Trowel body and trowel

Abstract

The application discloses a trowel main body and a trowel, wherein the trowel main body comprises a blade, an adapter plate and a pressing strip which are sequentially arranged in layers, and the blade, the adapter plate and the pressing strip are all in the shape of a long strip and extend along the same direction; the adapter plate is bonded to the middle part of the blade, the pressing strip is riveted to the middle part of the adapter plate, and the pressing strip is provided with a connecting part for connecting a handle connecting column. The trowel main body can effectively avoid bending deformation of the blade, the edge of the blade can keep high straightness for a long time, and the service life of the trowel is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of architectural hardware tools, and in particular to a trowel body and a trowel. Background Technology

[0002] A trowel is a commonly used hand tool in the construction and decoration industry, mainly used for smoothing and shaping mortar in processes such as wall plastering and floor mortar application. The structure of a traditional trowel typically includes a blade, a strip, a rivet, and a handle. Among these, the blade, as the working part that directly contacts the mortar, has its material, structural strength, and surface smoothness directly affecting construction efficiency and quality.

[0003] Current trowels connect the strip and the blade with rivets. Because the rivets need to penetrate the blade, the rivets and rivet holes are visible on the working surface of the blade, requiring additional grinding to ensure flatness and aesthetics. Furthermore, the need to create rivet holes in the blade prevents the use of high-hardness, high-quality high-carbon steel blades. This makes the blade prone to bending and deformation due to uneven stress after prolonged use, leading to a decrease in the straightness of the working surface and affecting the accuracy of mortar smoothing.

[0004] The above content is only used to assist in understanding the technical solution of the utility model and does not represent an admission that the above content is prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the above problems, this utility model proposes a trowel body to solve the technical problem that the trowel is prone to bending and deformation after use.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the trowel body proposed in this utility model includes a blade, a transition plate, and a pressure strip stacked in sequence. The blade, transition plate, and pressure strip all extend in the same direction and are elongated. The transition plate is bonded to the middle of the blade, and the pressure strip is riveted to the middle of the transition plate. The pressure strip is provided with a connecting part for the handle connecting post to be connected.

[0007] In one embodiment, the surface of the blade facing the adapter plate is defined as the mounting surface, and a friction surface area is provided in the middle of the mounting surface. The friction coefficient of the friction surface area is greater than the friction coefficient of the rest of the mounting surface; the adapter plate is bonded to the friction surface area.

[0008] In one embodiment, the area of ​​the friction surface region is less than or equal to the surface area of ​​the adapter plate, so that the adapter plate is located within the friction surface region.

[0009] In one embodiment, the friction surface region is textured.

[0010] In one embodiment, the ratio of the length of the adapter plate to the length of the blade is greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 0.9; and / or, the ratio of the width of the adapter plate to the width of the blade is greater than or equal to 0.4 and less than or equal to 0.6.

[0011] In one embodiment, the thickness of the adapter plate is greater than or equal to the thickness of the blade, and the ratio of the thickness of the pressure strip to the sum of the thicknesses of the adapter plate and the blade is greater than 3.

[0012] In one embodiment, the area of ​​the adapter plate is smaller than the area of ​​the blade; the connecting part is located in the middle of the length direction of the pressure strip, and the trowel body also includes a plurality of rivet posts. The pressure strip is provided with a plurality of rivet holes on both sides of the connecting part. The plurality of rivet posts correspond one-to-one with the plurality of rivet holes to integrally rivet the pressure strip and the adapter plate.

[0013] In one embodiment, the blade is made of high carbon steel; and / or, the blade has cutting edges on both long sides facing away from the wall of the adapter plate; and / or, the adapter plate and the pressure strip are made of metal.

[0014] This utility model also proposes a trowel, including a handle, a connecting post, and a trowel body as described in any of the above embodiments. The connecting post includes an integrally formed main post and an embedded post disposed at the bottom of the main post. The connecting part of the trowel body is a connecting hole, and the embedded post is riveted to the connecting hole. The top end of the main post is fixedly connected to the handle.

