Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
  • B44C5/00—Processes for producing special ornamental bodies
  • B44C5/04—Ornamental plaques, e.g. decorative panels, decorative veneers
  • B44C5/0446—Ornamental plaques, e.g. decorative panels, decorative veneers bearing graphical information
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F7/00—Signs, name or number plates, letters, numerals, or symbols; Panels or boards
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
  • G09F—DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS
  • G09F7/00—Signs, name or number plates, letters, numerals, or symbols; Panels or boards
  • G09F7/16—Letters, numerals, or other symbols adapted for permanent fixing to a support

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a sign.
• business signs and signs of the type used for commemorative plaques are made from brass, which is cut to size by a sign engraver and subsequently engraved with lettering. The lettering is sometimes highlighted with a contrasting paint.
• Sign engravers typically obtain their sign material in quantity and purchase large sheets of material, for example, sheets of brass plate, either un-coated or pre-coated with the hard-wearing protective coating.
• the material is cut into a desired size and shape of plate and engraved with desired indicia. Apertures may be drilled in the plate for fixing and the indicia may be highlighted by colouring with a contrasting paint, usually black.
• titanium nitride coating in particular, is extremely hard and it is therefore necessary to use a fine tool for the engraving, for example, a diamond tool, in order to cut through the coating.
• a fine tool for the engraving for example, a diamond tool
• the resolution of the engraving is poor, because the cut edges of the coating chip with the action of the cutting tool.
• the protective coating is perforated by the cutting tool, at any drilled holes and around the edge of the plate. These unprotected surfaces tarnish, and spoil the look of the plaque or sign.
• the protective coating is weakened by cutting through it and in time the coating may lift off, or be otherwise damaged, for example, by frost.
• a method of manufacturing a sign displaying sign indicia comprising the steps of providing depressions and/or projections defining the indicia on a surface of a sign substrate, applying a contiguous protective metallic coating to the indicia and the surrounding surface of the substrate by a vapour deposition process, and subsequently applying a contrasting pigment to at least a part of the coating to highlight the indicia against the surrounding area.
• the coating preferably has a hardness of between Hv 0 . 2 1200 and Hv 02 3000.
• the indicia are provided on the sign substrate prior to coating, so that all of the exposed surfaces of the substrate are protected and it is not necessary to cut through the hard protective coating.
• indicia- forming methods such as engraving, etching or sandblasting can be utilised, without the need for a hardened tool or diamond tipped tool.
• the resolution of the forming of the indicia is improved.
• the thickness of the applied pigment may vary between different regions of the sign.
• the metallic coating may be a metal, a metal nitride, a metal carbide or a metal carbonitride.
• the metallic coating may be chromium, zirconium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, or a nitride, a carbide or a carbonitride of one of said metals.
• the metallic coating is titanium nitride.
• titanium nitride it has a gold colour, similar to that of a highly polished brass.
• Titanium nitride may also be combined with other elements to produce coatings having different colours and/or shades.
• the preferred metallic coating is chromium nitride.
• the vapour deposition process is preferably a physical vapour deposition (PVD) process.
• PVD physical vapour deposition
• vapour deposition we mean in particular a deposition process in which a coating is deposited on a substrate from the vapour phase.
• physical vapour deposition we mean in particular a deposition process in which a coating is deposited on a substrate from the vapour phase, the material of the coating having been evaporated from a solid form.
• Particular examples of physical vapour deposition, which may be utilised include Sputtering and Cathodic Arc.
• magnetron sputtering The process of sputtering, often referred to as magnetron sputtering involves applying a magnetic field over a sputtering target (the material to be used in coating). Accelerated ions are used to eject particles off the target material from a cathode towards a substrate to be coated, which is positioned in front of the target. The particles that strike the substrate condense to form an adherent coating.
• Cathodic arc coating involves using a vacuum arc to evaporate material from a cathode in order to produce a stream of highly active and excited coating material.
• a typical coating apparatus consists of a vacuum chamber and a number of arc evaporation sources (the material used for coating), which are arranged in walls of the chamber.
• the substrate to be coated is mounted on a fixture, which enables it to be manipulated inside the vacuum chamber to give uniform coating.
• the PVD process is a cathodic arc process.
