Transparent tinted coating for appliance exterior panels to allow for tinted surface patterns and a process for application of coating

Abstract

An exterior panel for a kitchen appliance includes a metallic substrate having a predetermined surface pattern on at least one side of the metallic substrate, wherein the metallic substrate is formed to include a predetermined contour. A coating layer is an organic paint coating composition on the at least one side of the metallic substrate, the coating layer including a predetermined color and a fingerprint resistive surface, wherein the coating layer is at least partially translucent such that the predetermined surface pattern is visible with the naked eye through the coating layer, and wherein the predetermined surface pattern is modified by the coating layer to reflect the combination of the predetermined surface pattern and the predetermined color of the coating layer.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An exterior panel for an appliance, the exterior panel comprising:
 a metallic substrate having an applied surface texture defined within the metallic substrate, wherein the metallic substrate is formed to include a predetermined contour; and   a coating layer being a thermosetting organic paint coating composition on the at least one side of the metallic substrate, the coating layer including a selected color, wherein the coating layer is a tinted transparent layer having a first side that engages the applied surface texture of the metallic substrate and a second side that opposes the first side, wherein the applied surface texture is visible with a naked eye through the coating layer, and wherein the applied surface texture is modified by the tinted transparent layer to cooperatively reflect a combination of the applied surface texture and the selected color of the tinted transparent layer.   
     
     
         2 . The exterior panel of  claim 1 , wherein the surface texture includes raised surfaces and lowered areas, wherein the first side of the tinted transparent layer matches the surface texture and engages the raised surfaces and lowered areas of the surface texture, and wherein the second side is substantially smooth. 
     
     
         3 . The exterior panel of  claim 2 , wherein the tinted transparent layer defines a first thickness proximate the lowered areas of the surface texture and a second thickness proximate the raised surfaces of the surface texture, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness. 
     
     
         4 . The exterior panel of  claim 3 , wherein the tinted transparent layer at the first thickness defines darker tinted area. 
     
     
         5 . The exterior panel of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic substrate is grade 201 stainless steel. 
     
     
         6 . The exterior panel of  claim 1 , wherein the coating layer is a thermosetting polyester configured to be applied by a reverse rolling mechanism. 
     
     
         7 . The exterior panel of  claim 1 , wherein the coating layer has a thickness of within a range of from approximately 0.2 mils to approximately 0.6 mils. 
     
     
         8 . The exterior panel of  claim 1 , wherein the surface texture is defined by a brushed finish. 
     
     
         9 . The exterior panel of  claim 1 , wherein the coating layer has a thickness of within a range of from approximately 0.25 mils to approximately 0.5 mils. 
     
     
         10 . The exterior panel of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one additive is carbon black and a proportion of carbon black disposed within the coating layer is within a range of from approximately 0.1 percent by weight and approximately 1 percent by weight. 
     
     
         11 . A kitchen appliance comprising:
 a shaped outer metal panel including a surface texture defined on at least one side of the shaped outer metal panel and disposed upon an insulated panel, wherein the shaped outer metal panel is formed into a predetermined shape; and   a transparent outer coating being a thermosetting polyester applied to the at least one side of the shaped outer metal panel, the transparent outer coating having a thickness within a range of from approximately 0.2 mils to approximately 0.6 mils, wherein the transparent outer coating includes a predetermined color, and wherein the surface texture is cooperatively visible with the predetermined color to define a tinted surface pattern that is visible through the transparent outer coating, and wherein the shaped outer metal panel is configured to be formed into the predetermined shape after the transparent outer coating is applied to the at least one side of the shaped outer metal panel.   
     
     
         12 . The kitchen appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined color of the transparent outer coating includes at least two separate and simultaneously visible colors. 
     
     
         13 . The kitchen appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the at least two colors are defined by variations in the thickness of the transparent outer coating. 
     
     
         14 . The kitchen appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the shaped outer metal panel is a stainless steel substrate that is one of grade 430 stainless steel and grade 201 stainless steel, and wherein the transparent outer coating is at least partially fingerprint resistant. 
     
     
         15 . The kitchen appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined shape includes a plurality of external sides that are connected at adjoining edges, and wherein the transparent outer coating extends over each of the plurality of external sides and the adjoining edges, and wherein the transparent outer coating is not capable of being physical vapor deposited onto the at least one side of the shaped outer metal panel. 
     
     
         16 . The kitchen appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the transparent outer coating includes carbon black, wherein a proportion of carbon black disposed within the transparent outer coating is within a range of from approximately 0.1 percent by weight and approximately 1 percent by weight. 
     
     
         17 . A tinted outer shell for an appliance comprising:
 an operable panel for an appliance;   a stainless steel substrate having a textured surface pattern defined within at least one side of the stainless steel substrate, the textured surface pattern having lowered areas and raised surfaces between the lowered areas, wherein the stainless steel substrate is shaped in a predetermined contour and is applied to the operable panel; and   a coating layer, being a transparent organic paint coating composition, disposed on the textured surface pattern and engaging each of the lowered areas and the raised surfaces to define thick coating regions having a first thickness and thin coating regions having a second thickness, respectively, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness, the coating layer including a transparent thermosetting polyester that includes a predetermined tint that filters a predetermined wavelength of visible light, the thick coating regions filtering a first wavelength of visible light and the thin coating regions filtering a second wavelength of visible light, the first wavelength being different than the second wavelength.   
     
     
         18 . The tinted outer shell of  claim 17 , wherein the coating layer is deposited onto the at least one side of the stainless steel substrate in a manner free of physical vapor deposition. 
     
     
         19 . The tinted outer shell of  claim 17 , wherein the coating layer has a thickness of within a range of approximately 0.2 mils to approximately 0.6 mils. 
     
     
         20 . The tinted outer shell of  claim 18 , wherein the coating layer includes a predetermined additive that includes carbon black, and wherein a predetermined proportion of carbon black disposed within the coating layer is within a range of from approximately 0.1 percent by weight and approximately 1 percent by weight.