CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial Number 62/770,239, filed November 21, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to a method for marking a surface of an object, and more particularly to a method for coloring a metallic surface of an object by applying an energy pulse to the metallic surface.

BACKGROUND

[0003] This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

[0004] The outer surface of a part or component can be marked or colored using various methods and techniques. For example, the outer surface of a plastic part or component can be marked or colored by painting, molding with a coloring agent, printing, or irradiating with a laser. Similarly, the outer surface of a metal part, or the metallic outer surface of a part formed from a material other than metal, can be marked or colored by painting, printing, or irradiating with a laser. For example, U.S. Publication No. 2008/0139707 A1 describes a method for producing a multi-color laser marking on a molded article, while U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,436 describes a method for laser-marking the surface of a material by applying a coating to the surface and then irradiating the coating with a laser. While known methods for marking or coloring metallic surfaces of various components have proven acceptable for their intended purposes, a continuous need for improvement remains in the pertinent art.

SUMMARY

[0005] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features. [0006] One aspect of the disclosure provides a method for marking a surface of a component. The method may include covering an outer surface of a component with a stencil. The stencil may define an aperture exposing a metallic portion of the outer surface. The metallic portion may include a first color. The method may also include irradiating the stencil and the metallic portion of the outer surface with a pulse of energy to create a marked portion of the outer surface. The marked portion may include a second color different than the first color.

[0007] Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, irradiating the stencil and the metallic portion of the outer surface with the pulse of energy includes transmitting the pulse of energy for less than one second. In some implementations, irradiating the stencil and the metallic portion of the outer surface with the pulse of energy includes transmitting the pulse of energy for less than one- hundredth of a second.

[0008] In some implementations, the metallic portion of the outer surface is not chemically- treated prior to irradiating the stencil and the metallic portion of the outer surface with the pulse of energy.

[0009] In some implementations, the method includes removing a residue from the marked portion of the outer surface. Removing the residue from the marked portion of the outer surface may include applying alcohol or water to the outer surface.

[0010] In some implementations, the method includes generating the pulse of energy with a gas discharge light source. The gas discharge light source may include a plasma lamp. Generating the pulse of energy may include energizing a plasma using radio frequency power.

[0011] In some implementations, covering the outer surface of the component with the stencil includes electrostatically applying the stencil to the outer surface.

[0012] In some implementations, the metallic portion is formed at least in part from chrome.

[0013] Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method of marking a surface of a component. The method may include masking an outer surface of a component with a stencil. The method may also include exposing a metallic portion of the outer surface. The method may further include energizing the stencil and the metallic portion of the outer surface with a pulse of energy to change a color of the metallic portion of the outer surface.

[0014] This aspect may include one or more of the following optional features. In some implementations, energizing the stencil and the metallic portion of the outer surface with the pulse of energy includes irradiating the metallic portion for less than one second. In some implementations, irradiating the metallic portion of the outer surface includes transmitting the pulse of energy for less than one-hundredth of a second.

[0015] In some implementations, the metallic portion of the outer surface is not chemically- treated prior to energizing the stencil and the metallic portion of the outer surface with the pulse of energy.

[0016] In some implementations, the method includes removing a residue from the metallic portion of the outer surface. Removing the residue from the metallic portion of the outer surface may include applying alcohol or water to the outer surface.

[0017] In some implementations, the method includes generating the pulse of energy with a gas discharge light source. In some implementations, the gas discharge light source includes a plasma lamp. Generating the pulse of energy may include energizing a plasma using radio frequency power.

[0018] In some implementations, masking the outer surface of the component with the stencil includes electrostatically applying the stencil to the outer surface.

[0019] In some implementations, the metallic portion is formed at least in part from chrome.

[0020] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

[0021] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected configurations and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a component suitable for pulse marking in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

[0023] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for marking a surface of a component in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 3A is a schematic perspective view of a pulse marking system in a first stage of operation in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; [0025] FIG. 3B is a schematic perspective view of the pulse marking system of FIG. 3 A in a second stage of operation in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 3C is a schematic perspective view of the pulse marking system of FIG. 3 A in a third stage of operation in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; and

[0027] FIG. 3D is a schematic perspective view of the pulse marking system of FIG. 3 A in a fourth stage of operation in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

[0028] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Example configurations will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of configurations of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example configurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that the specific details and the example configurations should not be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary configurations only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular articles“a,” “an,” and“the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms“comprises,”“comprising,”“including,” and“having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. Additional or alternative steps may be employed.