• the coating may be between 1 and 8 ⁇ m thick.
• the coating is between 1 and 3 ⁇ m thick.
• the coating is preferably of uniform thickness.
• the substrate Prior to coating of the sign substrate, the substrate may be cleaned to facilitate good adhesion of the coating.
• the forming of the indicia is preferably by engraving.
• the forming of the indicia is by etching, for example, by acid etching, electro etching or by masking and sandblasting.
• the pigment is applied by hand, but may also be applied by spraying, for example, using a mask.
• the pigment preferably covers the whole of the indicia and terminates at a crisp line at the boundary of the indicia and the surrounding area.
• the pigment may be a paint.
• the pigment is a cellulose enamel paint.
• the substrate may be made from plastics, preferably polycarbonate.
• plastics are low compared with a similar sized sign made from metal. This enables cheaper delivery of the sign, particularly by post. Furthermore, when coated, polycarbonate takes on the metalized appearance of the coating, for example, if titanium nitride is used, the polycarbonate takes on the appearance of polished brass.
• the substrate may be made from metal, for example, stainless steel or brass.
• Fig 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a sign
• Fig 2 shows a schematic cross section through part of a sign.
• the sign 10 is comprised of a sign substrate or plate 11 , an area of engraved indicia 12 on the surface of the sign plate 11, a pair of fixing holes 14 and a peripheral edge 16.
• the sign 10 can be manufactured from brass, stainless steel, plastics, for example polycarbonate, or any other suitable material.
• a sign plate is cut to size and shape from a sheet of un-coated material.
• the indicia 12, as desired are provided on the surface of the sign plate, for example, by engraving, acid etching or electro etching, or by masking and sand blasting.
• the indicia may be created by pressing or in the case of a plastics sign, by moulding.
• a hardwearing protective coating is applied.
• the protective coating is preferably titanium nitride (TiN) and is applied to a thickness of between one and three microns, by physical vapour deposition (PVD).
• PVD physical vapour deposition
• Sputtering is generally used to process large quantities of material at a time, and although it would be possible to use the process to apply a protective coating to a sign plate, it would generally be considered uneconomic.
• cathodic arc coating is the preferred method of coating of the invention, because it enables a greater variety of effects and finishes to be achieved, whilst still being economic. Ideally several signs are coated at the same time, depending on their size.
• the indicia 12 is highlighted with a contrasting colouring, which is applied to the whole or a part of the cut or engraved area.
• Signs which are intended to have a traditional appearance are typically highlighted with a cellulose enamel paint.
• the paint can be applied either by hand or is sprayed using a mask, which conveniently can be the original mask used for etching, if etching was the cutting method used.
• Fig. 2 a cross-section through part of a sign plate 11 is shown, and the thickness of paint 18 can be seen to increase towards the centre of the cut indicia 12, where the cutting is deepest. Due to the high reflectivity and lustre of the coating, the paint can appear translucent where it is thin at the edge of the indicia, allowing the high lustre of the coating to be partially visible. This creates a variation in tone or intensity of the colour, which can be used to generate patterns, if desired, by varying the depth of the cutting. This is particularly desirable for accurately reproducing company logos, emblems and coats of arms or the like.
• the coating can be applied to plastics, and in particular to polycarbonate.
• polycarbonate takes on the appearance of polished brass.
• the resulting sign is extremely durable and lightweight. This is of particular benefit when despatching signs in the post, because the cost of posting is reduced compared with the cost of posting metal signs, which are significantly heavier.
• any cutting or drilling of the sign should be carried out prior to application of the protective coating, in order to prevent un-coated parts of the sign being exposed to the atmosphere. Due to their high resistance to weathering, the signs are particularly suited for marine applications, and where weight is a consideration, again the polycarbonate coated signs are particularly advantageous. The signs are also resistant to attack by vandals.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Physical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
• Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (2)

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Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2004
  • 2004-04-22 GB GB0408979A patent/GB2413307B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2005
  • 2005-04-22 WO PCT/GB2005/001530 patent/WO2005102734A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-04-22 EP EP05753187A patent/EP1765605B1/de not_active Not-in-force

Patent Citations (5)

Non-Patent Citations (3)

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