Peel ply masking device for an adhesive bonded attachment

Abstract

A peel ply conformable masking device for protectively overlying a pre-cleaned bonding surface of an adhesive attachment adapted for bonded affixation to a selected substrate, such as an adhesive attachment of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,013,391 and 6,773,780 having a bonding surface circumscribing a temporary attachment member for holding the attachment against the substrate for the duration of a bonding agent cure time. The bonding surface of the adhesive attachment is pre-cleaned as by sand blasting and/or etching, and the masking device comprising a peel-off film carrying a thin layer of a peel-off adhesive is placed thereover to prevent contamination thereof. The masking device includes at least one aperture surrounding the temporary attachment member, and further includes at least one outwardly protruding and easily grasped pull tab for facilitated peel-off separation from bonding surface immediately prior to bonded affixation to the selected substrate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.