Decorative member and method for manufacturing decorative member

Abstract

To provide a decorative member in which a high-quality mottled pattern can be efficiently formed and which has excellent durability.SOLUTION: A decorative member includes: a substrate; and a surface coating layer formed by physical vapor deposition above the substrate. A mottled pattern comprising a plurality of crater-like recess parts is formed in the surface coating layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a decorative member and a method for manufacturing the decorative member.

Background Art

[0002] Decorations having a process of forming a mottled pattern on the surface have been developed.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, a mottled metal surface with an ibushi tone is formed by partially removing the uppermost layer laminated by an ion plating film by polishing (FIG. 1 and the like).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, such a metal surface not only takes time to partially remove the ion plating film, but also the underlying plating layer may be damaged and its durability may be impaired.

[0006] The present invention is for solving at least one of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a decorative member capable of efficiently forming a high-quality mottled pattern and having excellent durability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The present application includes a plurality of means for solving at least a part of the above problems. For example, a decorative member according to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a base material and a surface coating layer formed by physical vapor deposition above the base material, and a mottled pattern formed by a plurality of crater-shaped recesses is formed in the surface coating layer.

[0008] The decorative member may include a first layer containing titanium nitride formed on the base material, and a second layer containing titanium carbonitride formed on the first layer and constituting the surface coating layer.

[0009] The surface coating layer may be formed by ion plating.

[0010] In the surface coating layer, 10 to 50% of the recesses per unit area may be formed.

[0011] At least a part of the plurality of recesses formed in the surface coating layer may be traces of droplet detachment generated in ion plating.

[0012] The decorative member may be a screw member.

[0013] A method for manufacturing a decorative member according to another aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a step of forming a surface coating layer including a plurality of droplets above a base material by physical vapor deposition, and a step of polishing the surface coating layer so that a plurality of crater-shaped recesses are formed due to the detachment of at least a part of the plurality of droplets to form a mottled pattern.

[0014] The method for manufacturing the decorative member may include a step of forming a first layer containing titanium nitride on the base material by ion plating, and a step of forming a second layer containing titanium carbonitride on the first layer by ion plating to form the surface coating layer.

[0015] In the step of forming the surface coating layer, ion plating may be performed so that 10 to 50% of droplets are generated per unit area.

[0016] In the step of forming the surface coating layer, the bias voltage may be set lower than that in normal physical vapor deposition that suppresses the generation of droplets as much as possible.

[0017] In the step of forming the surface coating layer, the processing time may be set longer compared to ordinary physical vapor deposition that suppresses the generation of droplets as much as possible.

[0018] In the step of forming the mottled pattern, the mottled pattern may be formed by mechanical means such as barrel, buffing, and honing.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently form a mottled pattern on the surface and provide a decorative member with excellent durability.

[0020] Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, for the constituent elements common to the following embodiments, the same reference numerals as those used above may be given, and the description thereof may be omitted. In addition, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of constituent elements, etc., unless otherwise specified or unless it is considered obvious in principle, those substantially approximating or similar to the shape, etc. are included.

[0023] The present invention relates to a decorative member that produces a sense of antiquity found in antiques such as antiques, vintages, and old ones. In other words, the decorative member according to the present invention is provided with the appearance and texture peculiar to antiques, and includes each part constituting the ornament, the parts used for assembling the ornament, and the ornament itself.

[0024] <Embodiment 1> The decorative member according to one aspect of the present invention has a base material, a first layer laminated on the base material, and a second layer laminated on the first layer. In the present embodiment, the second layer corresponds to the surface coating layer. Note that crater-shaped recesses are formed in the second layer, and in some of the recesses, the underlying first layer is exposed to such an extent that its color can be visually recognized. Therefore, a complex mottled pattern in which the colors of the first layer and the second layer are mixed is formed on the surface of the decorative member 1. Hereinafter, it will be specifically described.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of the decorative member according to Embodiment 1. The decorative member 1 of this embodiment is a screw member having a mottled pattern formed on its surface. In the figure, a circular cross-section of the surface of the decorative member 1 is shown enlarged.

[0026] The base material 11 is the main body of the decorative member 1 and is, for example, a molded article made of a metal such as common iron, stainless steel, or aluminum. In this embodiment, as an example, a common stainless steel screw with a hexagonal hole is used. However, it is not limited to this, and various decorative members can be selected for the base material. Specifically, it includes each component that constitutes ornaments such as watches, glasses, accessories, interior, and exterior, and components used for assembling ornaments such as screws, bolts, nuts, nails, and hinges. Of course, the ornament itself can also be selected as the base material.

