MASKING PROFILE FOR USE IN PAINTING CAR BODIES

CACHE POUR LA PEINTURE DE CARROSSERIE DE VOITURE

English Abstract

A masking profile for use in painting work in the
transitional area between motor vehicle windshields embedded
in profiles and the motor vehicle body provides a solution
with which the windshield profiles of motor vehicle
windshields can be masked in a simple manner for painting
work.
This is achieved in that the profile (5) is constructed
with two profile legs (51, 52) at an angle relative to one
another and with an adhesive coating (6) on at least one
profile surface
- with a shorter L-leg (52) for engaging behind the lip (2a)
of the profile (2) framing the vehicle windshield (3), which
lip (2a) contacts the body region (1) to be painted
- and with a longer L-leg (51) for gluing on the outer
surface of the windshield (3) and/or on body surfaces.

Claims

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The embodiments of the invention in which
exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as
follows:
1. A masking profile for use in painting a
transitional area between a motor vehicle windshield
embedded in a profile member and a motor vehicle body,
the masking profile comprising: two profile legs which
form a rigid element with an L-shaped cross section and
define an angle relative to one another, in a use
position; and an adhesive coating provided on at least
one of the profile legs, the profile legs including a
shorter leg that is engageable behind a lip of the
profile member holding the vehicle windshield, which lip
contacts a region of the vehicle body to be painted, the
profile legs further including a longer leg on which the
adhesive coating is provided so that the longer leg is
adhereable to at least one of an outer surface of the
windshield and a body surface of the vehicle, the longer
leg having regions that are removed to define bendable
sections of the longer leg that can bend in a plane
defined by the longer leg.
2. A masking profile according to claim 1,
wherein the shorter leg has a tapered end.
3. A masking profile according to claim 1,
wherein. the longer leg has a tapered end.
A masking profile according to claim 1
wherein the legs are each formed so as to taper from the
angle to a free end.

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5. A masking profile according to claim 1,
wherein both of the legs have a width, the width of the
longer leg being at leash 1.2 times the width of the
shorter leg.
6. A masking profile according to claim 5,
wherein the longer Leg is more than three times wider
than the shorter leg.
7. A masking profile according to claim 1.
wherein at least one of slots and notches are provided in
parts of the legs.

Description

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MASSING PROFILE FOR USE IN PAINTTNG CAR BODIES
The invention is directed to a masking profile for use
in enamelling or painting work in the transitional area
between motor vehicle windshields embedded in profiles and
the motor vehicle body.
When painting car bodies, areas which are not to be
painted, particulzrly sea:LincJ profi7.es, the transitional
profiles between the body and inserted panes of cllass and
the lice, must be masked off to protect them from the paint.
Painting templates or stencils are known, e.g. from US-2 954
752 or DE-85 .L3 902-U, to protect tires, for example when
painting the rims. A removable mask which protects a pane
of glass is shown in US-4 915 058 as a large-area element.
A mask for lettering which is not to be painted is known
from US-2 959 152. US-2 922 392 shows a flat protective
template for panes of glass embedded in rubber profiles
which is provided with a circumferential edge.
In modern vehicles, the front and rear windshields are
normally glued directly to the body in comparatively
inherently rigid profiles. Before carrying out the painting
work, the transitional regions between the body and
windshield sealing frames must be masked, which is costly
with conventional masking profiles, e.g. according to DE-27
46 502-A, and is sometimes not possible, since regions of
the windshield profile must be grasped from behind and
lifted from the surfaces of the body for painting.
The object of the present invention is therefore to
provide a solution by which the windshield profiles of motor
vehicle windshields can be masked in a simple manner for
painting work.
This object is met according to the invention with a
masking profile of the type mentioned above in that the
profile is constructed so as to be L-shaped in cross section
with two profile legs forming a comparatively rigid angle
relative to one another in the use position and with an
adhesive coating on at least~one profile surface

