Area coated paint mask and method

• US 4,420,520 A
• Filed: 04/05/1982
• Issued: 12/13/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Society National Bank
• Original Assignee: Excello Specialty Company
• Inventors: Jones, Wallace R., Haas, John F., Krieger, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgenstern, Norman
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bell, Janyce A.
• Application Number:
  US06/365,481
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 427/282, 427/421, 428/40, 428/42, 428/194, 428/195, 428/352
• US Class Current: 428/42.3
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/24 made at least partly of flexible material, e.g. sheets of paper or fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/32 using means for protecting parts of a surface not to be coated, e.g. using stencils, resists
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1495 Adhesive is on removable layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/15 Sheet, web, or layer weakened to permit separation through thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24793 Comprising discontinuous or differential impregnation or bond
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2839 with release or antistick coating

Abstract

A mask for and method of masking a workpiece which has some predetermined continuous demarcation zone whereby precise painting of a first area disposed on one side of the zone is accommodated. The mask includes opposed faces and a peripheral edge or contour having substantially the same conformation as the demarcation zone. One face includes a narrow band of adhesive extending therearound adjacent the peripheral edge. The mask is accurately positioned on the workpiece to precisely mask a second area thereof along and on the other side of the demarcation zone from the workpiece first area. The first area may then be painted and the mask thereafter removed. To accommodate application in production environments, the other or outer face of the mask may be release coated so that a stack or pad comprised of a plurality of identical masks may be provided at a workstation for individual application to consecutive workpieces. When such a pad is generated, a plurality of mask layers are first prepared so as to have an adhesive band of the desired conformation on the one face thereof. Thereafter, the plurality of layers are placed in a stacked relationship to each other and then die cut to have a predetermined peripheral edge or contour. The subject mask and method are advantageously useable with any number of painting applications having regular and/or irregular demarcation zone conformations.

Claims

1. A method of masking a workpiece to facilitate spray painting of a workpiece first area which is separated from a workpiece second area by a continuous demarcation zone, said method comprising:

providing a thin, flexible paint mask sheet having opposed faces;

applying an adhesive coating to one face of said mask sheet in a manner forming an adhesive band similar in overall contour to the outline of said demarcation zone and having one side edge extending along said mask sheet at least substantially coextensive with said demarcation zone with another side edge laterally spaced from said one side edge, said mask sheet and adhesive being capable of withstanding 350°

F. oven baking for at least one hour;

applying a release surface on the other face of said mask sheet releasably compatible with said adhesive;

stacking a plurality of identical mask sheets to produce a mask pad having a predetermined number of identical ones of said mask sheets disposed in a stacked relationship with on face of each mask sheet directly engaging the release surface on the other face of the next adjacent mask sheet;

cutting said stacked mask sheets to form a plurality of masks each having a peripheral edge of the same general conformation as the demarcation zone and with said adhesive band on one side edge disposed on said mask at least adjacent said peripheral edge;

individually removing a mask from said pad;

placing said mask on said workpiece second area with said mask peripheral edge being positioned to at least generally correspond to said continuous demarcation zone;

causing said mask to precisely cover said workpiece second area along and coextensive with said demarcation zone at least at said adhesive band one side edge;

directing a paint spray toward said workpiece to effect painting of said workpiece first area; and

, removing said mask from association with said workpiece.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said step of cutting includes dimensioning said mask so that said outer peripheral edge will extend slightly outward of said demarcation zone onto said workpiece first area during said step of placing for defining a band-like margin area around said demarcation zone, said step of causing comprising lifting said margin area from said workpiece first area to diverge outwardly therefrom at an acute angle from substantially precisely along said demarcation zone.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said mask is adapted to cover a workpiece second area which is bounded by a continuous demarcation zone and further includes performing said step of cutting so that said mask is slightly larger than the workpiece second area with said mask peripheral edge being spaced from said band one side edge and being slightly larger than and generally corresponding to the overall conformation of the predetermined demarcation zone.

3. A paint mask particularly adapted for masking one area of a workpiece disposed on one side of a continuous demarcation zone to facilitate spray painting of another area of said workpiece disposed on the other side of said demarcation zone, said paint mask comprising:

a plurality of identical thin, flexible paint mask sheets, each having opposed faces and a peripherical edge configured to have the same general conformation as some continous demarcation zone on a workpiece with which said mask is adapted to be associated;

an adhesive disposed on one face of said mask sheet forming a narrow band-like adhesive zone at least adjacent said mask sheet peripheral edge and adapted to adhesively engage an associated workpiece at least closely adjacent the workpiece demarcation zone, said mask sheet and adhesive being capable of withstanding 350°

F. oven baking for at least one hour;

a release surface associated with the other face of said mask sheet being releasably cooperable with the adhesive on said one face; and

,

said plurality of identical mask sheets being disposed in a stacked relationship to form a mask pad, the band-like adhesive zone on the one face of each mask being disposed in direct engagement with the release surface on the other face of the next adjacent mask whereby individual ones of the masks may be removed from said pad for masking associated workpieces.

