Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2 ~ r~
1966-0~112
PROTECTIVE ED~:ING 8~rRIP AND METHOD OF P~PPLYING ~E 8AME
B ckaround and ~ummary of . he Irlvention
The present invention relates to protective edgings
and, more particularly, to elastomeric edge strips including
adhesive and hinge mechanisms and a method of applying the
same.
Strips of molding or edging are applied to the lips of
vehicle doors, helmets, or any type of element having a lip or
marginal edge for ornamental and protective purposes.
Typically, moldings are made out of metal or resilient
polymeric materials which are "U" shaped in cross-section and
which rely on their resiliency of the molding strip to grip
the opposed surfaces at the lip of the element. Generally, a
sealing material is added to the trim to secure it onto the
element. These processes are burdensome and generally require
extensive labor.
It is desirable to provide an edging strip which may be
easily applied and secured to an element. It is desirable to
have an edging strip that inclu~es an adhesive which has been
previously applied to the edging strip and is easily secured
in position onto the edge. Also, it would be desirable to
have an edging strip which enables positioning and shifting of
the edging strip onto the edge prior to the final securement
of the edge.
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Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention
to provide ~he art with a new and improved protective edging
strip. The edging strip of the present invention provides a
strip having an adhesive member thereon which may easily be
secured onto an edge. Also, the present invention provides
the art with a trim strip having a hinge to provide movement
of one leg of the edging strip with respect to its other leg.
Also, the present invention provides a method of applying an
edging strip onto an edge.
From the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiment of the invention along with the
accompanying drawings and appended claims, other objects and
advantages of the present invention will become apparent to
those skilled in the art.
3rief DescriDtion of the Drawing~
Figure 1 illustrates an edging strip in accordance with
the present invention on a helmet.
Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of a portion of
the edging strip of Figure 1.
Figure 3 illustrates a perspective of the edging strip
of Figure 2 with the hinge in an open position.
Figure 4 illustrates a cross-section view of Figure 1
along a plane defined by line 4-4 thereof.
Figure 5 illustrates a cross-section view of another
edging strip in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 6 illustrates a cross-section view of another
edging strip in accordance with the present invention.
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Det~iled Description of the Pre~erred ~mbo~iment
Turning to the figures, an edging strip is illustrated
and designated with the reference numeral 10. The edging
strip 10 is generally formed from an elastomeric material,
such as EPDM rubber and is generally extruded in an extrusion
process.
The edging strip 10 generally has an overall "U" shape
in cross-section. The "U" includes legs 12 and 14 j oined by
web 16. The legs 12 and 14 and web 16 define a channel 18
with their interior surfaces, as seen in Figure 2.
The leg 12 has a thickness less than the leg 14. An
adhesive member 20 is bonded onto the interior surface 22 of
the leg 12. The adhesive member 20 runs the length of the
strip 10. The thickness of the leg }2 with the adhesive
member 20 is substantially equal to the leg 14. The leg 12
has a tapered free extending end 24. The tapered end 24
extends over substantially half way of the width of the
channel 18, as seen in Figure 2. The tapered lip 24 enhances
the sealing and aesthetic appearance of the edging strip 10
when applied to an edge surface.
The web 16 is generally thicker than the legs 12 and 14
and includes a live hinge 30. The hinge 30 enables the leg 12
to be moved away ~rom the leg 14 to a position wherein the
legs 12 and 14 are substantially transverse, as seen in Figure
3. In this position, the adhesive member 20 may be easily
applied onto the edging strip 10. Also, the hinge 30 enables
the leg 12 to be moved away from the web 16 and leg 14 to
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enable opening of the channel 18 for positioning of the edging
strip 10.
The adhesive member 20 is generally a heat-bonded foam
tape with a carrier release layer 32 on its surface positioned
into the channel 18. The adhesive tape 20 is positioned onto
the leg 12 when the hinge is flexed in an open position with
the legs 12 and 14 substantially transverse. The release
layer 32 is preferably of a polyester material covering the
adhesive foam tape. The adhesive foam tape is cut a~ a
desired width to be positioned onto the leg 12 of the strip
10, as seen in Figure 3. Also, the release layer 32 includes
a wrap-around heat bonded or pressure sensitive tab affixed to
one end of the adhesive tape polyester release liner.
