U.S. patent application number 13/319450 was filed with the patent office on 2012-03-01 for backing plate for a buffing pad.
This patent application is currently assigned to 3M Innovative Properties Company. Invention is credited to Aaron C. Krause, Aleksandrs Titovs.
Application Number | 20120052780 13/319450 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42558481 |
Filed Date | 2012-03-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120052780 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Krause; Aaron C. ; et
al. |
March 1, 2012 |
BACKING PLATE FOR A BUFFING PAD
Abstract
A backing plate for a buffing pad is comprised of a
substantially circular disc having first and second surfaces that
are adapted to be connected to the nonworking faces of first and
second buffing media to form a two-sided buffing pad. The disc has
a central hub with an axial opening therein that is adapted to
connect the plate to a shaft of a power buffer. The opening is
essentially hexagonally shaped in that it is formed of six straight
walls. The ends of adjacent walls are spaced apart from each other
by circular recesses and do not directly connect to each other.
Inventors: |
Krause; Aaron C.; (Voorhees,
NJ) ; Titovs; Aleksandrs; (Olaine, LV) |
Assignee: |
3M Innovative Properties
Company
|
Family ID: |
42558481 |
Appl. No.: |
13/319450 |
Filed: |
May 13, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
May 13, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2010/034638 |
371 Date: |
November 8, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61177914 |
May 13, 2009 |
|
|
|
61322019 |
Apr 8, 2010 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
451/526 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24B 45/00 20130101;
B24D 9/08 20130101; B24D 13/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
451/526 |
International
Class: |
B24D 11/02 20060101
B24D011/02 |
Claims
1. A backing plate for a buffing pad comprising: a substantially
circular disc having a first surface adapted to be connected to the
nonworking face of a first buffing medium; said disc having a
central hub with an axial opening therein adapted to connect said
backing plate to a shaft of a power buffer; said opening being
formed of a plurality of straight walls, wherein the ends of
adjacent walls are spaced from each other and do not directly
connect to each other.
2. The backing plate for a buffing pad of claim 1 wherein the space
between the ends of adjacent walls is formed by a circular
recess.
3. The backing plate for a buffing pad of claim 1 wherein said disc
has a second surface adapted to be connected to the nonworking face
of a second buffing medium so as to form a two-sided buffing
pad.
4. The backing plate for a buffing pad of claim 1 wherein said
opening is formed of six walls arranged in a substantially regular
hexagonal pattern.
5. The backing plate for a buffing pad of claim 1 wherein the
straight walls forming the axial opening of the central hub have a
groove that circumscribes the opening.
6. The backing plate for a buffing pad of claim 1 wherein several
of the straight walls forming the axial opening of the central hub
include a dimple.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 61/177914, filed May 13, 2009 and U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 61/322019, filed Apr. 8, 2010,
the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention is directed to a backing plate for a
buffing pad and, more particularly, to a backing plate for a
two-sided buffing pad which allows the buffing pad to be more
easily and quickly released from and reattached to a power
buffer.
[0003] Buffing pads for use in high speed polishing of automobiles
and the like may be one-sided or two-sided. A one-sided buffing pad
is typically circular and comprises a buffing medium (e.g., foam,
wool, etc.) attached to one face of a rigid backing plate which is
attached by a central hub to the drive shaft or spindle of a motor
for a power buffer. The buffing medium may be permanently attached
to the backing plate or releasably attached thereto in order to
allow for replacement without disposing of the backing plate. A
two-sided buffing pad includes buffing medium attached to each face
of a rigid backing plate. The plate includes a hub for releasably
attaching the buffing pad to the drive shaft or spindle of the
buffing motor. The pad may be attached to the drive shaft or
spindle of the motor from either side of the buffing pad, thereby
allowing the pad to be reversed after one side has been used.
[0004] A backing plate used with a quick release buffing pad
assembly and, more particularly, used with a two-sided buffing pad,
is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,446 to Krause et al.,
the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The backing plate includes a central opening that receives a
connector having a hexagonally shaped opening that is intended to
be secured to the complimentary hexagonally shaped head of a quick
connector such as that also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,446.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] There is provided a backing plate for a buffing pad that is
comprised of a substantially circular disc having first and second
surfaces that are adapted to be connected to the nonworking faces
of first and, optionally, second buffing media to form a
single-sided or two-sided buffing pad. The disc has a central hub
with an axial opening therein that is adapted to connect the
backing plate to a shaft of a power buffer. The opening is formed
of a plurality of straight walls, with the ends of adjacent walls
being spaced apart from each other and not directly connected to
each other. This arrangement advantageously prevents the opening
from deforming so that it can be easily connected to and removed
from a quick connector. Preferably, the axial opening comprises six
straight walls arranged in a substantially regular hexagonal
pattern with a substantially circular recess formed between the
ends of adjacent walls. The straight walls forming the axial
opening of the central hub may have a groove that circumscribes the
opening or the walls may include a dimple.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is
shown in the accompanying drawings one form which is presently
preferred, it being understood that the invention is not intended
to be limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities
shown.
