US2005224361A1PendingUtilityA1

Plating for automotive part

38
Assignee: TAKATA CORPPriority: Apr 13, 2004Filed: Apr 8, 2005Published: Oct 13, 2005
Est. expiryApr 13, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Shigetsugu NakamuraYoshihiko KawaiIchiro Horide
C25D 5/14C25D 5/627C25D 5/48C25D 5/50
38
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
0
Claims

Abstract

A plated automotive part and method of plating are provided. One or more semi-bright finish layers of nickel are plated onto an automotive part. One or more bright finish layers of nickel are plated onto the outermost, semi-bright finish layer of nickel. One or more layers of a hard coat are plated onto the outermost, bright-finish layer of nickel. The hard coat has a pencil hardness of 4H or greater.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 49 . (canceled)  
   
   
       50 . A plated automotive part comprising: 
 a base metal;    a Ni layer on the base metal; and    an outermost plating layer including a hard coat,    wherein the outermost plating layer has a pencil hardness of 4H or greater.    
   
   
       51 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises epoxy.  
   
   
       52 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises acrylic.  
   
   
       53 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises polyester.  
   
   
       54 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises urethane.  
   
   
       55 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises melamine alkyl.  
   
   
       56 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises an Si-R linked siloxane of a silicone containing compound.  
   
   
       57 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the Ni layer includes a semi-bright finish layer directly on the base metal.  
   
   
       58 . The part of  claim 57 , wherein the Ni layer includes a bright finish layer overlying the semi-bright finish layer.  
   
   
       59 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the outermost plating layer is clear.  
   
   
       60 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises an inorganic hard coat.  
   
   
       61 . The part of  claim 60 , wherein the outermost plating layer has a thickness of about 1 μm or greater and a pencil hardness of about 7H or greater.  
   
   
       62 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein a thickness of the outermost plating layer is about 6 μm or greater.  
   
   
       63 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the outermost plating layer includes a first outermost plating layer and a second outermost plating layer, and wherein the first outermost plating layer has a thickness of about 5 μm or greater and the second outermost platinf layer has a thickness of about 6 μm or greater.  
   
   
       64 . The part of  claim 63 , wherein the first outermost plating layer has a pencil hardness of about HB or greater and the second outermost plating layer has a pencil hardness of about 4H or greater.  
   
   
       65 . The part of  claim 50 , wherein the plated automotive part is configured to engage a corresponding automotive part, and wherein a surface of the corresponding automotive part configured to contact the plated automotive part has a hardness lower than the harness of the outermost plating layer of the plated automotive part.  
   
   
       66 . The part of  claim 65 , wherein the surface of the corresponding automotive part includes a coating containing molybdenum disulfide.  
   
   
       67 . The part of  claim 65 , wherein the surface of the corresponding automotive part includes a coating containing fluorocarbon resin powder.  
   
   
       68 . The part of  claim 65 , wherein the surface of the corresponding automotive part includes a manganese phosphate plating.  
   
   
       69 . The part of  claim 65 , wherein the surface of the corresponding automotive part includes a zinc plating.  
   
   
       70 . A seat belt tongue comprising an outermost plating layer including a hard coat having a pencil hardness of 4H or greater.  
   
   
       71 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises epoxy.  
   
   
       72 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises acrylic.  
   
   
       73 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises polyester.  
   
   
       74 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises urethane.  
   
   
       75 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises melamine alkyl.  
   
   
       76 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises an Si—R linked siloxane of a silicone containing compound.  
   
   
       77 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein a thickness of the outermost plating layer is about 5 μm.  
   
   
       78 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer overlies at least one Ni layer.  
   
   
       79 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer is clear.  
   
   
       80 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer comprises an inorganic hard coat.  
   
   
       81 . The tongue of  claim 80 , wherein the outermost plating layer has a thickness of about 1 μm or greater and a pencil hardness of about 7H or greater.  
   
   
       82 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein a thickness of the outermost plating layer is about 6 μm or greater.  
   
   
       83 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the outermost plating layer includes a first outermost plating layer and a second outermost plating layer, and wherein the first outermost plating layer has a thickness of about 5 μm or greater and the second outermost plating layer has a thickness of about 6 μm or greater.  
   
   
       84 . The tongue of  claim 83 , wherein the first outermost plating layer has a pencil hardness of about HB or greater.  
   
   
       85 . The tongue of  claim 83 , wherein the second outermost plating layer has a pencil hardness of about 4H or greater.  
   
   
       86 . The tongue of  claim 70 , wherein the tongue is configured to engage a seat belt buckle having a base and a latch, and wherein a hardness of a surface of the base and a hardness of a surface of the latch are lower than the harness of the outermost plating.  
   
   
       87 . The tongue of  claim 86 , wherein the surfaces of the base and the latch include a coating containing molybdenum disulfide.  
   
   
       88 . The tongue of  claim 86 , wherein the surfaces of the base and the latch include a coating containing fluorocarbon resin powder.  
   
   
       89 . The tongue of  claim 86 , wherein the surfaces of the base and the latch include a manganese phosphate plating.  
   
   
       90 . The tongue of  claim 86 , wherein the surfaces of the base and the latch include a zinc plating.

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