aforesaid embodiments, the invention is used but not limited to manufacture a flower for decoration. That is to say, the invention can also be applied to other fields, such as the manufacture of the electric conducting components for the electronics industry.
With the example and explanations above, the features and spirits of the invention will be hopefully well described. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teaching of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A forming method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a nonconductor;

(b) vacuum-sputtering a first metal layer onto the nonconductor; and

(c) plating an outer metal layer onto the first metal layer, wherein the material of the outer metal layer is different from that of the first metal layer.

2. The forming method of claim 1, wherein the outer metal layer is plated onto the first metal layer by an electroplating process.

3. The forming method of claim 1, wherein the nonconductor is melted out of the first metal layer and the outer metal layer by utilizing the difference in melting points among the nonconductor, the first metal layer, and the outer metal layer.

4. The forming method of claim 1, wherein the nonconductor is melted out of the first metal layer and the outer metal layer by utilizing an organic solvent.

5. The forming method of claim 1, wherein the first metal layer is copper.

6. The forming method of claim 1, wherein the outer metal layer is gold.

7. The forming method of claim 1, wherein at least one metal film is between the outer metal layer and the first metal layer.

8. A forming method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a nonconductor;

(b) vacuum-sputtering a first metal layer onto the nonconductor;

(c) plating an outer metal layer onto the first metal layer, wherein the material of the outer metal layer is different from that of the first metal layer; and

(d) melting the nonconductor out of the first metal layer and the outer metal layer by utilizing an organic solvent.

9. The forming method of claim 8, wherein the outer metal layer is plated onto the first metal layer by an electroplating process.

10. The forming method of claim 8, wherein the first metal layer is copper.

11. The forming method of claim 8, wherein the outer metal layer is gold.

12. The forming method of claim 8, wherein at least one metal film is between the outer metal layer and the first metal layer.

13. A model comprising:

a first metal layer formed by a vacuum-sputtering process; and

an outer metal layer plated onto the first metal layer, wherein the material of the outer metal layer is different from that of the first metal layer.

14. The model of claim 13, wherein the outer metal layer is plated onto the first metal layer by an electroplating process.

15. The model of claim 13, wherein a nonconductor is disposed in the first metal layer.

16. The model of claim 15, wherein the nonconductor is melted out of the first metal layer and the outer metal layer by utilizing the difference in melting points among the nonconductor, the first metal layer, and the outer metal layer.

17. The model of claim 15, wherein the nonconductor is melted out of the first metal layer and the outer metal layer by utilizing an organic solvent.

18. The model of claim 13, wherein the first metal layer is copper.

19. The model of claim 13, wherein the outer metal layer is gold.

20. The model of claim 13, wherein at least one metal film is between the outer metal layer and the first metal layer.