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EP-4142048-B1 - DECORATIVE PVD COATED ITEMS AND RADOMES AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME

EP4142048B1EP 4142048 B1EP4142048 B1EP 4142048B1EP-4142048-B1

Inventors

  • CARUSO, Dean
  • BELCHER, SIMON
  • FIELD, SIMON DAVID
  • KOEHNE, Shane Randell
  • HERRMANN, ANDREAS
  • EDWARDS, SCOTT
  • Stoehr, Bastian
  • Symonds, Tim

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220816

Claims (8)

  1. A method of manufacturing a physical vapor deposition, PVD, coated system comprising a substrate (800), the method comprising: • applying a hard coating (801) to the substrate (800); and • applying a PVD complex interference stack coating (802) by magnetron sputtering to the substrate (800) and by laser etching one or more of a pattern or a graphic into the PVD complex interference stack coating (802), wherein by the laser etching the PVD complex interference stack coating (802) is at least partially removed and different colors are revealed depending on a depth and structure of the laser etching.
  2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the hard coating comprises at least one of: (i) dip coating the substrate in the hard coating and curing the hard coating; (ii) applying a suitable monomer via plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, PECVD; (iii) flow coating the hard coating onto the substrate; or (iv) spray coating the hard coating onto the substrate.
  3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the method further comprises providing an intermediate dielectric material between the PVD coating and the hard coating (801).
  4. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the method, further comprises providing a protective outer coating on the PVD coating after laser etching the PVD coating, the protective outer coating comprising a satin additive or comprising no satin additive, wherein optionally applying the protective outer coating comprises at least one of: (i) dip coating the substrate in the protective outer coating and curing the protective outer coating; (ii) applying a suitable monomer via plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, PECVD; (iii) flow coating the protective outer coating onto the substrate; or (iv) spray coating the protective outer coating onto the substrate.
  5. The method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the method further comprises providing a protective outer coating on the PVD coating before laser etching, wherein the laser etching further comprises etching the pattern or the graphic into both the PVD coating and the protective outer coating, and the protective outer coating comprises a satin additive.
  6. A decorative PVD coated item, comprising: • a substrate (800); • a hard coating (801) applied to the substrate (800); and • a PVD complex interference stack coating (802), wherein the decorative PVD coated item is prepared according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 5.
  7. The decorative PVD coated item of claim 6, wherein (i) the decorative PVD coated item further comprises an intermediate dielectric material between the PVD coating and the hard coating (801), and/or (ii) the decorative PVD coated item further comprises a protective outer coating on the PVD coating, the protective outer coating comprising a satin additive or comprising no satin additive.
  8. The decorative PVD coated item of claim 6 or 7, wherein the item is in form of a rearview device component, a rearview mirror housing, a rearview mirror scalp, a rearview camera housing, a rearview camera scalp or an exterior rearview device component.

Description

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention The present disclosure generally relates to manufacturing a decorative PVD coated item with a gloss, satin, and/or patterned metallic surface with or without colored graphics or backlighting capability. In one example, the item is a radome which includes a decorative first surface or second surface coating. Further examples of an item are rearview components, like housings or scalps for rearview mirrors or for rearview camera systems, including a decorative first surface or second surface coating. Particularly the radome and/or rearview mirror component is useful for automotive purposes and therefore the first surface or second surface coating needs to meet the strict wear and resilience requirements needed for external automotive components as well as, in the case of a radome, being sufficiently radio-transparent to permit minimally attenuated transmission of radio wave frequencies used in Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) systems. Furthermore, the radome should be visually appropriate for the desired purpose. 2. Related Art Graphics can be applied to a decorative PVD coating system by the means of printed inks or paints. This can be images, logos or even fine patterns like fish scales, hatching or similar. These require an additional coating and/or curing process and may not have satisfactory abrasion resistance. These processes do not make the graphic region transparent to light. Satin finishes can be applied to a decorative PVD coating system by the means of a protective coating containing a diffusing additive, which provides a diffuse reflection from the coated surface. The concentration and type of additive can be adjusted to tune the amount of diffuse reflection. However, only a homogeneous satin finish with no other pattern can be achieved. This is known to those skilled in the art. As this method is typically a liquid coating process, it is difficult (or prohibitively expensive) to create satin and gloss finishes on the same surface. This process does not make the satin regions transparent to light. Satin finishes can be achieved consistently with electroplating processes but it is challenging to create satin and gloss finishes on the same surface. In this case, the finish is limited to a homogeneous satin finish with no other pattern present. Additional printing or painting processes can be applied to electroplating achieving coloured graphics. This is well known. However, none of these processes make any portion of the plated surface light transparent One example of a surface to which a finish is applied is a radome for protecting a RADAR. Since their development in the early 20th century, Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) systems have evolved and have been miniaturised such that they are now integrated into a range of everyday devices. One common use of radar is in driver assistance systems in vehicles. Radar is used for a variety of warning systems, semi-autonomous systems and autonomous systems in vehicles. Such systems include proximity detection, which can be used for parking assistance, adaptive cruise control, crash avoidance and blind spot detection. Further, radar, in combination with light illuminating detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems, provide the sensing systems being developed for autonomous, and semi-autonomous, vehicles. Radar systems work on the basis that illuminating radio waves (radar signals), emitted from a transmitter, are reflected or scattered by solid objects. These reflected radar waves are then detected by a receiver, which is generally proximal to the transmitter, allowing the radar system to detect an object. Typically, radio waves are reflected when travelling between mediums having different electric conductivity. As such, radar systems are particularly effective at detecting electrically conductive materials, such as metals. However, this presents a problem when trying to develop radar compatible materials which have a metallic appearance. As it is not desirable to externally view the radar system, and as the radar system need to be protected from environmental damage, radar systems are typically located behind a radome. A radome is a protective cover which is substantially radio-wave transparent, and therefore does not substantially attenuate the radio signals. Suitable materials for providing a radome include synthetic polymers (such as plastics) which are electrically insulating. However, integration of such plastic radomes, when a metallic finish is desired, has been difficult to achieve. Typical metallic finishes, such a chromium films on plastic, reflect radio signals and therefore are not suitable for use in radomes. Traditionally, in an automotive context, radar transmitters and receivers are positioned at the front of the vehicle in an upper portion of, or above, a vehicles front grill. Increasingly there is market-demand for multiple radar-based systems in vehicles including blind-spot detection (BSD), lane-cha