[0031] When an element or layer is referred to as being“on,”“engaged to,”“connected to,” “attached to,” or“coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected, attached, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being“directly on,”“directly engaged to,”“directly connected to,”“directly attached to,” or“directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g.,“between” versus“directly between,”“adjacent” versus“directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0032] The terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,”“second,” and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example configurations.

[0033] With reference to FIG. 1, a cross-sectional view of an exemplary component 10 for pulse-marking is illustrated. In some implementations, the component 10 may include an automotive door handle, an automotive trim piece, or an automotive decal. It will be appreciated, however, that the component 10 may include other types of components, including non automotive components, within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] The component 10 may include a substrate 12 and one or more layers 14-1, 14-2,...14- n of material. The layers 14-1, 14-2,...14-n of material may be disposed on an outer surface 16 of the substrate 12, such that the component 10 includes an outermost surface 18. In particular, a first layer 14-1 of material may be directly disposed on the substrate 12, while additional layers 14-2, 14-3,...14-n of material may be disposed on the first layer 14-1 of material or other ones of the additional layers 14-2, 14-3,...14-n of material, such that the substrate 12 or one of the layers 14-1, 14-2,...14-n includes the outermost surface 18 of the component 10. In this regard, while the component 10 is generally illustrated and described herein as including five layers 14-1, 14- 2,...14-n of material, such that a layer 14-5 includes the outermost surface 18, it will be appreciated that the component 10 may include more or less than five layers 14-1, 14-2,...14-n of material within the scope of the present disclosure, such that the substrate 12 or one of the other layers 14-1, 14-2,...14-n includes the outermost surface 18. In some implementations, one or more of the materials defining the layers 14-1, 14-2,...14-n may include microporous characteristics. For example, one or more of the layers 14-1, 14-2,...14-n may include a material having pores defining a diameter less than two nanometers.

[0035] In some implementations, the substrate 12 is composed of a plastic or metal substrate formed from one or more of nylon, brass, an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a

poly carbonate/ ABS composite (PC/ ABS), or a zinc plate. The first layer 14-1 of material may be composed of nickel, or a nickel alloy, having a thickness of approximately 1 pm. In some implementations, the first layer 14-1 includes a microporous nickel or nickel alloy material. A second layer 14-2 of material may be disposed on the first layer 14-1 of material and composed of chromium, or a chromium alloy, having a thickness of approximately 3 pm. The third layer 14-3 of material may be disposed on the second layer 14-2 of material and composed of copper, or a copper alloy, having a thickness of approximately 20 pm. The fourth layer 14-4 may be disposed on the third layer 14-3 and composed of nickel, or a nickel alloy having a thickness of approximately 15 pm. The fifth layer 14-5 of material may be disposed on the fourth layer 14-4 of material and composed of chromium, or a chromium alloy (e.g., chromium-3 or chromium-6), having a thickness of approximately 0.5 pm. In this regard, the total thickness of the layers 14-1, 14-2,...14-n of material may be approximately 40 pm.

[0036] With reference to FIG. 2, a method 20 for pulse-marking a component (e.g., component 10) is illustrated. As will be described, the method 20 may be implemented using a pulse marking system 30 illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3D. The pulse marking system 30 may include a pulse source 32, a support or stage 34 to support the component 10, and a stencil 36.

[0037] As will be explained in more detail below, the pulse source 32 may be configured to supply or generate a pulse of energy. In this regard, the pulse source 32 may be referred to herein as the pulse generator 32 or energy generator 32. In particular, as will be described in more detail below, the pulse source 32 may generate a pulse of light, or electromagnetic radiant energy, and transmit the pulse of energy to the component 10. In some implementations, the pulse source 32 includes a gas discharge light source, such as a plasma lamp, to deliver to deliver a short pulse of light energy to the component 10 by exciting (e.g., energizing) plasma using radio frequency power. It will be appreciated, however, that the pulse source 32 may include other implementations operable to deliver a short (e.g., less than one second) pulse of light energy to the component 10. [0038] The stencil 36 may include one or more apertures 38 extending therethrough. In this regard, while the stencil 36 is generally illustrated to include a single, star-shaped aperture 38, it will be appreciated that the stencil 36 may include any number of apertures 38 define any number of shapes or designs within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the aperture 38 may define logo(s), letter(s), number(s), or word(s) within the scope of the present disclosure. The stencil 36 is formed from a sheet of opaque material operable to inhibit the passage of light therethrough. For example, the stencil 36 may be formed from a thin sheet of material operable to prevent the light energy transmitted by the pulse source 32 from passing through the stencil 36. In some implementations, the stencil 36 is formed from a sheet of metal or other material that remains stable (e.g., maintains a constant temperature) upon absorption of the light energy transmitted by the pulse source 32. In other implementations, the stencil 36 is electrostatically formed on the outermost surface 18 of the component by a xerography method, for example. In yet other implementations, the stencil 36 may be formed from a material such as graphite-coated ceramic, or formed from other materials using a three-dimensional printing or machining process.

