Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WRAPPING AN OBJECT WITH A FILM USING A TAPE FOR CUTTING THE FILM
This invention relates to a method of wrapping an object such as a
vehicle with a film.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Popular customization of vehicles in some cases involves the
application of an adhesive film carrying printed graphics to the exterior
surface of the
vehicle. Such a film is readily available for example from 3M and is provided
in large
sheets carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive covered by a release layer
allowing
the sheet to be printed with the required graphics and applied to the vehicle.
One issue which remains a difficulty is that of cutting the film at
required locations so that the film terminates at the edge of a panel or at
any other
required location on the vehicle.
US patent no: 7,014,900 issued March 21, 2006 and other related
patents of Langeman provide an arrangement for cutting a polymer coating which
is
applied to a surface and cured. The arrangement provides a tape with a
filament
enveloped in a wrapped portion of the tape where the filament is pulled
through the
coating to effect a cutting action. However this is not suitable for film of
the above
type for a number of reasons and has never been used with film.
US patent no: 4,255,469 (Mcginness) issued March 10, 1981 to
Hughes Aircraft provides a tape with an attached filament which is used to
mask and
cut a moisture proof coating applied to circuit boards where certain parts of
the
board must be masked to remain clear of the coating. The tape is PTFE (Teflon)
or
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PET (Mylar) and the filament is nylon. This tape is used in very small
straight pieces
to cover edges of circuit boards and is not suitable for cutting film of the
above type
for a number of reasons.
US patent no: 2,005,665 (Saignier) issued June 18, 1935 provides a
paper tape with an enclosed filament which is attached to boxes and used as a
tear
strip for tearing open a tear line on the box. Again this tape is used in very
small
straight pieces and is not suitable for cutting film of the above type for a
number of
reasons.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the invention to provide a method of wrapping an
object such as a vehicle with a printed film which reduces the need for using
a knife
to cut the film when applied which can cause damage to the object.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method for
wrapping a surface of an object with a film carrying a pressure sensitive
adhesive on
one surface by which the film is to be attached to the object, the method
comprising:
providing a tape having a front surface, a rear surface, a first
longitudinal side edge and a second longitudinal side edge;
the tape having an adhesive on the rear surface for attachment to the
object, the adhesive having the characteristic that the tape can be pulled
from the
surface of the object without leaving an adhesive residue and without damaging
the
surface;
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the front surface of the tape being free from adhesive and having a
release characteristic relative to the pressure sensitive adhesive on the film
such
that the pressure sensitive adhesive on the film can be contacted onto the
front
surface of the tape and pulled away for repositioning;
the tape having at least one filament attached thereto;
applying a length of the tape to surface of the object so as to be
attached thereto by the adhesive thereon;
positioning the film onto the surface of the object and over the tape
such that the film is attached by the pressure sensitive adhesive to the
surface of the
object, with the release characteristic of the front surface of the tape
allowing re-
positioning of the film;
pulling the filament from the tape through that part of the film over the
tape so as to cut the film and to form a cut edge of the film;
removing the tape from the surface;
and attaching the cut edge to the object.
Preferably the tape is extensible so as to allow bending to at least one
side by extension along the opposite side.
Preferably the filament is spaced from both side edges to allow
bending in both directions. However the filament can be located at or adjacent
one
edge and other techniques used to effect bending away from the edge with the
filament.
Preferably the filament is less extendible than the tape.
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Preferably the filament is carried in or on the adhesive on the rear
surface. In this case, the adhesive is arranged to hold the filament in place
on the
tape during bending of the tape while the tape is applied to the surface and
while the
filament is being pulled to effect the cutting of the film. In this case, the
filament
when carried on the adhesive has a coating material compatible with the
adhesive
for generating an improved adhesion between the filament and the adhesive.
In an alternative arrangement, the adhesive is applied onto the
substrate over the filament to hold the filament against the surface of the
substrate.
Preferably the filament is spaced from the first and second side edges
and the tape has a width arranged such that the filament tears through the
tape
along the length of the tape, when pulled to cut the film, rather than pulling
from one
side edge of the tape. In this case the tearing of the tape leaves a portion
of the
tape along the first side edge underneath the edge of the film which is
removed after
the film is cut and the edge laid flat on the surface. In this case,
preferably the tape
is colored to visually distinguish the portion of the tape from the film.