[0015] In one embodiment, the connecting portion is located at the middle of the length of the pressure strip, and the trowel body further includes a plurality of rivet posts. The pressure strip has a plurality of riveting holes on both sides of the connecting portion, and the plurality of rivet posts correspond one-to-one with the plurality of riveting holes to integrally rivet the pressure strip and the adapter plate. The bottom end of the main post is welded to the pressure strip of the trowel body. The handle has a front section and a rear section located on the front and rear sides of the connecting post, and the length of the rear section is greater than the length of the front section. The number of rivet posts located on the front side of the connecting post is greater than the number of rivet posts located on the rear side of the connecting post.

[0016] This utility model of a trowel uses an adapter plate between the blade and the pressure strip. The adapter plate is bonded to the blade and riveted to the pressure strip. Therefore, the adapter plate acts as an intermediary between the pressure strip and the blade. While ensuring a stable and reliable connection between the blade and the pressure strip, it eliminates the need to rivet the pressure strip to the blade, thus eliminating the need for riveting holes and preserving the blade's structural integrity. It also eliminates the need for post-installation grinding. Furthermore, the blade can be made of high-hardness and high-strength high-carbon steel, and the adapter plate strengthens the middle section of the blade, effectively preventing bending and deformation. This ensures the blade edge maintains high straightness over a long period, extending the trowel's service life. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This diagram shows a structural schematic of one embodiment of the trowel body of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the trowel of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a medium-sized trowel;

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a trowel at one angle;

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another angle of the trowel.

[0023] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0024] label name label name label name 100 trowel body 110 blade 111 Mounting surface 112 Friction surface area 120 Adapter board 130 Pressing strip 131 Connection part 132 Riveting holes 140 Riveted Column 200 handle 210 front section 220 Later 300 Connecting column 310 Main column 320 Embedded Column

[0025] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. In addition, the technical solutions of various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those of ordinary skill in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0027] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0028] In this embodiment of the utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0029] In this embodiment of the invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0030] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the meaning of "and / or" throughout the text is to include three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution that simultaneously satisfies both A and B.

[0031] This utility model proposes a trowel body.

[0032] In this embodiment of the utility model, please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The trowel body 100 includes a blade 110, a connecting plate 120, and a pressure strip 130 stacked in sequence. The blade 110, the connecting plate 120, and the pressure strip 130 all extend in the same direction as a long strip. The connecting plate 120 is bonded to the middle of the blade 110, and the pressure strip 130 is riveted to the middle of the connecting plate 120. The pressure strip 130 is provided with a connecting part 131 for the handle 200 connecting post 300 to be connected.

[0033] In this embodiment, the blade 110, adapter plate 120, and pressure strip 130 all extend in the same direction as elongated strips. Therefore, the blade 110 and adapter plate 120 are strip-shaped sheet structures, and the pressure strip 130 is a strip-shaped column structure. Typically, the pressure strip 130 is a square column structure. Generally, the blade 110 is rectangular. Of course, the blade 110 can also be configured in other shapes, which are not specifically limited here. The adapter plate 120 can have the same shape as the blade 110, or they can be different. To improve aesthetics, the adapter plate 120 can optionally have the same shape as the blade 110. The blade 110, adapter plate 120, and pressure strip 130 are all made of metal. The blade 110 and adapter plate 120 are bonded with metal adhesive. For example, the blade 110 and adapter plate 120 can be bonded with epoxy resin AB glue, acrylic AB glue, polyurethane AB glue, etc., to improve the bonding reliability of the blade 110 and adapter plate 120. Understandably, since both the blade 110 and the adapter plate 120 are sheet-like, their contact area is large, resulting in high stability after bonding. Because the blade 110 and the adapter plate 120 are bonded with adhesive, there is no need to drill rivet holes 132 on the blade 110, ensuring the integrity of the blade 110. Therefore, the blade 110 can be made of high-hardness and high-strength high-carbon steel. This effectively prevents the blade 110 from bending and deforming, extending its service life. To save costs and reduce weight, the area of ​​the adapter plate 120 can optionally be smaller than that of the blade 110. The adapter plate 120 is bonded to the center of the blade 110, thus structurally reinforcing the center of the blade 110 and further preventing bending and deformation after long-term use. This allows the edge of the blade 110 to maintain high straightness over a long period, further extending the service life of the trowel.

