GB2349107A

GB2349107A - Masking tape

Info

Publication number: GB2349107A
Application number: GB9904074A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Oliver Jevons
Original assignee: Jevtec Ltd
Current assignee: Jevtec Ltd
Priority date: 1999-02-24
Filing date: 1999-02-24
Publication date: 2000-10-25
Also published as: GB9904074D0

Abstract

A masking tape to mask automobile trim for spraying and comprising an adhesive tape 14 having adhered along one edge a relatively stiff strip 15 adapted for insertion between a trim such as a rubber, moulding around a windshield and the rim of the body part to which such trim is fitted, is characterised by preferential separation lines 18 across its width from its other edge into but not fully across the relatively stiff strip at intervals along the masking tape. An adhesive-free strip 14c may be provided at the edge of the tape for removing the tape 14 from the masked area. An additional strip (15A, Fig. 3) with preferential separation lines (18A) aligned with lines 18 may be adhered adjacent strip 15.

Description

MASKING TAPE AND METHOD FOR MASKING This invention relates to masking tapes and methods for masking, particularly for masking, for spraying automobile trim such as a rubber moulding around a windshield.

Masking tape is available for such a task comprising an adhesive tape with, adhered along one edge, a relatively stiff strip, of a clear plastic such as polyurethane terephlthalate. The tape is supplied on a roll and lengths as may be required for a particular masking operation are cut off using scissors. For masking a corner trim, a length of perhaps three inches may be cut off. For the upper stretch, the lower stretch and the sides of the windscreen, longer lengths will be cut off.

The relatively stiff strip is inserted in between the trim and the edge of the body part to which it is fitted. The adhesive strip is then bent back over the trim and adhered down on to it-and, usually, extending over a part of the windshield or whatever the trim surrounds.

Substantial quantities of such masking tape are used in automobile body shops. The process of masking a vehicle before spraying is facilitated by such-and other commercially available-tapes. However, despite the design of the various available tapes being intended to minimise the time and effort required to complete the masking, improvements are nevertheless capable of being made and of affording material savings in time and effort, leading to improved productivity in body shops.

The present invention provides such an improvement.

The invention comprises a masking tape of the kind used to mask automobile trim for spraying and comprising an adhesive tape having adhered along one edge a relatively stiff strip adapted for insertion between a trim such as a rubber moulding around a windshield and the rim of the body part to which such trim is fitted, characterised by the tape being prepared with preferential separation lines across its width from its other edge into the relatively stiff strip at intervals along the masking tape.

The lines may be spaced regularly along the strip, and may be spaced apart at 15-25 mm intervals.

The masking tape may be between 40 and 60 mm in width.

The relatively stiff strip may be of 5 mm width or greater, for best convenience, and may protrude beyond the edge of the adhesive tape, say by between 1 and 2 mm, in order to provide a clean"blade"edge for insertion beneath the trim.

There may be on the adhesive tape a strip at the edge remote from that at which the relatively stiff strip is attached which is free of adhesive and which serves as a purchase for eventually removing the adhesive strip from the area masked, in use, by the tape.

The masking tape may have an additional relatively stiff strip adhered adjacent the first-mentioned such strip and being cut or prepared with preferential separation lines aligned with those of the tape itself. The first-mentioned relatively stiff tape may be partially cut through or prepared with preferential separation lines aligned with those of the strip itself, on the edge inboard of the masking tape.

The adhesive area of the adhesive tape not adhering to the relative stiff strip may be covered by a protective releasable material adapted to be removed during deployment.

The invention also comprises a method of masking an automobile trim for spraying using a masking tape supplied in lengths as on a roll comprising an adhesive tape having adhered along one edge a relatively stiff strip adapted for insertion between a trim such as a rubber moulding around a windshield and the rim of the body part to which such trim is fitted, comprising tearing off along a preferential line prepared on the masking tape a suitable length of tape for the particular masking job in hand, inserting the relatively stiff strip adhered to the adhesive strip between the trim and the said body part, inserting the relatively stiff material strip between the trim and the said body part and bending the adhesive tape back over the trim, its adhesive face being then directed toward the trim and applying the adhesive tape to the trim whereby to adhere it and mask the trim.

Embodiments of masking tapes and methods for using the same will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a length of a first masking tape; Figure 2 is a cross-section of the masking tape of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view like Figure 1 of a length of a second masking tape; Figure 4 is a view of part of an automobile windshield and surround, showing a step in the application of the masking tape; and Figure 5 is a view like Figure 4 showing a subsequent step in the application of the masking tape.

The drawings illustrate a masking tape 11 of the kind used to mask automobile trim such as the rubber moulding 12 surrounding a vehicle windshield 13, Figures 4 and 5. The masking tape 11 comprises an adhesive tape 14 having adhered along one edge 14a a relatively stiff strip 15 adapted for insertion (as shown in Figure 4) between a trim such as the moulding 12 and the rim 16 of the body part 17-namely the roof 17a and front post 17b of the automobile body.

As seen in Figure 5, after such insertion, which may be at a corner 13a of the windshield 13 or along a straight edge 13b thereof, the adhesive tape (adhesive side facing out, as seen in Figure 4) is bent over the inboard edge of the strip 15 down on to the trim 12 and the windshield 13.

Such masking tape is normally supplied on a roll from which a suitable length for the task in hand-say about 7.5-10 cm for a windshield corner 13a, longer lengths for straight sections 13b-is cut off using scissors. For masking a corner, the 7.5 to 10 cm length is then prepared by making two cuts towards the strip 15 from the opposite edge 14b of the adhesive tape 14, these cuts also being made by scissors.

