Title: Apparatus for folding adhesive tape
Abstract: Tape, such as masking tape, that is used during the painting of automobiles to mark the boundaries of various areas on the vehicle, is fed from a device that automatically folds the edges of the tape over onto the remaining portion of the tape. The tape thus has areas adjacent to the edges that do not adhere to the substrate and thus permits paint to move under the tape at such defined areas wherein no tape line will be produced during the painting process.
Patent Number: 6,945,297 Issued on 09/20/2005 to Gonzalez, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Gonzalez; Greg (785 La Paloma Way, Gilroy, CA 95020);
Gonzalez; Tina M. (785 La Paloma Way, Gilroy, CA 95020)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
388558 |
| Filed:
|
March 17, 2003 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
156/463; 156/465; 156/577 |
| Intern'l Class: |
B32B 031/00 |
| Field of Search: |
156/227,463,465,574,391,579,411,577
2/274,244
493/438,439,424,434,443,455
206/456,408
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Copenheaver; Blaine
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Schoonover; Donald R.
Claims
1. A device for handling tape comprising:
a) a base having a first side wall, a second side wall, a transverse axis extending
between the first side wall and the second side wall, a top wall, a bottom wall,
a height axis extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, a first end,
a second end, a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second
end, a first opening defined in the top wall near the second end, the first opening
including a first edge on the top wall and a second edge on the top wall with the
second edge being spaced apart from the first edge in the direction of the longitudinal
axis toward the second end of said base, the top wall including an outside surface
and an inside surface;
b) a tape roll support element mounted on the top wall of said base near the
first end of said base;
c) a first tape-folding roller mounted on the top wall of said base near said
tape roll support element and spaced from said tape roll support element in the
direction of the longitudinal axis of said base toward the second end of said base,
said first tape-folding roller being spaced apart from said tape roll support element
in the direction of the height axis of said base toward the bottom wall of said
base, said first tape-folding roller including a base element mounted on the top
wall of said base, the base element of the first tape-folding roller having a radial
dimension, said first tape-folding roller further including a tape-engaging head
element mounted on the base element of said first tape-folding roller, the tape-engaging
head element being spaced apart from the top wall of said base by a first distance
and having a radial dimension which is greater than the radial dimension of the
base of said first tape-folding roller;
d) a tape-folding element mounted on the top wall of said base near said first
tape-folding roller and spaced apart from said first tape-folding roller in the
direction of the longitudinal axis of said base towards the second end of said
base, said tape-folding element including a body extending in the direction of
the transverse axis of said base, the body of said tape-folding element including
a tape-engaging surface located adjacent to the outside surface of the top wall
of said base, said tape- folding element including a V-shaped portion, an entrance
portion adjacent to the V-shaped portion and an exit portion adjacent to the V-shaped
portion, the V-shaped portion being located closer to the top wall of said base
than the entrance portion and the exit portion;
e) a second tape-folding roller mounted on the top wall of said base near the
first edge of the first opening defined in the top wall of said base and spaced
apart from the first edge of the first opening in the direction of the longitudinal
axis of said base toward the first end of said base, said second tape-folding roller
including a base element mounted on the top wall of said base, the base element
of said second tape-folding roller having a radial dimension, said second tape-folding
roller further including a tape-engaging head mounted on the base element of said
second tape-folding roller, the tape-engaging head of said second tape-folding
roller being spaced apart from the top wall of said base by a second distance and
having a radial dimension which is greater than the radial dimension of the base
element of said second tape-folding roller, the second distance being less than
the first distance.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of masking tape, and to the
particular field of modifying masking tape to a particular application.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Painting and detailing of vehicles often requires that a line or edge be
defined by the paint. This often is achieved by covering a portion of the substrate
with tape so the edge of the tape defines an edge of the paint. However, in some
instances, a sharp edge is not desired. Examples of such situations include door
jambs, under a hood, two-toning, spot repairs and the like.
In such instances, masking tape is not as efficient as possible. A problem with
using masking tape to define such boundaries is that the tape, itself, will define
a paint edge.
Therefore, there is a need for a means and a method for customizing masking
tape to avoid defining a paint edge when masking tape is used in painting of vehicles
and the like.
