Overlay applicator machine and method of using the same

• US 10,155,370 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2014
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Belkin International Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wadsworth, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orlando, Michael N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dulko, Marta S
• Application Number:
  US14/513,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20150047773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2063/0008 Registering, centering the lining material on the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/0004 Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/0047 Preventing air-inclusions
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/02 using sheet or web-like material B29C63/26 and B29C63/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3437 Cellular phones
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3475 Displays, monitors, TV-sets, computer screens
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/268 Release layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/18 involving the assembly of discrete sheets or panels only
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/26 with at least one layer which influences the bonding during the lamination process, e.g. release layers or pressure equalising layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1833 Positioning, e.g. registration or centering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1082 Partial cutting bonded sandwich [e.g., grooving or incising]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1744 Means bringing discrete articles into assembled relationship
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

An overlay applicator can include an overlay with a top side and a bottom side. The bottom side can include an adhesive agent configured to adhere to a screen of an electronic device. The overlay applicator can include an adhesive release liner. The adhesive release liner can include a top side and a bottom side. The top side of the adhesive release liner can be removably attached to the bottom side of the overlay. The adhesive release liner can be configured to protect the adhesive agent at the bottom side of the overlay from contaminants. The overlay applicator can include a protective film removably attached to the top side of the overlay. The overlay applicator can include an alignment tab. The alignment tab can include an alignment mechanism. The overlay applicator further can include a pull tab. The pull can include a wiper. Other embodiments are provided.

Claims

1. An overlay applicator machine, comprising:

a support base including a handle sliding mechanism and a carriage sliding mechanism;

a carriage, wherein the carriage includes a device slot, wherein the device slot is sized and shaped to hold an electronic device, and wherein the carriage is engaged with the carriage sliding mechanism; and

a handle assembly including a handle extender and a handle base, wherein the handle base includes a pulling mechanism, wherein the handle extender is engaged with the handle sliding mechanism, and wherein the handle sliding mechanism and carriage sliding mechanism are arranged to move the handle base and carriage in relative directions toward and away from one another, wherein the pulling mechanism corresponds to protrusions, recesses, or openings for engaging with a corresponding pulling aid of a pull tab of an overlay applicator, and wherein the carriage and the handle assembly, including the pulling mechanism, are arranged to align the overlay applicator with a screen of the electronic device when the electronic device is positioned in the device slot and the pulling mechanism is engaged with the pulling aid.

2. The overlay applicator machine of claim 1, wherein the carriage includes a cradle slot, wherein the cradle slot is sized and shaped to hold a cradle device including the device slot, wherein the cradle device includes an alignment base, wherein the alignment base corresponds to protrusions, recesses, or openings for engaging with a corresponding alignment mechanism of the overlay applicator, and wherein the cradle device is arranged to align the overlay applicator with the screen of the electronic device when the cradle device is positioned in the cradle slot and the alignment base is engaged with the alignment mechanism.

3. The overlay applicator machine of claim 2, wherein the cradle device is configured to be removably inserted into the cradle slot of the carriage.

4. The overlay applicator machine of claim 2, wherein the cradle device is fixedly attached to the carriage.

5. The overlay applicator machine of claim 2, wherein the cradle device is configured to hold the electronic device as an overlay layer of the overlay applicator is applied to the screen.

6. The overlay applicator machine of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of removable cradle devices, each of the plurality of removable cradle devices having a different device slot sized and shaped for holding a different electronic device.

7. A method, comprising:

inserting an electronic device in a device slot of an overlay applicator machine, wherein the overlay applicator machine includes;

a support base including a handle sliding mechanism and a carriage sliding mechanism;

a carriage, wherein the carriage includes the device slot, wherein the device slot is sized and shaped to hold the electronic device, and wherein the carriage is engaged with the carriage sliding mechanism; and

a handle assembly including a handle extender and a handle base, wherein the handle base includes a pulling mechanism, wherein the handle extender is engaged with the handle sliding mechanism, and wherein the handle sliding mechanism and the carriage sliding mechanism are arranged to move the handle base and carriage in relative directions towards and away from one another, wherein the pulling mechanism corresponds to protrusions, recesses or openings for engaging with a pulling aid of a pull tab of an overlay applicator, and wherein the carriage and the handle assembly, including the pulling mechanism, are arranged to align the overlay applicator with a screen of the electronic device when the electronic device is in the device slot and the pulling mechanism is engaged with the pulling aid;

engaging the pulling aid of the overlay applicator with the pulling mechanism; and

moving the handle assembly in a relative direction away from the carriage to pull the pull tab to remove an adhesive release liner of the overlay applicator, expose an adhesive of the overlay applicator, and apply an overlay layer of the overlay applicator to a screen of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the carriage includes a cradle slot, wherein the cradle slot is sized and shaped to hold a cradle device including the device slot, wherein the cradle device includes an alignment base, wherein the alignment base corresponds to protrusions, recesses, or openings for engaging with a corresponding alignment mechanism of the overlay applicator, wherein inserting the electronic device in the device slot includes inserting the cradle device holding the electronic device in the device slot into the cradle slot, to align the overlay applicator with the screen of the electronic device when the cradle device is position in the cradle slot and the alignment base is engaged with the alignment mechanism.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cradle device is configured to be removably inserted into the cradle slot of the carriage.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the cradle device is fixedly attached to the carriage.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the cradle device is configured to hold the electronic device as the overlay layer of the overlay applicator is applied to the screen.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the overlay applicator machine further includes a plurality of removable cradle devices, each of the plurality of removable cradle devices having a different device slot sized and shaped for holding a different electronic device.