Article having patterned decorative coating

Abstract

An article having a decorative, visibly-patterned, multi-colored surface appearance includes a substrate and a first coating provided by vapor deposition above at least a portion of the substrate, the coating comprising a first material having a first color. The coating comprises a random arrangement of penetrations through which a portion of an underlying surface is visible, the underlying surface comprising a second material having a second color that differs from the first color. The penetrations form a decorative pattern comprising features distinguishable to an unaided human eye.

1 . An article having a decorative, visibly-patterned, multi-colored surface appearance comprising: 
 a substrate; and    a first coating provided by vapor deposition above at least a portion of the substrate, the coating comprising a first material having a first color;    wherein the coating comprises a random arrangement of penetrations through which a portion of an underlying surface is visible, the underlying surface comprising a second material having a second color that differs from the first color,    wherein the penetrations form a decorative pattern comprising features distinguishable to an unaided human eye.    
   
   
       2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first coating is deposited by a physical vapor deposition process or a chemical vapor deposition process performed within a vacuum chamber at sub-atmospheric pressure.  
   
   
       3 . The article of  claim 2 , wherein the physical vapor deposition process or chemical vapor deposition process comprises cathodic arc evaporation.  
   
   
       4 . The article of  claim 2 , wherein the physical vapor deposition process or chemical vapor deposition process comprises a hot-filament PECVD process.  
   
   
       5 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises a metal.  
   
   
       6 . The article of  claim 5 , wherein the first material further comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon.  
   
   
       7 . The article of  claim 6 , wherein the first material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of zirconium, scandium, titanium, chromium, hafnium, carbon, and an anodized layer comprising a metal.  
   
   
       8 . The article of  claim 1 , further comprising a second coating provided intermediate the first coating and the substrate, the second coating comprising the underlying surface.  
   
   
       9 . The article of  claim 8 , wherein the second material comprises a metal.  
   
   
       10 . The article of  claim 9 , wherein the second material further comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon.  
   
   
       11 . The article of  claim 10 , wherein the second material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of zirconium, titanium, chromium, hafnium, and scandium.  
   
   
       12 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the first material comprises at least one of zirconium and scandium.  
   
   
       13 . The article of  claim 8 , wherein the second material comprises zirconium, oxygen, and carbon and the first material comprises zirconium and nitrogen.  
   
   
       14 . The article of  claim 8 , wherein the second material comprises diamond-like carbon.  
   
   
       15 . A method for producing an article having a decorative coating comprising: 
 depositing at least a first coating layer onto at least a portion of a surface of a substrate using a physical or chemical vapor deposition method in a vacuum chamber at sub-atmospheric pressure, the first coating layer comprising a first material having a first color; and    patterning the first coating layer using a non-uniform patterning process to form a patterned coating layer having penetrations through which a portion of an underlying surface is visible, the underlying surface comprising a second material and having a second color that is visually contrasting to the first color;    wherein the patterned first coating layer comprises a decorative pattern comprising features distinguishable by an unaided human eye.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first material and the second material comprises diamond-like carbon.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first material comprises a metal.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first material further comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first coating layer is deposited using one of a cathodic arc evaporation process and a hot-filament PECVD method.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first material comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of zirconium, scandium, titanium, chromium, hafnium, and carbon.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first material comprises an anodized layer comprising a metal.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the patterning process comprises an etching process.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the patterning process comprises a lift-off process.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the patterning process comprises a tumbling or vibratory finishing process.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the patterning process comprises forming a non-continuous masking layer, the masking layer having penetrations through which a portion of the first coating layer is exposed.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the patterning process comprises removing portions of the first coating layer under the penetrations in the masking layer.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the penetrations in the masking layer are formed by means of a wire or fiber brush.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the penetrations in the masking layer are formed by a photolithographic process.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the penetrations in the masking layer are formed by non-uniform application of a masking material.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the masking material is applied non-uniformly by means of a stamp or stencil.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the masking material is applied non-uniformly by means of at least one of a silk-screening process and a spraying process.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the penetrations in the masking layer are created by means of a mass finishing operation handling at least ten parts simultaneously.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising depositing at least a second coating layer onto the substrate prior to the deposition of the first coating layer, the second coating layer comprising the second material.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the second material comprises a metal.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the second material further comprises at least one member of the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon.  
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the second material comprises at least one member of the group consisting of zirconium, titanium, chromium, hafnium or scandium.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the second material comprises zirconium, oxygen, and carbon, and wherein the first material comprises zirconium and nitrogen.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the second material comprises carbon.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first material comprises carbon.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the second material comprises an anodized layer comprising a metal.  
   
   
       41 . A method for producing an article having a decorative surface comprising: 
 depositing a first layer of material on a substrate using a vapor deposition method, the first layer of material comprising a first material having a first color;    depositing a second layer of material on the first layer of material using a vapor deposition method, the second layer of material comprising a second material having a second color that differs from the first color; and    removing portions of the second layer of material to form apertures extending through the second layer, the apertures arranged in a random configuration;    wherein portions of the first layer are visible through the apertures such that a decorative pattern is formed on the article.    
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the step of removing portions of the second layer of material comprises a masking process.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the masking process comprises providing a mask above the second layer of material, the mask comprising at least one of an ink, a photoresist, a paint, a lacquer, a wax, and a metal.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the step of removing portions of the second layer of material comprises at least one of an etching process, a lift-off process, and a tumbling or vibratory finishing process.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the step of removing portions of the second layer of material comprises forming a non-continuous masking layer, the masking layer having penetrations through which a portion of the first coating layer is exposed.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the step of removing portions of the second layer of material comprises removing portions of the second layer of material under the penetrations in the masking layer.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the penetrations in the masking layer are formed by non-uniform application of a masking material.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the penetrations in the masking layer are created by means of a mass finishing operation handling at least ten parts simultaneously.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the first material comprises a metal and at least one material selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 49 , wherein the first material comprises at least one of zirconium, titanium, chromium, hafnium and scandium.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the first coating layer is deposited using at least one of a hot-filament PECVD method and a cathodic arc evaporation process.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the first material comprises an anodized layer comprising a metal.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the second material comprises a metal and at least one member of the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the second material comprises zirconium, titanium, chromium, hafnium or scandium.  
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the second material comprises zirconium, oxygen, and carbon, and wherein the first material comprises zirconium and nitrogen.  
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein at least one of the first material and the second material comprises diamond-like carbon.  
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the second material comprises carbon.  
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the first material comprises carbon.