Of course, the masking tape can be customized by hand. However, hand customizing
of such tape may be too time consuming to be practical. Therefore, there is a need
for a means and a method for automatically customizing masking tape to avoid defining
a paint edge when masking tape is used in painting of vehicles and the like.
PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a means and a method
for
customizing masking tape to avoid defining a paint edge when masking tape is used
in painting of vehicles and the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a need for a means and
a method for automatically customizing masking tape to avoid defining a paint edge
when masking tape is used in painting of vehicles and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These, and other, objects are achieved by a device for handling masking tape
which comprises a base having a top wall, an opening defined in the top wall, and
a tape-engaging surface on the top wall adjacent to the opening; a tape roll- supporting
element on the base; a first tape-folding element mounted on the top wall of the
base near the tape roll-supporting element, the first tape-folding element including
a base element and a tape edge-engaging element on the base element and which is
spaced apart from the top wall of the base by a first distance; a second tape-folding
element mounted on the top wall of the base adjacent to the first tape-folding
element; a third tape-folding element mounted on the top wall of the base adjacent
to the opening defined in the top wall of the base, the third tape-folding element
including a base element and a tape edge-engaging element on the base element of
the third tape folding-element and which is spaced apart from the top wall of the
base by a second distance, with the second distance being smaller than the first distance.
The objects are also achieved by a process for folding tape which comprises supporting
a roll of tape so the tape is oriented in a vertical plane; feeding the tape from
the roll; guiding the tape around a first tape-folding roller and engaging one
edge of the tape being fed around the first tape-folding roller and folding the
one edge over the remainder of the tape and defining a first folded tape which
is oriented in a vertical plane; reorienting the first folded tape to be in a horizontal
plane; pressing the one edge against the remainder of the tape and adhering the
one edge to the remainder of the tape and defining a first folded and adhered tape;
reorienting the first folded and adhered tape into a vertical plane; guiding the
tape around a second tape-folding roller and engaging a second edge of the tape
being fed around the second tape-folding roller and folding the second edge over
the remainder of the tape and defining a second folded tape which is oriented in
a vertical plane; reorienting the second folded tape into a horizontal plane; and
pressing the second edge against the remainder of the tape and adhering the second
edge to the remainder of the tape and defining a second folded and adhered tape.
The edges of the tape are automatically folded over so the adhesive on the tape
will bond the folded-over edges to the body of the tape. This covers the adhesive
on the folded-over edges and defines a non-adhesive portion adjacent to each edge
of the customized tape. When the customized tape is adhered to a substrate, the
edges of the customized tape will not bond to the substrate thus leaving an area
uncovered adjacent to the body of the customized tape. When paint is applied, some
of the paint will move beneath the non-bonded edges thereby producing a desired
effect without having to hand modify the tape. The form of the invention discussed
in this disclosure folds approximately one-eighth inch on each edge of a tape over
onto the body of the tape so that a total of one-fourth inch is folded over. For
example, if the tape is three-fourths inch wide, a one-eighth inch border is formed
adjacent to each edge, leaving one-half inch of tape that will adhere to the substrate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the device for handling tape embodying
the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device for handling tape embodying the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an end view of the device for handling tape embodying the present
invention as seen on line 3—3 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 shows how tape is customized by folding the edges over onto the body
of the tape being customized to define non-adhesive areas adjacent to each edge.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent
from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the figures, it can be seen that the present invention is
embodied in a device
10 for handling tape. Device
10 will dispense
tape T in a manner that automatically folds the tape edges over the body of the
tape in a manner that defines edges that do not adhere to a substrate, such as
an automobile being painted. Device
10 thereby eliminates a paint line,
which is desirable in some instances.
Device
10 comprises a base
12 having a first side wall
14,
a second side wall
16, a transverse axis
18 extending between the
first side wall
14 and the second side wall
16, a top wall
20,
a bottom wall
22, a height axis
24 extending between the top wall
20 and the bottom wall
22, a first end
26, a second end
28,
and a longitudinal axis
30 extending between the first end
26 and
the second end
28. A first opening
32 is defined in the top wall
20 near second end
28. The first opening
32 includes a first
edge
34 on the top wall
20 and a second edge
36 on the top
wall
20 with the second edge
36 being spaced apart from the first
edge
34 in the direction of the longitudinal axis
30 toward the second
end
28 of the base
12. The top wall
20 further includes an
outside surface
38 and an inside surface
40.
