Patent ID: 7029535

Claim:
A plural element paint shield for temporarily protectively covering a downwardly facing front face of a lens of a light fixture comprising a plurality of paint shield elements each of which is configured to protectively cover a separate portion of the front face of the lens when in an installed position wherein the paint shield elements extend in adjacent side by side relationship to substantially contiguously cover the front face of the lens, with adjacent ones of the paint shield elements having portions configured to overlap when the paint shield elements are in the installed position, with each of the paint shield elements having edge portions configured to extend between an upwardly facing surface of a frame of the light fixture and perimeter portions of the downwardly facing front face of the lens when in the installed position, and with each of the paint shield elements being formed from relatively thin, relatively stiff material that resists sagging under the influence of gravity, and which is pliable enough to permit central portions thereof to flex away from the front face of the lens as may be needed to permit the edge portions to be inserted between the upwardly facing surface of the frame and the perimeter portions of the downwardly facing front face of the lens to hold the paint shield in place so the front face of the lens is protected from being coated with paint during painting of adjacent from face portions of the frame, and one of the paint shield elements is provided with a stiffening formation that extends transversely across at least a selected portion thereof and wherein one of the paint shield elements is provided with a stiffening formation extending across at least a selected portion thereof.