[0034] To ensure high hardness and strength, the blade 110 may optionally be made of high-carbon steel. This improves the hardness, strength, and wear resistance of the blade 110, further preventing bending and deformation, thereby improving the product quality of the trowel body 100. The pressure strip 130 and the adapter plate 120 can be riveted together. By riveting the pressure strip 130 to the center of the adapter plate 120, the stability and reliability of the connection between the pressure strip 130 and the adapter plate 120 can be ensured. The connecting part 131 provided on the pressure strip 130 can be a mounting hole or a mounting post, as long as it can allow the handle 200 connecting post 300 to be connected and fixed. The specific structure of the connecting part 131 is not limited here.

[0035] The main body 100 of this utility model of a trowel uses an adapter plate 120 between the blade 110 and the pressure strip 130. The adapter plate 120 is bonded to the blade 110 and riveted to the pressure strip 130. Therefore, the adapter plate 120 serves as an intermediary connecting the pressure strip 130 and the blade 110. While ensuring a stable and reliable connection between the blade 110 and the pressure strip 130, it eliminates the need to rivet the pressure strip 130 to the blade 110. This eliminates the need for riveting holes 132 in the blade 110, ensuring its structural integrity and eliminating the need for post-installation grinding. Furthermore, the blade 110 can be made of high-hardness and high-strength high-carbon steel. The adapter plate 120 strengthens the middle section of the blade 110, preventing bending and deformation due to long-term stress from the pressure strip 130. This allows the edge of the blade 110 to maintain high straightness over a long period, thus extending the service life of the trowel.

[0036] In one embodiment, please refer to the following: Figure 3 The surface of the blade 110 facing the adapter plate 120 is defined as the mounting surface 111. A friction surface area 112 is provided in the middle of the mounting surface 111. The friction coefficient of the friction surface area 112 is greater than the friction coefficient of the other areas of the mounting surface 111. The adapter plate 120 is bonded to the friction surface area 112.

[0037] In this embodiment, the surface of the blade 110 is generally set as a mirror layer. That is, the outer surface of the blade 110 is polished into a smooth and flat mirror surface so that the working surface of the blade 110 is smooth and flat and does not easily attract dust. The friction coefficient of the friction surface area 112 can be improved by surface treatment, such as knurling, sandblasting, texturing, etc. By setting a friction surface area 112 with a high friction coefficient on the mounting surface 111, the adapter plate 120 can be bonded to the friction surface area 112, which can improve the bonding force between the adapter plate 120 and the blade 110, thereby further improving the bonding reliability and stability of the adapter plate 120 and the blade 110. Optionally, the friction surface area 112 is textured. Specifically, knurling can be performed on the friction surface area 112 to create diamond, straight, or mesh patterns; sandblasting, laser texturing, or groove cutting can also be performed on the friction surface area 112 to create texture. By setting texture on the friction surface area 112, compared to chemical and heat treatment on the mounting surface 111, the bonding strength is improved while the processing cost is lower.

[0038] The area of ​​the friction surface region 112 can be designed according to actual needs. In one embodiment, the area of ​​the friction surface region 112 is less than or equal to the surface area of ​​the adapter plate 120, so that the adapter plate 120 is located within the friction surface region 112. This effectively prevents the friction surface region 112 from being exposed outside the adapter plate 120, making it difficult for dust to adhere to the blade 110 while maintaining the brightness of the exposed portion of the mounting surface 111. Generally, the area of ​​the friction region is approximately equal to the surface area of ​​the adapter plate 120, thus maximizing the bonding reliability between the adapter plate 120 and the blade 110 while preventing the friction surface region 112 from being exposed.

[0039] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the ratio of the length of the adapter plate 120 to the length of the blade 110 is greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 0.9; and / or, the ratio of the width of the adapter plate 120 to the width of the blade 110 is greater than or equal to 0.4 and less than or equal to 0.6.

