JP2002233811A - Spatula for applying putty to repair body damage of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a spatula for applying putty, which is capable of applying putty on various curved shapes with one spatula ad by which working efficiency is improved without requiring skill in applying the putty to repair the body damage of an automobile. SOLUTION: In the rubber spatula for applying the putty to repair the body damage of automobile, at least one side (1) of the spatula edge part is projected outward and has 200-2000 mm radius of curvature. A material of the spatula is rubber having 60-80 degree hardness, the thickness of the cross-section of the spatula is 5-20 mm, the edge part is chamfered and the cross-section of the edge part is nearly V-shaped, an angle formed by the putty applying front and back surfaces is 10-60 deg. and as a result, the workability is improved. By using silicone rubber as the material of the spatula, the putty stuck to the spatula is easily removed after working.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spatula for applying putty for repairing a damaged body of an automobile. Specifically, at least one side of the spatula edge is outwardly convex and has a radius of 200
The present invention relates to a putty-applying rubber spatula having a curvature of up to 2000 mm, capable of applying putty to various curved surfaces with one spatula, requiring no skill in work, and improving work efficiency.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to repair damage to an automobile body,
Usually, coating is performed after applying putty to the dent portion of the damaged steel plate to smooth it. When applying putty,
Generally, a plate-shaped spatula is used, and putty is manually applied.

As a typical example of a spatula conventionally used, those shown in FIG. 5 (plan view) and FIG. 6 (cross-sectional view) are given. That is, it is an integrally molded product made of a hard plastic having a structure including a substantially triangular plate-like putty application section 12 and a grip section 13, and the side 14 for putty application is straight. The thickness of the spatula is 4 mm at the grip portion, and gradually decreases from the base to the tip at the putty application portion.
5) is 3 degrees. The hard plastic that is the material of the spatula is a polyacetal resin `` Delrin ''
It is. In the putty application operation, the application operation is performed while adjusting the force applied to the thin portion at the tip and bending the side for the putty application to an appropriate curvature.

[0004] In order to apply putty using a spatula as described above, considerable skill is required, and in recent years, several proposals have been made to easily apply putty along a curved surface of a vehicle body. . Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-192777 discloses a method of applying a putty using a spatula having a contour that closely adheres to a surface shape of a repaired portion before damage. As a method of applying the putty described in the publication, a thickness having a moderate flexibility of about 0.5 to 3 mm and a height of 10 to 100 mm
A method of using a spatula shaped spatula in a bent state and using it in advance, and preparing a large number of spatulas with a gradually changing curvature profile, and selecting the most suitable one from them Are exemplified. As a material for the spatula, a synthetic resin which is resistant to an organic solvent and does not adhere to a polyester putty, for example, polyethylene is mentioned as a suitable material.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-249739 describes a spatula for applying putty consisting of a plate-like material made of a polycaprolactone resin. Since polycaprolactone resin has a melting point at about 60 ° C., it can be melted by heating in hot water at 60 ° C. or higher, and is sufficiently hard at room temperature. Therefore, by immersing one side of the spatula member in hot water and melting it, and pressing the portion against an intact portion of the vehicle body having a desired curved shape, the surface shape can be copied as an outline on the edge of the spatula member. This makes it possible to create a spatula having an edge that closely adheres to the curved shape of the vehicle body.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-262721 discloses a spatula device comprising a spatula having flexibility and being freely deformable, and a plurality of pressing means (for example, an air cylinder) for freely deforming the spatula. Is described. In this device, the putty is applied while the spatula is deformed so as to follow the surface shape of the vehicle body by independently acting the pressing means arranged at predetermined intervals, and the putty is applied along the curved surface shape of the vehicle body can do. The spatula used here is formed of rubber, which is a flexible material, and has a restoring force to return to its original shape after deformation.

[0007]

However, the conventional polyacetal spatula has a straight side for applying putty and a relatively high elastic modulus, so that it is appropriately deformed during operation. However, it was not always easy to form a coating surface along the curved shape of the vehicle body. Therefore, a considerable skill is required to be able to apply putty to various curved surfaces using this spatula, but it is not always easy to secure skilled workers these days.

[0008] The polyacetal resin is a resin to which putty is unlikely to adhere, and in the case of a new spatula, it is easy to remove the putty after the coating operation. However, if the surface of the spatula is scratched by repeated use, there is also a problem that it is difficult to remove the putty.

