WO2016030559A1

WO2016030559A1 - Protector for painting or other surface treatments

Info

Publication number: WO2016030559A1
Application number: PCT/ES2015/070618
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mikel Arzoz Santisteban
Original assignee: Papelera Del Nervion, S.A.
Priority date: 2014-08-28
Filing date: 2015-08-11
Publication date: 2016-03-03
Also published as: EP3195939A1; ES1122180Y; ES2799873T3; ES1122180U; EP3195939B1; PL3195939T3

Abstract

Protector (1 ) to mask floors, walls or other surfaces, which comprises a protective element (2) and a fixing element (4) to secure the protector (1 ) to a surface (3) to be masked. The protective element (2) includes a set of sheets (7) connected to the fixing element (4). The sheets (7) are arranged in parallel and are individually separable from the fixing element (4) so that they can be used individually and consecutively. The invention provides a simple and reusable protector for use in painting booths at automotive workshops and for other uses.

Description

PROTECTOR FOR PAINT OR OTHER WORK

SURFACE TREATMENTS

DESCRIPTION

Technical sector

The invention relates to a protector for covering and protecting walls, floors or other surfaces during the performance of paint works or other surface treatments.

State of the art

It is known that, prior to performing certain painting and other surface treatment tasks, it is convenient to cover, protect or pre-mask the floor, walls or other surfaces adjacent to a surface to be treated with some type of protector of plastic, paper or other materials. The purpose of this task prior to the application of the treatment is to prevent possible deterioration or possible unwanted deposition of paint or other products or materials used in the treatment, on said adjacent surfaces.

Particularly, in the automotive sector, paint booths consisting of a closed enclosure in which a complete vehicle or one or more parts of a vehicle for subsequent painting or repainting are introduced are known. The paint booth reproduces the ideal environment for quality painting work and its use provides additional advantages from various points of view. On the one hand the paint booth contributes to the realization of the painting work under adequate safety and environmental conditions; In this sense, the cabin is usually provided with various systems that allow to retain a large part of the remains or particles of suspended paint as well as various volatile organic pollutants that are usually generated in the painting process. Another of the benefits of the paint booth is to facilitate the drying of the paint after its application. For this, the paint booth functions as a drying oven so that the temperature inside the paint booth rises considerably with respect to the ambient temperature. In paint booths of body shops, also commonly known as sheet metal and paint shops, temperatures of the order of 80 ° C can be reached.

As with other surface treatment work, it is necessary to protect, before applying paint inside the cabin, the surfaces of the part or vehicle to be treated that should not be painted as well as necessary to protect the surfaces of the paint booth itself.

The protector consisting of a plastic that incorporates a painter or bodybuilder's adhesive tape to facilitate its placement on the surface to be protected is known. This type of protector is widely used to protect surfaces in decorative painting work, whether professional or domestic. Likewise, the plastic protector with bodybuilder's tape is also often used in automotive to protect parts of a part or vehicle before they are introduced inside a paint booth; in this case, the life of the protector is limited to the time during which the part or vehicle remains inside the cabin; After passing through the paint booth, the protector usually suffers certain deteriorations or loses its adhesive properties. Therefore, commercial protectors consisting of a plastic with built-in bodybuilder tape are insufficient to protect interior surfaces of the paint booth and are not usually used for this purpose. If used, due to the environmental conditions inside the paint booth and the insufficient quality of this type of protector, it is usually necessary to proceed with the removal and replacement of the protector prior to the treatment of each vehicle that is introduced into The interior of the paint booth. This implies unwanted loss of time that has a negative impact on production performance. Therefore, to protect the interior surfaces of a paint booth, the use of protectors with higher performance is required, in terms of the resistance of the protector and the use time of the same, compared to protectors used for other less demanding applications in this regard. In addition, in any case, it is convenient to periodically replace the protector used once it has lost its performance in terms of resistance to high temperatures and other environmental conditions present inside the paint booth.

Among the protectors currently used to protect interior surfaces of paint booths, chemicals that are applied to the surface to be protected are known. These chemicals usually generate a protective film that must subsequently be removed with a second chemical. Some known chemicals or gels are soluble in water so that they can be removed by dilution with the help of a sponge or pressure jet. There are also starter paints that are used as temporary protection in paint booths and that require their subsequent tearing. In general, these chemical products present limitations due to their excessive cost or due to a difficulty or slowness for their application or withdrawal, with the consequent loss of time they entail for production.

