Integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly

• US 8,384,674 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Northway, David, Hanson, William Robert, Lam, Lawrence, Slothower, Anna Pia
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JENNIFER T
• Application Number:
  US09/774,990
• Time in Patent Office: 4,410 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345173-183, 345/905, 345/169, 178/18, 178/19, 178 1801- 1809, 455/566, 455/575, 455/556.2
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/1643 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 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly with a soft thermoplastic outer surface coupled directly to a digitizer mechanism. A touch screen assembly consisting of a display mechanism and a resistive digitizer mechanism are enclosed within a single piece cover. The digitizer mechanism consists of a top film and a digitizing element, and the single piece cover is affixed directly to the top film of the digitizer mechanism. The single piece cover has a flat outer surface that is free of any steps or indentations which provides an enclosure that is both dust free and waterproof. The soft thermoplastic material used for the single piece cover will allow activation of the digitizer mechanism by means of mechanical pressure applied to the outer surface of the single piece cover. In one embodiment, the single piece cover is constructed by coupling a soft thermoplastic outer film directly to the top film of the digitizer mechanism by an in mold decoration process. This process forms the flat outer surface for the single piece cover and also may be used to provide various shapes for the outer edges of the cover. In a second embodiment, a touch screen assembly consisting of a display mechanism and a digitizer mechanism are enclosed within a mechanical support mechanism. A soft thermoplastic film is then coupled directly to the top film of the digitizer mechanism and the support mechanism to form a flat outer surface for the entire enclosure that is free of any steps or indentations.

Claims

1. A display assembly for a portable electronic device comprising:

a flat panel display screen;

flat panel, clear, digitizer mechanism disposed over said flat panel display screen; and

a bezel-less cover element disposed over a top surface of said digitizer mechanism that has a top surface that is coincident with the top surface of a supporting structure of said bezel-less cover element wherein said bezel-less cover element and said top surface of said digitizer mechanism are coupled and wherein contact made along said top surface of said bezel-less cover element activates said digitizer mechanism.

2. A display assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said cover is constructed using in mold decoration process.

3. A display assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said digitizer mechanism is a resistive type digitizing element.

4. A display assembly as described in claim 1 wherein said cover is a soft thermoplastic outer film that is coupled to said protective component of said digitizer mechanism.

5. A display assembly as described in claim 4 wherein said soft thermoplastic film has sufficient deflection under external pressure to activate said digitizer mechanism.