Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MASKING MEMBER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a masking member which
protects a part of a surface of an article from a surface
treatment such as coating, plating, vacuum evaporation,
phosph~tizing, and the like. More particularly, the present
invention relates to a masking member produced by the molding
of a sheet having a shape corresponding with a part of a
surface of an article to be protected from a surface
treatment wherein said masking member has (a) pinching
part(s) into which ta) projection(s) of said part is(are)
inserted. When a surface treatment is effected on the
surface of an article, and if said surface of said article
has (a) part(s) on which said surface treatment should
not be effected for the reason that another surface treat-
ment is effected on said part(s) after said surface treat-
ment of said surface treatment spoils the appearance of
said article and so on, said part(s) of said surface of
said article may be covered and protected with said masking
member.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Hithe~to, adhesive tape has been used as a masking member
to protect a part of a surface of an article such as a
bumper of an automobile and the like. Namely, the adhesi~e
tape is attached to said part o~ said surface to protect
said surface from said surface treatment and after said
surface treatment, said adhesive tape is removed from said
surface. Said surface may not be effected by said surface
treatment since said part of said surface was covered with
said adhesive tape during said surface treatment.
Nevertheless, adhesive tape as a masking member has faults
in that attaching and removing of the adhesive tape to/from
,
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said part of said surface take time and have a high labor
cost, and further, the adhesive tape attached to said part
of said surface is buried in the layer of said surface
treatment and it is very difficult to find the end of said
buried adhesive tape to remove said adhesive tape. Said
faults of adhesive tape may seriously obstruct a mass-
production line such as a coating line for automobiles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
~ccordingly, an object of the present invention is to save
trouble when the masking member is attached/removed to/from
a part to be protected. According to the present invention,
there is provided a masking member produced by the molding
of a sheet having a shape corresponding with a part of a
surface of an article to be protected from a surface treat-
ment wherein said masking member has ~a) pinching part(s)
into which (a) projection(s) of said part is(are) inserted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 relate to a first embodiment of the present
invention.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the masking member.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the pinching part of
the masking member.
FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the front part of
an automobile.
FIG. 4 is a partial perspective vi~w of the front part of
the automobile after coating.
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the pinching part of
the masking member into which a pillar is inserted.
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FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the front part of
the automobile after the masking member is removed from
the bumper.
FIG. 7 to FIG. 9 relate to a second embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bumper of the automobile.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the masking member.
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view showing that the masking
member is attached to the bumper.
FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 relate to a third embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the masking member.
FIG. 11 is a cross sectional vie.w showing that the masking
member is attached to the plate part of the underside of
the automobile.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The masking member of the present invention is made of a
sheet such as rom plastics or rubber such as polystyrene,
polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer,
polyvinylchloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polymethacrylate,
styrene-butadiene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer,
polybutadine polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, polychloroprene,
isoprene-isobutylene copolymer, natural rubber, polyurethane,
melamine resin, urea resin, phenolresin, epoxyresin and
the like; foams of said plastics; or said rubber; fiber
sheet such as fabricrubber, knitting, non-woven fabric,
paper, corrugated cardboard and the like; thermoplastic
resin - impregnated fiber sheet; thermosetting resin -
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impregnated fiber sheet; wooden sheet such as wood board,hardboard, plywood and the like; metal sheet and the like;
laminated sheet consisting of a plural number of sheets
selected from the group of said sheets. In cases where
said masking member is made of a sheet from plastics or
rubber, it is desirable to mix inorganic filler such as
calcium carbonate, silica, talc, clay, bentonite, stone
powder, blast furnace slag, flyash, and the like into said
plastics or rubber since heat resistance, mechanical
properties and the like of said masking member are improved
by said inorganic filler and further, when a used masking
member is ~urnt in a combustion furnace, a smaller combustion
enérgy is produced so that said combustion furnace will
stand long use. Usually, 10 to 500 weight parts, desirably
20 to 400 weight parts of said inorganic filler are mixed
into said plastics. Further organic filler such as wood
powder, organic, fiber powder, walnut powder, coconut powder,
flour, chaff powder and the like may be mixed into said
plastics or rubber. Still further, dyestuff, pigment,
antioxidant, ultraviolet absorber plastici~er and the
like may be mixed into said plastics or rubber. Polyolefin
such as polyethylene, polypropylene and the like are
desirable plastics for the matc!rial of the sheet of the
masking member of the present invention since said polyolefin
has high solven~ resistance ancl is inexpensive, and of
course, polyolefin in which said inorganic filler is mixed
is a desirable material for said masking member. Polystyrene
foam is also a desirable material for said masking member
since said polystyrene foam is light and inexpensive,
nevertheless, since said polystyrene foam has a low solvent
resistance and a low heat resistance, it is desirable to
laminate a suitable plastic or rubber onto said polystyrene
foam.
Vacuum forming, press molding, casting, e~trusion, injection,
molding, paper making and the like may be used to produce
the masking member of the present invention.