When the edging strip 10 is to be positioned onto an
edge or flange, it is generally applied as follows. An
element such as a helmet 40 is provided having an edge 42 to
receive the edging strip 10, as seen in Figure l. The edging
strip lO is generally aligned with the edge 42 of the helmet
about the periphery of the edge to be provided with the edging
strip 10. The strip 10 is cut or sized to fit the edge 42 of
the helmet 40. The strip 10 is then placed onto the lip or
edge 42 of the helmet 40. The ~trip 10 may be moved or
shifted along its longitudinal axis to ensure proper
positioning of the strip 10 along the helmet edge 42. Once
the strip lQ is in proper position along the helmet edge 42,
with the release layer 32 against the exterior side surface 44
of the edge 42 and the interior surface lS of the leg 14
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adjacent the interior side surface 46 of the edge 42, the
release layer is removed from the adhesive member 20~
As the release layer 32 is removed from the strip 10,
the hinge 3~ enables the leg 12 to extend or deflect away from
the edge 42 a distance far enough away to enable the release
layer 32 to be removed from the adhesive member 20, as seen in
phantom in Figure 4. After the release layer 32 is removed
from the adhesive member 20, the leg 12 resiliently springs
back towards the edge 42 of the helmet 40 contacting the
adhesive member 20 with the side surface 44 of the edge 42.
force is then applied on the exterior surface of the leg 12 by
a roller or the like to adhesively secure the adhesive member
20 with the side surface 44 of the edge 42, as seen in Figure
4. Thus, the adhesive member 20 bonds with the lip side
surface 44 securing the strip 10 onto the edge 42 of the
helmet 40 coveri~g the helmet edge 42.
Alternatively, the edging strip 10 may be applied to a
helmet as follows. The strip 10 is cut or sized to fit the
edge 42 of the helmet 40. The release layer 32 is removed
from the adhesive member 20. The adhesive member 20 is then
applied to the exterior side surface 44~ of the edge 42. The
leg 14 is positioned away from the leg 12 via hinge 30 as the
adhesive member 20 is applied onto the exterior surface 44.
Once the adhesive member 20 is positioned on the exterior side
44 of the edge 42, a force is applied onto the exterior
surface of leg 12 by a roller or the like to adhesively secure
the adhesive member 20 with the side sur~ace 44 of the edge
42. The adhesive member 20 bonds on the outside surface 44
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securing the strip 10 onto the edge 42 of the helmet 40. The
leg 14 is then manipulated via flange 30 surh that the
interior surface 15 of the leg 14 is adjacent the interior
side surface 46 of the edge 42. After the leg 14 has been
bent around the edge 42 it is maintained in position like that
illustrated in Figures 1 and 4.
Moving to Figure 5, a second embodiment of the
invention is shown. The edging strip 100 of Figure 5 has an
overall "L" shape in cross-section. The "L" includes legs 112
and 114 defining a channel. Leg 112 is substantially the same
as leg 12 previously described. Leg 112 includes an adhesive
member 116 bonded onto its interior surface and has a tapered
free end 120 like end 24 previously described.
Leg 114 is substantially similar to web 16 including a
live hinge 122. The live hinge functions substantially the
same as described above. Also, during positioning onto an
edge 124, the method is conducted as described above in the
alternate embodiment except that leg 14 is not included and
would not be positioned on the interior surface of the edge
124.
Moviny to Figure 6, another embodiment of the invention
is shown. The edging strip 200 of Figure 6 has an overall "U"
shape in cross-section. The "U" includes legs 212 and 214
joined by web 216. The legs 212 and 214 and web 216 define a
channel 218 with their interior surfaces, as seen in Figure 6.
Also, a tail 219 may e~tend at the junction of the leg 214 and
web 216.
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The legs 212 and 214 are substantially identical and
are substantially the same as leg 12 previously described.
Legs 212 and 214 include adhesive members 220 and 222 bonded
onto their interior surfaces as well as having tapered free
ends 224 and 2Z6 like end 24 previously described. The
adhesive members 220 and 222 are substantially the same as
adhesive member 20 previously described.
The web 216 includes a pair of live hinges 230 and 232
like live hinge 30 previously discussed. ~he live hinges 230
and 232 function substantially the same as described above
enabling legs 212 and 214 to be moved away from the web 216.
The two hinges 230 and 232 enable legs 212 and 214 to be
positioned substantially coplanar with one another when both
legs are moved away from one another. The two hinges 230 and
232 would also enable an adhesive member to be positioned onto
the web and secured to the end of the tape.
The methods for positioning the edging strip 200 onto
an edge 240 are substantially similar to those previously
described. ExcPpt, during the application, when the second
leg 214 is positioned onto the interior of the edge 240, the
method for applying the adhesive member 222 would be utilized
like that described above for leg 12 and adhesive member 20.
That is in the first method, after the leg 212 has been
adhered to the lip 240 and a force applied to the leg 212 by a
roller or the like, the second release layer would be removed
from the second adhesive member 222 to be adhesively contacted
with the surface of the edge 240. Likewise, a force would
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then be applied to the leg 214 to adhesively secure adhesive
member 222 with the edge 240, as seen in Figure 6.
In the alternate method, after the leg 212 is
adhesively secured to the edge 240, the release layer would be
removed from the leg 214 and then the adhesive layer 222
applied to the other surface of the edge 240. A force would
then be applied onto the leg 214 to secure the leg 214 onto
the edge 240, as seen in Figure 6.
While the above detailed description provides a
preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be
understood that the present invention is susceptible to
modification, alteration and change without deviating from the
scope and fair meaning of the subjoined claims.
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