Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B12/00—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/16—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/20—Masking elements, i.e. elements defining uncoated areas on an object to be coated
  • B05B12/26—Masking elements, i.e. elements defining uncoated areas on an object to be coated for masking cavities
  • B05B12/265—Masking elements, i.e. elements defining uncoated areas on an object to be coated for masking cavities between a door and a post, e.g. foam strips
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B12/00—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/16—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/20—Masking elements, i.e. elements defining uncoated areas on an object to be coated
  • B05B12/24—Masking elements, i.e. elements defining uncoated areas on an object to be coated made at least partly of flexible material, e.g. sheets of paper or fabric
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B12/00—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/16—Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area for controlling the spray area
  • B05B12/20—Masking elements, i.e. elements defining uncoated areas on an object to be coated
  • B05B12/26—Masking elements, i.e. elements defining uncoated areas on an object to be coated for masking cavities

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a material for masking a vehicle during spray painting and to a method of using that material.
• the invention relates, more especially, to a material and method for masking a gap between a movable panel of a vehicle and another part of the vehicle.
• foam strips for use in masking vehicles are described in EP-A-0 384 626, WO 95/21700; and WO 95/24273
• the present invention provides a masking material for use in masking a gap between a movable panel of a vehicle and an adjacent part of the vehicle, the masking material comprising an elongate foam strip having a generally elongate cross-section with rounded ends, a cold-welded seam along each curved longitudinal edge, a width in the range of from 25 to 35 mm, a thickness in the range of from 5 (preferably 10) to 15 mm, and a strip of- pressure-sensitive adhesive adjacent one longitudinal edge; the adhesive strip having a width in the range of from 8 to 12 mm and being located at least 2 mm from the one longitudinal edge.
• the invention also provides a method of masking a gap between a movable panel of a vehicle and an adjacent part of the vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: providing an elongate foam strip having a generally elongate cross-section with rounded ends, a cold- welded seam along each curved longitudinal edge, and a strip of pressure-sensitive adhesive adjacent one longitudinal curved edge; opening the movable panel; applying the foam strip, by means of the adhesive strip, to an edge of the inner surface of either the movable panel or the adjacent part so that the foam strip projects beyond the edge; and closing the movable panel so that the projecting portion of the foam strip is located in the gap with the longitudinal curved edge of the foam strip remote from the adhesive directed towards the exterior of the vehicle.
• Fig. 1 shows a transverse cross-section of a masking material in the form of a foam strip in accordance with the invention
• Fig. 2 is a partial view of an array of foam strips of the type shown in Fig. 1 ;
• Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the foam strip of Fig. 1 being used to mask a gap between a movable panel of a vehicle and adjacent bodywork;
• Figs. 4 and 5 are, respectively, a cross-sectional view and a partial side view of the foam strip of Fig. 1 being used to mask the "B" post gap of a vehicle;
• Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the foam strip of Fig 1 being used to mask the "A" post gap of a vehicle.
• Fig. 1 shows a transverse cross-section of a masking material in the form of an elongate foam strip 1.
• the foam strip 1 has a generally elongate cross-section with rounded ends (i.e., the elongate strip has curved longitudinal edges 2a, 2b) and, as a consequence of the method by which it is produced, has a cold-welded seam 3a, 3b along each longitudinal edge
• the cold-welded seams 3a, 3b maintain the curved configuration of the longitudinal edges 2a, 2b of the strip, and hence the configuration of the cross-section
• the foam strip 1 has a width, between the cold-welded seams 3a, 3b of about 28 mm and a thickness in the central portion (i.e., between the two flat major surfaces 4, 5) of about 13.5 mm.
• a strip 6 of pressure-sensitive adhesive is located on one major surface 4 of the foam strip 1 adjacent one (2a) of the longitudinal edges.
• the adhesive strip 6 has a width of about 10 mm and is located about 3.5 mm from the adjacent outermost edge of the foam strip (the distance being measured parallel to the surface 4)
• the foam strip 1 has a width, between the cold-welded seams 3a, 3b, of about 29 mm and a thickness between the major surfaces 4, 5 of about 10 5 mm
• the adhesive strip 6 has a width of about 10 mm and is located about 3 5 mm from the adjacent outermost edge of the foam strip (the distance again being measured parallel to the surface 4).
• the foam strip has a width, between the cold-welded seams 3a, 3b, in the range of from 25 to 35 mm, and a thickness between the major surfaces 4, 5 in the range of from 5 to 15 mm (typically 10 to 15 mm), and the adhesive strip 6 has a width in the range of from 8 to 12 mm and is located at least 2 mm from the adjacent outermost edge.
