Abrading – Tool support for flexible-member tool – Manually manipulated
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-17
2002-07-16
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Abrading
Tool support for flexible-member tool
Manually manipulated
C451S495000, C451S524000, C451S525000, C451S526000, C451S530000, C451S539000, C451S913000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06419571
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polisher for polishing a repair surface to a predetermined shape and a ground paper for polishing to be used for polishers.
2. Description of the Related Art
As for the procedure of repairing scratches and depressions on the coated surface of a vehicle such as an automobile, as shown in
FIG. 21
, a primer
51
, a surfacer
52
and a paint
53
formed on a steel plate
50
, are first removed and a depression is filled with a slightly excessive amount of putty P.
As shown in
FIG. 22
, the surface filled with the putty
1
(damaged portion) is polished to be flush with the surface of the body. In this step, coarse-grained to fine-grained sandpapers are used to polish the surface P
1
filled with putty into flat. It is not too much to say that the workmanship of this step determines final repair. Note that the surface P
1
filled with putty may be simply referred to as “putty surface P
1
” or “repair surface P
1
” in the following description.
In this polishing step, to reduce time and labor for this polishing, a mechanical sander
100
, which is powered by compressed air or electricity, is used. This sander
100
has a movable portion
55
which makes a predetermined motion such as reciprocation or circular motion along the repair surface and a polisher
54
, held by the movable portion
55
, for polishing the repair surface P
1
. Note that a polishing surface opposite to the repair surface P
1
of the polisher
54
is a flat surface and sandpaper (ground paper) which is an abrasive is affixed to the flat surface.
To use this sander
100
, the sander
100
is held by both hands and the polishing surface of the polisher
54
provided on the sander
100
is applied to the repair surface P
1
for polishing. Since the polishing surface in contact with the repair surface P
1
is flat, the repair surface P
1
, which is a convex surface, can be polished flat by using this. However, when the repair surface P
1
was actually polished, it could not always be polished flat.
The reason for this is that the polishing surface of the polisher
54
is deformed by convex and concave portions formed on the putty surface by the impressions of a trowel used to fill the putty P, thereby impairing flatness. Therefore, it takes much time to obtain a well polished surface and the contact pressure of the polisher
54
against the putty surface P
1
must be finely controlled, which requires the skill of an experienced engineer.
To overcome this inconvenience, therefore, polishing has been conventionally made based on the following polishing theory. The polishing theory is that point polishing for polishing only convex portions of the uneven surface formed by the impressions of the trowel with a small polishing area is first made on the putty surface P
1
repeatedly to make the putty surface P
1
a gently rolling surface as a whole. Subsequently, face polishing is made on the entire putty surface P
1
(rolling surface) from which the convex portions of the uneven surface have been removed with a large polishing area.
Thus, by changing the polishing area stepwise, the putty surface P
1
having convex and concave portions formed by the impressions of the trowel or the like can be polished flat. When point polishing is carried out continuously, this results in linear polishing. That is, face polishing is carried out after linear polishing substantially.
Stated more specifically based on the actual polishing method, only an edge portion
56
(corner edge portion) of the polisher
54
held by the sander
100
is applied to the repair surface P
1
as shown in
FIG. 22
to carry out linear (point) polishing. Like this, when the edge portion
56
of the polisher
54
is used, the contact surface between a convex portion on the putty surface P
1
and the polisher
54
becomes linear (point) and the convex portions can be polished one by one.
Subsequently, the putty surface P
1
is polished flat by linear (point) polishing using the edge portion
56
by operating the sander
100
such that the entire polishing surface of the polisher
54
comes into contact with the putty surface P
1
whose convex and concave portions have been polished. Since convex and concave portions formed on the putty surface P
1
by the impressions of the trowel or the like have already been removed by linear polishing as described above, the putty surface P
1
can be polished flat without impairing the flatness of the polishing surface of the polisher
54
.
Thus, a flat and well-polished surface can be easily obtained without using advanced skill theoretically. In addition, as the above polishing theory is a rational technique for obtaining a flat polished surface, a well-polished surface can be obtained within the minimum time.
However, at the time of polishing using the edge portion
56
of the polisher
54
, the contact area of the polisher
54
with the repair surface P
1
is extremely small as a matter of course and the stability of the polisher
100
is impaired. Therefore, to obtain a well polished smooth surface, an operator must hold the sander
100
(polisher
54
) at an appropriate angle with respect to the putty surface P
1
, thereby requiring advanced skill in fact.
Further, there arises a problem in that the sandpaper of the edge portion
56
wears away quickly. This is a phenomenon that is often seen in the sander
100
for polishing the putty surfer P
1
in a short period of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a polisher which can polish a repair surface flat by simple operation within a short period of time. Also, an object of the present invention is to provide a polisher in which local excessive abrasion of the sandpaper can be suppressed. Also, an object of the present invention is to provide a ground paper for polishers with which working efficiency thereof can be enhanced.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polisher, comprising: a substrate portion
30
for holding an abrasive on a surface opposite to a repair surface; a holding plate
2
provided in parallel to the substrate portion
30
with a predetermined space therebetween; and elastic members
3
interposed between the substrate portion
30
and the holding plate
2
, wherein: the substrate portion
30
has a first face plate portion
4
fixed to the above holding plate
2
with a predetermined space therebetween and second face plate portions
5
which are connected to end portions of the first face plate portion
4
and are rotatable about connection lines as axes, connecting them and the first face plate portion
4
; and the second face plate portions
5
is provided rotatably in a predetermined range from a position where they become flush with the first face plate portion
4
in a direction that they approach the holding plate
2
.
According to the polisher of the present invention, firstly, concave and convex portions formed on a repair surface by the impressions of a trowel or the like are polished with a small polishing surface consisting of only the second face plate portion and then polished with a large polishing surface consisting of the second face plate portions and the first face plate portion. That is, point polishing is carried out with the second face plate portion, and then face polishing is carried out using the first face plate portion and the second face plate portions, simultaneously.
Thus, unlike polishing using an edge portion, a stable operation feeling is obtained in spite of point polishing as the polisher is in face contact with the repair surface. Therefore, the repair surface can be polished flat with simple operation without requiring advanced skill. Sandpaper (ground paper) held on the polishing surface of the polisher is in face contact with the repair surface. Therefore, local excessive abrasion of the sandpaper can also be suppressed.
In this case, the second face plate portions
5
ar
Burr & Brown
Hail III Joseph J.
McDonald Shantese
Uegaki Tateo
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