In some cases a primer is applied to the surface at least underneath
the tape for increased attachment of the edge of the film to the surface and
the
adhesive of the tape preferably has the characteristic that the tape can be
pulled
from the primer on the surface of the object without leaving a residue of the
adhesive
and without damaging the primer surface.
Preferably the tape is formed of a plastics material allowing stretch of
the tape greater than that of the filament. Preferably the tape is formed of a
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Copolymer plastic film. Preferably the pressure sensitive adhesive on the tape
is
rubber based as this can provide the required properties of adhesion and
subsequent removal of the tape.
Preferably the tape carries a release coating on the front surface or
5 has base material properties having release characteristics relative to the
pressure
sensitive adhesive on the film such that the pressure sensitive adhesive on
the film
can be contacted onto the front surface of the tape and pulled away for
repositioning
without dislodging the tape from the object.
In accordance with another feature the tape may comprise a laminate
of a first substrate carrying the adhesive on a rear surface thereof and a
second
substrate carrying a release coating on a front surface thereof with the
filament
located between the first and second substrates.
In many cases the object includes a hinged panel which can move
from a closed position in which an edge of the panel abuts an adjacent edge
portion
of the object and the method includes:
applying a single length of the tape to the panel along an edge of the
panel so that the tape bridges between the edge of the panel and the adjacent
edge
portion of the object so as to be attached to both;
applying the film over the panel and the object at the edge of the panel
so as to wrap the object and apply the pattern to the object with the film
being
attached to the panel and the object by the adhesive;
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pulling said at least one filament of the single length of tape from the
tape so as to cut the film along a line to form two cut edges of the film;
removing any remaining portions of the tape from the edge of the panel
and from the edge portion of the object;
and attaching the cut edges of the film to the object.
Preferably in this case the tape is located such that the filament is
positioned between the edge of the panel and the edge portion of the object.
Preferably in this case the tape is located such that the filament is
spaced from the edge of panel and the cut edge of the film on the panel is
wrapped
around the edge of the panel and attached to a back surface of the panel.
Preferably in this case there is provided a visibly distinct colored stripe
along the tape identifying the position of the filament so as to assist in
locating the
filament at a position between the edge of the panel and the edge portion of
the
object.
Preferably in this case there is provided a visibly distinct colored stripe
along a center line of the tape.
Said at least one filament can comprise a single filament located
between the two edges. This arrangement cuts between the edges or adjacent one
of the edges but in all cases will leave at least one and generally two edge
strips of
the sheet to be wrapped around the edges of the vehicle body.
As an alternative the tape can use two side by side parallel filaments.
in this arrangement a first one of the filaments is located at or adjacent an
edge of
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the panel and a second one of the filaments is located at or adjacent the
adjacent
edge portion of the object. This acts to reduce or eliminate a portion of the
sheet
which is left hanging beyond the edge of the panel or body.
Preferably the object includes a surface to be wrapped with an area
within the surface on which the object is not to be wrapped and the method
includes:
applying a length of the tape to the surface so as to surround the area
with ends of the length substantially butting;
applying the film over the surface including the area so as to wrap the
object and apply the pattern to the object with the film being attached to the
surface
and the object by the adhesive;
pulling the filament of the length of tape from the tape so as to cut the
film around the area;
removing a remaining portion of the length of the tape from the
surface;
and removing a portion of the film over the area.
The method can include printing onto a second opposed surface of the
film a pattern to be wrapped onto the object so as to apply the pattern around
a part
of the object and over the panel.
The method can be used to apply various types of film such as vinyl to
vehicles. This can include large sheets or panels which are used to wrap or
can
include stripe packages that also require cutting. Some vehicles have
reflective vinyl
striping down both sides, so the stripe must be cut around the wheel wells,
door
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handles and the like. Pinstripes on cars, trucks etc, also require cutting and
again
this application would alleviate the use of a knife. All applications can be
done using
various types of vinyl, perhaps printed or unprinted.
The tape may include a substrate with the adhesive applied to one
surface of the substrate, or the tape may comprise simply an adhesive material
with
the filament attached thereto or embedded therein.
The filament can be formed of any suitable material which has
sufficient strength to carry out the cutting action when pulled without
breaking and a
sufficient cutting action to effect cutting and not tearing the film. Metal
wire is
typically suitable. Other materials such as carbon fiber or Kevlar fiber can
be used.
UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) synthetic fiber is
preferred.
