GB2281871A

GB2281871A - Masking device

Info

Publication number: GB2281871A
Application number: GB9416537A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald Murray Western
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1993-08-17
Filing date: 1994-08-16
Publication date: 1995-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 2014-08-16
Also published as: GB9317066D0; GB9416537D0; GB2281871B

Abstract

A tubular flexible conduit tape is formed from foamed plastics material. The tape is partially or fully slit lengthwise and an adhesive is applied to the outer surface of the tape to facilitate attachment of the tape to the surface of a vehicle.

Description

MASKING DEVICE This invention relates to the masking of vehicles and provides a simple device for preventing over-spray when refinishing vehicles. However, the device described herein has other possible uses.

In the refinishing of motor vehicles and other equipment such as boats, it is important to confine the refinishing paints to the repaired areas and to avoid over-spray onto other components such as wiring, which may extend in the area being refinished. In the case of wiring looms, the practice at present is to apply a masking tape to the wiring but this is often very difficult to remove after the paint has cured.

According to the present invention there is provided a tubular flexible conduit formed from a foamed plastics material, said conduit having adhesive applied to at least a part of its outer surface and being at least partially slit longitudinally.

The invention also extends to a method of masking a vehicle wiring loom or other elongate member which comprises sheathing the wiring or other member in a tubular flexible conduit formed from a foamed plastics material.

The foamed conduit preferably has an adhesive applied to its outer surface and this enables the conduit to be attached to a portion of the vehicles bodywork after sheathing the wires or cables. In this way, the wires can be held in a position away from the main area of overspray while the refinishing work is being carried out.

The adhesive is preferably applied to only a part of the outer surface of the conduit, e.g. in a longitudinal strip. The adhesive may be a pressure-sensitive adhesive and protected with a release coated protective strip, e.g.

siliconised paper.

An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the attached drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the conduit in place sheathing a group of wires, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a section of the conduit prior to use, and Figure 3 illustrates one way in which the product may be packaged.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular Figures 1 and 2, the conduit comprises a foamed plastics tube 1 having a hollow core 2 and a slit 3 which extends longitudinally of the conduit. The size of the conduit and of the core 2 may vary depending upon the size of the wiring loom which it is intended to sheath in a particular type of vehicle. However, typically, the web may have an overall dimension of between about 10 and 30 mms, preferably between about 15 and 20 mms. The inner core preferably has a diameter between about 5 and 10 mms.

It is desirable to be able to bond the conduit to a surface such as a portion of the bodywork of the vehicle at least temporarily. This can be done most conveniently by applying an adhesive to the outer surface of the conduit. As shown in Figure 2, the adhesive is preferably applied in a strip 4, extending longitudinally of the conduit, although patterns of adhesive can be applied to the device. Conveniently, the adhesive is applied in the general area of the outer wall of the conduit, opposite to the slit 3. In order to protect the adhesive from dirt and to prevent the tape sticking to itself, the protective strip may be applied to the adhesive band which is removed just prior to use. The adhesive band may, for example, be a siliconised paper.

However, as an alternative, the wall of the conduit not coated with adhesive may have a release coating such as a silicon or fluorocarbon material applied to it so as to prevent the conduit sticking to itself.

The slit 3 may be preformed and may extend wholly or only partially through the wall of the conduit. The slit 3 can then be fully formed by pulling on the two areas of the conduit on either side of the slit, when applying the conduit to the wiring loom. Alternatively, the slit can be formed with a sharp knife just prior to using the conduit.

Figure 3 illustrates a convenient way of packaging the foamed conduit within a drum 5. The drum 5 may incorporate a sharp notch 6 in the opening 7 to enable the conduit to be cut when the desired length has been pulled from the drum.

The conduit of the present invention is preferably manufactured by extruding a foamable composition through a suitable die. Any suitable compressible foam material may be used to manufacture the conduit of the invention.

Suitable types of foam are described in detail in, for example, Kirk-Othmer Encyclopaedia of Chemical Technology, Third Edition, Vol. 11, pages 82 to 126. Such foams include polystyrene, pvc, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyisocyanate, polyester and polysilicone foams. The foams may have an open or closed cell structure and generally foams having a density in the range of 10 to 25 kgs. per cm are useful for the purposes of the invention.

The adhesive coating may be applied by spray or other applicator to the foam after the extrusion step.

Preferably, the foamed tubular conduit is taken directly from the extrusion head to an adhesive applicator. The adhesive may be applied in a track or band extending longitudinally of the conduit. Instead or in addition to applying the adhesive in a band or region opposite the slit in the conduit, adhesive may be applied to the region of the slit, preferably in a longitudinal band or strip extending on each side of the slit. This enables the slit to be scaled, e.g. by pressing the conduit in this area against an adjacent surface of the vehicle, thereby attaching the wire or other item to be protected to the vehicle while at the same time protecting it against over spray with paint.

Another possible way of attaching the conduit to a surface is by means of double-sided adhesive tape. In this case, the adhesive tape may constitute the sole adhesive track or an additional adhesive track.

The foamed conduits in accordance with this invention have a variety of other uses including longer term protection of vehicle wiring, e.g. where it passes through a hole in the bodywork. Other uses include providing insulation against vehicle vibration and prevention of damage to aerials, loudspeaker leads, screen washer tubes, hydraulic pipes and door connection rods.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A tubular flexible conduit formed from a foamed plastics material, said conduit having adhesive applied to at least a part of its outer surface and being at least partially slit longitudinally.

2. A conduit as claimed in claim 1 wherein adhesive is applied to the outer surface of the foam in a longitudinal track or band in the region of the slit.

3. A method of masking a vehicle wiring loom which comprises sheathing the wiring in a tubular flexible conduit formed from a foamed plastics material.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the tubular foamed conduit is slit longitudinally to facilitate enclosing the wiring within the conduit.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the outer surface of the foam is coated at least partially with a pressure-sensitive adhesive.