U.S. patent application number 12/345382 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-04 for method for surface treating metal substrate.
This patent application is currently assigned to SHENZHEN FUTAIHONG PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to DE-FENG GAO.
Application Number | 20100025257 12/345382 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41607223 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100025257 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
GAO; DE-FENG |
February 4, 2010 |
METHOD FOR SURFACE TREATING METAL SUBSTRATE
Abstract
A method of treating a metal substrate comprise the steps of:
anodizing the metal substrate to create pores on the surface of the
substrate; and treating the metal substrate by NCVM to form a NCVM
coating on the surface of the substrate.
Inventors: |
GAO; DE-FENG; (Shenzhen
City, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PCE INDUSTRY, INC.;ATT. Steven Reiss
288 SOUTH MAYO AVENUE
CITY OF INDUSTRY
CA
91789
US
|
Assignee: |
SHENZHEN FUTAIHONG PRECISION
INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
ShenZhen City
CN
FIH (HONG KONG) LIMITED
Kowloon
HK
|
Family ID: |
41607223 |
Appl. No.: |
12/345382 |
Filed: |
December 29, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
205/213 ;
205/205; 205/210; 205/220 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C25D 5/48 20130101; C25D
5/34 20130101; C23C 14/024 20130101; C25D 11/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
205/213 ;
205/220; 205/205; 205/210 |
International
Class: |
C25D 5/44 20060101
C25D005/44; C25D 5/48 20060101 C25D005/48; C25D 5/34 20060101
C25D005/34 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 30, 2008 |
CN |
200810303197.0 |
Claims
1. A method of treating a metal substrate, comprising: anodizing
the metal substrate to create pores on the surface of the
substrate; and treating the metal substrate by NCVM to form a NCVM
coating on the surface of the substrate.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal substrate is
magnesium alloy or aluminum alloy.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anodizing step is
performed using sulphuric acid, orthophosphoric acid, or chromic
acid.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of
degreasing the metal substrate before the step of anodizing.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of degreasing
is performed using trichloroethylene solution.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The disclosure relates to a method for surface treating
metal substrates.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Typically, to improve external appearance and quality of a
housing of a portable electronic device, a surface treatment (e.g.,
Non Conductive Vacuum Metallization, NCVM) can be applied.
[0005] However, it can be difficult to treat alloy housings by the
NCVM process because the surface of the housing is usually too
smooth.
[0006] Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] Many aspects of the present method for surface treating a
metal substrate can be better understood with reference to the
following drawings. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to
scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating
the principles of the present method. Moreover, in the drawings
like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout
the several views. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers
are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like
elements of an embodiment.
[0008] The drawing is a flow chart of a surface treatment method
according to an exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0009] What is described below is a method for surface treating a
metal substrate. For purposes of illustration and description, an
alloy housing of an electronic device is used. However, the
exemplary embodiment is not limited to alloy housings, but can also
be applied to other metal substrates that need to be processed
using NCVM. [0008]
[0010] Referring to the drawing, the method may include the
following steps: (S1), providing a metal substrate; (S2), trimming
the metal substrate; (S3), anodizing the metal substrate; (S4),
treating the metal substrate using NCVM process.
[0011] In step S1, a metal substrate is provided and formed into a
housing pre-form by die-casting, punching, or forging. The metal
substrate may be magnesium alloy or aluminum alloy.
[0012] In step S2, the housing pre-form is trimmed to form a base
housing. Then, the base housing may be degreased using a
trichloroethylene solution.
[0013] In step S3, The base housing is anodized to form an anodic
coating on an external surface of the substrate. The anodic coating
creates tiny pores on the external surfaces of the substrate.
Anodizing may be done using sulphuric acid, orthophosphoric acid,
or chromic acid.
[0014] In step S4, the base housing is treated using a NCVM process
to form an NCVM coating on the anodic coating. Thus, an alloy
housing is manufactured.
[0015] Because tiny pores can be formed in the surface of the base
housing by anodizing, the NCVM coating may partially fill the pores
to interlock with the external surface of the alloy housing.
[0016] It is to be understood, however, that even through numerous
characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been
set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of
the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is
illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in
matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the
principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the
broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are
expressed.
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