In the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-192777, it is necessary to provide a spatula to the spatula in order to conform to the curved shape of the vehicle body, and to select a spatula along the curved shape of the vehicle body. There is a problem that it takes time to adjust the shape of the spatula and to select the spatula. In addition, in the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-249739, in which a spatula made of polycaprolactone is melted and deformed to conform to a curved surface of a vehicle body, it is necessary to prepare hot water separately, and repeated use of the spatula There is a limit to the number of times possible.

Moreover, the method of preparing and using a spatula along the curved surface shape of the vehicle body as described in these publications cannot cope with the case where the curved surface shape of the vehicle body changes along the application direction. . In most cases, the shape of a recent vehicle body has undergone subtle changes in three dimensions. Therefore, when a spatula having a shape matching a certain line is used, a desired surface shape is hardly obtained. The method lacks versatility.

On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-262721, a spatula material made of rubber having flexibility is used. However, since the apparatus is large-scale and a utility such as compressed air is required, limited work is required. It is inconvenient to perform in a space, and it is not easy to introduce expensive equipment under the current situation where there are many relatively small repairers.
Although the above publication does not specifically describe a rubber material used for a spatula, a rubber obtained by vulcanizing a diene polymer which is a most commonly used general-purpose rubber (natural rubber is also synthesized) When rubber (including rubber) was used, putty tended to adhere to the spatula after application, and it was troublesome to remove the putty.

It is also possible to apply a rather thick putty and then solidify it and then grind an unnecessary portion with a sandpaper, grinder or the like to form a curved surface along the vehicle body shape. In this case, Not only the polishing time becomes long, but also a large amount of dust is generated, which may deteriorate the working environment and the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is desired that the shape should be as close as possible to the desired curved surface from the stage of applying the putty and the polishing operation should be minimized.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is capable of applying putty to various curved surfaces with one spatula, requiring no skill in work, and improving the working efficiency of an automobile. An object of the present invention is to provide a spatula for applying putty for repairing damage to a vehicle body.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a spatula for applying putty for repairing a damaged body of an automobile, wherein at least one side of the spatula edge is outwardly convex, and a radius of 200 to 2 is provided.
The problem is solved by providing a putty rubber spatula having a curvature of 000 mm. That is, a feature of the present invention is to employ a spatula having a specific shape and flexibility, in which at least one side of the spatula edge has a relatively large radius of curvature. By having such a side shape having a specific curvature and also having flexibility, it becomes possible to apply putty to various curved surface shapes with one spatula. Moreover, skill is not required for work, and work efficiency is improved.

When the putty is applied over a relatively large area, a desired curved surface shape cannot be obtained by a single spatula operation. Normally, putty is applied to a narrow band-shaped area with a single spatula operation, the spatula is reciprocated while shifting the position, and by repeating this many times, it is possible to apply putty three-dimensionally over a wide area is there. At this time, the putty is applied in such a manner that an appropriate amount of the putty is left on the putty application surface from the gap of the spatula slightly floating while dragging the putty accumulated on the front surface in the traveling direction of the spatula.

The application is performed while providing the appropriate gap by hand. By using the spatula having a specific curvature according to the present invention, the gap can be easily maintained stably. More specifically, a specific curvature is effective for providing an appropriate gap by providing a part floated in the vicinity of a part of a side having a specific curvature while keeping the part in contact with the putty application surface. .

A mechanism for applying a putty using the spatula of the present invention (the spatula of Example 1 described later) will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 illustrates the application of a putty on the vehicle body surface 15 using the spatula of the present invention. The putty is applied using the side 1 having a curvature of a radius of 500 mm of the spatula. In addition, in order to make the putty surface easier to understand, the step of the putty is emphasized to be larger than the actual one.

The putty 16 indicates the putty currently being applied. Since the spatula is supported at the contact portion 19 between the side 1 of the spatula and the vehicle body surface 15, it is easy to maintain an appropriate narrow gap above the contact portion 19, and the putty 16 is Applied. Putty 17 is the putty applied by the previous spatula operation, and putty 18 is the putty applied by the previous spatula operation. At the boundary between the putty 16 and the putty 17 or at the boundary between the putty 17 and the putty 18, a ridge 20 called “spatula pillow” in the industry is formed. Since this is a ridge that needs to be removed by polishing after the putty has hardened, the lower the height, the more desirable.

