Patent ID: 7156960

Claim:
Method of depositing a metal coating on a substrate ( 1 ), whereby the deposit is applied by cold plasma inside a confinement enclosure ( 7 ) heated to prevent a deposit of metal from forming on its surface, this enclosure ( 7 ) having an inlet opening ( 21 ) and an outlet opening ( 22 ) through which the substrate ( 1 ) to be coated enters and leaves the latter, a metal vapour source constituting an electrode being provided in this enclosure ( 7 ) enabling the plasma to be formed ( 6 ) therein, a counter-electrode being formed by the substrate ( 1 ) or by a separate electrically conductive element, characterised in that the metal needed to produce the coating of metal on the substrate ( 1 ) is introduced in the liquid state into a holding tank ( 8 ) communicating with the confinement enclosure ( 7 ) and the liquid metal in this tank ( 8 ) is kept at a substantially constant level during the process of forming this metal coating by weighing the holding tank ( 8 ), the liquid metal being introduced into this tank by means of a tube that is mechanically independent of the holding tank ( 8 ), wherein the holding tank ( 8 ) is supplied from a reservoir of liquid metal ( 4 ) external to said enclosure ( 7 ) by regulating the difference in pressure prevailing between the interior of the enclosure ( 7 ) and a gas present in the reservoir ( 4 ).