Patent Application
20100075051
The field of the invention relates generally to paint shields, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for shielding surfaces from paint overspray from painting adjacent surfaces.
At least some known types of paint shields facilitate preventing overspray on a building's surface from a spray gun used to apply paint or other coating to an adjacent or nearby surface. Some paint shields include an adjustable blade holder that permits exchanging blades in the holder when the blade is no longer functional. For specific applications paint shield may include specific features such as a paint shield for shielding the edges of carpets while painting the bottoms of adjoining wails that includes a rectangular bridge portion that extends along one portion of the shield attached so the bridge portion does not touch the protected carpet. Moreover, some paint shields include an elongate handle to allow a painter to support the shield while keeping his arms and hands out of the spray pattern or are secured to an adjustable blade holder. Paint shields are also known to include a transverse crease and a longitudinal crease so the shield can be bent to protect areas intersecting at an angle or are formed of a flexible plastic, such as polyethylene, with straight edges of variable lengths for a variety of surfaces. The paint shield may also be formed to conform to an annular wall surface or circular device or may be extended to fit within a window. Paint shields may be made of different materials such as corrugated cardboard which is plastic coated so the paint shield can be washed for re-use.
However, during spray application, the atomized paint or other coating material tends to be swept to the edges of the paint shield and may follow a path around the edge of the paint shield that directs the spray onto the adjacent surface the shield is intended to protect. If the overspray reaches the adjacent surface, touchup painting may be required. To prevent such overspray, less than the full width of the paint shield is used so that the overspray never reaches the edge. Such a solution reduces the effective width of the paint shield and requires more frequent repositioning of the shield during the coating process. Repositioning costs time and slows the work down.
In one embodiment, a shield includes a substantially planar body including a thickness, a length, and a width. The body further includes a first edge matingly shaped complementary to a boundary between an area of an object to be coated and an area of the object to be protected from being coated and a first side wall extending outwardly from a second edge of the body, the second edge adjacent the first edge.
In another embodiment, a method of coating a surface includes aligning a first edge of a shield blade with a boundary between a designated portion of the surface to be coated and a non-designated portion of the surface to be shielded from being coated, directing a spray of coating material towards the designated portion of the surface using a spray device, and redirecting an excess amount of the spray away from the non-designated portion of the surface using a sidewall extending away from a surface of the shield blade.
In yet another embodiment, a shield blade includes a body formed of sheet material having a first edge complementary to at least one of a surface and a joint between intersecting surfaces, a first sidewall extending away from a second edge of the body, the second edge adjacent the first edge, and a raised ridge formed along a fold line of the body, the raised ridge configured to stiffen the body.
The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the invention by way of example and not by way of limitation. It is contemplated that the invention has general application to the application of a coating to a designated surface in the proximity of non-designated surfaces in industrial, commercial, and residential coating applications.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.
Second edge 16 includes a folded over wing 116 extending at a predetermined angle away from surface 102. In the exemplary embodiment, wing 116 extends for the entire length of edge 106. In an alternative embodiment, wing 116 extends only partially along edge 106.
Third edge 108 also includes a folded over wing 118 extending at a predetermined angle away from surface 102. In the exemplary embodiment, wing 118 extends for the entire length of edge 108. In an alternative embodiment, wing 118 extends only partially along edge 108.
The angle at which wings 116 and 118 extend away from surface 102 may be substantially equal or may be different angels depending on for example, an application in which blade 100 is used or a user preference. The angles between wings 116 and 118 and surface 102 may also be manually adjustable to improve performance of blade 100 with various combinations of coating atomization and spray pressure.
Fourth edge 110 includes a fold over section 120. Fold-over section 120 is folded over surface 102. In the exemplary embodiment, a fold line 122 along edge 110 provides a fold over section 120 of a predetermined width 124. Width 124 is selectable to permit ease of handling of blade 100 using various size and configurations of blade holders (not shown in
During operation, when in use, side 206 is aligned with a joint 216 between a designated surface 218 to be coated such as a wall and a non-designated surface 220 that is to be protected from coating such as a ceiling. Blade 200 is manually engaged into joint 216 using handle 214. A spray gun 222 is used to atomize a liquid coating material to form a spray 224. Spray 224 may be formed by entraining the liquid coating material into a gaseous flow through a conduit 226 or may be applied using an airless spray system. Because sides 208 and 210 do not include any barrier, while coating surface 218 near surface 220 and proximate side 208 or 210, a portion of spray 224 may be carried around side 208 or 210 and onto surface 220, creating an overspray area 228 on surface 220. Overspray area 228 must be touched up or otherwise corrected to properly finish the coating operation.
