MASKING MEMBER

ELEMENT CACHE

English Abstract

2063448 9116996 PCTABS00008
An object of this invention is to easily fix a masking material
to a plate-like part of a certain member for temporally protecting
said part from surface treatment. For attaining the above
object, in a clip-like masking material of this invention having a
groove into which the plate-like part of said member is inserted,
outwardly opened tapered guide parts are extended from the open part
of said insertion groove so that said guide parts abut on said
plate-like part and adjust a position of the masking material even
when the open part of the masking material insertion groove
slightly deviates from a position opposite to said plate-like part.

Claims

WE CLAIM
1. A clip-type masking member wherein an inserting
groove is formed in a body characterized by a tapering
guide part opening towards the outside and extended from
said opening of said inserting groove.
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Description

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SPECIFICATION
A MASKING MEMPER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a masking member
which temporarily protects a panel part of an article
from a surface treatment.
For instance, an anti-corrosion treatment is
performed on the steel material of the floor of a car
and occasionally, the anti-corrosion film on said steel
material has received dama8e through the collision of
small flying stones or sand during and when the car is
moving. This is called the chipping phenomenon and to
prevent this phenomenon, a visco-elastic paint such as
polyvinyl-chloride sol, tar-urethane, and the like is
spray-coated on said steel material.
Nevertheless, said steel material of the floor of a
car has panel parts such as brackets to support other
parts and the like and it is necessary to prevent said
visco-elastic paint from sticking to said panel parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Hitherto, a method wherein a clip-type masking
member is put over said panel part has been provided to
prevent said visco-elastic paint from sticking to said
panel part (Tokkai Sho 62-289276).
In a continuous mass production process such as the
car-manufacturing process, it is preferable to use a
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robot when said masking member is put over one of said
panel parts. Recently, a method wherein said masking
member is sucked by a sucker equipped on a robot to
automatically put over said masking member onto said
panel has been provided (Japanese Patent Application SN.
1-170880).
Nevertheless, when said clip-type masking member is
automatically put over said panel part by said robot,
said masking member should be located correctly in
front of said panel part, and for this purpose, the
precise operation of said robot is required. Further,
when said masking member is put over said panel part by
a worker's hand, it may require much labor to fit said
masking member into the correct position and the working
efficiency may be inferior.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVE;~TIOI~
As a means to resolve said prior problem, the
present invention provides a clip-type masking member
(1) consisting of a body (2) having an inserting groove
(3) wherein a tapering guide part (5) is extended from
an opening (4) of said inserting groove (3).
When said masking member (1) of the present
invention is put over a panel par~ (7) by such as a
robot and the like, in a case where said masking member
(1) comes in from a deflecting position from the
correct position in front of said panel part (7), said
tapering guide part (5) extended fro~ an opening (4) of
said inserting groove (3) of said body (2) of said
masking member (1) may come into contact with the upper-
edge or lower-edge of said panel part (7) when said
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masking member (1) is put over said panel part (7) to
adjust the position of said masking member (1) to the
correct position, and then the inserting part (2) of
said masking member (1) may be put over said panel part
(7~ by said inserting groove (3) of said body (2).
Accordingly, in the present invention, even if said
masking member comes in from a deflecting position from
the position in front of said panel part before
inserting, said masking member can be certainly put
over said panel part and the precise operation of a
robot may not be necessary and the structure of said
robot can be simplified. Further, in a case where said
masking member is put over said panel part by a worker's
hand, the position of said masking member may be easily
adjusted and the working efficiency becomes higher.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figs, 1 to 4 each show an embodiment of the present
invention and,
Fig. 1 is a perspective view.
Fig. 2 is a side view before the putting over of the
masking member.
Fig. 3 is a side view when said masking member is being
put over.
Fig. 4 is a side view after the putting over of said
masking member.
Fig. 5 is a side view of another embodiment.
In the DRAWINGS,
(1), (l)A ....... masking member

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(2), (2)A ....... body
(3), (3)A ....... inserting groove
(4), (4)A ....... opening
(5), (5)A ....... guide part
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Describing the present invention by the embodiments
shown in Figs. 1 to 4, a body (2) of a masking member
(1) has an inserting groove (3) and a tapering guide
part (5) which opens towards the outside and is extended
from the opening (4) of said inserting groove (3). The
tapering shape of said guide part (5) is curved
convexly.
Sàid masking member (1) is sucked by a sucker (9)
of a robot to which a vacuum-ventilation pipe (8)
connects as shown in Fig. 2, and said openlng (4) of
said inserting groove (3) of said body (2) of said
masking member (1) is located in front of a panel part
(7) of an article (6), and in a case where said position
is a little deflected, said position of said masking
member (1) may be corrected to the direction shown by
arrow B in Fig. 3, by contacting said guide part (5) of
said masking member (1) with the upper-edge of said
panel part (7) when said masking member (1) is put over
said panel part (7) by said inserting groove (3) as
shown by the arrow A in Fig. 3.
In the end of the insertion process of said masking
member (1), said masking member (1) may be released
from said sucker (9) by allowing air pressure into said
sucker (9) through said vacuum-ventilation pipe (8).
Thus, said masking member (1) is put over said panel

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part (7) as shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 5 shows a masking member (1)A of another
embodiment of the present invention. A tapering shape
of a tapering guide part (5)A extended from an opening
~4~A of an inserting groove (3)A of a body (2)A of said
masking member (l)A is rectilineal.
A masking member of the present invention is made
of a plastic such as polystyrene, polyethylene,
polypropylene, polyvinyl-chloride, polyurethane,
melamine resin, urea resin, phenol resin and the like, a
reinforced plastic wherein an inorganic filler such as
calcium carbonate, talc, bentonite and the like is mixed
in said plastic, a foamed plastic of said plastic, a
synthetic rubber such as styrene-butadiene rubber, a
crylonitrile-butadiene rubber and the like, a natural
rubber, a molded fiber material wherein wood fiber,
synthetic fiber, natural fiber, inorganic fiber etc. is
bound by a binder to mold wood, paper, reclaimed paper,
corrugated card-board, metal, and a complex or a
laminate of two or more of said materials.
Further, to attach said masking member (1) of the
present invention, besides said sucker (9), a pinch-
type holder, a needle-type holder, and the like may be
used.

Representative Drawing