[0027] The first layer 12 is a metal film applied to the surface of the base material 11. As the film-forming method for the first layer, plating, CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), etc. can be used. Among PVD, it is desirable to use ion plating (IP) or sputtering (SP). In particular, the film formed by ion plating has good adhesion, excellent high hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and heat resistance, and a deep metallic luster and hue can be obtained, so a beautiful finish can be expected as a decorative member. In this embodiment, as an example, arc ion plating (AIP) that utilizes the energy of vacuum arc discharge is used.

[0028] For the film-forming metal by ion plating, for example, titanium, aluminum, gold, chromium, copper, nickel, tin, etc. can be used in consideration of its use and color. For the introduction gas, for example, argon, nitrogen, acetylene, methane, oxygen, etc. can be selected, and films such as pure metals, nitrides, carbides, and oxides can be obtained respectively. In this embodiment, as an example, the film made of titanium nitride (TiN) is used as the first layer 12. Titanium nitride presents a color ranging from reddish-brown to golden-yellow and can give a sense of luxury with a high-quality gold-based coloring.

[0029] In addition, the various conditions in the ion plating of the first layer 12 can be appropriately adjusted so that the generation of droplets described later is suppressed as much as possible and a smooth surface can be obtained. Also, since the coloring also varies depending on each condition (for example, the mixing ratio of the introduced gas, the pressure in the chamber, etc.), conditions suitable for the intended finish can be selected. Further, if the film thickness of the first layer 12 is too thin, the durability will be poor, and if it is too thick, the adhesion will decrease or the price will increase, which is not preferable. Preferably, it is 0.3 to 5 μm, more preferably 0.5 to 3 μm.

[0030] The second layer 13 is a metal film laminated on the first layer 12. Crater-shaped recesses 131 are formed here and there in the second layer 13, and a mottled pattern of a rough uneven surface is formed. Regarding the film formation method of the second layer 13 as well, ion plating, sputtering, etc. can be used in the same manner as the first layer 12, but in the second layer 13, it is particularly desirable to use arc ion plating.

[0031] The reason for this is the presence of droplets (macro particles), which are by-products in arc ion plating. Droplets are minute droplets that are inevitably emitted and scattered from the arc spot when the target metal material (titanium in this form) is locally melted and evaporated by arc discharge. These droplets adhere to the substrate together with metal ions and are mixed into the film, becoming protrusions of metal aggregates and causing surface roughness. On the other hand, droplets also have the property of being easily detached, and after detachment, crater-shaped detachment marks remain on the surface.

[0032] Therefore, normally the film is formed so that droplets do not occur. However, in the decorative member 1 of this embodiment, by utilizing such properties of droplets, a unique texture peculiar to antique objects is created on the surface. Specifically, an appropriate amount of droplets can be intentionally generated during the film formation process of the second layer 13, and by subjecting these to a polishing process described later and easily causing them to fall off, crater-like recesses 131 can be formed on the surface. In such recesses 131, there are those that do not reach the first layer 12 (recesses 131a) and those whose bottom surfaces reach the first layer 12 and this is exposed (recesses 131b), and they are mixed. In the scattered recesses 131a, a change in the color tone of the second layer 13 occurs and it is recognized as a mottled pattern as a whole. Also, in the scattered recesses 131b, the color of the first layer 12 is visible from the surface, and as a whole, it is recognized as a complex mottled pattern in which the color tones of the first layer 12 and the second layer 13 are mixed. Such a mottled pattern creates an antique-like texture that evokes a sense of age and enhances the decorativeness.

[0033] Regarding the amount of the recesses 131, preferably it is 5 to 70% per unit area, more preferably 10 to 50%. If it is too much, the durability of the second layer 13 will be inferior, and if it is too little, the color tone of the second layer 13 will prevail and it will not be able to produce a unique texture.

[0034] Note that since it is possible to generate droplets depending on the conditions also by other film formation methods, for example, sputtering, it is not necessarily the case that ion plating must be selected for the film formation of the second layer. As long as an appropriate amount of droplets can be formed, any film formation method can be adopted.

[0035] As a polishing method for causing the droplets to fall off, for example, in addition to mechanical means such as barrel polishing, buff polishing, and honing, any method such as electrical means, chemical means, or manual work may be used. In this embodiment, as an example, barrel polishing is used. Barrel polishing is a polishing method that utilizes the relative friction between media (abrasive stones, abrasives) and compounds (polishing aids), and the workpiece is polished by vibrating or rotating a barrel tank (polishing container). It should be noted that suitable media and compounds can be appropriately selected according to the desired finish. Similarly, regarding the processing time, if it is too short, the droplets will not fall off sufficiently, making it difficult to obtain a unique texture, and if it is too long, the first layer will be damaged, which is inappropriate. Therefore, a suitable processing time may be selected while determining the state of the substrate, the surface finish, and the texture. As an example, in this embodiment, it is preferably about 3 to 20 minutes.

