A METHOD OF PRODUCING A PATTERNING STRIPE COMPRISING ONE OR MORE STRAIGHT SECTIONS AND ONE OR MORE CURVED SECTIONS

Abstract: A method of producing a patterning stripe or decorative device comprising one or more straight sections and one or more curved sections with the aid of a plurality of kit components capable of being affixed to a substratum. At least one of the kit components (1') is a straight component. The mid-point angle and the radius of curvature of a curved section of the stripe or decorative device is obtained by cutting or taking a sector (8') corresponding to the mid-point angle of the curved section from a circular (8') or near-circular component, an elliptical or near-elliptical component, or a like component having a radius of curvature corresponding to the radius of curvature of the curved section. The mid-point angle and radius of curvature of a first curved section of the patterning stripe or decorative device is obtained by cutting a circle-sector or an ellipse-sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the first curved section from a first circular (8') kit-component, while the mid-point angle and radius of curvature of a second curved section of the stripe is obtained by cutting from a second circular (15') kit-component a circle-sector or ellipse-sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the second curved section.

Description: Title of the Invention: A method of producing a patterning stripe comprising one or more straight sections and one or more curved sections Technical Field The present invention relates primarily to a method by which there can be produced a patterning stripe or decorative device comprising one or more straight sections and one or more curved sections with the aid of kit-components which can be attached to a substratum, preferably adhered thereto, and of which one such com¬ ponent comprises a straight component for producing the straight section of the patterning stripe. The invention also relates to a patterning stripe which can be produced with one or more straight sections and one or more curved sections. It will be understood that by stripe is meant a distinctive or decorative device in stripe form. A patterning stripe produced in accordance with the invention may comprise a pattern produced on a thin plastics material, by silk screen printing for example, having a prepared back surface, for example a back surface coated with adhesive. The pattern may comprise one or more stripes of mutually the same or different widths and mutually the same or different colours. Other patterns also fall within the scope of the invention, however, irrespective of the pattern chosen, although the pattern is preferably continous over selected curves. Background Art It is known to apply pattering stripes or decorative devices on private automobiles, trucks, and like automotive vehicles, where the various sections of the stripes are produced with the aid of one or more straight kit- components and one or more curved components with the curvature thereof adapted to the curvature of the stripe and with the various components normally having the same width. It is also known to frame display windows and like structures with one or more patterning stripes, where the various border sections of the frame comprise one or more straight components and corner components particularly adapted to the straight components, these corner components normally exhibiting a circular-arcuate part, having a mid-point angle of 90 , and short straight parts connected to the arcuate part and having the same width thereas. Normally there are used four such separately produced parts to form the corners of a square frame completed with the straight frame parts. In the technique at present applied there is required for each striping pattern or decorative device produced one or more kit-components of particular form for achieving the stripe sections Intended to form a desired curve. It is therefore obvious that kit-components produced to create a striping pattern intended for one particular purpose can not readily be used in other applications and for other purposes, since the curved sections of the pattern in particular can not be adapted smoothly and evenly to the straight sections and parts. Consequently, a company wishing to advertise itself through the medium of a particular patterning stripe or decorative device, possibly incorporating details relating to the company, is encumbe ed with the cost of producing such a decorative stripe effect for each application and for each size. There is no possibility of making simple variations. The only possibility in practice is to allow two straight sections to blend with one another through a given angle. The stripe thus formed will be discontinuous at the point where the two sections join, and does 'not therefore present a truly aesthetic design. It is therefore clear that these possibilities of variation known hitherto are quite limited, and-are extremely limited when the variation is to be achieved at low cost. Disclosure of the Present Invention Technical Problem It will be obvious from the known prior art that a highly qualified problem- exists in producing a striping pattern or decorative device comprising a plurality of curved sections of preferably mutually different curvature from a plurality of components which are not only usuable to achieve a particular application, but where also the stripe or device can be composed and reproduced from a plurality of different kit-components and for various applications. Another technical problem is one of creating conditions with which a patterning stripe or decorative device comprising a large or a small number of differently curved sections can be produced from a few pre-formed components which have been produced without taking into account the particular application to which they are put A further technical problem is one of creating conditions which enable patterning stripes to be readily constructed from a plurality of differently curved kit-components and with the inspiration of a free imagination, while using only a few prefabricated parts and by forming a curved stripe section from only a part of a given prefabricated part. A still further technical problem is one of providing conditions