A tape roll support element
50 is mounted on the top wall
20 of
the
base
12 near the first end
26 of the base
12 and supports
a roll of tape T with the tape oriented in a vertical plane with the first and
second side walls
14,
16 also being oriented in a vertical plane
and the top wall
20 being oriented in a horizontal plane.
A first tape-folding roller
52 is mounted on the top wall
20 of
the
base
12 near the tape roll support element
50 and is spaced from
the tape roll support element
50 in the direction of the longitudinal axis
30 of the base
12 toward the second end
28 of the base
12
and is spaced from the tape roll support element
50 in the direction of
the height axis
24 toward bottom wall
22 of the base
12. First
tape-folding roller
52 includes a base element
54 mounted on the
top wall
20 of the base
12. Base element
54 of the first tape-folding
roller
52 has a radial dimension
56. The first tape-folding roller
52 further includes a tape-engaging head element
58 mounted on the
base element of the first tape-folding roller
52. The tape-engaging head
element
58 is spaced apart from the top wall
20 of the base
12
by a first distance
60 and has a radial dimension
62 which is greater
than the radial dimension
56 of the base
54 of the first tape-folding
roller
52. As will be understood from the teaching of the present disclosure,
the first distance
60 is less than a width dimension W of tape T. Since
radial dimension
56 is less than radial dimension
62, and since tape
T is positioned above the first tape-folding roller
52, as tape T moves
around first tape-folding roller
52, the edge E
1 of tape T is
pushed away from a plane containing the remainder of tape T. Tape T moves in direction
F off of the tape roll towards second end
28 of the base
12. Downstream
direction DF and upstream direction UF are taken with reference to direction F.
In the direction of tape movement, edge E
1 will be folded over the remaining
portion of the tape in direction O
1. Tape T is oriented so that adhesive
A is located on side A
1 of the tape. Thus, edge E
1 is folded
over the remaining portion of the tape so that adhesive A on edge E
1 contacts
adhesive A on side A
1 on the remaining portion of the tape. Side A
2
of the tape is free of adhesive. Thus, a portion of the folded tape adjacent
to edge E
1 will be free of adhesive. In one form of the invention, this
portion is one-eighth of an inch with the overall width dimension W of the tape
being three-fourths of an inch. Other widths can also be set by adjusting the first
distance
60.
A tape-folding element
70 is mounted on the top wall
20 of the
base
12 near the first tape-folding roller
52 and is spaced apart from
the first tape-folding roller
52 in the direction of the longitudinal axis
30 of the base
12 towards the second end
28 of the base
12.
Tape-folding element
70 includes a body
72 which extends in the direction
of the transverse axis
18 of the base
12. Body
72 of tape-folding
element
70 includes a tape-engaging surface
74 located adjacent to
the outside surface
38 of the top wall
20 of the base
12.
Tape-folding element
70 includes a V-shaped portion
75 which defines
an entrance portion EA and an exit portion OA. Tape entering the area adjacent
to the entrance portion will be smoothly forced against the top wall
20
of the base
12 as the tape passes beneath the V-shaped portion
75
and then smoothly exits the tape-folding element
70 via the area adjacent
to the exit portion OA.
After leaving the first tape-folding roller
52, edge E
1 of
the tape is pushed over to overlap the remainder of the tape. The tape then moves
beneath tape-folding element
70 and the folded-over edge is pressed against
the remaining body of the tape. This causes the adhesive on the folded-over edge
to adhere to the adhesive on the remainder of the body of the tape. The V-shaped
portion
75 of the tape-folding element
70 is located sufficiently
close to the top wall
20 of the base
12 to permit the tape to move
past the V-shaped portion
75 yet have the folded-over edge pressed against
the rest of the tape by the action of the V-shaped portion
75 and the top
wall
20 of the base
12.