A fold line 410 along edge 110 permits forming fold over section 120 and raised ridge 126. Fold lines 412 and 414 permit forming raised ridge 126. In the exemplary embodiment, blank 400 is formed of aluminum of a gauge of suitable strength to provide a rigid exposure with reinforcement by raised ridge 126 along length 128 of blade 100. If blade 100 is formed of aluminum, coating 112 is applied to edge 104 to prevent marks on the wall or on the ceiling surface when encountering the aluminum edge of blade 100. Other materials are suitable as a blade material provided blade end wings 116 and 118 are fabricated and provide protection against over-spray. Use of materials other than aluminum may negate the use of coating 112 over contact edge 104 which provides protection from edge marks on the designated surface.
In the exemplary embodiment, blade 100 includes upright wings 116 and 118 at each end of surface 102 that provide a contact edge 604 associated with wing 118 and a contact edge similarly orientated and associated with wing 116. The contact edges engage adjoin walls and ceiling surfaces to be protected from overspray. Wings are of a height from surface 102 of approximately one inch height to approximately three inches in height and extend across the width of blade 100.
In one embodiment, blade surface 102 is a rectangle, nine inches in width, forty eight inches in longitudinal expanse and is strengthened by an approximately three inch fold-over section 120 of the width of the aluminum blade surface, which is twelve inches in total surface width that provides rigidity to blade 100. Fold-over section 120 is approximately three inches in width and has a raised ridge 126 running the longitudinal length of fold-over section 120 that supports a positioning of fold-over section 120 to increase the rigidity of fold-over section 120 against surface 102.
The shape of blade 100 in an alternative embodiment can be other than a rectangle with parallel sides, such as of a trapezoidal shape, to cause the protection shield to fit snugly into corners of walls that are not square with one another. During use, a slightly shorter edge of the trapezoid is placed away from the contact with the wall so that the long edge of the trapezoid is in contact with the wall. The resulting acute angle of the protection shield, rather than a right angle, can meet the angle of a wall corner where the sidewall is not perpendicular to the front wall but is of an acute angle in position. Other modified shapes of the protection shield can be used to meet specific requirements of application.
In the exemplary embodiment, blade 100 is aluminum, although other materials, such as other malleable metals or suitable polymer materials such as polyethylene and polyvinylchloride, can be used.
Each wing 116 and 118 are rounded at its upright extreme end to eliminate a sharp pointed end that could otherwise result in inadvertent damage to the wall. The damage would be at the point of contact at the point where placement of the paint shield is against the contacted wall.
Blade 100 being of an improved design permits an improved method for spray painting or spray coating comprising a constant pressure paint spray and a constant pressure spray gun tip. The constant pressure paint spray and constant pressure spray gun tip provides a narrow angle spray resulting in a controlled paint spray easily directed to areas to be spray painted with minimal over spray when used in combination with improved paint shield paint spray protection blade 100. Blade 100 includes side wings or guards at each exterior end serving as “bent wings” to redirect over-spray paint from non-designated surfaces to the designated contact surfaces located below blade 100.
In use, blade 100 is placed over the surface wall or ceiling areas to be shielded from applied paint. The controlled paint spray is directed to a surface area below blade 100 wherein excess coating spray is redirected away from the surface wall or ceiling areas being shielded by wings 116 and 118. The redirected excess spray is assisted by gravity to carry the redirected spray downward away from surface 102 and away from the surface wall or ceiling areas being shielded or is later swept from the surface of the blade to clean the blade of excess coating material.
The above-described embodiments of an improved paint shield and an improved paint spray method provides a cost-effective and reliable means for providing contact surfaces with adjoining wails and ceiling surfaces to be protected from overspray. More specifically, the methods and apparatus described herein includes upright wings at each end of the aluminum shield and a raised ridge stiffener. The upright wings direct a flow of excess spray away from a non-designated surface and the raised ridge stiffener increase the rigidity of the paint shield protection blade. In addition, the above-described methods and systems facilitate improving the power spraying of structure surfaces wherein paint overspray is significantly reduced, less touch-up is required due to less overspray and overall completion time required is significantly reduced. As a result, the method and apparatus described herein facilitate coating surfaces in a cost-effective and reliable manner.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/099,745 filed Sep. 24, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61099745 | Sep 2008 | US |
