Touch screen shield
First Claim
1. A method for protecting a touch screen of a hand held electronic device having a front face that includes a touch screen portion and a non-functional outer perimeter, which method comprises:
- providing a touch screen protector comprising a film having front and back sides, an outer perimeter, and a transparent window;
a spacer provided on the back side of the film along the outer perimeter thereof and continuously surrounding the transparent window so as to trap air between the film and the touch screen portion, with the spacer having a thickness sufficient to space the film near but not in contact with the touch screen;
an exposed adhesive on one side of the spacer that faces the touch screen, with the exposed adhesive having sufficient adhesiveness to mount the touch screen protector onto the touch screen and to enable its removal; and
a joining adhesive for adhering the spacer to the back side of the film, wherein the joining adhesive has an adhesive strength that is stronger than that of the exposed adhesive so that the sparer is not removed from the film when the protector is removed from the front face of the device;
removably attaching the touch screen protector upon the touch screen of the device via the exposed adhesive to form a space between the transparent window of the film, the spacer and the touch screen portion of the device, wherein the touch screen protector is attached without causing bubble formation between the transparent window of the film and the touch screen portion of the device;
wherein the transparent window can be pressed against the touch screen portion of the device and wherein the removably attaching step traps air between the transparent window of the film and the touch screen portion of the device and lifts the transparent window of the film off the touch screen portion of the device for operation of the device while preventing direct contact of a user'"'"'s fingers with touch screen portion of the device and without producing visible interference patterns during use.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shield that is attachable to a touch sensitive screen is disclosed. The shield may be attached to the touch sensitive screen only at its outer peripheral portion. An air gap is enclosed between the shield and the touch sensitive screen to form a planar air bearing. The shield preferably does not touch the active area of the touch sensitive screen when the user is not touching the shield but only viewing the touch sensitive screen through the shield. This mitigates unwanted optical artifacts such as trapped air bubbles, Newton rings and chromatic interference while maintaining the sensitivity of the touch sensitive screen.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for protecting a touch screen of a hand held electronic device having a front face that includes a touch screen portion and a non-functional outer perimeter, which method comprises:
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providing a touch screen protector comprising a film having front and back sides, an outer perimeter, and a transparent window;
a spacer provided on the back side of the film along the outer perimeter thereof and continuously surrounding the transparent window so as to trap air between the film and the touch screen portion, with the spacer having a thickness sufficient to space the film near but not in contact with the touch screen;
an exposed adhesive on one side of the spacer that faces the touch screen, with the exposed adhesive having sufficient adhesiveness to mount the touch screen protector onto the touch screen and to enable its removal; and
a joining adhesive for adhering the spacer to the back side of the film, wherein the joining adhesive has an adhesive strength that is stronger than that of the exposed adhesive so that the sparer is not removed from the film when the protector is removed from the front face of the device;removably attaching the touch screen protector upon the touch screen of the device via the exposed adhesive to form a space between the transparent window of the film, the spacer and the touch screen portion of the device, wherein the touch screen protector is attached without causing bubble formation between the transparent window of the film and the touch screen portion of the device; wherein the transparent window can be pressed against the touch screen portion of the device and wherein the removably attaching step traps air between the transparent window of the film and the touch screen portion of the device and lifts the transparent window of the film off the touch screen portion of the device for operation of the device while preventing direct contact of a user'"'"'s fingers with touch screen portion of the device and without producing visible interference patterns during use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of protecting a touch screen of a hand held electronic device having a front face that includes a touch screen having a touch screen portion and a non-functional outer perimeter, which method comprises:
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providing a touch screen protector comprising a film having front and back sides, an outer perimeter, and a transparent window; and
a spacer adhered to the back side of the film upon at least a portion of the outer perimeter of the film continuously surrounding the transparent window so as to trap air between the film and the touch screen portion, the spacer having a thickness sufficient to space the film near but not in contact with the touch screen portion with an exposed adhesive on one side of the spacer that faces the touch screen to mount the touch screen protector onto the touch screen and to enable its removal, and a joining adhesive on the other side of the spacer for adhering the spacer to the back side of the film, with the joining adhesive having an adhesive strength that is stronger than that of the exposed adhesive so that the spacer is not removed from the film when the protector is removed from the touch screen of the front face of the device; andremovably attaching the touch screen protector upon the outer perimeter of the front face of the device via the exposed adhesive to form a space between the transparent window of the film, the spacer and the touch screen portion of the device, wherein the touch screen protector is attached without causing bubble formation between the transparent window of the film and the touch screen portion of the device and wherein the removably attaching step traps air between the transparent window of the film and the touch screen portion of the device and lifts the transparent window of the film off the touch screen portion of the device; wherein the transparent window can he pressed against the touch screen portion of the device for operation of the device while preventing direct contact of a user'"'"'s fingers with the touch screen portion of the device and without producing visible interference patterns between the transparent window of the film and the touch screen portion of the device during use. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for protecting a touch sensitive screen of an electronic device with a flexible shield, the touch sensitive screen having an active area, the flexible shield having a base layer and a protective liner, the method comprising:
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removing an outer peripheral portion of the protective liner from the flexible shield to expose an adhesive on an outer periphery of the base layer and a step between a remaining portion of the protective liner and the base layer; and attaching the flexible shield to the touch sensitive screen by applying pressure to the outer peripheral portion of the base layer so that the exposed adhesive on outer peripheral portion of the base layer adheres the flexible shield to the touch sensitive screen; wherein the attaching step traps air between the base layer and the active area of the touch sensitive screen and lifts the flexible shield off of the active area of the touch sensitive screen.
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13. A method for protecting a touch sensitive screen of an electronic device with a flexible shield, the touch sensitive screen having an active area and an inactive area, the flexible shield having an adhesive applied about an outer periphery of the flexible shield and circumscribed about a central portion of the flexible shield, the method comprising:
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aligning the flexible shield so that the central portion of the flexible shield is positioned over the active area of the touch sensitive screen; and attaching the flexible shield to the touch sensitive screen so that the adhesive on the outer periphery adheres the flexible shield to the touch sensitive screen, wherein the adhesive has a thickness sufficient to lift the flexible shield off the active area of the touch sensitive screen, and wherein during the attaching step the adhesive traps air between the flexible shield and the active area of the touch sensitive screen and lifts the flexible shield off the active area of the touch sensitive screen.
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14. A method for protecting a touch sensitive screen of an electronic device with a flexible shield, the touch sensitive screen having an active area and an inactive area, the flexible shield having a base layer and an annular film applied to an underside surface of the base layer, the annular film being disposed at an outer periphery of the base layer and circumscribed about a central portion of the base layer, the annular film having an exposed adhesive applied on an exposed surface of the annular film, the method comprising:
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aligning the flexible shield so that the central portion of the flexible shield is positioned over the active area of the touch sensitive screen; and attaching the flexible shield to the touch sensitive screen so that the exposed adhesive on the annular film adheres the flexible shield to the touch sensitive screen, wherein the annular film and the exposed adhesive collectively have a thickness sufficient to lift the base layer off the active area of the touch sensitive screen, and wherein during the attaching step the exposed adhesive on the annular film traps air between the base layer of the flexible shield and the active area of the touch sensitive screen and lifts the flexible shield off of the active area of the touch sensitive screen.
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Specification