The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 14, 1984
Filed:
Oct. 08, 1981
Richard C Eisfeller, Greenland, NH (US);
Ex-Cell-O Corporation, Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
A surprisingly corrosion and abuse resistant plastic object vacuum-metallized with a corrosion prone metal, namely indium, on a dielectric substrate consists of minute specular electrically-discrete 'islands' of the indium topcoated with a clear resinous layer which encapsulates and insulates the islands, one from another. The indium islands are less than one thousand angstroms thick and have an average diameter of less than three thousand angstroms. This island structure is secured by stopping the growth of the metal as it is deposited between the nucleation stage and the stage of channelization or formation of an electrically conductive film. The island structure permits the dielectric resinous topcoat to penetrate in, about and under the metal islands encapsulating and securely bonding them to the substrate. The vacuum deposited indium gives a bright sheeny appearance which, when properly topcoated, very closely duplicates the appearance of electrodeposited chrome. A preferred application of this invention is the manufacture of exterior automobile trim components the base structure of which is a flexible elastomer such as a thermoplastic urethane.