Patent ID: 7575637

Claim:
A coating mask for masking a portion of a substrate during coating of the substrate, said mask comprising: a first graphite segment having a contoured surface that is shaped to substantially conform to a first portion of the substrate such that a second portion of the substrate to be coated is not contacted by the first graphite segment, the first graphite segment is configured to facilitate preventing a coating from being deposited on the first portion during coating of the substrate, said first graphite segment comprising a first interlocking tab; a second graphite segment having a contoured surface that is shaped to substantially conform to a third portion of the substrate such that the second portion of the substrate to be coated is not contacted by the second graphite segment, the second graphite segment is configured to facilitate preventing a coating from being deposited on the third portion during coating of the substrate, said second graphite segment comprising a second interlocking tab, said first interlocking tab being configured to couple with said second interlocking tab to interlock said first and second graphite segments together, said first interlocking tab being outward of said second interlocking tab when the first and second graphite segments are coupled together; and a first plurality of graphite segments forming an inner mask comprising an outer surface that substantially conforms to an inner surface of the substrate.