Overlay applicator machine and method of using the same

• US 9,701,096 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2016
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• 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: Beaupre, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): DODDS, SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US15/175,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20160288471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 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: B29C 65/7808 in the form of holes or slots B29C65/7814 takes precedence; holding or clamping means cooperating with specially formed features of at least one of the parts to be joined B29C65/7844
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/342 Preventing air-inclusions
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/861 Hand-held tools
• 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 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/003 to avoid air inclusion
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0046 characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/10 characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure
• 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: B32B 7/06 permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/17 Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1702 For plural parts or plural areas of single part

Abstract

An overlay applicator machine including a support base configured to hold an electronic device. The overlay applicator machine also includes a lid attached to the support base. The overlay applicator machine additionally includes a hinge mechanism attaching the lid to the support base. The hinge mechanism allows the lid to rotate with respect to the support base. The support base and the lid are configured to enclose the electronic device in a closed configuration. The overlay applicator machine further includes an alignment base. The alignment base is configured to engage with an alignment mechanism of an overlay applicator. The alignment base is configured to align the overlay applicator with a screen of the electronic device as the overlay applicator is applied to the screen. The overlay applicator machine additionally includes an end slot. The end slot is configured to receive a pull tab of the overlay applicator extending from the support base out of the overlay applicator machine. The pull tab is configured to be pulled through the end slot to remove an adhesive release liner of the overlay applicator from a bottom side of an overlay layer to expose an adhesive of the overlay layer to the screen of the electronic device. Other embodiments are provided.

Claims

1. An overlay applicator machine, comprising:

a support base including one or more frames arranged to hold an electronic device in a device slot of the support base, wherein the device slot is defined by the one or more frames, and wherein the device slot and the one or more frames are located at fixed positions with respect to the support base;

a lid attached to the support base;

a hinge mechanism attaching the lid to the support base, wherein the hinge mechanism allows the lid to rotate with respect to the support base, and wherein the support base and the lid are arranged via the hinge mechanism to at least partially enclose the one or more frames and the device slot when the lid is positioned in a closed configuration;

an overlay applicator having an overlay layer, an alignment mechanism, an adhesive release liner, and a pull tab;

an alignment base, wherein the alignment base is located at a second fixed position with respect to the support base, wherein the second fixed position is outside of the device slot, wherein the alignment base includes one or more protrusions for engaging with corresponding holes or slots of the alignment mechanism of the overlay applicator and for fixedly holding the overlay layer of the overlay applicator relative to the device slot so that the overlay layer is aligned with a screen of the electronic device when the overlay layer is applied to the screen by pulling on the pull tab of the overlay applicator; and

an end slot, wherein the end slot corresponds to an opening in the one or more frames, wherein the opening is sized and shaped to receive the pull tab of the overlay applicator, and wherein the pull tab is connected to the adhesive release liner of the overlay applicator.

2. The overlay applicator machine of claim 1, wherein the closed configuration completely encloses the one or more frames and the device slot.

3. The overlay applicator machine of claim 1, wherein the support base includes a cradle device, and wherein the cradle device includes the one or more frames and the device slot.

4. The overlay applicator machine of claim 3, wherein the cradle device is removably inserted into the support base.

5. The overlay applicator machine of claim 3, wherein the cradle device is fixedly attached to the support base.

6. The overlay applicator machine of claim 3, wherein the support base includes a cradle slot sized and shaped for receiving the cradle device, and wherein the cradle device is sized and shaped for insertion into the cradle slot.

7. The overlay applicator machine of claim 3, wherein the cradle device is removable from the support base, wherein the overlay applicator machine further comprises an additional cradle device, wherein the cradle device and the additional cradle device each have frames sized and shaped to accommodate different electronic devices in respective device slots.

8. The overlay applicator machine of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more catches extending from the lid; and

one or more latching slots arranged on the support base, wherein the one or more latching slots include one or more latches for engaging with the one or more catches when the lid is positioned in the closed configuration.

9. The overlay applicator machine of claim 8, further comprising:

one or more release buttons located on the support base and connected to the one or more latches, wherein the one or more latches are configured to displace and release the one or more catches when the one or more release buttons are pressed.