If the radius of curvature of the side of the spatula is too small, the gap for applying the putty becomes too wide, so that the ridge 2 is formed.
0 is too high, which is not preferable. Conversely, if the radius of curvature of the side is too large or straight, it is difficult to set an appropriate gap while supporting the entire spatula with the contact portion 19. Must be suspended in the air, but in this case, it is difficult to keep the thickness constant.

The spatula having a specific side shape of the present invention is flexible since it is made of rubber, and the side shape can be appropriately adjusted by appropriately bending it during the coating operation. Therefore, the present invention can be widely applied to various curved surfaces such as a gentle convex surface, a flat surface, and a gentle concave surface, which are widely used in an automobile body.

The material of the spatula is preferably rubber having a hardness of 60 to 80 degrees. The hardness referred to here is JIS K6
It is a value measured by a type A durometer according to 249. Thereby, it is easy to adjust the shape so as to conform to the surface shape of the vehicle body. Cross section thickness of center part of spatula is 5-2
A value of 0 mm is preferable because it is easy for an operator to grasp. In particular, when the above rubber material is used, it is more preferable that the thickness is in this range because the rubber material can be easily deformed by an appropriate force.

Preferably, the edge of the spatula is chamfered at an acute angle in cross section. In order to apply putty while reciprocating the spatula, it is easier to work if the edge of the spatula is chamfered. Further, the thickness becomes thinner toward the tip of the edge of the spatula. Therefore, the tip becomes easier to deform toward the tip of the edge of the spatula, and becomes harder to deform nearer the center. As a result, it is easy to make a certain amount of deformation when pressed with an appropriate force, it is easy to set an appropriate gap for putty application, and it is also easy to follow a smooth curved surface shape. . Such an effect can be particularly effectively obtained when the angle between the putty coating surfaces on the front and back sides forming the acute angle is 10 to 60 °. In particular, when the angle is such that a rubber having a hardness of 60 to 80 degrees is employed, the coating workability is further improved.

Preferably, the material of the spatula is silicone rubber. Silicone rubber has appropriate flexibility and hardly attaches putty, so it is easy to remove the putty attached to the spatula after the coating operation, which also improves workability. . Not only can the silicone rubber material itself prevent sticking of putty,
Even if the surface of the spatula is scratched by repeatedly using the spatula,
Because of the softness of the spatula, putty that has entered the wound can be easily peeled off.

That is, the use of the spatula of the present invention only in place of the spatula widely used at the present time greatly improves workability and does not require large-scale facilities, so that the present invention is significant.

[0025]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A spatula for putty application according to the present invention has at least one side of a spatula edge that is outwardly convex and has a radius of 200 mm.
It has a curvature of ２０００2000 mm and is made of a flexible rubber. The rubber that can be used is not particularly limited, but has a hardness of 60 to 8
It is preferably a rubber of 0 degree. More preferably, the hardness is 65 to 75 degrees.

As the rubber to be used, silicone rubber is particularly preferred. Silicone rubber is obtained by crosslinking a polymer compound mainly containing a molecular chain in which silicon atoms and oxygen atoms are alternately bonded. The type of silicone rubber used is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include polydimethyl silicone rubber, methyl vinyl silicone rubber, methyl phenyl silicone rubber, and fluoro silicone rubber. Among them, a thermosetting silicone rubber is preferable.

A silicone rubber molded product having a desired shape can be obtained by mixing a vulcanizing agent such as a peroxide with a silicone resin as a raw material, placing the mixture in a mold, and vulcanizing by heating. At this time, various additives such as a filler, a pigment, and an antioxidant can be blended as necessary.

Hereinafter, the form of the spatula of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a spatula for putty application showing an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, chamfering is performed over the entire periphery of the edge of the rectangular plate-shaped member.

One side forming the edge of the spatula is a side 1 that is outwardly convex and has a radius of curvature of 500 mm. Radius 200-20
Having the curvature in the range of 00 mm facilitates the operation of applying putty on a curved surface. More preferably, it has a radius of curvature of 300 to 1500 mm. At this time, it is sufficient that at least a portion used for putty coating has the above-described curvature in the entire side. It is not necessary for the entire side to have a single curvature, and the curvature may change within the side. When the radius of curvature is less than 200 mm, the gap formed between the putty application surface and the spatula becomes too large, and when the radius of curvature exceeds 2,000 mm, on the contrary, it becomes too small. Workability decreases.

