Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D17/00—Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic coating
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
  • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
  • C23C18/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of either liquid compounds or solutions of the coating forming compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating; Contact plating
  • C23C18/16—Chemical coating by decomposition of either liquid compounds or solutions of the coating forming compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating; Contact plating by reduction or substitution, e.g. electroless plating
  • C23C18/1601—Process or apparatus
  • C23C18/1603—Process or apparatus coating on selected surface areas
  • C23C18/1605—Process or apparatus coating on selected surface areas by masking
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
  • C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
  • C23C18/00—Chemical coating by decomposition of either liquid compounds or solutions of the coating forming compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating; Contact plating
  • C23C18/16—Chemical coating by decomposition of either liquid compounds or solutions of the coating forming compounds, without leaving reaction products of surface material in the coating; Contact plating by reduction or substitution, e.g. electroless plating
  • C23C18/1601—Process or apparatus
  • C23C18/1619—Apparatus for electroless plating
  • C23C18/1628—Specific elements or parts of the apparatus
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D5/00—Electroplating characterised by the process; Pretreatment or after-treatment of workpieces
  • C25D5/02—Electroplating of selected surface areas
  • C25D5/022—Electroplating of selected surface areas using masking means

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of partial metallization of a plastic part. It relates for example, but without limitation to the object and scope of the present invention, a method of partial metallization of a lighting and / or vehicle signaling mask, in particular of a motor vehicle . Finally, it relates to a lighting and / or vehicle signaling light mask, in particular a motor vehicle, which is obtained by such a method.
• Lighting and / or signaling lamps for motor vehicles include, for example, position, passing and road lights, direction-change lamps, supplemental "long-life" lamps, fog lamps , daytime running lights, etc. They all include at least one light source, a reflector, and an outer ice.
• This outer ice is generally smooth and translucent, the trend is to metallize interiors of devices.
• Metallization is a surface treatment that gives a glossy reflectivity to an opaque material. It consists in depositing a thin layer of a metallic material, such as aluminum for example.
• the document FR 2 719 604 describes such a metallization process for plastic parts, in particular made of polycarbonate.
• the use of alkaline products is reduced to a minimum during metallization operations.
• the final step uses an electrolytic or chemical deposition process operating in a strongly acidic bath.
• it eliminates any deposit of money that would require the use of a cyanide bath. This avoids the appearance of hydrolysis of the polycarbonate leading to tearing of the metallization and the appearance of blisters on the paint possibly covering this metallization.
• the object of the present invention is to achieve a metallization of the part to be treated which is partial.
• partial metallization means the removal of a metallization on a well-defined area of the part, and not on the entire outer surface of the part.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide such a method of partial metallization of a plastic part, in particular of a lighting fire and / or motor vehicle signaling mask, which is of simple design, easy to implement, which is precise, reliable and economical.
• the present invention relates to a partial metallization process of a plastic part, which consists of spraying a metallic material on a defined area of the part and which comprises the following steps:
• a notch is made on the whole contour line delimiting said delimited zone, the notch having a definite section and creating on the part a peripheral technical zone of said delimited zone, and
• the section of the notch forming said peripheral technical zone is a recessed section in "V" which cooperates in form concordance with the section of the front end portion of the metallization tool.
• the metallization tool preferably has a "bell” shape, the open front end portion of the "bell” shape being intended to fit on the peripheral technical zone of the piece to be metallized. .
• the angle of the "V" is different at the top and bottom of the peripheral technical area, and therefore the angle of the "V" of the corresponding section of the front end portion of the Metallizing tool is different at the top and bottom.
• the angle of the "V" may be, for example, of the order of 40 ° at the top and 50 ° at the bottom.
• the metallic material of the metallization may be, for example, aluminum.
• the subject of the invention is also a lighting and / or vehicle signaling light mask, in particular of a lighting and / or signaling light of a motor vehicle, which is partially metallized, this partial metallization being obtained according to the invention. method described above in outline.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle lighting fire mask, with a well-defined metallized zone
• FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the means for delimiting the zone to be metallized on the piece in treatment, according to the present invention
• FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the principle of the partial metallization process, according to the present invention
• FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically represent the spraying tool for the metallization material approaching the zone to be metallize (figure
• the part to be metallized is a motor vehicle lighting light mask, of general reference 1, obtained by molding a plastic material, for example a material of ABS type (acrylonitrile and styrene copolymer).
• a plastic material for example a material of ABS type (acrylonitrile and styrene copolymer).
• FIG. 2 schematically represents the means for delimiting the area to be metallized referenced 2 on the part under treatment, according to the present invention. This means is constituted by a notch, of general reference 3, which takes the entire contour line delimiting the zone 2 to be metallized.
• the notch 3 preferably has a recessed (or convex) section of well-defined profile and described below, and determines on the part 1 to metallize an area called "peripheral technical area", also referenced 3 in the following of this text, which perfectly delimits zone 2 to be metallized.
• a metallization tool, referenced 4 which is provided with a front end portion 5 of complementary section (concave), is then fitted onto the peripheral technical zone 3. the section of the notch 3 and which, applied against the piece 1, completely surround the zone 2 to be metallized, so that the sputtering of metallic material in this zone 2 can be done without overflow of material outside the zone 2 .
• the section of the notch 3 is a recessed section in "V”, which cooperates by shape concordance with the cross section. , also in "V", of the front end portion 5 of the metallization tool 4.
• the metallization tool 4 has a substantially "bell" shape, so as to fit perfectly over the entire periphery of the zone 2 to be metallized, and therefore to prevent spray overflow outside this zone 2 to metallize .
• the angle of the "V" of the peripheral technical zone 3 of the workpiece 1 is different in the upper part and in the lower part of said technical area 3, and correspondingly the angle of the "V" of the end portion 5 of the metallization tool 4 is different at the top and bottom of said tool 4.
• the angle " ⁇ " of the "V" in the upper part is of the order of 40 ° and the angle " ⁇ " in the lower part is of the order of 50 °.
• the metallization may be an aluminum metallization.
• FIG. 4 schematically shows the metallization spraying tool. in approach in the direction D of zone 2 to metallize. Thanks to the technical definition at the periphery of the zone 2 to be metallized, the metallization tool 4 is perfectly positioned according to the directions of the three axes X, Y and Z, and perfectly closes the zone 2. The aluminum sputtering can be to do without any overflow.
• FIG. 5 also schematically shows the metallization tool 4 in the operating position against the surface to be metallized, that is to say with its front end portion 5 nested in the peripheral technical zone 3.
• the process described above has the advantage of constituting a precise technical solution of partial metallization, without any burrs outside the area to be metallized perfectly delimited.
• this solution has the advantage of allowing clearance of the metallization tool without problems, in particular without friction of the metallized zone.
• the present invention also relates to a lighting and / or vehicle signaling light mask, in particular a lighting and / or signaling light of a motor vehicle, which is partially metallized according to the metallization method described above.
• the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown above by way of example; other embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and scope of the present invention.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Metallurgy (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)
• Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
• Chemically Coating (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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ID=41319419

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (1)

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Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2009
  • 2009-04-27 FR FR0952725A patent/FR2944717B1/fr active Active
• 2010
  • 2010-04-23 WO PCT/FR2010/050776 patent/WO2010125283A2/fr active Application Filing
  • 2010-04-23 EP EP10727025A patent/EP2425040A2/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2010-04-23 CN CN201080018862.7A patent/CN102421939B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (2)

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