[0036] Also, any type of coating may be selected for the second layer 13 of this embodiment, but in this embodiment, titanium carbonitride (TiCN) is used as an example. Titanium carbonitride exhibits a color ranging from gray to black and is suitable for creating the oxidized and soiled texture of old black metal products. Also, regarding the film thickness of the second layer 13, it is preferably 0.3 to 5 μm, more preferably 0.5 to 3 μm. This film thickness may be set according to the selected decorative member and the substrate.

[0037] Next, a method for manufacturing the decorative member 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the manufacturing process of the decorative member 1.

[0038] (Cleaning process of the substrate) First, a cleaning process is performed on the substrate 11 as a pretreatment (step S11). Cleaning can be performed, for example, by ultrasonic cleaning, pretreatment with alcohol or a solvent, or by ion bombardment. In this embodiment, as an example of ion bombardment, both gas bombardment and metal ion bombardment treatments are performed. However, this is not limiting, and an appropriate method can be selected.

[0039] Specifically, the gas bombardment is a method of first ionizing an inert gas (Ar in this example) and colliding it with a substrate to which a negative bias voltage is applied. By this treatment, the surface of the substrate can be physically etched with ions to remove the oxide film layer and adhering impurities.

[0040] Next, the metal ion bombardment is a method of ionizing a metal material (Ti in this example) and attracting it to the surface of the substrate to which a negative bias voltage is applied to form a film. By this treatment, a pure metal layer is formed on the surface of the substrate, and the adhesion of the film to be laminated in the subsequent process can be improved.

[0041] (Film formation process of the first layer) Subsequently, a TiN film is formed on the substrate 11 after cleaning to form the first layer 12 (step S12). FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the surface of the decorative member 1 on which the first layer 12 is laminated on the substrate 11. In this embodiment, as an example, the first layer 12 is formed by the following arc ion plating treatment.

[0042] Specifically, an inert gas (Ar in this example) and a reactive gas (N2 in this example) are introduced into the vacuum chamber to make the inside of the chamber a gas atmosphere. Next, plasma is generated by vacuum arc discharge to melt and evaporate the target metal (Ti) and ionize it. At the same time, by applying a negative bias voltage to the substrate, the positive metal ions are attracted to the substrate to which a negative potential is applied. At this time, the metal ions react with the reactive gas ions and deposit as TiN on the surface of the substrate, and the first layer 12 is obtained.

[0043] In the first layer, it is desirable that there are few droplets and the surface is smooth. In order to obtain such a surface, for example, the bias voltage is preferably 100 v or more and 300 v or less, and the treatment time is preferably 10 minutes or more and less than 60 minutes.

[0044] (Film formation process of the second layer) Next, a TiCN film is formed on the first layer to form the second layer 13 (step S13). FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the surface of the decorative member 1 on which the second layer 13 is laminated. In this embodiment, as an example, the second layer 13 can be formed by the following arc ion plating process.

[0045] Specifically, the second layer 13 can be obtained by introducing an inert gas (Ar in this example) and a reactive gas (N2 and CH4 in this example) into the vacuum chamber and then performing the same process as for the first layer 12. Here, in order to intentionally generate a large number of droplets D1 and D2 in the second layer 13, the applied bias voltage is set lower than when forming the first layer 12, and the processing time is made longer. As a result, the second layer 13 having more droplets than normal can be obtained. For example, the processing time is preferably 60 minutes or more and 240 minutes or less. Similar to the recess 131, the amount of droplets is preferably 5 to 70% per unit area, more preferably 10 to 50%.

[0046] (Polishing process) Finally, the decorative member 1 is polished (step S14). FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the surface of the decorative member 1 after polishing. As shown in the figure, by polishing the decorative member 1, the droplets D1 and D2 can be preferentially removed, and an uneven surface with crater-like recesses 131a and 131b can be obtained. Specifically, by filling the vibrating barrel machine with the object to be processed together with media, compound, water, etc. and polishing the surface for an arbitrary processing time, a decorative member 1 with a mottled pattern having a unique texture can be obtained. Since the processing time varies depending on the conditions and the desired finish, it can be appropriately changed while checking the state. However, taking advantage of the property of the droplets that are easily removed, it can be processed in a shorter time compared to the case of a smooth surface where the generation of droplets is suppressed as much as possible.