For trimming abrupt edges of the adhesive coated film preferably the
tape has a width less than 0.25 inches so that the bare piece or strip at the
edge of
the panel and at the edge of the adjacent portion is as narrow as possible.
For
trimming between hinged panels so as to form a bridge across the gap between
the
panel and adjacent surface preferably the tape has a width of 0.5 inches,
The absence of adhesive on the front surface of the tape can be used
to allow the film position to be adjusted on the panel and on the object so
that it is
properly placed and located without creases or folds or bubbles while aligning
printed images from different sheets as required. Thus the pressure sensitive
adhesive on the film itself is used to attach the film to all locations and
the release
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coating is of a character that the film can be pulled back and re-located when
required without dislodging the tape from the object.
Films of this type are available with a release layer from suppliers such
as 3M and can be printed with the pattern at the place of application using
designs
supplied by a customer.
The object is typically a vehicle or boat or other transportation device
including automobiles, vans, buses and the like. In this case the panel is
typically a
door or trunk lid.
The area to be left uncovered can be any area of a surface of the
object such as a door handle, gas filler cap or the like. In this case the
whole
surface of the vehicle or other object is to be covered but includes such
areas which
cannot be covered without interfering with the operation.
However other objects can be covered where the problem of doors or
other panels and the problem of areas to be left uncovered is to be resolved
using
the above invention. The film typically wraps around at least a side of the
vehicle
where the hinged panel is a door and around a rear of the vehicle where a
second
hinged panel is provided and covered using the invention.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a tape
comprising:
a tape body having a front surface, a rear surface, a first longitudinal
side edge and a second longitudinal side edge;
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the tape body having an adhesive on the rear surface for attachment to
the object, the adhesive having the characteristic that the tape can be pulled
from
the surface of the object without leaving an adhesive residue and without
damaging
the surface;
5 the front surface of the tape being free from adhesive and having a
release characteristic relative to pressure sensitive adhesive on a film such
that the
film's pressure sensitive adhesive can be contacted onto the front surface of
the
tape and pulled away for repositioning of the film without dislodging the tape
from
the object;
10 the tape having a filament attached thereto such that the filament can
be pulled from the tape though that part of the film over the tape so as to
cut the film
and to form a cut edge of the film.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a tape as
defined above in combination with the film for which it is designed to be
used.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figures 1 to 4 show cross sectional views through four embodiments of
tape for use in the present invention.
Figure 5 is a cross sectional view through a surface of an object
showing the tape and film applied during a first step in the method.
Figure 6 is a cross sectional view through the surface and the tape and
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film with the filament of the tape pulled to effect cutting of the film.
Figure 7 is a cross sectional view through the surface and the film with
the film cut and the last portion of tape being removed.
Figure 8 is a cross sectional view through the object at a junction
between a panel such as a door of the vehicle and the adjacent surface of the
vehicle showing the tape and film applied for the method.
Figure 8A is a cross sectional view through the object at a junction
between a panel such as a door of the vehicle and the adjacent surface of the
vehicle showing an alternative arrangement of the tape and film applied for a
modification of the method with the tape carrying a single filament to cut
between the
edges.
Figure 8B is a cross sectional view of the same components as Figure
8A after the filament has been used to cut the film and after the tape
portions have
been removed.
Figure 8C is a cross sectional view, similar to that of Figure 8A,
through the object at a junction between a panel such as a door of the vehicle
and
the adjacent surface of the vehicle showing a further alternative arrangement
of the
tape and film applied for a modification of the method with the tape carrying
a two
parallel side by side filaments to cut at or adjacent the edges.
Figure 9 is a front elevational view of a surface of the vehicle showing
an area not to be covered by the film.
Figure 10 is a cross sectional view along the lines 10-10 of Figure 9.
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Figures 11, 12 and 13 show various views of a vehicle to be wrapped
with a printed film showing door and other panels to be opened and showing
areas
not to be covered by the film.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In Figure 11 is shown a vehicle 10 such as a panel van, including a
side panel 11 including a door 13 and a rear panel 12 including hinged panel
14 in
the form of a pair of rear doors 14A and 14B.
It is intended that a film 15 should be wrapped around the vehicles to
cover the sides 11 and the rear 12. The film can be supplied as a single sheet
but
typically will be formed in smaller sheets which are butted edge to edge or
slightly
overlapping to cover as much of the vehicle as is required. Each sheet or the
whole
sheet is printed with a custom selected pattern to be applied to the vehicle,
such as
a company logo or the like as required by the vehicle user.