• any suitable compressible foam which can be cold-welded can be used for the foam strip.
• the foam is an open cell polymeric foam, for example an open-cell polyester foam, having a density in the range of from 20 to 30 kg/ ⁇
• One suitable polyester foam having a density of about 26 kg/m ⁇ is available, under the trade designation "X4200AM” from Caligen Foam Limited of Accrington, Lancashire, England.
• any suitable pressure sensitive adhesive may be used for the adhesive strip 6, preferably one (for example, a hot melt rubber adhesive) that can be applied to the foam material by die coating.
• the coating weight of the adhesive is selected to ensure adequate adhesion to those parts of a vehicle on which the foam strip 1 is intended to be applied.
• a foam strip 1 having a cross-section as illustrated in Fig. 1 can be manufactured from a foam web using the process described in EP-A-0 384 626, in which the cold-welded seams 3a, 3b are formed by compressing the web longitudinally with blunt rotary cutters spaced from each other by an appropriate distance.
• the foam strip can conveniently be provided in the form of a roll wound upon itself, optionally about a core.
• an array of the foam strips can be produced in which the strips 1 are joined to each other by the cold-welded seams 3a, 3b and are manually separable from one another A part of such an array is shown in Fig. 2.
• the array can also be provided in the form of a roll.
• Fig. 3 illustrates the use of the foam strip 1 to mask a gap 10 between a movable panel 1 1 of a vehicle and another part 12 of the vehicle.
• the movable panel 1 1 may, for example, be a bonnet or a boot panel and the part 12 may be the adjacent bodywork.
• the panel 1 1 is moved to its open position (not shown in Fig. 3) and the foam strip 1 is adhered, by means of the adhesive strip 6, to the inside of the panel at the edge 14 so that the longitudinal edge 2b (i.e., the edge remote from the adhesive strip) projects from the panel.
• the movable panel 11 is then moved to its closed position, causing the projecting portion of the foam strip to be bent around edge 14 of the panel and, when the panel 1 1 is closed, to be located in the gap 10.
• the edge 2b of the foam strip 1 may project out of the gap
• Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate the use of the foam strip 1 to mask the "B" post gap 20 of a vehicle (the "B" post being the pillar 21 situated between the rear edge of the front door 22 of the vehicle and the front edge of the rear door 23).
• the front door 22 of the vehicle is moved to its open position (not shown in Figs. 4 and 5) and the strip 1 is adhered, by means of the adhesive strip 6, to the inside of the door at the rear edge so that the longitudinal edge 2b of the foam strip (i.e., the edge remote from the adhesive strip) projects from the door.
• the door 22 is then closed, causing the foam strip to be bent around the edge of the door and resulting in the projecting portion of the strip being located in the "B" post gap 20 as shown in Fig. 4.
• the edge 2b of the foam strip 1 may be left to project out of the gap 20 or it may, before spray painting is carried out, be pushed back into the gap until the strip is flush with the adjacent surfaces.
• the foam strip 1 may also be used as illustrated in Fig. 6 to mask the "A" post gap 30 of a vehicle (the "A" post being the pillar 31 situated between the front edge of the front door 32 of the vehicle and the front wing (panel) 33).
• the movable panel i.e., the front door 32
• the foam strip 1 is adhered to the inside edge of the non-moving part (i.e., the wing 33) so that the longitudinal edge 2b of the foam strip projects forwards towards the exterior of the vehicle.
• movable panel 32 is closed, that portion of the foam strip is located in the gap 30 to be masked.
• the edge 2b of the foam strip may be left to project out of the gap 30 or it may, before spray painting is carried out, be pushed back into the gap until it is flush with the adjacent surfaces.
• the method illustrated in Fig 6 may also be used to mask the gap between the top of the tailgate of a vehicle and the adjacent bodywork (effectively, the back edge of the roof) In that case, with the tailgate open, the foam strip 1 is adhered to the inside of the bodywork so that the longitudinal edge 2b of the strip projects forwards towards the exterior of the vehicle. Then, when the tailgate is closed, the foam strip is located in the gap to be masked. —

Landscapes

• Details Or Accessories Of Spraying Plant Or Apparatus (AREA)
• Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10830101

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (9)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1998
  • 1998-04-09 GB GBGB9807613.6A patent/GB9807613D0/en not_active Ceased
• 1999
  • 1999-03-24 JP JP2000543251A patent/JP2002511339A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-03-24 CN CN99804879A patent/CN1298327A/zh active Pending
  • 1999-03-24 EP EP99914105A patent/EP1069959A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-03-24 KR KR1020007011161A patent/KR20010042523A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-03-24 CA CA002325623A patent/CA2325623A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-03-24 BR BR9909504-1A patent/BR9909504A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1999-03-24 WO PCT/US1999/006438 patent/WO1999052646A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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