The shape of the side other than the side 1 having the above-mentioned curvature is not particularly limited, but is preferably a curved shape or a straight shape having a different curvature because it can cope with various curved surfaces. In the example of FIG. 1, the sides other than the side 1 having the above-described curvature are straight sides 2. When the shape of the spatula is a polygon, the corner 3 may be rounded as shown in FIG. Such corners are useful for applying putty to concave portions of the vehicle body. Although the shape of the spatula of this example is quadrangular, the shape of the spatula of the present invention may be triangular or semicircular or the like. From the viewpoint of easy gripping of the spatula, a quadrangle, particularly a rectangle, is preferable.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of the spatula shown in FIG. The cross-sectional thickness at the center of the spatula is 10 mm. When the thickness is in the range of 5 to 20 mm, it is easy to grasp and work. The center of the spatula is the flat portion 4 in this example, but may be a gentle curved surface. Also,
The edge of the spatula is chamfered at an acute angle in cross section, and the angle θ formed by the two putty coating surfaces (5, 5) forming the acute angle is 37 °. When the angle θ is in the range of 10 to 60 °, the workability of the coating operation is improved. This angle θ
Although the preferred range varies depending on the hardness and the like of the rubber used, it is generally more preferably 20 to 50 °.

Further, the chamfer is not limited to the one in which both the flat portion 4 and the putty coating surface 5 are flat and the boundary 6 is clear as in this example. The form is not limited as long as the thickness gradually decreases from the center toward the sides. As in the present example, a so-called double edged beveled from both the front and back sides may be used, or a so-called single edged beveled only on one side may be used. Since the putty is often applied by reciprocating the spatula, it is preferable to use a double-edged blade which can be applied in the same manner using both front and back surfaces.

At this time, the edge of the spatula may not be entirely chamfered, but may be chamfered only partially. For example, only one side of the spatula may be chamfered to form an edge shape having a sharp cross section. When the putty application surface 5 is not a flat surface but a curved surface, the angle θ between the putty application surfaces is calculated based on the thickness at a position of 5 mm from the side toward the center.

The type of putty applied by the putty application spatula of the present invention is not particularly limited, and various putties generally used for repairing damage to the body of an automobile can be used. Further, the part to be repaired is not particularly limited, and the spatula of the present invention can be used not only for damage caused to a steel plate of a vehicle body but also to damage caused to a plastic part such as a bumper. . The form of damage to be repaired is not particularly limited, but the utility of the putty of the present invention compared to other putties when applying putty to a damaged portion having a relatively large area is clear.

After the putty coating operation is performed and solidified, the putty application surface is usually polished, and then the surface is painted, thereby completing the repair work of the vehicle body.

[0036]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples. Example 1 The silicone resin used as a raw material in this example is "Elastosil EL1701" which is a thermosetting silicone rubber manufactured by Asahi Kasei Wacker Silicone Co., Ltd. 0.5 part by weight of a curing agent DS-8 [50% paste of 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di (t-butylperoxy) hexane] manufactured by the company was added to 100 parts by weight of the silicone resin. 165 ° C.
For 5 minutes to produce a spatula. The hardness of the cured silicone rubber was 70 degrees.

The shape of the obtained spatula is as shown in FIGS. Long side 150mm, short side 83mm, thickness 1
The edge of a 0 mm rectangular plate is
It is a shape with a width of 1 mm and chamfered from both sides at the same angle of 18.5 ° with an acute cross section. Therefore, the angle θ between the two putty coating surfaces (5, 5) forming the acute angle is 37.
°. The side 1 is convex outward and has a radius of 500 mm.
Of curvature. Other sides 2 are linear. Each corner 3 is rounded with a radius of curvature of 20 mm.

[Comparative Example 1] A spatula was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the same silicone resin as in Example 1 was injected into a mold having a different shape. The hardness of the silicone resin after curing is 7
It was 0 degrees.