[0039] As illustrated in FIG. 2, at step 22, the method 20 may include placing a component (e.g., component 10) within a pulse marking system (e.g., pulse marking system 30). For example, with reference to FIG. 3A, at step 22, the method 20 may include placing the component 10 on the stage 34. In particular, the method 20 may include placing the outermost surface 18 of the component 10 within an energy transmission path of the pulse source 32.

[0040] At step 24, the method 20 may include placing a stencil (e.g., stencil 36) over a component (e.g., component 10). For example, with reference to FIG. 3B, at step 24, the method 20 may include placing the stencil 36 on or over the component 10 within the pulse marking system 30 such that a portion 18a of the outermost surface 18 of the component 10 is exposed (e.g., visible) through the aperture 38 of the stencil 36, while another portion (e.g., a remainder) of the outermost surface 18 is masked (e.g., covered) by the stencil 36. In particular, the method 20 may include placing the stencil 36 on or over the component 10 such that the stencil 36, including the aperture 38, is disposed within the energy transmission path of the pulse source 32.

[0041] At step 26, the method 20 may include irradiating a component (e.g., component 10) with a pulse of energy. In some implementations, the pulse of energy may include a pulse of light generated by a pulse source (e.g., pulse source 32). In this regard, in some implementations, the pulse source may include a gas discharge light source, such as a plasma lamp, to irradiate the component with the pulse of energy. For example, with reference to FIG. 3C, at step 26, the method 20 may include transmitting a pulse of energy 40 from the pulse source 32 to the component 10. In particular, the method 20 may include transmitting the pulse of energy 40 from the pulse source 32 to the stencil 36 and through the aperture 38, such that the pulse of energy 40 simultaneously strikes both the stencil 36 and the portion 18a of the outermost surface 18 of the component 10 through the aperture 38. In some implementations, step 26 includes transmitting a single pulse of energy 40 for less than one second. In particular, the single pulse of energy 40 may be transmitted for less than one-hundredth of a second, such that the portion 18a of the outermost surface 18 is exposed to, and receives, a short impulse of high energy through the aperture 38, thus allowing for near instantaneous marking (e.g., coloring) of the portion 18a of the outermost surface 18 exposed through the aperture 38, while preventing any marking of the remainder of the outermost surface 18 masked or covered by the stencil 36. In some implementations, transmitting the pulse of energy 40 from the pulse source 32 to the portion 18a of the outermost surface 18 changes the color of the portion 18a. For example, transmitting the pulse of energy 40 from the pulse source 32 to the portion 18a of the outermost surface 18 may change the color of the portion 18a to a color other than a shade of gray or black.

[0042] At step 28, the method 20 may include removing a stencil (e.g., stencil 36) from placement over a component (e.g., component 10). For example, with reference to FIG. 3D, at step 28, the method 20 may include removing the stencil 36 from placement on or over the component 10 within the pulse marking system 30 to expose an entirety of the outermost surface 18 of the component 10. In this regard, removing the stencil 36 may expose the marked portion 18a of the outermost surface 18 and the remainder of the outermost surface 18.

[0043] At step 29, the method 20 may include cleaning a component (e.g., the component 10). For example, with reference to FIG. 3D, at step 29, the method 20 may include placing a suitable substance 42 (e.g., water, alcohol (e.g., isopropyl alcohol), etc.) on the outermost surface 18 of the component 10 to remove any soot or other residue created during step 26. In particular, the method 20 may include wiping the substance 42 on and over the marked portion 18a of the outermost surface 18 to remove any residue created by the pulse of energy 40 at step 26.

[0044] The foregoing description has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular configuration are generally not limited to that particular configuration, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected configuration, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.