Masking member

Abstract

 The present invention provides a masking member (2A) attached to an article (1), said article (1) having an aperture or indentation (11) formed in a surface thereof, at least part of said masking member (2A) forming an insertion portion (21A), wherein said insertion portion (21A) is inserted into said aperture or indentation (11), characterised by said insertion portion (21A) having a first portion (29A) positioned substantially flush with at least part (1A) of said surface around said aperture or indentation (11) and having a second portion (22A) extending further into said aperture or indentation (11) away from that part of said first portion (29A) which is flush with said at least part (1A).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a masking member for protecting a part of a surface of an article, for example, from a surface treatments such as application of a coating and the like.

[0002] More particularly, the present invention relates to a masking member for attachment to a part to be masked which has an aperture or an indentation into which an insertion portion of the masking member is insertable.

[0003] When a surface treatment is effected on the surface of an article, and if said surface of said article has a part or parts on which said surface treatment is not to be effected, said part or parts of said surface of said article may be fitted and protected with a masking member.

[0004] Hitherto, for example, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a masking member 2 has been used to protect a bumper 1 from a coating material during the process of coating a car. In this case, said masking member 2 is attached to said bumper 1 by fitting the insertion portion 21 of said masking member in the air intakes 11 and a bent over part 22 on the lower edge of said insertion portion 21 is fixed to the lower edge of said intakes 11 of said bumper 1 by means of an adhesive tape 3.

[0005] Nevertheless, said bent-over part 22 on the lower edge of said insertion portion 21 tends to work away, bend upwards and thereby to become lifted from said lower edge of said air intakes 11 of said bumper 1 and thus attaching said adhesive tape is difficult, and work fitting said insertion portion 21 of said masking member 2 into said air-intakes 11 of said bumper 1 is troublesome.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a masking member for attachment to an article which has an aperture or an indentation formed in a surface thereof, part at least of said masking member forming an insertion portion for insertion into the aperture or indentation, characterised by said insertion portion having a first portion for, in use, positioning substantially flush with at least part of the surface around the aperture or indentation and having a second portion arranged to extend, in use, further into the aperture or indentation away from that part of said first portion which is flush with the at least part.

[0007] According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a masking member attached to an article, said article having an aperture or indentation formed in a surface thereof, at least part of said masking member forming an insertion portion, wherein said insertion portion is inserted into said aperture or indentation, characterised by said insertion portion having a first portion positioned substantially flush with at least part of said surface around said aperture or indentation and having a second portion extending further into said aperture or indentation away from that part of said first portion which is flush with said at least part.

[0008] According to a yet further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of masking an article which has an aperture or indentation formed in a surface thereof, by attaching a masking member to said article, said method comprising inserting into said aperture or indention an insertion portion formed by at least part of said masking member, characterised by of said insertion portion positioning a first portion said insertion portion substantially flush with at least part of said surface around said aperture or indentation when said insertion portion has been inserted and a second portion extending further into the aperture or indentation away from that part of said first portion which is flush with said at least part.

[0009] In order that the invention may be more readily understood the following description is given, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of masking member in accordance with the present invention before being attached to the bumper of a car.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view showing how the masking member of Fig. 1 is attached to the bumper.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a prior art masking member before being attached to the bumper of a car.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view showing how the prior art masking member of Fig. 3 is attached to the bumper.

[0010] Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, a masking member 2A is used to protect a bumper 1, and there is formed in said masking member 2A an insertion portion 21A that is fitted in an air-intake 11 of said bumper 1, a first portion 29A of said insertion portion which 21A is flush with the surface 1A of the bumper 1 around the air-intake 11, a second portion 22A of said insertion portion which extends away from the first portion 29A into the air-intake 11, a third portion 28A also extending away from the second portion 29A into the air-intake 11, horizontal ribs 23A, 24A and vertical ribs 25A, 26A for reinforcement.

[0011] When the masking member 2A is attached to the bumper 1 with the insertion portion 21A inserted into the air-intakes 11 of said bumper 1, since said insertion portion 21A of said masking member 2A is reinforced by the structure of the first portion 29A, the second portion 22A and the third portion 28A and prevented from changing in shape, fitting is easily achieved. In addition, since the surface of said first portion 29A is flush with the lower edge of said air-intake 11 of said bumper 1 in this state, as shown in Fig. 2, it can be easily fixed there by the adhesive tape 3. The second portion 22A may be in contact with the inner surface of the hole. Additionally it may be resiliently flexible, and thereby held in contact with the inner surface of the hole. The masking member 2A may be formed from a sheet and/or the material of the masking member may be foamed.

