Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Calibration or correction system – Sensor or transducer
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-01
2002-12-31
Hoff, Marc S. (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Calibration or correction system
Sensor or transducer
C702S085000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06502049
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a user's color matching system that enables a user of a colored paint himself to precisely match a color of a paint under predetermined conditions in cooperation with a maker, a thinned pigment dispersion for color matching used in this system, a paint color matching method, a color matching data base for enabling a user to conduct such a color matching, and a method of using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since colored paint users selectively use color paints having various hues, it is impossible for them to have always all of these paints. For this reason, users have generally indicated colored paints of desired hues on the basis of color samples whenever they use the same, and have ordered the same to colored paint makers. Makers have in turn produced colored paints by mixing a base paint called a white paint base with pigment dispersions according to specific recipes, and have delivered the same to users.
However, in such a delivery system of colored paints, it takes a predetermined time for users or makers to do office works of giving or receiving an order and delivering products. Accordingly, at least 24 hours are actually required from ordering to completion of delivery. Thus, during that time, users are compelled to wait.
Under these circumstances, in recent years, users have come to require that base paints, various pigment dispersions and color matching devices (for example, a measuring device and a mixing stirrer) are provided in their own shops and they themselves conduct production of colored paints (color matching of base paints) freely and quickly.
However, such a color matching of users is currently problematic in the following three points a) to c).
a) There is no expert worker of the color matching on the side of users. Therefore, even when color samples are offered from makers or a color matching technical know-how is instructed from makers, it is impossible for users themselves to precisely match a color on the basis of the correct judgement of color hues.
b) In order to match a color of a base paint as required, it is requested to conduct precise mixing (especially, a small amount of a pigment dispersion is measured precisely and stably in terms of a very small unit calculated below the decimal point, for example, “7.15 ml”, and mixed). To this end, a costly high-precision color matching device and a color matching worker, a skilled person who precisely conducts the measuring process, are needed. However, such a color matching device and the skilled worker cannot be expected from users.
Some paint makers have tried to supply a pigment dispersion in which the pigment concentration is decreased to approximately 10 times on purpose for diminishing the users′ difficulty in precise procedures of measuring and mixing the same. In this case, however, a base paint is mixed with a large amount of a pigment dispersion having a solvent formulation which is not necessarily adapted to base paints having various solvent formulations. Thus, there is a fear that a performance of paint might be decreased.
c) Even though the problems a) and b) are solved, an error in the color matching occurs with a known mixing ratio when, for example, a predetermined amount of a base paint is mixed with a predetermined volume of a pigment dispersion because an amount of a pigment dispersion to be used varies depending on the increase or the decrease in the volume of the pigment dispersion owing to environmental factors. Thus, it is quite impossible to correct the same at the users′ technical level.
By the way, the present inventors have supposed that the foregoing problems could be solved by focussing on the following points x) to z).
x) The problem a) can be solved such that the know-how of the color matching operation which has been so far conducted by makers mainly based on experiences of expert workers is inputted in a data base, and offered to users as a figured color-matching data base.
y) The problem b) can be solved as follows. Users are made to install a relatively simple and inexpensive color-matching device. Further, with respect to the lack of precise measurement and the lack of skill in operation of the device, there is provided a color matching method using a combination of rough color matching with a pigment dispersion having a high thinned pigment concentration in which the concentration is precisely controlled through dilution with an average solution for pigment dilution that is most appropriate to base paints having various compositions and fine color matching with a thinned pigment dispersion having a low pigment concentration in which the concentration is likewise controlled.
z) The problem c) can be solved by correcting a data base, as required, by a correction formula in consideration of the change in the specific gravity owing to environmental factors of a thinned pigment dispersion using data accumulated abundantly by makers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide, upon solving these problems, a user's color matching system which enables a user to match a color easily and precisely and which can avoid the decrease in the performance of a paint caused by color matching, a thinned pigment dispersion set for color matching that a user uses in this system, a paint color matching method which is conducted by a user using this thinned pigment dispersion set for color matching, a color matching data base for user and a using method including correction of the data.
The first aspect of the invention is that a user's color matching system in which a user of a colored paint himself matches a color of a base paint using a thinned pigment dispersion for color matching under the following conditions (1) to (3).
(1) The user has a color matching device capable of conducting measuring and mixing for color matching.
(2) The maker of the colored paint offers the user the base paint and the thinned pigment dispersion for color matching of a required hue.
(3) The maker of the colored paint offers the user a color matching data base for user that indicates a standard amount of a base paint in color matching and an amount of a thinned pigment dispersion for color matching of one or more hues to be mixed therewith in any mode.
In the first aspect, a color matching device capable of conducting measuring and mixing for color matching but not required to have a high precision can be bought or rent by a user without difficulty because it is relatively inexpensive.
A combination of a base paint and a thinned pigment dispersion for color matching is offered from a maker of a colored paint, and a standard amount of a base paint and an amount of a thinned pigment dispersion for color matching to be mixed therewith are further instructed using a color matching data base. Consequently, a user can mix them in amounts instructed by a maker and conduct the color matching without trouble even though a user cannot make mature judgement of a color tone in the color matching.
The second aspect of the invention is a thinned pigment dispersion set for color matching in which a thinned pigment dispersion of any hue comprises a thinned pigment dispersion for rough color matching and a thinned pigment dispersion for fine color matching as described below, at a pigment concentration ratio of from 5:1 to 50:1 which are used for color matching of a base paint:
(1) a thinned pigment dispersion for rough color matching having a high pigment concentration, which is a pigment dispersion produced for color matching of a base paint, or a thinned pigment dispersion obtained by diluting this pigment dispersion to a known concentration at a relatively low ratio with a colorless transparent solution for pigment dilution containing one or more of HEC (hydroxyethyl cellulose), a polycarboxylate and xanthan gum as a thickener and an alkylene glycol as a drying inhibitor; and
(2) a thinned pigment dispersion for fine color matching having a low pigment concentration, w
Ide Kazuhiko
Takada Hiromichi
Hoff Marc S.
Kikusui Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.
Suarez Felix
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