Glass touch screen protector

• US 9,063,699 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aevoe International Ltd
• Original Assignee: Aevoe International Ltd
• Inventors: Huang, Cheng-Su
• Primary Examiner(s): O'HERN, BRENT T
• Application Number:
  US14/495,714
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• Field of Search: 428/38, 428/188, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers

Abstract

A glass touch screen protector for a portable electronic device having a front face that includes a touch screen portion and a chamfered outer perimeter, the glass screen protector including a glass sheet having front and back sides, an outer band that corresponds to that of the device, and having a transparent window portion that corresponds in size to the touch screen portion. A spacer is provided along the outer perimeter of the glass sheet substantially continuously surrounding the transparent window. The spacer increases in thickness toward the periphery of the glass sheet and has a thickness sufficient to space the glass sheet near but not in contact with the touch screen portion. The spacer has an exposed adhesive facing the portable device and having adhesive strength enabling repeated removal and re-attachment.

Claims

1. A glass touch screen protector for a portable electronic device having a front face that includes a touch screen portion with a declining outer perimeter, the glass screen protector comprising:

a glass sheet having front and back sides, an outer band that corresponds to that of the device, and having a transparent window portion that corresponds in size to the touch screen portion;

a spacer provided along the outer perimeter of the glass sheet substantially continuously surrounding the transparent window, the spacer increasing in thickness toward the periphery of the glass sheet, the spacer having a thickness sufficient to space the glass sheet near but not in contact with the touch screen portion;

the spacer comprising an exposed adhesive facing the portable device and having adhesive strength enabling repeated removal and re-attachment;

wherein the spacer comprises two or more distinct structures separated by a gap laterally in the peripheral direction; and

wherein the distance between the glass sheet and the touch screen portion allows a capacitive value on the touch screen portion when touched on the glass sheet.

2. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein the increasing thickness of the spacer extending towards the periphery of the glass sheet corresponds to the declining outer perimeter of the front face of the portable electronic device.

3. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein each distinct structure comprises an exposed adhesive.

4. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein each distinct structure comprises a plurality of adhesive layers.

5. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein the distinct structures are each a unitary elastomeric structure having the exposed adhesive thereon.

6. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein the two or more distinct structures comprise an inner spacer member and an outer spacer member separated by a gap.

7. The glass touch screen protector of claim 6, wherein the outer spacer member has greater thickness than the inner spacer member.

8. The glass touch screen protector of claim 6, wherein the inner spacer member and outer spacer member are each made up of a plurality of adhesive layers.

9. The glass touch screen protector of claim 6, wherein the inner spacer member and outer spacer member are each made up of a unitary structure with the exposed adhesive.

10. The glass touch screen protector of claim 9, wherein the unitary structure comprises an elastomer.

11. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein the glass is of sufficient rigidity so as not to flex and contact the touch screen portion when pressure is applied against the glass sheet during normal usage of the portable electronic device.

12. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein the spacer spaces the glass sheet from about 0.01 mm to 0.2 mm from the touch screen portion.

13. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein the exposed adhesive is a silicone adhesive.

14. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein the glass sheet includes an opaque band about its periphery that receives the spacer.

15. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, wherein the front face of the device has a non-functional band about a perimeter of the device and the spacer width is selected to conform to or be within the band so that the spacer does not interfere with the use of the touch screen portion when the protector is adhesively mounted onto the device.

16. The glass touch screen protector of claim 1, which further comprises one or more alignment holes that substantially correspond to one or more buttons on the device to facilitate mounting of the protector on the device.

17. A glass touch screen protector for mounting to a portable electronic device having a front face that includes a touch screen portion and a declining outer perimeter, the glass touch screen protector comprising:

a glass sheet having front and back sides, an outer band that corresponds to that of the device, and having a transparent window portion that corresponds in size to the touch screen portion;

a spacer provided along the outer perimeter of the glass sheet substantially continuously surrounding the transparent window, the spacer increasing in thickness toward the periphery of the glass sheet, the spacer having a thickness sufficient to space the glass sheet near but not in contact with the touch screen portion;

the spacer having an exposed adhesive facing the portable device, the exposed adhesive having adhesive strength enabling repeated removal and re-attachment;

wherein the spacer comprises an inner spacer member and an outer spacer member separated by a gap; and

wherein the distance between the glass sheet and the touch screen portion allows a capacitive value on the touch screen portion when touched on the glass sheet.

18. The glass touch screen protector of claim 17, wherein the outer spacer member has greater thickness than the inner spacer member.

19. The glass touch screen protector of claim 17, wherein the inner spacer member and outer spacer member are each made up of a plurality of adhesive layers.

20. The glass touch screen protector of claim 17, wherein the inner spacer member and outer spacer member are each made up of a unitary structure with the exposed adhesive.

21. The glass touch screen protector of claim 20, wherein the unitary structure comprises an elastomer.

22. A glass touch screen protector for a portable electronic device having a front face that includes a touch screen portion with a declining outer perimeter, the glass screen protector comprising:

a glass sheet having front and back sides, an outer band that corresponds to that of the device, and having a transparent window portion that corresponds in size to the touch screen portion;

a spacer provided along the outer perimeter of the glass sheet substantially continuously surrounding the transparent window, the spacer increasing in thickness toward the periphery of the glass sheet, the spacer having a thickness sufficient to space the glass sheet near but not in contact with the touch screen portion;

the spacer comprising an exposed adhesive facing the portable device and having adhesive strength enabling repeated removal and re-attachment;

wherein the spacer is discontinuous as it extends laterally toward the periphery of the glass sheet; and

wherein the distance between the glass sheet and the touch screen portion allows a capacitive value on the touch screen portion when touched on the glass sheet.