which enable the formation or compilation of a single curved patterning stripe or decorative device comprising a plurality of different sections taken from a number of simple pre-forms, where said pre-forms can be used for framing a display window, as decorations for completely different purposes, and for application to a motor vehicle. Another technical problem is one of creating conditions which enable patterning stripes comprising a plurality of different sections, straight sections and curved sections, to be readily produced by using for each curved section solely a part of a given pre-form and by using for another curved section of the same curvature as the first mentioned solely a further part of or the remainder of said pre-form. SOLUTION The present invention affords a solution to the afore- said problems, by providing a method by forming a patterning stripe comprising one or more straight sections and one or more curved sections with the use of a plurality of kit-components which can be affixed to a substratum and of which at least one is straight. According to the invention the mid-point angle of a curved section of the stripe and the radius of curvature of said section are obtained by cutting or taking a sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the curved section from a circular or substantially circular component, an elliptical or substantially elliptical component, or a like component. The mid-point angle of the curved section of the stripe and the radius of curvature of said section may also be obtained by cutting a circular or elliptical sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the curved section from a circular or elliptical kit component. According to a further embodiment of the invention the mid-point angle and radius of curvature of a first curved section of a patterning or decorative stripe is obtained by cutting from a first circular or * elliptical component a circular or elliptical sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the first curved section, while the mid-point angle and radius of curvature of a second curved section of the patterning or decorative stripe is obtained by cutting from a second circular or elliptical component a circular or elliptical sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the second curved section. Conveniently, the mid-point angle and/or the radius of curvature of the first curved section differs from the mid-point angle and/or radius of curvature of the second curved section of the decorative stripe, etc. The invention also proposes a patterning or decorative stripe which may comprise one or more straight sections and one or more curved sections, the significant features of which stripe lie in the use for the curved sections thereof totally or partially a circular, substantially circular kit component, an elliptical or substantially elliptical kit component or a similarly curved kit component having a width and a curvature corresponding to the curvature and width of the curved section. It is also proposed that one or more straight sections of the decorative stripe are able to co-operate with one or more curved sections of the stripe, and that the curved sections can be obtained from the whole or a part of one or more curved components, the latter components having the same or different radii of curvature and the same or different widths. ADVANTAGES Those advantages primarily associated with a method according to the invention and with a patterning or decorative stripe produced in accordance therewith pertain to the possibilities provided of producing a stripe of desired design from a few prefabricated kit components, called pre-forms, for example a few components to form the straight sections in the stripe and one or more components of more or less pronounced curvature to form the curved sections of the stripe, and this because curved components can be used in full or in part to produce the curved sections of the stripe. The main characteristic features of a method according to the present invention are set forth in the characterizing clause of the following claim 1, while the prime characteristic features of a patterning stripe or decorative device produced in accordance with the invention are set forth in the characterizing clause of the following claim 5. Brief Description of the Drawings An embodiment which is at present preferred and which exhibits the characteric features significant to the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a straight kit component which can be used totally or in part to form a straight section of a patterning stripe or decorative device; Figure 2 is a plan view of a circular component which can be used totally or in part to form a curved section of small radius of a decorative device or patterning stripe; Figure 3 is a plan view of a circular component which can be used totally or in part to form a curved section of large radius of a patterning stripe; Figure 4 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a patterning stripe or decorative device comprising a plurality of straight and curved sections and compiled with the aid of the kit components illustrated in Figures 1-3; and Figure 5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a patterning stripe or decorative device comprising a plurality of straight and curved sections, said stripe being composed solely with the aid of components illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT AT PRESENT PROPOSED Figure 1 is a plan view of a straight kit component intended to form a straight section in a decorative device or patterning stripe. The straight component is referenced 1 and comprises a self-adhesive tape with two mutually parallel defining surfaces 2 and 3 and two transverse mutually parallel defining surfaces 4 and 5. Applied to one side of the tape is a printed pattern 6 which in the illustrated embodiment comprises six different mutually parallel lines 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d and 6c of mutually different widths and orientation and, if desired, of mutually different colours or hues. In order to protect the self-adhesive coating when producing and handling the component 1, the coating is covered with a tear-off backing strip (not shown). Turning now to Figure 2, there