The vehicle includes a number of hinged panels such as doors, trunk
lid and hood which can move from a closed position in which an edge 16 of the
panel abuts an adjacent edge portion 17 of the vehicle.
The film 15 typically of vinyl is printed with pattern 20 on the front
surface and carries an adhesive 19 on the rear surface. The front surface with
pattern is typically covered, using a lamination process, by a clear
protective vinyl
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film. The pattern is arranged to be wrapped onto the vehicle so as to apply
the
pattern around a part of the vehicle and over the panel.
Such films are available from 3M and are widely used for this purpose.
It is supplied with a release layer (not shown) which can be peeled away to
expose
the pressure sensitive adhesive for attachment to the vehicle.
Typically as the sheet is supplied in flat form and the vehicle surface is
extensively contoured, it is necessary to pull and stretch the film to fit the
surface.
This typically includes, in extreme locations, the application of heat from a
heat gun
to the sheet 18 and generally includes the repeated steps of pulling the
sheet,
applying it temporarily over the surface, removing the sheet for further
pulling and
reapplying the sheet until it is applied in a contour fit condition against
the vehicle
with no bubbles.
In order to effect cutting of the film at the edges 16 and 17 there is
provided a tape 30 shown in Figures 1 to 4 having a front surface 31, a rear
surface
32, a first longitudinal side edge 33 and a second longitudinal side edge 34.
The
tape has an adhesive layer 35 on the rear surface 32 for attachment to the
vehicle.
The tape 30 is free from adhesive on the front surface 31 which instead has a
release characteristic allowing it to release from or to repel adhesive such
as the
adhesive 19 on the sheet 15. This release characteristic is typically provided
by an
actual coating 31A but can be provided by the characteristics of the substrate
itself
or by a co-extruded layer on the substrate. The release coating is not
intended to be
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removed and is not therefore a removable peel away sheet. The tape 30 carries
a
filament 36.
The filament can be located along one longitudinal side edge 33 or 34
but preferably is located along a line part way or mid way across the tape
spaced
from both the first and second longitudinal side edges 33, 34.
In Figure 1, the filament is simply applied onto the adhesive layer 35
and is attached thereto. Thus the filament can be simply attached to a pre-
exiting
tape. Typically the thickness of the tape base or substrate and the adhesive
is of the
order of 0.002 to 0.005 inches and the diameter of the filament is of the
order of
0.0025 to 0.010 inches so that the filament stands up from the adhesive and is
not
buried or implanted in the adhesive material. However the selection of the
adhesive
and the filament is such that it remains attached during the step of the
method up to
the pulling of the tape to cut the film.
In Figure 2, the adhesive is applied after the filament is laid on the tape
substrate and thus covers over the filament providing an enhanced attachment
where required.
In Figure 3, the filament carries a pre-applied adhesive or primer
material 36A which co-operates with the adhesive 35 providing an enhanced
attachment where required.
In Figure 4 and alternative construction is provided which includes two
substrate layers 34A and 34B laminated together by a laminating adhesive 34C
with
the filament 36 captured between the layers 34A and 34B and thus held in
place.
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The layer 34A carries on its rear surface the adhesive 35 and the layer 34B
carries
on its front surface the release coat 31A. The laminating adhesive 34C has to
be
such that it allows the filament to release from it. The filament could be
treated to
prevent becoming fixed to the adhesive if say the laminating adhesive was the
cross
5 linkable type. This is not an issue if pressure sensitive adhesive is used
for the
laminating adhesive.
The tape has a width in the range 0.060 to 0.500 inches and is
preferably less than 0.25 inches.
The tape is extensible to a degree so as to allow bending to at least
10 one side by extension along the opposite side. Thus the tape can bend to
each side
through any angle to take up a minimum inside radius of curvature of the order
of
0.157 inches. This allows it to be bent or wrapped around elements on the
vehicle
such as door handles and other items previously described while the tape
remains
flat against the vehicle surface and attached to the vehicle surface by its
layer of
15 adhesive.
As shown the filament is spaced from both side edges to allow bending
in both directions. As the filament is located in the middle as shown, the
tape is
symmetrical and will bend equally in each direction. However the filament can
be
offset to one side or can be at one edge. In this case the tape can be
arranged so
that it is applied easily with curvature only in one direction with the
filament always
on the inside of the curve. With this same configuration, a reverse curve,
with the
filament on the outside of the curve, can be done by making partial cuts at
spaced
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16
positions at right angles to its length along the inside edge to allow the
edge to be
compressed to form the inside curve. Typically the filament is less extendible
than
the tape since longitudinal extension of the filament in the longitudinal
direction is
undesirable during the pulling action.