Another known alternative for the protection of interior surfaces of paint booths is the use of self-adhesive plastics. These self-adhesive plastics tend to be large and uncomfortable and cumbersome as some type of carrier or auxiliary tool is usually required for placement on the interior surfaces of the paint booth. Another disadvantage of this alternative is that, after its removal, the adhesive of this type of protector usually leaves residues on the surface to be protected.

In short, the systems commonly used today to protect interior surfaces of paint booths are inadequate because they are expensive or slow or complex. An object of the invention is an alternative surface protector to those currently used during the performance of painting and Other surface treatments and make it easy to use. It is also the object of the invention to provide a protector whose replacement is simple and quick. Additionally, at least one embodiment of the invention must be suitable for protecting interior surfaces of a paint booth of the type that is commonly used in body shops.

Brief Description of the Invention The object of the invention is a protector for masking floors, walls or other surfaces during the performance of painting tasks or other surface treatments. The protector comprises a protective element intended to mask a surface to be protected and at least one fixing element that allows the protector to be fixed to the surface and which extends in a first direction. The protector according to the invention has the particularities that are detailed below: the protective element comprises a set of at least two or more sheets that are connected to the fixing element by a first peripheral side of said sheets; the sheets additionally have a second opposite peripheral side that is free, that is, without connection to the fixing element; furthermore, the sheets are arranged in parallel so that when the fixing element is fixed to the surface the sheets are arranged one above the other in a second direction, the sheets being also individually detachable from the fixing element.

Thus the invention provides a protector provided with multiple protective sheets and reusable in the sense of allowing each of the sheets to be used individually and consecutively. Each sheet can be removed, once it has deteriorated or lost its protective qualities, without the need to remove the entire protector and place a new one. To do this you just have to remove, tear or separate each sheet from the rest of the protector after use. The separation can be done simply and quickly, manually or with the help of a cutter or auxiliary tool. In this way, the feature of having multiple sheets extends the lifetime of the protector compared to others known protectors consisting of a plastic with built-in bodybuilder tape. On the other hand, the reuse of the protector, as defined, also implies a saving of product costs compared to the use of various plastics with bodybuilder tape.

In an especially advantageous embodiment of the protector, one or more of the sheets of the protective element have a precut area that is located in an area adjacent to the first peripheral side and that extends along the first direction. This pre-cut area facilitates the separation of each sheet after use minimizing the time required for the preparation of the protector for a new use.

Additionally, the protector according to the invention is very advantageous when used to mask interior surfaces of a paint booth. On the one hand, the presence of multiple sheets makes it possible for the protector to remain placed inside the paint booth, during consecutive treatments to several vehicles, without having to proceed to the complete replacement of the protector every time a new one enters and leaves. vehicle to be treated inside the paint booth. On the other hand, the time needed to replace each sheet is minimized thanks to the presence of the precut area. Thus, the protector according to the invention constitutes a simple and economical alternative to other known and commonly used products for protective purposes in this type of paint booth.

In other embodiments of the protector, the fixing element includes an adhesive part to facilitate the fixing of the protective element to the surface to be masked and the sheets are folded individually while being wound in the form of a coil. With these characteristics and form of presentation the installation of the protector on the surface is carried out in a simple way. To install it, it is enough to glue the adhesive part of the fixing element as the protector is unrolled on the surface. Subsequently, a portion or strip of the protector is cut to the desired size according to the width of the surface to be masked. Once the protector is placed on the surface and cut to the desired size, the first accessible sheet of the protective element is unfolded to cover the surface in a longitudinal direction. For all the mentioned advantages, the protector according to the invention minimizes the time necessary for its placement and replacement compared to other conventional protectors commonly used in paint booths. Therefore, the use of the protector of the invention inside paint booths helps to minimize installation and maintenance times, saving costs and improving production performance.

Brief description of the figures The details of the invention can be seen in the accompanying figures, not intended to be limiting the scope of the invention:

- Figure 1 shows a perspective of an embodiment of the protector according to the invention with the sheets of the protective element folded and rolled forming a coil.

- Figure 2 shows a perspective of the protector of Figure 1 partially unwound.

- Figure 3 shows a perspective of a strip of the protector of Figure 1, when it has been cut from the coil for placement on the surface to be protected and with its outermost sheet deployed.

- Figure 4 shows an enlarged detail of the protector of Figure 1.