is shown in plan view a circular kit component 8, the whole or a part of which is intended to be used to produce a curved stripe section of small radius. The circular component 8 is marked with a pattern 10 which seen from the edge surface 9 exhibits rings 10a, 10b, 10c, lOd, and lOe. The distance "b" between the outer edge surface 9 and the inner edge surface 11 is identical with the distance "b" between the parallel defining edges 2,3 in the tape or strip shown in Figure 1. The pattern 10 "also matches the pattern 6. The radius of curvature of the component 8 in Figure 2 is referenced "r". Referring to Figure 3 there is shown in plan view a circular kit component 15 which is intended to be used totally or in part to form a curved stripe or device section of larger curvature. This circular component is provided with a pattern 16 which between the outer edge surface 17 and the inner edge surface 18 exhibits rings 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d and 16e. The pattern 16 also matches the pattern 6 and the pattern 10. The distance between the outer edge 17 and the inner edge 18 also coincides with the width "b" between the parallel defining edges 2 and 3 of the tape shown in Figure 1. The radius of curvature "R" of the circular pattern 16 of Figure 3, however, is greater than that of the circular pattern 10. It will be understood that the components 2 and 3 illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 need not necessarily be circular in shape, but may also be substantially circular, elliptical or substantially elliptical in shape, or may be given any other closed form, for example the form of the figure "S". It is suitable that a figure is chosen from which a closed arc can be formed when creating the pattern. Figure 4 illustrates one of many conceivable decorative devices or stripe patterns comprising one or more straight sections and/or one or more curved sections formed with the aid of one or more of the components illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, said components .either being used whole or in part. It will be seen that the device illustrated in Figure 4 comprises only a part of the component illustrated in Figure 2 with a mid-point angle of approximately 270 , this part-component being referenced 8' . It will be seen that the part-component encompasses a mid-point angle of 270 but with the section cut moved from the centre to the edge surface 11' . Connected to this arcuate part-component 8' is a part 1' of the straight section 1, while connected to the straight part-component l 1 is a part of the circular component shown in Figure 3. This latter part- component embraces a mid-point angle of just slightly more than 90 , and is referenced 15' . When producing the part-component 15' a departure is also made from a mid-point angle of 90 , but with the section cut moved from the centre of the circle to the edge surface 18' . A further portion 15" of the component illustrated in Figure 3 can now be used. This part-component 15" embraces a mid-point angle of 90 , where the resultant circular arc is cut at right angles to the section line in connection with the inner edge surface 18', whereafter a part 1" of the straight component 1 in Figure 1 is merged with the curved further part-component 15". The part-components 15' and 15" are identical with one another and both are obtained from the component illustrated in Figure 3. Figure 5 illustrates an alternative patterning stripe or decorative device in which a part 8" of the component 8 embracing a mid-point angle of approximately 240 has been used. Connected to the part component is a straight section la formed from the component 1 in Figure 1. Connected to the straight section la is a further straight section lb, which is also formed from the component 1 in Figure 1, via a straight cutting line. It should be observed that the cutting lines and/or the joining lines in Figures 4 and 5 between interfitting sections have not been shown, since such lines are not visible when the patterns exhibited by the various sections match one another. With reference to the illustrated application in which the invention can be applied, i.e. the use of parts of the straight component in Figure 1 and parts of the circular components. in Figures 2 and 3, it is obvious that a decorative device or pattering stripe comprising one or more straight sections can be readily formed with the aid of these simple kit components or parts thereof. Preferably there is used a plurality of parts or components which are capable of being affixed to a substratum and of which one is a straight component. In accordance with the invention the mid-point angle and the radius of curvature of the curved stripe section are obtained by cutting or taking a sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the curved section from a circular or substantially circular component, an elliptical or substantially elliptical component or a like component. The mid-point angle and radius of curvature of the curved stripe section are obtained by cutting or taking a circle-sector or ellipse-sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the curved section from a circular or elliptical component. The mid-point angle and the radius of curvature of a first curved section is obtained by cutting or taking from a first circular or elliptical component a circle sector or ellipse sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the first curved section, while the mid-point angle and radius of curvature of a second curved section of the patterning stripe is obtained by cutting or taking from a second circular or elliptical component a circle sector or ellipse sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the second curved section. An advantage is afforded when the mid-point angle and/or the radius of curvature of the first curved section is able to differ from the mid-point angle and/or the radius of curvature of the second curved section etc., and to this end there is required a number of kit components of mutually different radius of curvature. A patterning stripe or decorative device comprising one or more straight sections and one or more curved sections is obtained by creating the curved sections 12 from the whole or a part of a circular or