Coloring Flake Luster Coat for Multi-Layer Coating Film

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Multi-layer coating films with a color coat applied over a luster coat often exhibit color unevenness due to uneven thickness, leading to bright and dark spots, and the addition of pigments to the luster coat can result in uneven dispersal and orientation issues, further exacerbating the problem.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating coloring flakes as the luster material in the luster coat, which reflects and absorbs light in a manner that reduces color unevenness, potentially eliminating the need for additional pigments, and maintaining brightness by controlling the pigment weight concentration and exposure area of the flakes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If a color coat with pigment is applied on a luster coat, then color tone is achieved, but color unevenness occurs due to uneven thickness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolor toneVSAvoidcolor unevenness

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a base coat as an intermediary layer between the luster coat and the color coat. This base coat contains a pigment that matches the color type of the color coat, creating a transition layer that compensates for color unevenness caused by thickness variations in the color coat. The base coat acts as a mediator to smooth out color variations before the light-reflecting luster coat and translucent color coat are applied.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If pigment is added to the luster coat to reduce color unevenness, then color uniformity improves, but uneven dispersal of pigment occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolor uniformityVSAvoidpigment dispersal uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the pigment-containing layer into two separate coats: a base coat and a color coat. The base coat contains the pigment at a higher concentration to provide color uniformity, while the color coat contains pigment at a lower concentration to maintain translucency and allow luster material visibility. This segmentation prevents the uneven dispersal problem that would occur if all pigment were concentrated in a single luster coat layer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Illumination intensity

If pigment is added to the luster coat, then color tone is enhanced, but luster material orientation is affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolor toneVSAvoidluster material orientation

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent separates the luster material-containing layer from the pigment-containing layer. The luster coat contains only luster material (aluminum flakes or similar) without pigment, allowing the luster material to orient properly for optimal light reflection. The pigment is placed in the base coat and color coat instead, ensuring that color tone is achieved without interfering with luster material orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Illumination intensity

If clear coating film is applied on luster coat, then brightness is improved, but color unevenness becomes more visible

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebrightnessVSAvoidcolor unevenness visibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the base coat with pigment before applying the luster coat and color coat. This preliminary action of establishing a uniform color foundation in the base coat ensures that when the translucent color coat and bright luster coat are applied on top, any color unevenness is already compensated for in the underlying layer. The preliminary pigmented base coat prevents color unevenness from becoming visible through the translucent layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The use of coloring flakes in the luster coat effectively minimizes color unevenness and maintains brightness by ensuring consistent light reflection and absorption, even with uneven thickness, and reduces the risk of pigment dispersal and orientation issues.

Implementation Method 1

the coloring material in the coloring flake reflects light having a wavelength unique to the coloring material and absorbs another light having another wavelength

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

the coloring flake included in the luster coat and acting as the luster material to color a surface of a luster flake with a coloring material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS10220598B2Multilayer coating film and coated object comprising luster flake coated with coloring materials

Publication Date: 2019.03.05 MAZDA MOTOR CORP

AI summary

An multi-layer coating film 12 includes: a luster coat 15 containing a luster material; a color coat 16 applied on the luster coat 15, containing a pigment 21, and having translucency; and a coloring flake 22 included in the luster coat 15 and acting as the luster material to color a surface of a luster flake with a coloring material in the same type of color as a color type of the color coat 16.