The adhesive thus acts to hold the filament in place on the tape during
bending of the tape while the tape is applied to the surface and while the
filament is
being pulled to effect the cutting of the film.
The tape is formed of a plastics or filmic material allowing stretch of the
tape greater than that of the filament and preferably the tape is formed of a
PVC
which has been found to provide the best characteristics of strength, co-
operation
with film adhesive, elongation and clean cutting of the film.
The filament is preferably formed of Dyneema which is a synthetic
fiber based on ultra high molecular weight polyethylene and has been found to
provide the best characteristics of strength, resistance to elongation and
flexibility.
However other plastics materials such as monoaxially oriented polypropylene or
natural fibers can be used including metal wire.
In use as shown in Figure 8, a first length 30A of the tape is applied
and adhesively attached to the panel such that the second longitudinal side
edge 34
is applied substantially along the edge 16 of the panel and the first
longitudinal side
edge 33 is spaced from the edge 16 of the panel. The filament 36 located mid-
way
between the edges is also therefore located at a position spaced from the edge
16 of
the panel.
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A second length 30B of the tape is applied and adhesively attached to
the panel at the edge 17 such that the second longitudinal side edge 34 is
applied
substantially along the edge 17 of the panel and the first longitudinal side
edge 33 is
spaced from the edge 17 of the panel. Again the filament 36 is located spaced
from
the edge 36.
The film 15 is attached by the adhesive 19 over the panel and the
vehicle at the edge of the panel so as to wrap the vehicle and apply the
pattern 20 to
the vehicle with the film being attached to the vehicle by the adhesive 19.
The cutting of the film cannot be carried out in advance of the
application since the film stretches and moves as it is applied in order to
take up the
contours of the vehicle. In many cases it is necessary to apply the film over
certain
areas and remove it from that area a number of times in order to take up the
required position and shape. In some cases it is necessary to apply heat to
the film
in order to achieve the necessary stretch to match a particularly difficult
contour of
the vehicle. Thus in effect the film is tailored to the vehicle shape as it is
applied
making pre-cutting of edges impossible. The whole intention is to apply the
film in
as large a sheet as possible so that it is in most cases not suitable to cut
up the
sheet into small pieces for individual application.
The attachment is completed using the skill of the user to properly
apply the film without creases and kinks, where necessary pulling the film
back from
the vehicle surface and the tape to adjust. When attachment is complete, the
filament 36 of the first length from the tape is pulled at P1 (Figures 5 and
6) so as to
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cut the film at the first length of tape 30A. The filament 36 of the second
length from
the tape is pulled so as to cut the film at the second length 30B.
The filament 36 is spaced from the first and second side edges 33, 34
and the tape has a width arranged such that the filament tears through the
tape 30
along the length of the tape, when pulled to cut the film, rather than pulling
from one
side edge 33, 34 of the tape. This is shown in Figures 5 and 6 where the
filament 36
is pulled out through a tear 30R in the center of the tape 30. This acts to
cut the film
at the location directly over the tear in the tape as indicated at 18R.
The tearing of the tape leaves a portion 30P of the tape along the first
side edge underneath the edge of the film. The tearing of the tape leaves a
portion
30Q of the tape along the first side edge underneath the portion 18P of the
film
which is intended to be removed from the cut edge of the film.
The portion 18P of the film and the portion 30Q of the tape are simply
removed as they are freely exposed beyond the cut edge 18R. The portion 30P of
the tape is removed as indicated at 68 after the film is cut by lifting the
edge of the
film as indicated at 69 and by carefully pulling the portion away from the cut
edge
generally parallel to the surface of the vehicle. After the portion 30P is
removed, the
edge portion of the film at the cut edge 18R is laid flat on the surface of
the vehicle.
In order to assist in identifying and locating the portion 30P of the tape to
ensure that
it is all removed, the tape is preferably brightly colored to visually
distinguish the
portion of the tape from the film.