substantially circular component, an elliptical or substantially elliptical component, or a similarly curved component, whose curvature corresponds to the curvature of the curved section. When one or more straight sections are to co-act with one or more curved sections of the patterning stripe, these sections can be formed with the aid of at least one complete curved component or a part or parts thereof, with components of mutually different curvature. The straight sections are thus produced from one or more complete straight components or only parts thereof, while the curved sections are produced from one or more curved components of circular arcuate shape or a like shape and of mutually different radius*, the components being used whole or in parts, and where respective curved sections are thus formed by using a complete circular component or a part thereof. The fact that Figure 2 illustrates in plan view an embodiment of a kit component having the radius of curvature "r", while Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of a kit component having the radius of curvature "R" does not limit the scope of the invention in any way, since the Figures merely illustrate two possible embodi- ments each with its respective radius of curvature. It will be understood that embodiments of components are possible within the scope of the invention where the radius of curvature can vary from zero to a value which greatly exceeds that illustrated with the Figure 3 embodiment. Although it has been mentioned in the aforegoing that the component con iguration illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 can be modified to the form of an ellipse, it will be understood that other forms may be used, adjoining a triangle, a square or a polygon, preferably with rounded corners. In the Figures only one decorative pattern has been shown, although it will be understood that other patterns may be used, such as patterns which are: a) of a single colour, b) created with symmetrical lines, c) created with asymmetrical lines, d) created with lines of mutually different thickness , e) created with patterned lines and sections, f) . created with tinted sections and/or combinations thereof. Because the components, are gummed on the rear face thereof, they can simply be "rubbed" onto the surface to which they are to be affixed. It will also be understood that the invention is not restricted to the illustrated embodiments given by way of example, but that modifications can be made within the concept of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

Claims: l a i m s 1. A method of producing a patterning stripe comprising one or more straight sections and one or more curved sections from a plurality of kit components which can be affixed to a substratum and of which one is a straight component, characterized in that the mid-point angle and the radius of curvature of a curved section of the stripe is obtained by cutting or taking a sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the curved section from a circular or substantially circular component, an elliptical or substantially elliptical component or a component of like shape, having a radius of curvature corresponding to the radius of curvature of the curved section. 2. A method according to Claim l characterized _in that the mid-point angle and radius of curvature of the curved stripe-section is obtained by cutting or taking a circular or elliptical sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the curved section from a circular or elliptical kit component. 3. A method according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that the mid-point angle and radius of curvature of a first curved section of the patterning stripe is obtained by cutting from a first circular or elliptical kit component a circle-sector or ellipse- sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the first curved section, while the mid-point angle and the radius of curvature of a second curved section of the patterning stripe is obtained by cutting a circle-sector or an ellipse-sector corresponding to the mid-point angle of the second curved section from a second circular or elliptical kit component. 4. A method according to Claim 3, characterized in that the mid-point angle and/or the radius of curvature of the first curved section differs from the mid-point angle and/or the radius of curvature of the second curved section, and so on. 5. A patterning stripe comprising one or more straight sections and one or more curved sections, characterized in that the curved section or sections comprises or comprise the whole or a part of a kit component which is of circular, near-circular, elliptical, near-elliptical shape or of like shape having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the curved section or sections. 6. A stripe according to Claim 5, characterized in that one or more straight components co-operate. with one or more curved components, where the curved components are obtained from a whole curved component or a part thereof or from whole curved components or parts thereof, these latter having the same or different radii of curvature . 7. A stripe according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, characterized in that straight sections are composed from one or more straight components; in that curved sections are composed from one or more circular components of different radius; and in that respective curved sections are formed from a complete circular component or a part thereof. 8. A stripe according to Claim 5, characterized in that the pattern of a straight component and the pattern of a curved component are identical; and in that these patterns blend with one another along a radius of the curved component. 9. A stripe according to Claim 5, characterized in that respective sections or components have an adhesive back surface. 10. A stripe according to Claim 9, characterized in that the components from which it is produced have the form of "rub-on" stickers.

Inventors: ARNEGAORD SVEN, CARLSSON GUNNAR, GARPENBECK ULF, ARNEGAORD, SVEN, CARLSSON, GUNNAR, GARPENBECK, ULF
Applicants: ARNEGAORD SVEN, CARLSSON GUNNAR, GARPENBECK ULF, ARNEGAORD, SVEN, CARLSSON, GUNNAR, GARPENBECK, ULF
Application year: 1985
Main classification: B44C1
IPC codes: B44C1