[0012] The material of the masking member 2A, may be thermoplastic resin such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylidene chloride copolymer, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and the like; a thermosetting resin such as polyurethane, melamine resin, urea resin, phenol resin, epoxy resin and the like; synthetic and natural rubbers such as styrene-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene rubber, acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber and the like; synthetic fibers such as polyamide fiber, polyester fiber, acrylic fiber, acetate fiber, wood fibers, natural fibers and inorganic fibers, nonwoven or woven fabric of such fibers, paper, cardboard, wood, plywood or hard board impregnated with a binder such as polyurethane, melamine resin, urea resin or phenol resin; a metal; or the member may be a molding comprising a lamination of two or more such materials.

[0013] The masking member of the present invention may further contain one, or a combination of two or more, fillers, which may be inorganic, such as calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, barium sulfate, calcium sulfate, calcium sulfite, calcium phosphate, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, aluminium hydroxide, magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, alumina, silica, diatom earth, dolomite, gypsum, talc, clay asbestos, mica, glass fiber, calcium silicate, bentonite, white carbon, carbon black, iron powders, aluminium powders, chamotte, blast furnace slag and fly ash and the like, fillers such as wood meals, coconut powders, walnut powders, starches, powdered cotton fibers, wheat flours and the like, colouring agents such as dyes, pigments and the like, and plasticizers such as DOP, DBP and the like.

Claims

1. A masking member (2A) for attachment to an article (1) which has an aperture or an indentation (11) formed in a surface thereof, part at least of said masking member (2A) forming an insertion portion (21A) for insertion into the aperture or indentation (11), characterised by said insertion portion (21A) having a first portion (29A) for, in use, positioning substantially flush with at least part (1A) of the surface around the aperture or indentation (11) and having a second portion (22A) arranged to extend, in use, further into the aperture or indentation (11) away from that part of said first portion (29A) which is flush with the at least part (1A).

2. A masking member (2A) attached to an article (1), said article (1) having an aperture or indentation (11) formed in a surface thereof, at least part of said masking member (2A) forming an insertion portion (2A), wherein said insertion portion (21A) is inserted into said aperture or indentation (11), characterised by said insertion portion (21A) having a first portion (29A) positioned substantially flush with at least part (1A) of said surface around said aperture or indentation (11) and having a second portion (22A) extending further into said aperture or indentation (11) away from that part of said first portion (29A) which is flush with said at least part (1A).

3. A method of masking an article (1) which has an aperture or indentation (11) formed in a surface thereof, by attaching a masking member (2A) to said article (1), said method comprising inserting into said aperture or indention (11) an insertion portion (21A) formed by at least part of said masking member (2A), characterised by positioning a first portion (29A) of said insertion portion (21A) substantially flush with at least part (1A) of said surface around said aperture or indentation (11) when said insertion portion (21A) has been inserted and a second portion (22A) extending further into the aperture or indentation (11) away from that part of said first portion (29A) which is flush with said at least part (1A).

4. A masking member, or a masking member attached to an article, or a method, according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said masking member (2A) is formed from a sheet.

5. A masking member, or a masking member in combination with an article, or a method, according to any of the preceding claims, said masking member (2A) further having a third portion (28A) extending away from said first portion (22A) into the aperture or indentation.

6. A masking member, or a masking member in combination with an article, or a method, according to claim 5 wherein said second portion (22A) is generally parallel to said third portion (28A).

7. A masking member, or a masking member in combination with an article, or a method, according to any one of the preceding claims, a surface of said second portion (22A) being arranged, in use, to contact part of a surface of the article (1) inside the aperture or indentation (11) when said insertion portion (21A) is inserted into the aperture or indentation (11).

8. A masking member, or a masking member in combination with an article, or a method, according to any one of the preceding claims said second portion (22A) being resiliently flexible whereby, in use, said second portion (22A) is biased against a part of a or the surface of the article (1) inside the aperture or indentation (11).

9. A masking member, or a masking member in combination with an article, or a method, according to any one of the preceding claims, said masking member (2A) having ribs (23A,24A,25A,26A) for structural reinforcement.

10. A method according to any one of claims 3 to 9, further comprising the step of applying adhesive tape (3) over said at least part (1A) of said surface and over part of said first portion (29A), in use, thereby fixing said masking member (2A) to said article (1).

Drawing