Detailed description of the invention

The invention relates to a protector for masking floors, walls or other surfaces during the performance of painting tasks or other surface treatments. Figure 1 shows a perspective of an embodiment of the protector, conveniently presented in Roll or coil form for handling and marketing. Figure 2 shows a perspective of the protector of Figure 1 partially unwound. As can be seen in the figures, the protector (1) comprises a protective element (2) intended to mask a surface (3) to be protected and at least one fixing element (4) that allows the protector (1) to be fixed to said surface ( 3). The fixing element (4) is connected to the protective element (2) and, as can be seen in Figure 2, extends along the entire protector (1) in a first direction A. Figure 3 shows a perspective of a portion or strip (5) of the protector (1) of Figure 1, when this strip (5) has been cut from a coil (6) to be arranged on the surface (3) to be masked. As can be seen in Figure 3, and in more detail in Figure 4, the protective element (2) comprises a set of at least two or more sheets (7). Said sheets (7) are connected to the fixing element (4) by a first peripheral side (8) of said sheets (7) and have a second opposite peripheral side (9) that is free. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the protective element (2) specifically comprises four sheets (7) that are connected to the fixing element (4) only by its first peripheral side (8). As also seen in Figures 3 and 4, the sheets (7) are arranged in parallel so that when the fixing element (4) is fixed to the surface (3) the sheets (7) are arranged one above the other in a second direction T, this direction being transverse to the sheets (7), as follows: a first sheet (7) is disposed between the surface (3) and the rest of the sheets (7), when the fixing element (4 ) is fixed to the surface (3), and the rest of the sheets (7) are superimposed in parallel according to the transverse direction T. In addition, sheets (7) are individually separable from the fixing element (4) so that they have the advantage , as explained earlier in this document, can be used individually for consecutive uses of the protector (1).

Preferably, at least one of the sheets (7) has a precut area (10) that is located in an area adjacent to the first peripheral side (8) and extends along the direction A. The precut area (10) serves as a guide and facilitates the removal or separation of sheet (7) after use. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the four sheets (7) are provided with a precut area (10). In other embodiments of the protector, any sheet may optionally have a precut area or not. For example, in a second embodiment of the protector (1) according to the invention (not shown in the figures, by sharing the rest of the features with the embodiment shown) the protective element (2) has a single sheet (7) devoid of a precut area (10). Said sheet (7) without precut area (10) is preferably the innermost sheet (7), that is, the sheet (7) that is disposed between the surface (3) and the rest of the sheets (7) when the element fixative (4) is fixed to the surface (3); or what is the same, the sheet (7) that will be removed last. The fundamental advantage of eliminating the precut area is that it makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing of the sheets. Other embodiments of the protector, other than that shown in the figures, have sheets without precut area, for example, to hinder an involuntary removal of the sheet due to a pull or any other unforeseen or unwanted circumstance. The sheets devoid of precut area can simply be separated from the protective element manually or by means of an auxiliary tool such as a cutter.

Optionally, the fixing element (4) of the protector comprises an adhesive part (1 1) to facilitate the fixing of the protective element (2) to the surface (3) conveniently and quickly. In the protector of the figures, the adhesive part (1 1) is comprised on an outer face (12) of the fixing element (4) and extends in the direction A. Thus, as the protector (1) of Figure 1, which is wound or rewound with the adhesive part (1 1) outward, is unwound, as reflected in Figure 2, the adhesive part (1 1) of the fixing element (4) is attached to the surface (3). The protector optionally has a rod or handle (13), which protrudes from the bottom of the coil (6), to unwind the protector (1) with ease and comfort. Once the protector (1) has been unwound, the strip (5) is cut according to the necessary width according to the surface (3) to be masked. The adhesive part (1 1) is oriented in the transverse direction T so that the protector (1) is properly fixed to the surface (3).

Also optionally, the sheets (7) are individually folded in a longitudinal direction L by their second peripheral side (9) and, simultaneously, the sheets (7) are initially rolled around the vertical axis of the coil (6) according to said longitudinal direction L. Thus, as seen in Figure 3, once unrolled, fixed to the surface (3) and cut the protector (1), the outermost sheet (7) is deployed to cover the surface (3) in the longitudinal direction L. In this way, the protector (1) allows to mask a surface of width equal to the width of the strip (5) cut and of height equal to the length of the sheets (7) a once deployed. The protector (1) according to the invention is designed to allow, among other applications, the masking of a vertical surface, such as the walls of a paint booth, by means of the multiple separable and disposable sheets (7) for individual and consecutive use. . Other embodiments are also contemplated in which the number of sheets (7) of the protective element (2), the length of the unfolded sheets (7), the number of folds or folding layers of the sheets (7) or the sheet is different. total length of protector coil (6) (1).

