Metal graphic and method to produce a metal graphic

Abstract

The present invention comprises a metal graphic formed on a surface (2), wherein said graphic comprises discrete wire elements (1) that are attached to said surface.

Claims

1. A metal graphic, comprising: a plurality of discrete metal wire elements that are affixed to a substrate at a plurality of anchor points, and the plurality of discrete metal wire elements are raised above the substrate in between and above the anchor points, and wherein the substrate is one of a contiguous metallic foil and a contiguous metal plated material, and wherein the plurality of anchor points include a first plurality of anchor points that are spaced from one another in a first dimension, and a second plurality of anchor points that are spaced from one another in a second dimension that is orthogonal to the first dimension.

2. The metal graphic of claim 1, wherein said metallic wires comprise any weldable metal.

3. The metal graphic of claim 1, wherein said discrete wire elements are bumps, loops, free standing wires or ribbons.

4. The metal graphic of claim 1, wherein said discrete wire elements are metallic cores coated with metallic or non-metallic elements.

5. The metal graphic: of claim 1, wherein said substrate is weldable.

6. The metal graphic of claim 1, wherein said discrete wire elements are affixed to said substrate by at least one method selected from the methods including: laser welding, thermosonic welding, thermo-compression bonding, ultrasonic welding, adhesive bonding, soldering, brazing, wire bonding, micro-welding.

7. The metal graphic of claim 1, wherein said discrete wire elements are protected by a transparent cover.

8. The metal graphic of claim 1, wherein said discrete wire elements are enclosed in a transparent or semi-transparent medium.

9. The metal graphic of claim 1, wherein the metal graphic forms a negative image.

10. A method for forming the metal graphic of claim 1, comprising the steps of: providing the substrate; and attaching the plurality of discrete wire elements to the surface in order to provide a desired graphic appearance.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of attaching the plurality of discrete wire elements to the substrate is done any of the methods in the group consisting of laser welding, thermosonic welding, thermo-compression bonding, ultrasonic welding, adhesive bonding, soldering, brazing, wire bonding, micro-welding.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of covering or enclosing the graphic formed by the discrete wire elements with a protective and/or transparent cover or enclosure material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a graphic created by metal wire loops according to the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a top view of a graphic created by metal wire loops according to the invention.

(3) FIG. 2a shows a graphic formed on top of an oval shaped metallic surface according to the invention.

(4) FIG. 2b shows a side view of the oval surface with wires mounted on the surface including a transparent cover.

(5) FIG. 3 shows round wires which are affixed to a surface.

(6) FIG. 4 shows ribbon wires with rectangular cross-section which are affixed to a surface.

(7) FIG. 5 shows a spool of wire which may be used to continuously feed materials to be attached to the surface.

(8) FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate wires which may be sparked into round balls, and affixed as single point bumps.

(9) FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 show wires bent into various loop shapes.

(10) FIGS. 11 and 12 show wires which may be over-layed, cross-hatched or affixed in repeating patterns.

(11) FIG. 13 shows a surface which is initially used as a temporary medium upon which to fabricate the graphic according to a second embodiment of invention.

(12) FIG. 14 shows a graphic which is created in negative.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(13) FIG. 1 shows a graphic created by metal wire elements (1) formed into parallel lines on a surface (2) to create the letter C. Here, the wire elements (1) are formed into squared loops (13).

(14) FIG. 2 shows a top-view of metal wire loops formed into parallel lines to create a graphic of a maple leaf (3).

(15) FIG. 2a shows the maple leaf graphic (3) formed on top of an oval shaped metallic surface (4) and made into a necklace pendant (5).

(16) FIG. 2b shows a side view of the oval surface with wires (1) mounted on the surface (2). The wires are protected from damage by a see-through, optically clear glass or plastic cover (6), which allows the design to be viewed but not directly touched.

(17) FIG. 3 illustrates round wires (7) which are affixed to a surface.

(18) FIG. 4 illustrates ribbon wires (8) with rectangular cross-section which are affixed to a surface (2).

(19) FIG. 5 shows a spool (9) of wire or ribbon which may be used to continuously feed materials to be attached to the surface.

(20) FIG. 6 illustrates a wire bearing at one end a melted ball and affixed to a surface at the other end (10).

(21) FIG. 7 shows a wire which may be melted into a round ball and affixed as single point bump (11).

(22) FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 show wires bent into various loop shapes, a round loop (12), a square loop (13) and a loop with three kinks (14), respectively. The choice of a loop shape depends on the desired reflections and surface textures.

(23) FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate wires which may be over-layed, cross-hatched or affixed in repeating patterns creating different textures and reflections. Such wire patterns can be grids (15), bows (16), frames (17), waves (18) or bushes (19). As repeating patterns, parallel lines (20), parallel lines made of dots (21), cross-hatching (22), an ordered surface pattern (23), random dots (24) and ordered crosses (25) are possible.

(24) FIG. 13 shows a different embodiment in which a surface is initially used as a temporary medium upon which to fabricate the graphic. After fabrication, the surface may be fully or partially removed to create a free-standing metal artwork, such as that used for jewelry, a highly detailed pendant, for example. In this example, a free-standing letter C is made by attaching wires vertically to the surface in order to fill the outline of the letter C (FIG. 13a). Next, wires are attached horizontally, and attached directly to the previously vertically attached wires (by micro welding, for example), creating a solid structure of connected wires (FIG. 13b). Finally, the wire structure is removed from the surface, for example, by chemical etching which only attacks the surface, in the case of gold wires and aluminum surface (FIG. 13c).

(25) FIG. 14 shows, a graphic which is created as a negative image, i.e. the subject of the image, which in this case is the letter C, is surrounded by the discrete wire elements (1) instead of being directly composed of wire elements, which create an outline of the graphic for a different visual effect.

(26) The invention has been described here in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than specifically enumerated within the description.