[0040] In this embodiment, the ratio of the length of the adapter plate 120 to the length of the blade 110 can specifically be 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.75, 0.8, 0.86, 0.9, etc. The ratio of the width of the adapter plate 120 to the width of the blade 110 can specifically be 0.4, 0.45, 0.5, 0.58, 0.6, etc. If the ratio of the length of the adapter plate 120 to the length of the blade 110 is less than 0.5, and / or the ratio of the width of the adapter plate 120 to the width of the blade 110 is less than 0.4, making the adapter plate 120 too short, too narrow, or too small in area, it will affect the bonding strength between the adapter plate 120 and the blade 110, and the structural reinforcement effect of the adapter plate 120 on the blade 110 will be insignificant. If the ratio of the length of the adapter plate 120 to the length of the blade 110 is greater than 0.9, and / or the ratio of the width of the adapter plate 120 to the width of the blade 110 is greater than 0.6, the adapter plate 120 becomes too long, too wide, or its area is close to that of the blade 110, resulting in a large overall weight and high cost. This embodiment achieves this by ensuring that the ratio of the length of the adapter plate 120 to the length of the blade 110 is greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 0.9; and / or that the ratio of the width of the adapter plate 120 to the width of the blade 110 is greater than or equal to 0.4 and less than or equal to 0.6. This makes the length, width, and area of ​​the adapter plate 120 suitable, thus ensuring reliable bonding between the adapter plate 120 and the blade 110 while providing significant structural reinforcement to the blade 110. This makes the blade 110 less prone to bending and deformation, and results in a lightweight and low-cost overall design.

[0041] In one embodiment, the thickness of the adapter plate 120 is greater than or equal to the thickness of the blade 110, and the ratio of the thickness of the pressure strip 130 to the sum of the thicknesses of the adapter plate 120 and the blade 110 is greater than 3. If the thickness of the adapter plate 120 is less than the thickness of the blade 110, the adapter plate 120 is too thin, and its structural strengthening effect is not significant. By making the thickness of the adapter plate 120 greater than or equal to the thickness of the blade 110, the structural strength of the blade 110 can be effectively improved, making the blade 110 less prone to bending and deformation. Making the ratio of the thickness of the pressure strip 130 to the sum of the thicknesses of the adapter plate 120 and the blade 110 greater than 3 means that the pressure strip 130 and the adapter plate 120 can be riveted together with sufficiently long rivets, thereby ensuring the reliability of their connection and thus ensuring the stable installation of the handle 200 and the trowel body 100.

[0042] Specifically, please refer to Figures 1 to 5 The area of ​​the adapter plate 120 is smaller than that of the blade 110. The connecting part 131 is located in the middle of the length of the pressure strip 130. The trowel body 100 also includes multiple rivet posts 140. The pressure strip 130 has multiple riveting holes 132 on both sides of the connecting part 131. The multiple rivet posts 140 correspond one-to-one with the multiple rivet holes 132 to integrally rivet the pressure strip 130 and the adapter plate 120. The rivet posts can be made of steel. The number of rivet posts 140 can be selected according to actual needs. For example, rivet posts 140 can be set to 4, 6, 7, 8, etc. By setting multiple rivet posts 140 on both sides of the connecting part 131, the pressure strip 130 is riveted to the adapter plate 120 on both sides of the connecting part 131, which can improve the connection reliability between the two and avoid loosening after long-term use.

[0043] In one embodiment, the blade 110 is rectangular, and the two long edges of the blade 110 facing away from the wall of the adapter plate 120 are provided with cutting edges. The long edges of the blade 110 facing away from the wall of the adapter plate 120 can be finely ground to form cutting edges, ensuring the straightness of the left and right edges of the blade 110. Thus, the user does not need to additionally grind the edges of the blade 110 during use, improving the user experience.

[0044] This utility model also proposes a trowel, such as Figures 2 to 5As shown, the trowel includes a handle 200, a connecting post 300, and a trowel body 100. The specific structure of the trowel body 100 is as described in the above embodiments. The connecting post 300 includes an integrally formed main post 310 and an embedded post 320 disposed at the bottom of the main post 310. The connecting part 131 of the trowel body 100 is a connecting hole, and the embedded post 320 is riveted to the connecting hole. The top end of the main post 310 is fixedly connected to the handle 200. Since this trowel adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here.

[0045] To improve grip and increase friction, the handle 200 can be made of wood. Typically, the handle 200 is cylindrical, and its axis extends in the same direction as the length of the pressure strip 130. The connecting post 300 is made of high-strength steel. It is understood that the cross-sectional area of ​​the main post 310 is larger than that of the embedded post 320 to ensure the structural strength of the connecting post 300. This allows the embedded post 320 to be riveted to the central connecting hole of the pressure strip 130, making the connection between the connecting post 300 and the pressure strip 130 more secure and reliable. The top of the main post 310 can be fixed to the handle 200 using a combination of embedding and adhesive. This connection between the handle 200 and the pressure strip 130 via the connecting post 300 ensures a secure grip while preventing accidental loosening of the trowel's components during use.