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In some cases to assist in attaching the edge of the film to the surface,
a band of primer 70 is applied to the surface at least underneath the tape for
increased attachment of the edge of the film to the surface. The adhesive of
the
tape has the characteristic that the tape can be pulled from the primer 70 on
the
surface of the object without leaving a residue of the adhesive and without
damaging
the surface. It will be appreciated that the primer is designed to ensure an
increase
in adhesive effect with the adhesive 19 of the film and hence the adhesive 35
of the
tape must be arranged such that it does not adhere more effectively to the
primer in
a manner which would prevent simple removal of the tape portions or would lead
to
adhesive residue being left on the vehicle surface at the primer.
The release coating 31 on the front surface of the tape 30 has a
release characteristic relative to the pressure sensitive adhesive 19 on the
film such
that the pressure sensitive adhesive on the film can be contacted onto the
front
surface of the tape and pulled away for repositioning.
As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the vehicle also includes a series of
areas which are to be uncovered when the film is applied since the presence of
the
film would interfere with the operation of the underlying components. This
includes
door handles 41 and 42, gas filler cap 43 and light housings 44 and number
plates
45. In Figures 9 and 10, the technique for exposing these elements is shown
where
a length 51 of the tape 30 is applied to the surface 52 so as to surround the
area 53
with one longitudinal side edge of the length of the tape facing inwardly
toward the
area 53 and with the second longitudinal side edge 33 facing outwardly away
from
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the area with the filament 35 of the length of the tape between those side
edges as
described hereinbefore and with ends 54 and 55 of the length coming together.
Generally the ends are not butted together, but instead, for example where the
area
53 is a gas cover, the ends are overlapped so that there is enough filament
available
5 to start a cut by pulling on that filament. Alternatively for example where
the area 53
is an indented door handle, the ends can cross over into the area 53 and a cut
line
can be started by cutting with a knife into an indentation of door handle to
find one of
those ends.
Again the film is applied over the surface 52 including the area 53 so
10 as to wrap the vehicle and apply the pattern to the vehicle with the film
being
attached to the surface and the vehicle by the adhesive.
Again the filament 36 of the length 51 is pulled at P6 from the tape so
as to cut the film around the area 53. The remaining portions of the length 51
of the
tape are removed from the surface taking with it the remaining portion of the
film 53A
15 over the area. The release coating also facilitates the smooth release the
tape .
portion during this step. The tape substrate has to be of such strength that
it does
not break during removal. The edge of the film around the area is flattened
down
onto the surface after the portion of tape underneath the edge is removed.
The release characteristic of the front side of the tape is critical to the
20 application. Not enough release and the wrap film adhesive will stick to
the tape and
pull the tape off the automobile during repositioning of the wrap film during
normal
fitting of the wrap film to the automobile.
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The release characteristic can be provided by the character of the tape
itself in which the base. material can be such (Teflon for example) which has
low
adhesion with the wrap film adhesive. The surface of the base tape film can
also be
embossed with a pattern that limits the contact area of the film's adhesive
thus
providing good release. Alternatively a release coating (silicone etc.) can be
added
to the front surface of the tape to do the same thing. Most tapes are coated
on the
front surface so that you can pull the tape off the roll, Electrical tape is
unsuitable in
that it has little or no release coating because it has to stick to itself
when wrapped
around a wire.
Plastic film based tape works better then paper based tape to produce
a clean cut (like a razor) through the wrap film. Paper based tapes produce
jagged
cuts noticeable to the eye and touch.
Turning now to Figures 8A and 8B, there is shown an alternative to the
method of Figure 8 which discloses the use of two tapes at a junction in the
object
between a hinged panel which can move from a closed position in which an edge
of
the panel abuts an adjacent edge portion of the object.
Thus in Figure 8A is shown a cross sectional view through the object at
a junction between a panel such as a door of the vehicle and the adjacent
surface of
the vehicle where there is provided an edge 16 of the panel and an adjacent
edge
17 of the object or vehicle. In Figure 8A a single tape 30S is used having the
construction shown in Figure 3 so that it includes a filament 36.
Figure 8B shows the same components as those in Figure 8A after the
CA 02700471 2010-12-17
22
filament 36 has been used to cut the film 15 and after the remanent tape
portions
have been removed.
In Figure 8A, the method includes the steps of applying a single length
30S of the tape to the object at the edge of the panel along the edge 16 of
the panel
so that the tape 30S bridges between the edge 16 of the panel and the adjacent
edge portion 17 of the object so as to be attached to both.