[0047] According to such a method, when polishing the second layer, by preferentially dropping the droplets, it is not necessary to damage the second layer more than necessary, and a mottled pattern can be efficiently formed. In addition, since the first layer does not need to be damaged more than necessary by long-time polishing, it is possible to form a high-quality decorative member 1 without reducing the durability. Further, since the crater-shaped recesses due to the dropping of the droplets form a mottled pattern, an overall uniform mottled pattern can be formed even on a substrate having a complicated shape that cannot be removed by the conventional polishing as in Patent Document 1. For example, a mottled pattern is formed up to the inner surface of the hexagonal hole of the screw member as shown in FIG. 1, and it can be provided as a high-quality decorative screw member.

[0048] <Embodiment 2> Embodiment 2 is different from Embodiment 1 in that the formation of the first layer is omitted and the second layer (surface coating layer) is formed on the substrate. Hereinafter, the differences from Embodiment 1 will be described, and the description of the other points will be omitted as appropriate.

[0049] Specifically, in Embodiment 2, referring to FIG. 3, step S12 is omitted, and it includes a cleaning step (step S11) of the substrate, a film forming step (step S13) of the second layer, and a polishing step (step S14). FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the surface of the decorative member 1 on which the second layer 13 is laminated. A second layer 13 having more droplets than usual is directly formed on the substrate 11. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the surface of the decorative member 1 after polishing. By polishing the decorative member 1, the droplets are preferentially dropped, and an uneven surface with crater-shaped recesses 131 formed on the substrate 11 can be obtained. In such recesses 131, those that do not reach the substrate 11 (recesses 131a) and those whose bottom surfaces reach the substrate 11 and are exposed (recesses 131b) are mixed.

[0050] In Embodiment 2, since the formation of the first layer is omitted, it is possible to provide a decorative member on which a mottled pattern is formed in a shorter time than in Embodiment 1. Further, a mottled pattern with a different texture from that of Embodiment 1 can be obtained.

[0051] In Embodiment 2, by preferentially causing the droplets to fall off during the polishing of the second layer, it is not necessary to damage the second layer and the substrate more than necessary, and a streaky pattern can be efficiently formed. In addition, since the substrate is not damaged more than necessary by long-time polishing, it is possible to form the high-quality decorative member 1 without reducing the durability. Further, since the crater-like recesses due to the falling of the droplets form a streaky pattern, an overall uniform streaky pattern can be formed even on a substrate having a complex shape whose coating cannot be removed by conventional polishing as in Patent Document 1. For example, a streaky pattern is formed up to the inner surface of the hexagonal hole of the screw member as shown in FIG. 1, and it can be provided as a high-quality decorative screw member.

Example

[0052] Finally, the present invention will be described in more detail based on the examples according to Embodiment 1. However, the present invention is not limited by the following examples, and it is also possible to appropriately modify and implement within the range that conforms to the above-mentioned gist, and all of them are included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0053] <Example> Using a film forming apparatus (iDS-mini manufactured by Nippon IHI Corporation), a decorative member 1 in which a titanium nitride layer of the first layer 12 and a titanium carbonitride layer of the second layer 13 are laminated was created. The substrate 11 was a stainless steel screw with a hexagonal hole having a size of about 4×1.5 mm, and was used after removing surface dirt by ultrasonic cleaning or solvent cleaning in advance. FIG. 8 shows an actual magnified photograph of the surface of the substrate 11. The substrate 11 has a linear pattern by hairline processing and has a silver luster peculiar to stainless steel.

[0054] In this example, both the first layer 12 and the second layer 13 were formed by the arc ion plating method, titanium was used as the target metal, argon gas was used as the inert gas, and nitrogen gas and methane gas were used as the reactive gases.

[0055] (Ion bombardment) First, a hexagon socket screw (workpiece) was mounted on the self-rotating table as the base material 11, and the inside of the vacuum chamber was evacuated. Then, the self-rotating table was rotated, and a bias voltage of 500 V was applied to the workpiece through the self-rotating table by a bias power supply.

[0056] Next, argon gas was introduced into the chamber, and the arc power supply was operated to generate arc plasma at the arc evaporation source. Argon was ionized by arc discharge, and argon bombardment was performed for 30 minutes. Then, argon gas was introduced again, and the target metal (titanium) was melted and evaporated by the arc evaporation method and ionized, and titanium bombardment was carried out for 1 minute to obtain a thin film layer of pure metal.