[0046] Furthermore, the connecting part 131 is located in the middle of the length direction of the pressure strip 130, and the trowel body 100 also includes a plurality of rivet posts 140. The pressure strip 130 is provided with a plurality of rivet holes 132 on both sides of the connecting part 131. The plurality of rivet posts 140 correspond one-to-one with the plurality of rivet holes 132 to integrally rivet the pressure strip 130 and the adapter plate 120. The bottom end of the main body post 310 is welded to the pressure strip 130 of the trowel body 100. The handle 200 has a front section 210 and a rear section 220 located on the front and rear sides of the connecting post 300. The length of the rear section 220 is greater than the length of the front section 210. The number of rivet posts 140 located on the front side of the connecting post 300 is greater than the number of rivet posts 140 located on the rear side of the connecting post 300.

[0047] In this embodiment, after the embedded post 320 of the connecting post 300 is embedded in the connecting hole of the pressure strip 130, the main post 310 of the connecting post 300 is then welded to the surface of the pressure strip 130. This further improves the stability and reliability of the connection between the connecting post 300 and the pressure strip 130, effectively preventing accidental loosening during use and extending the product's service life. It is understood that when the operator uses the trowel, holding the rear section 220 of the handle 200, the blade 110 experiences uneven force at the front and rear, with most of the force acting on the front. Therefore, the number of rivets located on the front side of the connecting post 300 is greater than the number of rivets located on the rear side of the connecting post 300, further preventing the pressure strip 130 and the adapter plate 120 from loosening and improving product reliability.

[0048] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A trowel body, characterized in that, It includes a blade, an adapter plate, and a pressure strip stacked in sequence. The blade, adapter plate, and pressure strip all extend in the same direction and are elongated strips. The adapter plate is bonded to the middle of the blade, and the pressure strip is riveted to the middle of the adapter plate. The pressure strip is provided with a connecting part for the handle connecting post to be connected. The surface of the blade facing the adapter plate is defined as the mounting surface. A friction surface area is provided in the middle of the mounting surface. The friction coefficient of the friction surface area is greater than that of the other areas of the mounting surface. The adapter plate is bonded to the friction surface area.

2. The trowel body as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The area of ​​the friction surface region is less than or equal to the surface area of ​​the adapter plate, so that the adapter plate is located within the friction surface region.

3. The trowel body as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The friction surface area has a texture.

4. The trowel body as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The ratio of the length of the adapter plate to the length of the blade is greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 0.9; and / or the ratio of the width of the adapter plate to the width of the blade is greater than or equal to 0.4 and less than or equal to 0.

6.

5. The trowel body as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The thickness of the adapter plate is greater than or equal to the thickness of the blade, and the ratio of the thickness of the pressure strip to the sum of the thicknesses of the adapter plate and the blade is greater than 3.

6. The trowel body as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The area of ​​the adapter plate is smaller than the area of ​​the blade; the connecting part is located in the middle of the length direction of the pressure strip, and the trowel body also includes multiple rivet posts. The pressure strip is provided with multiple riveting holes on both sides of the connecting part. The multiple rivet posts correspond one-to-one with the multiple riveting holes to integrally rivet the pressure strip and the adapter plate.

7. The trowel body as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The blade is made of high carbon steel; and / or, the blade has cutting edges on both long sides away from the wall of the adapter plate; and / or, the adapter plate and the pressure strip are made of metal.

8. A trowel, characterized in that, The trowel includes a handle, a connecting post, and a trowel body as described in any one of claims 1 to 7. The connecting post includes an integrally formed main post and an embedded post disposed at the bottom of the main post. The connecting part of the trowel body is a connecting hole, and the embedded post is riveted to the connecting hole. The top end of the main post is fixedly connected to the handle.

9. The trowel as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The trowel body is the trowel body as described in claim 6; the bottom end of the main column is welded to the pressure strip of the trowel body; the handle has a front section and a rear section located on the front and rear sides of the connecting column, the length of the rear section is greater than the length of the front section; the number of rivet columns located on the front side of the connecting column is greater than the number of rivet columns located on the rear side of the connecting column.

Images