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- with a shorter profile leg for engaging behind the lip of
the profile framing the vehicle windshield, which lip
contacts the body region to be painted
- and with a longer profile leg for gluing on the outer
surface of the windshield and/or. body surfaces.
With the masking profile according to 'the invention it
is possible to eng age behind 'the sealing lips at the
windshield profiles and to lift them from the body surface
to be painted and fix them in the lifted position. The
occurring forces can be applied by means of the gluing via a
longer leg.
For general enamelling or painting work, partially
angled or bendable profiles are known, e.g. from US-4 398
495 or US-4 263 355. But 'these profiles are not suitable
for the area of use of the present invention. The small
folding or bending edge in the profile according to US-4 263
335 is not capable of absorbing the returning or restoring
forces occurring in motor vehicle windshield profiles. For
this purpose, a comparatively rigid angular construction
according to the invention is necessary in every case.
It is provided in a development according to the
present invention that regions of the profile leg serving
for gluing are removed, which has 'the advantage that the
profile can also be used for gluing around corners in spite
of its desired inherent rigidity. To enable a flat material
to go around curves, DE-A-27 26 205 shows slots and notches
in a partial region of the masking tape. Removal of areas
of the profile for arranging an angular profile in a curve
is not shown in this cited document.
To facilitate handling, it is provided according to the
invention that at least the profile leg used for engaging
behind the profile sealing lips is tapered at its end.
Further, the legs can also be tapered toward the free end
proceeding from the angle corner. In a masking profile for

CA 02109609 2000-07-05
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chrome lettering on vehicles according to US-A-2 959 152,
it is known to construct the free edges so as to be
pointed.
For optimal absorption of the occurring forces, the
invention provides that the leg which is coated with
adhesive is constructed ~o as to be at least 1.2 times
wider than the leg, particularly more than 3 times wider.
To further simplify handling, it can also be
provided according to the invention that it is formed
from individual short elements which are inherently rigid
at least in some areas to enable lateral insertion under
regions of the windshield profiles.
In practice, such elements can have a length of 20
cm, for example. They can be slid under the windshield
profiles laterally one after the other from the corner
areas and then form a tight circumferential masking
profile in the final masking area. The short elements
can be sold to the consumer in bundles so that handling
is at least as easy as if the profile were wound up on a
roll or as a strip as is known from the prior art.
In one aspect, the present invention provides
masking profile for use in painting work in a
transitional area between motor vehicle windshields
embedded in profiles and a motor vehicle body,
characterized in that the profile is constructed so as to
be L-shaped in cross-section with two profile legs
forming rigidly at an angle relative to one another in a
use position and with an adhesive coating on at.least one
profile surface, with a shorter profile leg for engaging
behind a lip of the profile framing the vehicle
windshield, which lip contacts a body region to be
painted, and with a longer profile leg for gluing on an
outer surface of the windshield and/or on body surfaces.

CA 02109609 2000-07-05
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In another aspect, the present invention provides a
masking profile for use in painting a transitional area
between a motor vehicle windshield embedded in a profile
member and a motor vehicle body, the masking profile
comprising: two profile legs which form a rigid element
with an L-shaped cross section and define an angle
relative to one another, in a use position; and an
adhesive coating provided on at least one of the profile
legs, the profile legs including a shorter leg that is
engageable behind a lip of the profile member holding the
vehicle windshield, which lip contacts a region of the
vehicle body to be painted, the profile legs further
including a longer leg on which the adhesive coating is
provided so that the longer leg is adhereable to at least
one of an outer surface of the windshield and a body
surface of the vehicle, the longer leg having regions
that are removed to define bendable sections of the
longer leg that can bend in a plane defined by the longer
leg.