The shape of the obtained spatula is as shown in FIG. 3 (plan view) and FIG. 4 (BB sectional view). The edge of the plate having a generally triangular shape and a thickness of 10 mm is set to 15
It is a shape with a width of 1 mm and chamfered from both sides at the same angle of 18.5 ° with an acute cross section. Therefore, the angle θ between the two putty coating surfaces (5, 5) forming the acute angle is 37.
°. The side 7 is outwardly convex and has a radius of curvature of 100 mm. The other sides 8 are linear. The three corners 9, 10, 11 have a radius of 5, 10, 30 m, respectively.
Rounded with a curvature of m. The distance between the corners 9 and 10 is about 130 mm. The spatula of this example is designed for the purpose of accommodating various shapes, particularly various concave shapes.

[Comparative Example 2] As a representative example of a conventional spatula, the spatula described in the section of the prior art is used as a comparative example 2. This spatula is formed by injection molding a polyacetal “Delrin”, and has the form shown in FIG. 5 (plan view) and FIG. 6 (CC sectional view). That is, it is an integrally molded product made of a hard plastic having a structure including a triangular plate-like putty applying section 12 and a gripping section 13, and a side 14 for applying the putty is a straight line having a length of 90 mm. The thickness of the spatula is uniformly 4 mm at the grip portion, and gradually thinner from the root to the tip at the putty application portion, and the angle θ between the front and back putty application surfaces (5, 5) is 3 degrees. is there.

[Working Example] Using the spatula of this embodiment and the comparative example, a work of actually applying a putty to a damaged portion of a curved surface portion of a vehicle body was performed. A putty coating operation was performed on a vehicle body having a damaged portion that required the application of the putty over a relatively large area, and the workability was compared.

Using the sides shown in the brackets of the spatula shown below, putty was applied in a gentle curved surface, and the workability was compared. Spatula of Example 1 (Side 1 with a radius of curvature of 500 mm) Spatula of Example 1 (Straight side 2 (opposite side 1)) Spatula of Comparative Example 1 (Side 7 with a radius of curvature of 100 mm) Comparative Example 3 Spatula (side 14 for putty application)

The putty used was "Strong Putty 120" manufactured by Isamu Paint Co., Ltd. Five repair workers applied the putty using the above various types of spatula. As a result, the case where the putty was applied using the above-mentioned sides is compared with the case where the putty was applied on each of the above-mentioned sides,
All five workers felt that the coating surface along the curved surface of the vehicle body could be obtained more easily and the work efficiency was improved.

After the operation was completed, any putty attached to the spatula could be easily removed. However, it has been known that it is easy to remove putty when it is new, but it is not easy to remove it when the putty-coated surface is scratched by repeated use. on the other hand,
This is not the case with silicone rubber.

[0045]

By using the spatula of the present invention, it is possible to apply putty to various curved shapes with one spatula when applying putty for repairing damage to the body of an automobile, requiring skill in work. The work efficiency is not improved. In addition, it is easy to remove the putty attached to the spatula after the putty coating operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a spatula used in Example 1. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of the spatula shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a spatula used in Comparative Example 1.

4 is a sectional view of the spatula shown in FIG. 3 taken along line BB.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a spatula used in Comparative Example 2.

6 is a sectional view of the spatula shown in FIG. 5 taken along the line CC.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram in which putty is applied using the spatula of Example 1.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Curved side of radius 500mm 2 Straight side 3 Corner 4 Flat part 5 Putty coating surface 6 Boundary between flat part and putty coating surface 7 Side with radius of 100mm curvature 8 Linear side 9 Corner (radius of 5mm Curvature) 10 Corner (curvature with a radius of 10 mm) 11 Corner (curvature with a radius of 30 mm) 12 Putty coating part 13 Gripping part 14 Side for applying putty 15 Body surface 16 Putty currently applied 17 Spatula one time before Putty applied by the operation 18 Putty applied by the spatula operation two times before 19 19 Contact part 20 Protrusion θ Angle between the putty applied surfaces

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A spatula for applying putty for repairing damage to a vehicle body of an automobile, wherein at least one side of the edge of the spatula is convex outward and has a radius of curvature of 200 to 2000 mm. . 2. The material of the spatula is rubber having a hardness of 60 to 80 degrees, the cross-sectional thickness of the center of the spatula is 5 to 20 mm,
The spatula for putty application according to claim 1, wherein the edge of the spatula is chamfered to an acute angle in cross section and the angle between the front and back putty application surfaces forming the acute angle is 10 to 60 °. 3. The spatula for putty application according to claim 1, wherein the material of the spatula is silicone rubber.