[0057] (TiN film formation by AIP method) Subsequently, argon gas and nitrogen gas were introduced into the chamber to set the pressure in the chamber to 1×10 -2 Pa, and a bias voltage of 200 V was applied to the workpiece by a bias power supply. Next, arc plasma was generated at the arc evaporation source, and the target metal (titanium) melted and evaporated by the arc evaporation method was ionized and reacted with similarly ionized nitrogen to deposit titanium nitride, which is a compound, on the surface of the base material. As a result, a golden titanium nitride hard film (first layer 12) was obtained. The thickness of the obtained TiN film was about 1 μm.

[0058] (TiCN film formation by AIP method) Furthermore, argon gas, nitrogen gas, and methane gas were introduced into the chamber to set the pressure in the chamber to 1×10 -2 Pa, and a bias voltage lower than that for TiN film formation was applied to the workpiece by a bias power supply. Next, arc plasma was generated at the arc evaporation source, and the target metal (titanium) melted and evaporated by the arc evaporation method was ionized and reacted with similarly ionized nitrogen and methane to deposit titanium nitride, which is a compound, on the surface of the base material. As a result, a grayish-black titanium carbonitride hard film (second layer 13) having about 30% droplets per unit area was obtained. The thickness of the obtained TiCN film was about 1 μm.

[0059] (Barrel Polishing) The barrel vibratory polishing machine was filled with the workpiece obtained above together with plastic media and alumina-based compounds, and the polishing treatment was performed for about 3 to 15 minutes depending on the condition, whereby the decorative member 1 having a unique texture was obtained.

[0060] The workpiece obtained in the above examples is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is an enlarged photograph of the surface of the second layer (before polishing), and FIG. 10 is an enlarged photograph of the surface of the second layer (after polishing). As shown in FIG. 9, the presence of a large number of circular droplets can be confirmed on the surface of the second layer before polishing. Also, a part of them has already fallen off, and the formation of concave portions where the golden color of the first layer is visible can be seen. As shown in FIG. 10, on the surface of the second layer after polishing, the droplets have almost completely fallen off, and a natural uneven mottled pattern can be confirmed on the surface. Such a surface finish with an old texture unique to antique items is well-suited for antique-style ornaments and can be applied to various decorative members.

[0061] Based on the above description, those skilled in the art may be able to conceive of additional effects and various modifications of the present invention, but the aspects of the present invention are not limited to the examples of the above-described embodiments. Various additions, changes, and partial deletions are possible without departing from the conceptual ideas and spirits of the present invention derived from the contents defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0062] 1 Decorative member 11 Base material 12 First layer 13 Second layer 131 Concave portion D1·D2 Droplet

Claims

1. A base material, and a surface coating layer formed by physical vapor deposition above the base material, wherein a mottled pattern is formed on the surface coating layer by a plurality of crater-shaped recesses characterizing the decorative member.

2. A first layer containing titanium nitride formed on the base material, and a second layer containing titanium carbonitride formed on the first layer to constitute the surface coating layer, characterizing the decorative member according to Claim 1.

3. The surface coating layer is formed by ion plating characterizing the decorative member according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. In the surface coating layer, 10 to 50% of the recesses are formed per unit area characterizing the decorative member according to Claim 3.

5. At least a part of the plurality of recesses formed in the surface coating layer is a drop-off mark of droplets generated in ion plating characterizing the decorative member according to Claim 3.

6. The decorative member is a screw member characterizing the decorative member according to Claim 1 or 2.

7. A step of forming a surface coating layer containing a plurality of droplets above a base material by physical vapor deposition, and a step of polishing the surface coating layer so that a plurality of crater-shaped recesses are formed due to the drop-off of at least a part of the plurality of droplets to form a mottled pattern a method for manufacturing a decorative member.

8. A step of forming a first layer containing titanium nitride on the base material by ion plating, and a step of forming a second layer containing titanium carbonitride on the first layer by ion plating to form the surface coating layer a method for manufacturing a decorative member according to Claim 7.

9. In the step of forming the surface coating layer, ion plating is performed so that 10 to 50% of droplets are generated per unit area a method for manufacturing a decorative member according to Claim 7 or 8.

10. In the step of forming the surface coating layer, the bias voltage is set lower than that in normal physical vapor deposition that suppresses the generation of droplets as much as possible a method for manufacturing a decorative member according to Claim 7 or 8.

11. In the step of forming the surface coating layer, the treatment time is set longer than that in normal physical vapor deposition that suppresses the generation of droplets as much as possible a method for manufacturing a decorative member according to Claim 7 or 8.

12. In the step of forming the mottled pattern, the mottled pattern is formed by mechanical means such as barrel, buff, and honing. The method for manufacturing a decorative member according to claim 7 or 8.

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