To adapt to the high temperatures and other conditions present inside the paint booths used in the automotive sector, the fixing element (4) is optionally a rice paper adhesive tape. The choice of this type of fixing element (4) responds to its good qualities in terms of resistance to high temperatures, ease of use and adaptation to curves. Additionally, the rice paper adhesive tape barely leaves residue on the masked surfaces and has good adhesion. Other embodiments are also contemplated in which another type of adhesive is used, for example silicone, heat-sealed, as well as also embodiments in which the arrangement of the adhesive part is different, as long as it allows adequate adhesion of the fixing element (4) on the surface (3) to be masked. Optionally, and with the same objective of being suitable for use inside a paint booth, the sheets (7) are made of a special plastic, preferably HDPE or high density polyethylene, suitable for use in the interior of paint booths. High density polyethylene or HDPE is also known as HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). The choice of this material responds to its properties in terms of excellent thermal and chemical resistance, good impact resistance, flexibility, lightness and good processability by the forming methods commonly used in the thermoplastic industry. Thus, the sheets (7) of the protector (1) of the embodiment of the figures, have a thermal resistance capable of withstanding temperatures of at least 150 ° C being able to remain each sheet (7) deployed inside the paint booth during about 1 week Additionally, and also optionally, the sheets (7) of the protector (1) are subjected to a corona treatment. It is known that sheets, films and other plastic objects have impervious (non-porous) and chemically inert surfaces whose level of electrical tension is usually low. Therefore, the adhesion capacity of these plastics is usually also low. Corona treatment is a known process based on the electrical phenomenon of the same name. It is commonly used in various sectors of industry, for example, to increase the energy of sheets of plastic, paper, metallized or other materials in order to increase the permeability and adhesion of such sheets. In this way, the corona treatment provides the sheets (7) of the protector (1) with an electrostatic charge that keeps them folded, without the need for additional fixing elements, and that also facilitates their adhesion on the surface (3) to mask a once deployed. Optionally the sheets (7) are made of at least two materials of different nature in terms of density, composition and / or surface treatment This feature has the advantage of allowing the use of a single protector to mask a surface that must be subjected to different treatments, each of which requires a conventional protector of different characteristics.

Embodiments with sheets (7) of different densities, microns, materials other than plastic, with other treatments and / or qualities, etc. are contemplated. In short, the invention provides an advantageous product for the protection and maintenance of paint booths or other enclosures, during the application of treatments consisting of applications of paints, varnishes, lacquers, resins or other industrial products, constituting an interesting product for the car industry, construction and other industries.

Claims

one . Protector (1) for masking floors, walls or other surfaces during the performance of painting tasks or other surface treatments, comprising a protective element (2) intended to mask a surface (3) to be protected and at least one fixing element ( 4) which allows the protector (1) to be fixed to the surface (3) and which extends in a first direction, characterized in that: - the protective element (2) comprises a set of at least two or more sheets (7 ) which are connected to the fixing element (4) by a first peripheral side (8) of said sheets (7) and which have a second peripheral side (9) that is free,

- the sheets (7) are arranged in parallel so that when the fixing element (4) is fixed to the surface (3) the sheets (7) are arranged one above the other in a second direction, and

- the sheets (7) are individually separable from the fixing element (4).

2. Protector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the sheets (7) has a pre-cut zone (10) that is located in an area adjacent to the first peripheral side (8) and which is extends along the first direction.

3. Protector (1), according to claim 2, characterized in that all the sheets (7) are provided with a respective precut area (10).

4. Protector (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that only one sheet (7) is devoid of a precut area (10) said sheet (7) being disposed between the surface (3) and the rest of the sheets (7) when the fixing element (4) is fixed to said surface (3).

5. Protector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing element (4) comprises an adhesive part (1 1) which extends in the first direction and is oriented in the second direction.

6. Protector (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the fixing element (4) is an adhesive tape of rice paper.

7. Protector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheets (7) are individually folded in a longitudinal direction on their second peripheral side (9), and that the set of sheets (7) It is rolled up in a way that unwinds around the vertical axis of the protector (1) in said longitudinal direction.

8. Protector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheets (7) are made of high density polyethylene and subjected to a corona treatment.

9. Protector (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheets (7) are made of at least two materials of different nature in terms of density, composition and / or surface treatment.