These scissor cuts are seen, according to the invention, however, to be tiresome and time-consuming-the spraying is of the essence of the operation, and the less time spent on preparation, the better the productivity of the bodyshop.

With the masking tape of the illustrated embodiments of the invention, the task of preparation is considerably eased by the provision of the facility to tear, rather than to cut with scissors. Scissors first have to be found, which, in a busy bodyshop, may be no mean task. Then a decision has to be taken as to where to cut with the scissorsoften three or four cuts per length-and on the cuts where the masking tape is not be cut right through, care has to be taken not to do that.

With the masking tape of the invention, the scissor-cutting operations are avoided, simple tearing operations being used instead. The masking tape 11 is prepared with preferential separation lines 18 across its width from the free edge 14b of the adhesive tape 14 into but not fully across the relatively stiff strip 15 at intervals along the masking tape 11.

The lines 18 are spaced apart at regular intervals, say between 12 and 25 mm, typically 20 mm, along the tape. The tape 11 may be of the usual width, typically between 40 and 60 mm. The relatively stiff strip may as usual be of 5 mm width or greater, and may protrude by, say, 1 to 2 mm beyond the edge of the adhesive tape 14.

A narrow strip 14c at the edge 14b of the adhesive tape 14 is free of adhesive and serves as a purchase for eventually removing the adhesive strip 14 from the area masked, in use, by the tape.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, there is an additional relatively stiff strip 15A adhered adjacent the strip 15 which is cut or prepared with preferential separation lines 18A aligned with the lines 18 of the tape itself.

The strip 15 is, in both embodiments, partially cut through. In use, a desired length of masking tape 11 is unwound from the roll on which it is supplied and simply torn off along a convenient preferential separation line 18. The partial cut into the strip 15 provides a"start"for tearing through the rest of the strip 15 in this operation, thus enabling a length of masking tape 11 to be clearly separated in a single movement.

The adhesive area of the adhesive tape 14 not adhering the strip 15 is, as usual, covered by a protective releasable material 21 (Fig. 2) adapted to be removed during deployment. This, too, has preferential separation lines so that, prior to application to the vehicle, the ton-off length of tape can be separated along the separation lines 18-if required for a trim corner application, for example, along all of the available lines 18.

The tape 11 is then applied to the trim by inserting the strip 15 beneath the trim-between the trim and the rim of the body part-as usual. The release layer is removed, and the adhesive tape 14 folded down over the trim and e. g. on to the windshield as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Whilst the embodiment of Figure 1 will serve the same purposes and with the same masking effect as, though with greater productivity, than, conventional such tape, the embodiment of Figure 3 may have additional advantages in accommodating better a wider variety of trim designs.

The manner in which the preferential separation lines are made will usually be by way of perforation, it being desirable, however, to avoid the possibility of spray penetrating the perforations, where these have not been torn, e. g. on long, straight trim masking jobs. Other methods, however, could be used, such as scoring or embossing.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A masking tape of the kind used to mask automobile trim for spraying and comprising an adhesive tape having adhered along one edge a relatively stiff strip adapted for insertion between a trim such as a rubber moulding around a windshield and the rim of the body part to which such trim is fitted, characterised by the tape being prepared with preferential separation lines across its width from its other edge into but not fully across the relatively stiff strip at intervals along the masking tape.
2. A masking tape according to claim 1, in which the lines being spaced apart regularly along the masking tape.
3. A masking tape according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the lines are spaced apart at 15-25 mm intervals.
4. A masking tape according to any one of claims 1 to 3, being between 40 and 60 mm in width.
5. A masking tape according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the relatively stiff strip is of 5 mm width or greater.
6. A masking tape according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the relatively stiff strip protrudes beyond the edge of the adhesive tape.
7. A masking tape according to claim 6, in which the relatively stiff strip protrudes between 1 and 2 mm beyond the edge of the adhesive tape.
8. A masking tape according to any one of claims 1 to 7, in which there is on the adhesive tape a strip at the edge remote from that at which the relatively stiff strip is attached which is free of adhesive and which serves as a purchase for eventually removing the adhesive strip from the area masked, in use, by the tape.
9. A masking tape according to any one of claims 1 to 8, having an additional relatively stiff strip adhered adjacent the first-mentioned such strip and being cut or prepared with preferential separation lines aligned with those of the tape itself.
10. A masking tape according to any one of claims 1 to 9, in which the firstmentioned relatively stiff strip is partially cut through or prepared with preferential separation lines aligned with those of the strip itself, on its edge inboard of the masking tape.
11. A masking tape according to any one of claims 1 to 10, in which the adhesive area of the adhesive tape not adhering the relatively stiff strip is covered by a protective releasable material adapted to be removed during deployment.
12. A method of masking an automobile trim for spraying using a masking tape supplied in lengths as on a roll comprising an adhesive tape having adhered along one edge a relatively stiff strip adapted for insertion between a trim such as a rubber moulding around a windshield and the rim of the body part to which such trim is fitted, comprising tearing off along a preferential line prepared on the masking tape a suitable length of tape for the particular masking job in hand, inserting the relatively stiff strip adhered to the adhesive strip between the trim and the said body part, inserting the relatively stiff material strip between the trim and the said body part and bending the adhesive tape back over the trim, its adhesive face being then directed toward the trim and applying the adhesive tape to the trim whereby to adhere it and mask the trim.
13. A method according to claim 12, using a tape according to any one of claims 1 to 11.