[0007] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of a backing
plate for a buffing pad according to the invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the center hub of the backing
plate of FIG. 1;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the backing
plate mounted on a connector for connection to a shaft of a power
buffer;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the backing plate being
connected to a connector;
[0011] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view similar to FIG. 4 but
showing the backing plate connected to the connector; and
[0012] FIG. 6 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 but showing
an alternative embodiment of the backing plate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Referring now to the several drawings in detail wherein like
reference numerals have been used throughout the various figures to
designate like elements, there is shown in FIG. 1 a backing plate
10. Backing plate 10 is adapted for use with a buffing pad such as
a single-sided or two-sided buffing pad (not shown separately in
the drawings). As described below, backing plate 10 is particularly
suited for use with a quick connector (sometimes called a quick
release connector) adapted to connect a buffing pad to a power
buffer.
[0014] The backing plate 10 is comprised of a substantially
circular disc 12 having a first surface 14 which is adapted to be
connected to the nonworking face of a first buffing medium such as
foam, wool or the like (not shown separately in the drawings). The
opposite side of disc 12 has a second surface 16 which is adapted
to be connected to the nonworking face of a second buffing medium
if a two-sided buffing pad is being used. Disc 12 is a plate-shaped
member, generally.
[0015] It is, of course, possible to utilize the backing plate 10
with a single-sided buffing pad and a quick release connector
therefore. In such a case, a buffing medium is secured to only one
surface 14 or 16 of the disc 12. Holes or openings 18a, 18b, 18c
and 18d in disc 12 help to secure the buffing media to disc 12 by
allowing the medium on each surface 14 and 16 to be glued or
otherwise attached to each other. In a single-sided buffing pad, a
layer of fabric or other material can be attached to the opposite
side of disc 12 and glued or otherwise attached to the nonworking
surface of the single medium through the openings 18a-d.
[0016] Disc 12 includes a central hub 20 which, as shown most
clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5, is thicker than the remaining portions of
the disc. The central hub 20 includes an axial opening 22 therein
which is adapted to connect the backing plate 10 and the buffing
pad which is formed utilizing the backing plate to a shaft or
spindle for a power buffer such as a motor-driven rotary buffer.
This connection may be made through the use of a quick connector 24
such as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0017] To prevent movement (e.g., rotation) of the backing plate 12
relative to the quick connector 24, the quick connector includes a
hexagonally shaped head 26 and the opening 22 in the hub 20 is also
substantially hexagonally shaped. This is, of course, by way of
example only. The present invention is not limited thereto. The
invention would also function if the head 26 of the quick connector
24 were formed to have three straight sides resembling a triangle
or four sides resembling a square. In fact, substantially any
number of sides is possible as long as the opening 22 in the hub 20
has a complementary shape.
[0018] The substantially hexagonal shaped opening 22 is formed of
six straight walls such as shown at 28a to 28f. Advantageously, the
ends of the adjacent walls do not directly connect to each other.
As can best be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, there is a space, slot or
indentation 30a which is shown by way of example as a substantially
circular recess that is formed between each pair of adjacent walls.
Thus, the ends of the adjacent walls are spaced apart from each
other and do not directly connect. As shown most clearly in FIGS. 3
and 5, the corners formed by adjacent walls of the hexagonal head
26 of the quick connector 24 loosely fit within these recesses.
[0019] To further prevent movement (e.g., rotation) of the backing
plate 12 relative to the quick connector 24, the quick connector
may include three displaceable balls 32 (of which only two are
shown in FIG. 4) that can be received in groove 34 circumscribing
the inner surface of the opening 22 as shown in FIG. 4.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the balls 32 may be received in
corresponding dimples 36 formed in walls 28a to 28f. For
convenience of use, a dimple is preferably formed in each wall,
although they could be provided only in three walls corresponding
to the number and position of the balls. When the quick connector
24 is inserted into the opening 22, the balls 32 can move or be
displaced outwardly upon encountering the groove 34 or the dimples
36 so as to be received therein.
[0020] To facilitate manufacturing and use, backing plate 10 can be
readily formed so as to have symmetrical front and back surfaces.
That is, surface 14 and opposite surface 16 of disc 12 are
identical to each other in the illustrated drawings, as are both
sides of hub 20. Thus, although only portions of the opposite side
16 of disc 12 are shown in FIG. 3, it should be understood that the
two sides are the same. Of course, surfaces 14 and 16 could be
formed so that they are not identical if this does not impair the
utility of backing plate 10.
[0021] Backing plate 10 is preferably made of plastic. It must be
rigid enough to support and adequately buff or polish a surface
such as on a motor vehicle but sufficiently flexible to properly
allow the buffing medium (typically formed of wool or foam) to bend
or flex as needed. Thus, softer more flexible plastics are more
desirable for the backing plate. However, while more flexible
plastics are preferred for performing the actual buffing operation,
the attachment to and detachment from a quick connector can be
problematic.
[0022] As the buffing pad is being used, the softer plastic that
also forms the hub of the backing plate can deform from the bending
and twisting endured by the buffing pad. This deformation may also
deform the hexagonal opening in the hub which can make it difficult
to remove the buffing pad from the connector and/or reattach the
buffing pad to the connector when it is desired to use the pad
again after it has been turned over or cleaned.
[0023] Opening 22 formed in hub 20 advantageously allows backing
plate 10 to be made from a softer, flexible plastic material
because the buffing pad can be easily and quickly released from and
reattached to a quick release connector even after it has been used
for a period of time.
[0024] The present invention may be embodied in other specific
forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes
thereof and accordingly, reference should be made to the appended
claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the
scope of the invention.
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