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The invention is explained in more detail in the
following by way of example with reference to the drawing.
Fig. 1 shows a cross section through 'the transitional region
between a glued in windshield and the body, the masking
profile has not yet been inserted;
P'ig. 2 snows the same cross section with the masking profile
in the use position;
Fig. 3 shows a three--dimensional view of a masking profile
to be used particularly for corners;
Figs. ~ to 6 show different cross-sectional shapes of the
masking profile;
Fig. 7 shows a top view of one of the profile legs of the
masking profile with differently shaped recesses;
Fig. 8 shows a simplified three-dimensional top view of a
corner area of a masked windshield profile.
In order to paint a body region, designated by 1, which
is provided with a sealing frame 2 for a windshield 3 glued
with an adhesive profile 4, a masking profile according to
the invention, designated in general by 5, is inserted in
the direction of arrow 7 (Fig. 1) behind the lip 21 of the
sealing frame 2. In this instance, the masking profile 5 is
constructed so as to be L-shaped in cross section with a
profile leg 51 which is provided with an adhesive coating 6
on its inner side and a profile leg 52 whose front region 9
(Fig. 4) is tapered to form a tip.
The profile is slid in behind the lip 21 by this front
region 9 and is glued to the windshield profile 2 so as to

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be slightly offset laterally in such a way that the Zip 21
is lifted away from the panel slightly as is shown in Fig.
2. The paint can now be sprayed on by the spray head a
which is graphically suggested in Fig. 2. Due to the
masking profile 5, it is passible that paint mist reaches
the body region, designated by la, which is covered in the
use position by the l.ip 21 of the profile 2.
When the profile 5 is remaved after. the paintincJ work
has been completed, the lip 21 lies over 'the edge of paint
which has formed so that the resulting painting is always
clean and free of burrs.
Tn order to lift particularly the corners of the
sealing frame at the windshields from the body areas, an
especially advisable design for the invention consists in a
short profile 59 as shown in Fig. 3. This short profile 59
is constructed so as to be comparatively inherently rigid
and has a profile leg 52, as described above, far engaging
behind the sealing lip 21 at the profile frame 2 and two
profile tabs 51,x. which are formed by a larger inner cut out
portion as shown in Fig. 3 as well as in Fig. 8.
Accordingly, it is possible to guide the masking profile 59
around the corner of a sealing frame 2.
The masking profiles 5 are advisably constructed as
short pieces in such a way that they can be inserted
laterally behind the sealing lip 21 of the sealing frame 2,
which greatly simplifies the fitting of the masking profile
5. These short pieces are not shown in detail in the
drawings with the exception of Fig. 3.
Tn contrast to the L-profile shown in Fig. 4, which is
already in its final form when leaving the factory, Fig. 5
shows a profile 53 as a flat profile which, in the example
shown in the drawing, is already pre-bent slightly before
leaving the factory. This flat profile 53 with its two legs
54 and 55 has a stamped bend 11 in the region of what will
later be the angle corner which makes it possible to swivel

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the leg 55 relative to the leg 54 into the position shown in
dashes, which is indicated in Fig. 5 by an arrow 13,
The profile can also be designed in the manner shown in
Fig. 6, also to facilitate handling, as the case may be. In
FS.g. 6, 'the leg 57 provided with the adhesive coating 62 is
roughly twice as long as 'the leg 58 wi'thou't the adhesive
coating.
Fig. 6 also shows that the legs 57 and 5a can be
constructed so as to taper uniformly proceeding from the
angle corner. This is particularly advantageous for
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economizing on material and to facilitate the winding of
this material on rolls, as the case may be, in that, in
addition to the strip corner 12, the remaining areas of the
profile, particularly those coated with adhesive, are
constructed so as to be comparatively flexible.
Another way to cover slight bends and curves with 'the
profile 5 other than that described above consists in
introducing notches 12 or slots 13 in at least one leg as
shown in Fig. 7. These notches 12 and slots 13 can already
be provided in the factory. However, according to the
invention, another possibility consists in providing the
user with a tool uniquely adapted to this purpose so that
the user can insert the slots or notches directly during the
masking process at the locations where they are needed.
Naturally, the described embodiment examples of the
invention can be modified in many other ways without
departing from the basic idea. For example, the leg which
is not provided with an adhesive coating can also be
designed so as to face the other leg 51 at an acute angle
with respect to the inner angle corner 12. In extreme
cases, the legs 51 and 52 could lie flat against one another
in the transporting and packing position when packaged. The
user then bends them roughly into the L-shape. In this
case, the angle corner can be designed in the factory in
such a way, e.g. by corresponding material accumulation,

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that a determined desired angle, in extreme cases a right
angle, may not be exceeded.

Representative Drawing