Gradient-Color Enclosure Coating With Controlled Film Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multi-color coating technologies for mobile phone rear covers face significant challenges due to their complexity and low yield rates, resulting in monotonous, single-colored appearances.
Innovation Solution
A gradient-colored enclosure is achieved by applying a composite film layer with varying thicknesses on a substrate, where the thickness gradually decreases or increases along specific directions, allowing for a range of colors from 400 nanometers to 760 nanometers to be presented.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional multi-color coating technologies are used, then color variety is improved, but manufacturing complexity and difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the thickness of a single film layer to produce different colors. Instead of using multiple coating layers or complex multi-color technologies, the invention varies the film thickness parameter (from 50nm to 400nm) to create a gradient of colors ranging from blue to red, thereby achieving color variety while maintaining simple manufacturing processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by creating spatial variation in film thickness across the substrate surface. Different regions of the substrate have different film thicknesses, which results in different colors being displayed in different locations. This gradient thickness distribution (from thin to thick or vice versa) produces the multi-color effect without requiring complex multi-layer coatings
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional multi-color coating technologies are used, then color variety is improved, but yield rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the film thickness parameter continuously across the substrate, the invention achieves multiple colors in a single coating process. This eliminates the need for multiple sequential coating steps, thereby improving production efficiency and yield rate while maintaining color variety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the color display function into a single film layer with varying thickness rather than using multiple separate coating layers. This segmentation of the functional requirement into a unified structure simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces the yield rate penalty associated with multiple coating steps
3Stability of the object's composition
If film thickness difference is kept small (≤350nm), then color gradient smoothness is improved, but color range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the film thickness parameter range (50nm-400nm) and the thickness difference constraint (≤350nm between any two regions) to achieve the best balance between gradient smoothness and color range. By controlling the maximum thickness difference while maintaining a sufficient overall thickness range, the invention produces smooth color transitions across the visible spectrum (400nm-760nm wavelength range)
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 solution enriches and diversifies the appearance tone of the enclosure, enabling the presentation of rainbow colors in a gradient form, thereby enhancing sensory appeal and meeting customer color experience requirements.
Implementation Method 1
A thickness of the composite film layer gradually decreases or increases along a first direction, and a difference between film thicknesses of any two regions arranged along the first direction on the composite film layer is less than or equal to 350 nanometers (nm), so that the enclosure presents a gradient color of a wavelength ranging from 400 nanometers to 760 nanometers
Implementation Method 2
Housing, mobile terminal, and sputter coating apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
An enclosure (200) is provided. The enclosure (200) includes a substrate (1) and composite film layer (2) coated onto the substrate (1). A thickness of the composite film layer (2) gradually decreases or increases along a first direction (X), and a difference between film thicknesses of any two regions arranged along the first direction (X) on the composite film layer (2) is less than or equal to 350 nanometers, so that the enclosure (200) presents a gradient color of a wavelength ranging from 400 nanometers to 760 nanometers. A mobile terminal (100) having the enclosure (200) and a sputter coating apparatus (300) are further disclosed.