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:
Dec. 26, 1995
Filed:
Jan. 21, 1994
Frank A Mozelewski, Lower Burrell, PA (US);
Daniel L Serafin, Wexford, PA (US);
Robert E Bombalski, Brackenridge, PA (US);
Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A strip of gray reflective aluminum protected by a conversion coating and a light-permeable fluoropolymer coating which is non-adhesively interstitially mechanically bonded to the microscopic irregularities of the conversion coated surface. The highly reflective strip may be substituted for polished stainless steel and/or bi-metal and used under comparably aggressive conditions for a prolonged period without deleteriously affecting the initial D/I (distinctness of reflected image) of the shaped strip. The strip of arbitrary length may be shaped in rolling dies so that at least a portion of the strip has a radius of less than 10 mm without damaging or separating the fluoropolymer coating. The specific steps of the claimed process require starting with a bright-rolled clean strip which is conversion coated to carry a thin metal compound coating. After rinsing and drying, the reflective surface is coated with the fluoropolymer while maintaining at least 80% D/I. The strip can then be formed to a desired profile and treated with a corona discharge to activate its surface so as to facilitate non-adhesively bonding of a thermoplastic strip to the activated fluoropolymer surface.