For this purpose the tape is typically wider than the tape used in other
areas of the object or vehicle so that the tape may be 0.5 inch or even 1.0
inch in
width. The tapes therefore may be supplied in a kit of tapes to be used on the
vehicle including a sufficient length of the narrower tape for use in places
other then
the bridging location and a sufficient length of the bridging tape.
The tape is thus securely adhesively attached to the edge 16 and the
edge 17 with a single filament 36 located in the space between.
As described previously, the film 15 is applied over the panel and the
object at the edge of the panel so as to wrap the object and apply the pattern
to the
object with the film being attached to the panel and the object by the
adhesive. The
tape and the film and the application thereof can use the constructions and
arrangements described previously which will not be repeated here.
The filament of the single length of tape is pulled from the tape so as to
cut the film along a line to form two cut edges of the film.
The remaining portions of the tape are pulled from the edge 16 of the
panel and from the edge portion 17 of the object. In the arrangement as shown
the
CA 02700471 2010-12-17
23
tape is split into two portions by the pulling of the filament one of which
remains on
each side. However this may not be so if other constructions of tape are used.
At the end of the process as shown in Figure 8B, the cut edges 15X
and 15Y of the film are attached to the object.
As shown in Figure 8A, the tape is located such that the single filament
is positioned between the edge of the panel and the edge portion of the object
and
spaced from both. This is the preferred arrangement but it will be appreciated
that
there is little necessity for directly accurate positioning of the filament
between the
edges so that the filament may wander to one side or the other during the
manual
application depending on the skill of the user.
To assist the positioning of the tape there is provided a visibly distinct
colored stripe 60 along the exposed surface of the tape identifying the
position of the
filament so as to assist in locating the filament at a position between the
edge of the
panel and the edge portion of the object. That is the visibly distinct stripe
which may
be colored is arranged in this embodiment along a center line of the tape.
With the filament located between the edge 16 and 17, the tape is
located such that the filament is spaced from the edge 16 of panel and from
the
edge 17 so that when the filament is pulled this leaves an edge portion 15X
and 15Y
of the film at the edges 16 and 17 respectively. If the filament is closer to
one or the
other the width of the cut edge portion on that edge is smaller. However in
cases
where a cut edge portion remains, this cut edge is wrapped around the edge and
adhered to the surface. The wrapping may be sufficient to entirely envelope
the
CA 02700471 2010-12-17
24
edge and engage the rear surface depending on the size of the gap and the
location
of the filament. This can be helpful to protect the edge 16 of the panel
particularly
and to properly locate the cut edge 15X of the film around the edge of the
panel to
be attached to a back surface of the panel where it is better protected and
less
visible.
The above arrangement therefore allows users to wrap the film
material right to the edge of the door or other panel. The width of the tape
is
increased so that the tape width can bridge the gap between a door, a hood
etc.
The film wrap is trimmed as before using the filament but this time Y2 the gap
width
worth of the film material is left after the trim, assuming the accurate
location of the
filament between the two edges. The excess material is folded around the edge
of
the door, in this example, thus providing wrap material right to the edge.
Another
option is to align the printed line, that is the filament, with the edge of
the door and
trim the wrap film accurately to that edge with no wrap around piece. The
excess
piece is therefore on the edge 17 and can be laid flat or partly wrapped as
required.
As shown in the modification of Figure 8C the tape carries two parallel
side by side filaments 36X and 36Y to cut at or adjacent the edges 16 and 17.
The
single filament of Figure 8A is located between the two edges. This
arrangement
cuts between the edges or adjacent one of the edges but in all cases will
leave at
least one and generally two edge strips of the sheet to be wrapped around the
edges of the vehicle body.
CA 02700471 2010-12-17
In the alternative of Figure 8C the tape uses two side by side parallel
filaments. In this arrangement a first one of the filaments 36X is located at
or
adjacent an edge 16 of the panel and a second one of the filaments 36Y is
located
at or adjacent the adjacent edge portion of the object. This acts to reduce or
5 eliminate a portion of the sheet which is left hanging beyond the edge of
the panel or
body.
The spacing between the filaments is selected so that it is very close to
the typical gap width in automobile manufacture. This would typically be of
the order
of 0.5 inch. Each filament carries out a separate cut with the center portion
between
10 the filaments remaining attached to one or both as both are pulled. Each
filament is
associated with a respective colored strip 60 so as to assist in the user
guiding the
tape into the required location.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein
above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made
15 within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such
spirit and
scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying
specification shall
be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
