Sensory device protector

• US 10,681,830 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Troy Goodenough
• Original Assignee: Troy Goodenough
• Inventors: Goodenough, Troy
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Md Saiful A
• Application Number:
  US15/731,483
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/185 Improving the rigidity of the casing or resistance to shocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/03 Covers

Abstract

The present invention provides sensory device combinations, such as a portable touch screen smart phone, which possesses unexpectedly superior protection against impact damage. The sensory device combinations include a unique class of thermoset viscoelastomeric protectors containing epoxidized vegetable oils as a predominant thermosetting reaction media reactant. The thermoset viscoelastomeric protector possesses fluid-like compression and rebounding characteristics, and may be suitably positioned so as to protect any delicate sensory device component from impact damage. The viscoelastomeric protector may be provided in a form substantially free from aberration and thus it is perfectly compatible for use as a visually transparent component of a touch screen device. The viscoelastomeric protector can also serve as a heat sump.

Claims

1. A sensory device combination comprising a sensory device equipped to protect the device against impact shock damage, said sensory device combination comprising:

A. a sensing unit electronically equipped to detect a physical sense comprising at least one selected from a group consisting of touch, visual, audio, smell and taste applied to the sensing unit and to transmit an electronic command signal representative of the physical sense detected by the sensing unit;

B. a master control center comprising hardware in communication with the sensing unit and responsive to the electronic command signal so as to portray a message via a display module in response to the electronic command signal; and

C. a thermoset viscoelastomeric protector positioned within the sensory device at a protective position so as to protect one or more impact shock damageable components of the sensory device against the impact shock damage; and

wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector comprises a protective coating having a thickness ranging from about 20 mils to about 50 mils; and

wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is chemically bonded to the one or more damageable components of the sensory device.

2. The sensory device combination according to claim 1 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector comprises a thermoset reaction product of a reaction media comprising:

A. an epoxidized vegetable oil as a predominant reaction media reactant by weight of the reaction media;

B. about 20 to about 40 percent by weight of a polyether triol;

C. about 6 to about 12 percent by weight of a polyether diol;

D. about 5 to 8 percent by weight of a methylene diphenyl isocyanate and glycerol based prepolymer;

E. from about 0 to 10 percent by weight of a bleached vegetable oil, and;

F. a catalytic amount of a thermosetting catalyst for said thermoset reaction product.

3. The sensory device combination according to claim 1 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is positioned at an interfacing relationship to a transparent non-conductive touch screen panel of the sensing unit.

4. The sensory device combination according to claim 3 wherein the one or more impact shock damageable components comprise a pair of glass panels each coated with a touch sensitive electronic circuitry to sense the location of a touching sense applied to the sensing unit and wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is sandwiched between the pair of glass panels.

5. The sensory device combination according to claim 4 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is chemically bonded to an outermost touch screen glass panel of said pair.

6. The sensory device combination according to claim 1 wherein the sensing unit includes a touch screen panel and the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is positioned between an inward side of a transparent non-conductive touch screen panel and the display module of the sensory device.

7. The sensory device combination according to claim 1 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is substantially free of aberrations and the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is placed in visual alignment with the display module of the sensory device.

8. A sensory device possessing impact damage resistance against impacting forces exerted upon said device, said device comprising:

A. a sensory unit electronically equipped to sense an applied physical sense comprising at least one selected from a group consisting of touch, visual, audio, smell and taste and transmit an electronic command signal representative of the applied sense,

B. a master control center comprising hardware in communication with the sensory unit and responsive to the command signal so as to broadcast a data based informational message upon a display module in response to the command signal, and

C. a thermoset viscoelastomeric protector internally positioned within the device at a protective position so as to protect at least one component of the device susceptible to impact damage and thereby provide impact shock protection to the sensory device; and

wherein the sensing unit comprises a pair of transparent non-conductive glass panels equipped with a gridded electronic circuitry to sense the location of a touched site;

wherein the sensing device comprises a pair of transparent non-conductive support members fragile to impact force damage laterally positioned apart so as to provide a capacitive conductance;

wherein the sensing device further comprises a pair of electro-conductor sensors respectively secured to each of the transparent non-conductive support members in a capacitive relationship so as to locate and transmit an electronic signal representative of an applied sensory signal as applied to the sensing unit; and

wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is positioned in an interfacial contacting relationship to at least one transparent non-conductive support member so as to provide impact damage resistance to the transparent non-conductive support member.