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The masking member of the present invention is easily
attached to a part of a surface of an article to be
protected by inserting (a) projection(s) of said part into
(a) pinching part~s) of the masking member and said masking
member is easily removed from said part by extracting said
projectionts) of said part from said pinching part(s) of
said masking member. Accordingly said masking member of
the present invention can be correctly, easily, and securely
attached to a part of a surface by the guide of said
projection(s) of said part and said pinching part(s) of
said masking member.
Fig. 1 to Fig~ 6 relate to a first embodiment of the present
invention. Referring now to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6, a masking
member (11O) is produced by the molding of a sheet (111)
and has a shape corresponding with the surface of the
lower half (211) of a bumper (210) of an automobile (310)
and pinching parts (114) are formed on the inside of said
masking member (110) wherein pillars (213~ of air inlets
(214) of said lower half (211) of said bumper (210) are
inserted into said pinching parts (114) of said masking
member (110)o As shown in Fig. 2, said pinching parts
(114) are formed between a pair of walls (114A), ~114A).
Further, a reinforcing rib (11.3) is formed in said masking
member (110) and an adhesive layer (112) is formed on the
upper edge of the inside of said masking member (110).
Said masking member (110) is correctly easily, and securely
attached on said lower half (211)-of said bumper (210) by
inserting said pillars (213) of said bumper (210) into said
pinching parts (114) of said masking member (110) and
adhering said adhesive layer (112) to the upper edge of
said lower half (211) of said bumper ~210). Said pinching
parts (11~) of said masking member (110) respectively pinch
said pillars (213) of air inlets (214) by the elasticity
thereof so that said masking member ~110) is securely
attached to said lower half ~211) of said bumper (210).
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After said masking member (110) is attached to said lower
half (211) of said bumper (210), a paint (410) i5 coated
on said bumper (210) as shown in Fig. 4. After said coating,
said masking member (110) is easily removed from said bumper
(210) and said paint (410) is not coated on said lower half
(211) of said bumper (210) while said paint (410) is coated
on the upper half (212) of said bumper (210) as shown in
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7 to Fig. 9 relate to a second embodiment of the
present invention. Referring now to Fig. 7 to Fig. 9, a
masking member (120) is produced by the molding of a sheet
(121) and has a shape corresponding with a lower half (221)
of a bumper (220) of an automobile and pinching parts (124)
are elongated from the lower edge of said masking member
(120) wherein a bending part (223) elongated from the lower
edge of said bumper (220) is inserted into said pinching
parts (124) of said masking member (110). Further, a
reinforcing rib (123) is formed in said masking member (120)
and adhesive layer (122) is for~led on the upper edge of the
inside of said masking member (120).
Said masking member (120) is correctly, easily, and securely
attached on said lower hal~ (211) of said bumper (220) by
inserting said bending part (223) of said bumper (220) and
adhering said adhesive layer (122) to the upper edge of
said lower half (221~ of said bumper (220). Said pinching
parts (124) of said masking member (120~ respectively pinch
said bending part (223) of said bumper (220) by the elasticity
thereof so that said masking member t120) is securely
attached to said lower half (221) of said bumper (220).
After said masking member (120) is attached to said lower
half (221) of said b~mper (220), a paint is coated said
bumper (220) and after said coating, said masklng member
(120) is easily removed from said lower half t221) of said
bumper (220).
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Fig. 10 arld Fig. 11 relate to a third embodiment of the
present invention. Referring now to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11,
a masking member (1303 has a pinching part (134) formed
between a pair of walls (134A), (134A) and a taper part
(134B) is formed in the opening of said pinching part (134).
Said masking member (130) is attached on a plate part (231)
of the underside (230) of an automobile by inserting said
plate part (231) of the underside (230) of said automobile
into said pinching part (134) of said masking member (130).
In a case that the minimum width of said pinching part (134)
of the masking member (130) is a little smaller than the
maximum thickness of said plate part (231), said plate part
1231) is tightly inserted into said pinching part (134)
and as the result, said masking member (130) is securely
attached to said plate part (231) without an adhesive layer.
In this case, it is desirable that a laminated sheet
consisting of a soft elastic sheet such as a soft-type
polyvinylchloride foam sheet, soft-type polyurethane foam
sheet, soft-type melamine resi:rl foam sheet, foam rubber
sheet, felt sheet and the like, and a rigid sheet such as
a hard-type polyvinylchloride sheet, polystyrene sheet,
pol~ethylene sheet, polypropyl~ene sheet, resin-impregnated
fiber sheet, hard-type paper, hard-type wooden sheet, metal
sheet and the like is used as the material of said masking
member (130). In said masking member (130), said soft
elastic sheet is located inside said walls ~134A), ~134A)
and said rigid sheet is located outside said walls (134A),
(134A). Said underside (230) of said automobile is then
coated with a paint. Af~er said coatin~, said masking
member (130) is removed from said plate part (231~ o~ said
underside (230) of said automobile.