5. A method of making a paint mask adapted to be installed on a workpiece to facilitate spray painting of a workpiece first area disposed on one side of a continuous demarcation zone from a workpiece second area, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a mask sheet of thin, flexible material having opposed faces;

applying adhesive to one face of said mask sheet in a manner forming a band-like adhesive area similar to the conformation of a demarcation zone on a workpiece with which said mask is to be associated, said band-like adhesive area having one side edge at least substantially coextensive with the conformation of such demarcation zone and another side edge spaced from said one side edge with said mask sheet and adhesive being capable of withstanding 350°

F. oven baking for at least one hour;

having a release surface on the other face of said mask sheet, said release surface being of a type releasably compatible with said adhesive, and wherein said steps of providing, applying, and having are identically repeated for a plurality of mask sheets;

stacking said plurality of mask sheets so that the adhesive band-like area of each mask sheet is in direct engagement with the release surface on the other face of the next adjacent mask sheet and with the adhesive band-like areas of said plurality of mask sheets precisley aligned with each other to form a pad of identical mask sheets; and

, cutting said pad to form masks each having a peripheral edge of the same general conformation as the demarcation zone with said adhesive area one side edge disposed on said masks at least adjacent said peripheral edge.

6. A method of masking a workpiece to facilitate spray painting of a workpiece first area which is separated from a workpiece second area by a continuous demarcation zone, said method comprising:

providing a thin, flexible paint mask sheet having opposed faces;

applying an adhesive coating to one face of said mask sheet in a manner forming an adhesive band similar in overall contour to the outline of said demarcation zone and having one side edge extending along said mask sheet at least substantially coextensive with said demarcation zone with another side edge laterally spaced from said one side edge;

applying a release surface on the other face of said mask sheet releasably compatible with said adhesive;

including printed indicia on said mask sheet to coordinate use of the mask with the configuration of said workpiece and to assist in properly aligning said peripheral edge along said demarcation zone;

stacking a plurality of identical mask sheets to produce a mask pad having a predetermined number of identical ones of said mask sheets disposed in a stacked relationship with one face of each mask sheet directly engaging the release surface on the other face of the next adjacent mask sheet;

cutting said mask sheets to form masks each having a peripheral edge configured substantially identical to said demarcation zone and with said adhesive band on one side edge disposed on said mask at least adjacent said peripheral edge;

individually removing a mask sheet from said pad;

placing said mask on said workpiece second area with said mask peripheral edge aligned to substantially precisely correspond with said continuous demarcation zone;

causing said mask to precisely cover said workpiece second area along and coextensive with said demarcation zone at least at said adhesive band one side;

directing a paint spray toward said workpiece to effect painting of said workpiece first area; and

, removing said mask from association with said workpiece.

7. A paint mask particularly adapted for masking one area of a workpiece disposed on one side of a continuous demarcation zone to facilitate spray painting of another area of said workpiece disposed on the other side of said demarcation zone, said paint mask comprising:

a plurality of identical thin, flexible paint mask sheets, each having opposed faces and a peripheral edge configured to have substantially the precise conformation as some continuous demarcation zone on a workpiece with which said mask is adapted to be associated, each mask sheet further including printed indicia adapted to coordinate the use of said mask with an associated workpiece and to assist in properly aligning said peripheral edge along a workpiece demarcation zone;

an adhesive disposed on one face of said mask sheet forming a narrow band-like adhesive zone extending inwardly from said peripheral edge and adapted to adhesively engage an associated workpiece at least closely adjacent the workpiece demarcation zone;

a release surface associated with the other face of said mask sheet, said release surface being releasably cooperative with the adhesive on said one face; and

,

said plurality of identical mask sheets being disposed in a stacked relationship to form a mask pad, the band-like adhesive zone on the one face of each mask being disposed in direct engagement with the release surface on the other face of the next adjacent whereby individual ones of said masks may be removed from said pad for masking associated workpieces.

8. A method of making a paint mask adapted to be installed on a workpiece to facilitate spray painting of a workpiece first area disposed on one side of a continuous demarcation zone from a workpiece second area wherein said mask is adapted to cover said second area, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a mask sheet of thin, flexible material having opposed faces;

applying adhesive to one face of said mask sheet in a manner forming a band-like adhesive area similar to the conformation of a demarcation zone on a workpiece with which said mask is to be associated, said band-like adhesive area having one side edge at least substantially coextensive with the conformation of such demarcation zone and another side edge spaced from said one side edge;

having a release surface on the other face of said mask sheet of a type releasably compatible with said adhesive;

including printed indicia on the mask sheet to coordinate the use of the mask with a workpiece and to assist in properly aligning said peripheral edge along the demarcation zone of an associated workpiece, and wherein said steps of providing, applying, including, and having are identically repeated for a plurality of mask sheets;

stacking said plurality of mask sheets so that the adhesive band-like area of each mask sheet is in direct engagement with the release surface on the other face of the next adjacent mask sheet and with the adhesive band-like areas of said plurality of mask sheets precisely aligned with each other to form a pad of identical mask sheets; and

, cutting said pad to form masks each having a peripheral edge substantially precisely corresponding to the conformation of the demarcation zone with said adhesive area one side edge disposed on said masks co-terminus with said peripheral edge.