A second tape-folding roller
76 is mounted on the top wall
20 of
the base
12 near first edge
34 of the first opening
32 defined
in the top wall
20 of the base
12 and is spaced apart from the first
edge
34 of the first opening
32 in the direction of the longitudinal
axis
30 of the base
12 toward first end
26 of the base
12.
Second tape-folding roller
76 includes a base element
78 mounted
on the top wall
20 of the base
12. Base element
78 of the
second tape-folding roller
76 has a radial dimension
80. The second
tape-folding roller
76 further includes a tape-engaging head
82 mounted
on the base element
78 of the second tape-folding roller
76. The
tape- engaging head
82 of the second tape-folding roller
76 is spaced
apart from the top wall
20 of the base
12 by a second distance
84
and has a radial dimension
88 which is greater than radial dimension
80
of the base element
78 of the second tape-folding roller
76.
The operation and function of second tape-folding roller
76 is similar
to the operation and function of first tape- folding roller
52 as discussed
above. The tape exiting tape-folding element
70 is moving in a horizontal
plane. The tape is re-oriented into a vertical plane to pass around second tape-folding
roller
76. Edge E
1 abuts tape-engaging head
82 and the
other edge, edge E
2, abuts base element
78 of the second tape-folding
roller
76. Since edge E
1 is a double thickness, the tape folds
about edge E
2 as that edge moves against the outside surface
38
of the base
12 and the tape engages tape-engaging head
82. This forces
edge E
2 to fold upwardly toward the remaining portion of the tape in
direction O
2. As discussed above, adhesive is located on side A
2
of the tape, and thus adhesive on edge E
2 adheres to adhesive
on the remaining portion of the tape.
Second distance
84 is less than first distance
60. This relationship
accounts for the smaller size of tape associated with second tape-folding roller
76 than with first tape- folding roller
52 since the tape associated
with second tape- folding roller
76 has already been folded over by first
tape-folding roller
52 and tape-folding element
70. Distance
84
is set to fold the tape and define a folded edge on the tape, which is the same
dimension as the folded edge E
1. Thus, in one form of the invention,
distance
84 is set to define an edge E
2 that is one-eighth of
an inch. Thus, in the example being discussed, a three-fourths inch tape has been
folded into edges E
1 and E
2 that are each one-eighth of an
inch, thereby leaving one-half inch of tape that can be adhered to a substrate
with two boundary edges of one-eighth of an inch each.
After exiting the second tape-folding roller
76, the tape moves over
first edge
34 adjacent to opening
32 and then under second edge
36
located adjacent to opening
32 and is pressed against inside surface
40
of the base
12 adjacent to second edge
36 of the opening
32.
This pressing serves the same function for edge E
2 as tape-folding element
70 does for edge E
1. That is, the folded-over edge is pressed
against the remainder of the tape body to cause the adhesive on the folded-over
edge to adhere to the adhesive on the remainder of the body. The final form of
the folded tape is indicated in FIG. 4 as FT.
As can also be understood from the foregoing disclosure, and by reference to
FIG.
4, the invention
10 is also embodied in a process for folding tape T. The
process comprises supporting a roll of tape T so the tape is oriented in a vertical
plane; feeding the tape from the roll in a direction F; guiding the tape around
a first tape-folding roller
52 and engaging one edge E
1 of the
tape being fed around the first tape-folding roller
52 and folding the one
edge over the remainder of the tape and defining a first folded tape FFT which
is oriented in a vertical plane; reorienting the first folded tape to be in a horizontal
plane; pressing edge E
1 against the remainder of the tape and adhering
the one edge to the remainder of the tape and defining a first folded and adhered
tape FFT
A; reorienting the first folded and adhered tape into a vertical
plane; guiding the tape around second tape-folding roller
76 and engaging
a second edge E
2 of the tape being fed around the second tape-folding
roller
76 and folding the second edge over the remainder of the tape and
defining a second folded tape FFT
2 which is oriented in a vertical plane;
reorienting the second folded tape into a horizontal plane; and pressing second
edge E
2 against the remainder of the tape and adhering the second edge
to the remainder of the tape and defining a second folded and adhered tape FT.
Tape FT is oriented in a horizontal plane.
It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been
illustrated
and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements
of parts described and shown.
*