10. The overlay applicator machine of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more pads attached to the lid, wherein the one or more pads are located to contact and securely hold the electronic device in the overlay applicator machine when the lid is positioned in the closed configuration, and wherein the one or more pads are configured to press the electronic device toward the overlay applicator when the alignment mechanism of the overlay applicator is engaged with the alignment base, when the pull tab of the overlay applicator is positioned in the end slot, when the electronic device is in the device slot, and when the lid is in positioned in the closed configuration.

11. A method, comprising:

inserting an electronic device into a device slot of a support base of an overlay applicator machine, wherein the overlay applicator machine includes;

the support base including one or more frames to hold an electronic device in the device slot of the support base, wherein the device slot is defined by the one or more frames, and wherein the device slot and the one or more frames are located at fixed positions with respect to the support base,

a lid attached to the support base,

a hinge mechanism attaching the lid to the support base, wherein the hinge mechanism allows the lid to rotate with respect to the support base, and wherein the support base and the lid are arranged via the hinge mechanism to at least partially enclose the one or more frames and the device slot when the lid is positioned in a closed configuration,

an overlay applicator having an overlay layer, an alignment mechanism, an adhesive release liner, and a pull tab,

an alignment base, wherein the alignment base is located at a second fixed position with respect to the support base, wherein the second fixed position is outside of the device slot, wherein the alignment base includes one or more protrusions for engaging with corresponding holes or slots of the alignment mechanism of the overlay applicator and for fixedly holding the overlay layer of the overlay applicator relative to the device slot so that the overlay layer is aligned with a screen of the electronic device when the overlay layer is applied to the screen by pulling on the pull tab of the overlay applicator, and

an end slot, wherein the end slot corresponds to an opening in the one or more frames, wherein the opening is sided and shaped to receive a pull tab of the overlay applicator, and wherein the pull tab is connected to an adhesive release liner of the overlay applicator;

engaging the alignment mechanism of the overlay applicator with the alignment base to align the overlay applicator with the screen of the electronic device;

placing the pull tab of the overlay applicator through the end slot; and

pulling the pull tab through the end slot to remove the adhesive release liner of the overlay applicator from a bottom side of the overlay layer to expose an adhesive of the overlay layer to the screen.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

moving the lid to the closed configuration, wherein the closed configuration prevents particles from entering the overlay applicator machine as the overlay layer is applied to the screen of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the support base includes a cradle slot for receiving a cradle device, wherein the cradle device includes the one or more frames and the device slot, and wherein the method further comprises:

inserting the cradle device holding the electronic device into the cradle slot.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cradle device is removably inserted into the support base.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the cradle device is fixedly attached to the support base.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the cradle slot is sized and shaped for receiving the cradle device, and wherein the cradle device is sized and shaped for insertion into the cradle slot.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the cradle device is removable from the support base wherein the overlay applicator machine further comprises an additional cradle device, wherein the cradle device and the additional cradle device each have frames sized and shaped to accommodate different electronic devices in respective device slots, and wherein the method further comprises

removing the cradle device with the electronic device from the cradle slot in the support base;

inserting an additional electronic device in an additional device slot of the additional cradle device; and

inserting the additional cradle device into the cradle slot.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the overlay applicator machine further includes:

one or more catches extending from the lid; and

one or more latching slots arranged on the support base, wherein the one or more latching slots include one or more latches for engaging with the one or more catches when the lid is positioned in the closed configuration, and

wherein the method further comprises;

engaging the one or more catches with the one or more latches by moving the lid to the closed configuration.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the overlay applicator machine further includes:

one or more release buttons located on the support base and connected to the one or more latches, wherein the one or more latches are configured to displace and release the one or more catches when the one or more release buttons are pressed; and

wherein the method further comprises;

pressing the one or more release buttons to displace the one or more latches and release the one or more catches.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the overlay applicator machine further includes:

one or more pads attached to the lid, wherein the one or more pads are located to contact and securely hold the electronic device in the overlay applicator machine when the lid is positioned in the closed configuration, and wherein the one or more pads press the electronic device toward the overlay applicator when the alignment mechanism of the overlay applicator is engaged with the alignment base, when the pull tab of the overlay applicator is positioned in the end slot, when the electronic device is in the device slot, and when the lid is positioned in the closed configuration.