Patent Application
20210331201
Sometimes, a manufacturer or processor of a product imprints a mark, or stamp, on a product to identify the source of the product, a particular property of the product, a certification of the product, etc. Subsequently, if such a product is painted, the mark is often painted over and the information provided by the mark is gone. Although a painter may be able to mask the mark prior to painting the product, it is not uncommon for a painter not to know that a mark should be preserved and remain unpainted. In some instances, a product that a painter uses to mask such a mark (e.g. masking tape), may remove a mark that is merely printed on a product, thus preventing the mark from being masked by typical methods. In other cases, masking tape applied over a mark may become detached prior to the product being painted. In any case, such masking and painting leaves an undesirable aesthetic.
Several embodiments of a paint mask assembly are described herein. The paint mask assembly includes a frame portion and a window portion. The frame portion can be affixed over a mark on a surface so that the mark is visible through the window portion of the paint mask assembly. The paint mask assembly also includes a removable mask applied to the window portion so when the paint mask assembly is painted, the paint is applied over the removable mask, but the window portion remains unpainted. When the removable mask is removed, the mark remains visible through the window portion of the paint mask assembly.
A particular description of the principles briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only certain exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and are not therefore to be considered to limit its scope, the principles herein are described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings.
The following description relates to several embodiments of a paint mask assembly that can be used to protect an important mark on a product, such as a trademark identifying a source of the product, a certification mark identifying that the product conforms to certain standards, a mark that identifies a property of the product, and the like. Many products are provided to consumers with such marks. But some of those products are likely to be painted by an end user, thus covering the mark and eliminating the information that the mark was meant to convey. It is common that painters who paint such products are aware that the mark needs to be preserved, and they use typical methods to mask the mark prior to painting so that the mark is not permanently covered. However, there are circumstances that can prevent successful masking of the mark in this manner.
For example, if the mark is printed on the product and is masked with masking tape for painting, the mark may be damaged or removed when the masking tape is removed. This is especially true if a surface to which the mark is applied is not completely solid or includes a loose component that may become detached from the surface, such is the case on a plywood surface. In other cases, a tradesman knowledgeable of the importance of preserving a mark may install a product, but painting the product is done by a different tradesman who does not know to properly mask the mark for preservation. The techniques described herein prevent these types of failures from occurring so that the mark, and the intent of the mark, is preserved.
For clarity, the present discussion focuses on a particular case in which the present techniques may be employed, to-wit: using a paint mask assembly to preserve a fire certification mark on a plywood sheet that has been treated with a fire retardant material and is installed in a structure and painted. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the techniques presented herein may be applied in any situation where permanent preservation of a visible mark on a product is desired.
Some construction plans specify that only building materials that are certified to a particular fire resistance ratings be used. For example, such a requirement is common for rooms that may house heat-generating equipment, such as computer rooms, telecom rooms, utility closets, etc. As a result, inspectors must be able to confirm that proper materials were used upon completion of an installation. The present example contemplates fire rated plywood installed to create walls in a room. In most such cases, the walls are painted as part of the construction, but they are painted before they are inspected. If a fire stamp 102 is painted over, the inspector won't be able to certify that the proper materials were used and the inspector will fail the room. Therefore, it is important that visibility of the fire stamp is preserved for post-painting inspection.
One way that is currently in use to solve this problem is for a fire-rated plywood provider to pre-paint the wood and add a tag mark indicating that the wood that was painted conforms to certain fire ratings. But this has its problems. For one, such plywood has to be painted at a particular location of a facility that performs this service. That facility may be a distance from where the plywood will be installed, thus requiring significant shipping costs to get the certified plywood to the construction site. Another problem is that this method requires painting of certain pre-cut sizes of plywood. A tradesman who installs such plywood often needs to cut the plywood to fit the site, and this means that unpainted surfaces can be revealed that must be painted on site to avoid an undesirable aesthetic. Further, the plywood may be cut on site to fit the needs of the particular location, but the tag is applied off-site. The tag may end up in a location where it would be visible, such as behind equipment installed on or near a wall. The techniques described herein allow construction managers to buy fire-rated plywood nearer to the construction site and to paint the plywood upon completion of the installation, thus avoiding shipping costs and aesthetic issues. Furthermore, an installer can install boards as he sees fit and locate the tag where it is easily accessible to an inspector.
The paint mask assembly 200 also includes a removable mask 208 that is applied over the window 204 to protect the window 204 from being painted when a product to which the paint mask assembly 200 is attached is painted. The removable mask 208 may also be transparent to aid an installer in locating the paint mask assembly 200 over a mark to be protected, but the removable mask 208 may also be semi-transparent or opaque. The removable mask 208 covers at least a portion of the window 204 sufficient to allow a mark to be visible through the window 204 after paint is applied and the removable mask 208 is removed. In the present example, the removable mask 208 covers the entire window 204 and the branding area 206 in order to preserve any branding that may be present. In at least one alternate embodiment, the removable mask 208 covers the entire frame 202 and window 204.
The paint mask assembly 200 also includes attachment means 210 that provide a way for the paint mask assembly 200 to be attached to a surface of a product containing a mark to be preserved. In the present example, the attachment means 210 include nail holes through which brads or nails can be inserted to secure the paint mask assembly 200 to an underlying surface. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any known method may be used to attach the paint mask assembly 200 to an underlying surface, such as an adhesive applied to a rear of the frame 202, cleats formed in the frame 202, and the like. It is noted that in at least one alternate embodiment, attachment means are not included. In such case, an installer provides attachment means, such as inserting staples through the frame 202 and into an underlying surface to secure the paint mask assembly 202 to the underlying surface.
While the invention is described with respect to certain embodiments and/or generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and application to any application, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize other applications in which the presently described paint mask assembly may be used. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, as defined by the following claims.
