GB2461805A

GB2461805A - Method and means for masking an automotive during painting refinishing

Info

Publication number: GB2461805A
Application number: GB0912197A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald Murray Western
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2008-07-14
Filing date: 2009-07-14
Publication date: 2010-01-20
Also published as: GB0812838D0; GB0912197D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of painting re-finishing an object using an elongate masking foam tape 3 having at least two generally parallel adhesive tracks 7, 8, along longitudinal direction of the foam tape. The tape is generally flat, and has curved edges 12, 13. The adhesive tracks take the form of punctuated adhesive lines / beads. Ideally, the two track masking foam tape is located onto a swage line 20 of a vehicle which need re-painting finishing. By having two tracks, the half of the tape further from the painting area can be lifted off the surface so that the primary masking sheet (which covers the rest of the vehicle) can be located under it. The masking foam tape preferably has sufficiently flexibility to be curved to follow the swage line (pressed indentation) of the car. Independent claims relate to a polyester foam masking tape and masking foam strip with sufficient rigidity so as not to sag.

Description

METIIOD AND MEANS FOR MASKiNG AUTOMOTIVE REFINISHING This invention is to provide a more effective means for masking automotive motor vehicle when carrying out paint refinishing procedures or similar applications. When carrying out vehicle panel repair procedures it is necessary to refinish the repaired panel or panels. This refinishing is normally carried out in a paint-spraying oven. To prepare for thiS refinishing procedure the vehicle has to be masked to protect the panel/panels that doesn't require refinishing. This masking procedure is carried out by firstly isolating the panels that require refinishing by using masking tape. The vehicle is then completely covered with a plastic-masking sheet, then the section of the plastic-masking sheet that covers the repaired panel or panels, which require refinishing is cut away.

In particular this new invention deals with the masking of swage-lines that are fabricated into a vehicle panel to add strength and styling to a vehicle motor body.

In many refinishing procedures there is a procedure in masking where the repair is isolated by a vehicle swage-line and a mask is applied to offer an isolation of the other part of the panel. It is this applying of the mask that can be difficult and time consuming.

The company Kent Industries offers a type of mask specifically for this application in the way of a foam strip wrapped around a paper masking tape to form a clasp so the adhesive applied for attachment is concealed from the edges of the masking strip. The subsequent claim being that after paint spraying it will leave a (soft paint edge) but any edge in this application is a problem. This tape is very thin and therefore makes it difficult to align accurately.

This new invention overcomes the aforementioned problems simply and effectively by producing a foam-masking strip that allows for a simple attachment and alignment of the mask in the following way.

In a preferred embodiment there is a polyester foam strip that has a thickness of between 4mm to 10mm and a width of between 15mm and 25mm. The thickness being relevant to the flexibility of the strip. In practice the narrower the tape in width, the thinner it has to be. If the foam strip is too narrow and too thin then the tape is prone to sagging when being aligned. It is acquiring the correct balance between thickness and width so that the foam strip retains a supple rigidity.

The foam strip is coated with two adhesive tracks applied to the same face, the adhesive tracks being only applied to at most 50% of the flat surface of The foam strip. The foam strip having slightly rounded edges and the edges being free of adhesive, this allows for a clean even blending of the old and new paint without creating a build-up of paint or edge.

In use when the tape is applied to the vehicle panel, because there are adhesive tracks it makes the fine adjustments required to folloy the swage-line simple. If the balance of the thickness and width of the foam-strip and the application of the adhesive are not correctly calibrated then the fine-tuning for the purpose of accurately following the swage-lines is very difficult.

Another advantage of having the two adhesive tracks is that it makes the usual aforementioned subsequent plastic masking-sheet application more simple. In use the foam tape is applied to the swage-line/lines and then when the panels that require refinishing are isolated the plastic sheeting is placed over the vehicle and the sections are cut away to expose the panels.

After the removal of the sections of the plastic-masking sheet the remaining edges are attached to the previously applied masking boundary with use of masking tape.

Difficulty arises with both the cutting away of the plastic-masking sheet and the attaching of the plastic-masking sheet to the boundary masking tape.

When cutting the plastic-masking sheet it is necessary to use a very sharp blade. In use this blade can easily mark the adjacent panels and create further work. Also once the plastic-masking sheet is cut the attachment to the boundary masking can be difficult to carry out accurately. This is mainly because the cut edges of the plastic-masking sheet are not always a clean edge so the attachment to the boundary mask can be haphazard.

To overcome these attachment problems this new invention offers a tape that has two or more adhesive tracks along one face. When attached to the panel the thickness of the foam tape allows for a sharp blade to be run along the protruding surface of the tape so to cut the plastic sheeting without reaching the panel surface. Once a complete cut of the boundary is complete the severed section falls away and the plastic sheet is attached to the boundary mask. Where the foam tape is applied it is possible to ease away the adhesive track furthest from the exposed panel and attach the sheeting directly to the foam tape. I will now describe the invention with reference the accompanying drawings.

Fig 1 shows a section of the flat masking tape-3.

Fig 2 shows the flat masking tape attached to the swage-line-20 of a vehicle panel.

Referring to fig 1 the tape has a flat face -4, adhesive track 7 & 8 and' rounded edges 12 & 13.

Referring to fig 2 the tape-3 is applied using the face-4 to the swage-line in this shown application, of the panels-lO & 11 to be refinished. The swage-line being part of the boundary-15.

The true scope of the invention is to produce a flat supple; but with a required rigidity, foam masking tape that can provide a item for simply following and adhering to swage-lines of vehicle panels and for subsequently running a blade so to simply remove a section of a *plastic-masking sheet to carry out the above masking procedures. Sizes and dimensions can be altered without departing from the true scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A method of painting an object having a swage-line (panel-crease) which comprises of applying a substantially flat flexible elongate foam tape comprising of equally rounded edges that one rounded edge is aligned with a swage-line of the object that provides a vortex along the swage-line when paint spraying to create a smooth transition of newly applied paint onto already existing paint and the foam strip having two or more peelable adhesive tracks applied so at least there is one peelable adhesive track along its longitudinal length on the flat surface close to each rounded edge but not on the rounded edge to attach the tape to the object, the punctuated adhesive tracks not covering more than 50% of a flat surface.
2. A foam article characterized in that the article is in the form of an elongate strip comprising a flat surface, the strip having rounded edges along its longitudinal length.
3. A elongate foam strip according to claim 1 or claim 2 where the elongate foam strip has a width greater than its thickness and the edges of the flat elongate strip are rounded.
4. According to claims 1, 2, and 3 a formed foam elongate strip that has at least two peelable or more punctuated adhesive tracks applied to the same flat surface with one close to each rounded edge but not on them.
5. An elongate foam strip that has an inherent flexible rigidity along its elongate surface that maintains its rounded edge when curved to follow an irregularity of a swage-line and re-alignment of the strip is obtained by applied punctuated peelable adhesive tracks for re-alignment in use.
6. The elongate flexible foam strip having an inherent rigidity to follow straight swage-lines so not to sag across its width when drawn out in a length.
7. In use the elongate foam strip can be attached to an object and subsequently have a section of its width detached from the object for attachment of a secondary masking material to one of its adhesive tracks.
8. An elongate flat foam strip produced from polyester foam and partially coated with punctuated peelable adhesive tracks.