9. The sensory device according to claim 8 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector comprises a cured thermoset reaction product of a reaction media comprising:

A. an epoxidized vegetable oil as a predominant reaction media reactant by weight;

B. about 20 to about 40 percent by weight of a polyether triol;

C. about 6 to about 12 percent by weight of a polyether diol;

D. about 5 to 8 percent by weight of a methylene diphenyl isocyanate based glycerol prepolymer;

E. from about 0 to 10 percent by weight of a bleached vegetable oil, and;

F. a catalytic amount of a thermosetting catalyst for said reaction product.

10. The sensory device according to claim 9 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is chemically bonded to an outer transparent panel of the sensing unit.

11. The sensory device according to claim 8 wherein the sensing unit is coated with a sensory electro-conductor selected from a group consisting of a printed conductive circuitry, an indium tin oxide circuitry and a copper circuitry.

12. The sensory device according to claim 8 wherein the sensory device comprises a touch screen device equipped with a pair of glass panels and wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is placed in an interfacial relationship to a top glass panel of the pair of glass panels.

13. The sensory device according to claim 12 wherein the reaction product is cured while in interfacial contact with at least one glass panel of the pair of transparent non-conductive glass panels so as to create a chemical bonding thereto.

14. The sensory device according to claim 13 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector has been cured while sandwiched between the pair of transparent non-conductive glass panels.

15. The sensory device according to claim 8 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is positioned beneath an innermost glass panel of the pair of transparent non-conductive glass panels.

16. The sensory device according to claim 15 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is adhesively attached to a top glass panel and the sensory device includes a protective plastic overlay covering which protectively shields the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector from external contamination.

17. The sensory device according to claim 8 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is sandwiched between the pair of transparent non-conductive glass panels.

18. The sensory device according to claim 8 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector comprises a cured thermoset prepared by thermosetting a reaction media consisting essentially of:

A. about 45 to about 60 percent by weight of the epoxidized vegetable oil;

B. a polyether triol having three functional hydroxyl groups and having a molecular weight ranging from about 1,000 to about 2,000;

C. a polyether diol having two functional hydroxyl groups and having a molecular weight ranging from about 1,000 to about 2,000; and

D. about 5 to about 8 percent by weight of a hydrocarbyl isocyanate reactant and glycol prepolymer.

19. The sensory device according to claim 18 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is substantially free from aberrations and the protector is placed in visual alignment with the display module of the sensory device.

20. The sensory device according to claim 19 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is chemically bonded to the display module of the sensory device.

21. The sensory device according to claim 18 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector comprises a cured coating having a coating thickness ranging from about 10 mils to about 50 mils.

22. A method of providing a sensing device having impact shock resistance against damaging impacting forces, said method comprising:

A. providing a sensing device having a sensing unit electronically equipped to sense a physical sense comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of touch, visual, audio, smell and taste impressed upon the sensing unit and to transmit an electronic command signal responsive to the physical sense impressed upon the sensing unit,

B. providing a master control center comprising hardware operationally in communication with a data base source and responsive to the command signal so as to portray a data based message on a display module in response to the command signal, and

C. disposing a thermoset viscoelastomeric protector internally positioned within the sensing device so as to provide impact shock protection to an impact force damageable component within the sensing device; and

wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector comprises the cured thermoset of a reaction media comprising;

a) an epoxidized vegetable oil as a predominant reaction media reactant by weight;

b) about 20 to about 40 percent by weight of a polyether triol having three functional hydroxyl groups;

c) about 6 to about 12 percent by weight of a polyether diol having two functional hydroxyl groups;

d) about 5 to 8 percent by weight of a methylene diphenyl isocyanate and glycol based prepolymer;

e) from about 0 to 10 percent by weight of a bleached vegetable oil, and;

f) a catalytic amount of a thermosetting catalyst for curing the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the sensing device comprises a touch screen device and the sensory unit consists essentially of a pair of laterally positioned glass panels coated with a capacitive electronic conductive coating.

24. The method according to claim 22 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is positioned in visual alignment with a visual display module of the sensing device and the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is substantially free from visual aberrations.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is positioned at an interfacing relationship to an outer touch screen panel of the sensory unit.

26. The method according to claim 22 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector comprises a thermoset viscoelastomeric coating chemically bonded to at least one impact damageable component of the sensing device.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric coating thickness ranges from about 20 mil to about 50 mil.

28. The method according to claim 22 wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector is adhesively affixed to an outer panel of the sensing device and wherein the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector includes a protective polymeric covering to protect the thermoset viscoelastomeric protector from environmental contamination.