Overlay applicator and method of using the same

• US 9,757,934 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• 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: Wadsworth, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nordmeyer, Patricia L
• Application Number:
  US14/455,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20150041069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 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 63/024 the sheet or web-like material being supported by a moving carriage
• 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 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0046 characterised by constructional aspects of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0053 Constructional details of laminating machines comprising rollers; Constructional features of the rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/18 involving the assembly of discrete sheets or panels only
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/187 the layers being placed in a carrier before going through the lamination process
• 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 38/162 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/1833 Positioning, e.g. registration or centering
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/14 Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with shaping, scarifying, or cleaning joining surface only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/16 Surface bonding means and/or assembly means with bond interfering means [slip sheet, etc. ]

Abstract

An overlay applicator can include an overlay with a top side and a bottom side. The bottom side can include an adhesive agent configured to adhere to a screen of an electronic device. The overlay applicator can include an adhesive release liner. The adhesive release liner can include a top side and a bottom side. The top side of the adhesive release liner can be removably attached to the bottom side of the overlay. The adhesive release liner can be configured to protect the adhesive agent at the bottom side of the overlay from contaminants. The overlay applicator can include a protective film removably attached to the top side of the overlay. The overlay applicator can include an alignment tab. The alignment tab can include an alignment mechanism. The overlay applicator further can include a pull tab. The pull can include a wiper. Other embodiments are provided.

Claims

1. An overlay applicator, comprising:

an overlay layer, wherein the overlay layer includes an overlay layer top side and an overlay layer bottom side, wherein the overlay layer has a first length, and wherein the overlay layer has a perimeter corresponding to an outer boundary of the overlay layer;

an adhesive positioned on the overlay layer bottom side;

an adhesive release liner, wherein the adhesive release liner includes a release liner top side and a release liner bottom side, and wherein the release liner top side is removably attached to the overlay layer bottom side;

a pull tab layer attached to the adhesive release liner, the pull tab layer for removing the adhesive release liner from the overlay layer bottom side, wherein the pull tab layer has a pull tab top side and a pull tab bottom side, and wherein at least a portion of the pull tab layer is located outside the perimeter of the overlay layer;

a wiper positioned on the pull tab top side of the pull tab layer such that the wiper faces away from the overlay layer when the pull tab layer is extended across the adhesive release liner so that the pull tab bottom side faces the release liner bottom side; and

an alignment tab attached to the overlay layer, wherein the alignment tab includes an alignment mechanism positioned outside of the perimeter of the overlay layer, the alignment mechanism for removably engaging with an alignment base of an applicator machine or a cradle.

2. The overlay applicator of claim 1, wherein the alignment mechanism corresponds to one or more alignment slots or holes in the alignment tab.

3. The overlay applicator of claim 1, wherein the adhesive release liner and the pull tab layer are integral with each other.

4. The overlay applicator of claim 1, wherein the adhesive release liner extends outside of the perimeter of the overlay layer and includes a second alignment mechanism positioned outside of the perimeter of the overlay layer.

5. The overlay applicator of claim 1, wherein the wiper is positioned to overlap the perimeter of the overlay layer when the pull tab layer is extended across the adhesive release liner so that the pull tab bottom side faces the release liner bottom side.

6. The overlay applicator of claim 1, wherein the pull tab layer includes a pulling aid, and wherein the pulling aid corresponds to one or more slots or holes in the pull tab layer.

7. The overlay applicator of claim 1, wherein the pull tab layer and the adhesive release liner are attached at a proximal end of the pull tab layer and wherein the pull tab layer includes a pulling aid at a distal end of the pull tab layer.

8. The overlay applicator of claim 1, further comprising a protective layer removably attached to the overlay layer by a second layer of adhesive between a protective layer bottom side and the overlay layer top side.

9. The overlay applicator of claim 8, wherein the alignment tab is attached to the overlay layer via the protective layer.

10. The overlay applicator of claim 8, wherein the alignment tab is integral with the protective layer.

11. The overlay applicator of claim 8, further comprising a joining sticker attached to the alignment tab and to a protective layer top side of the protective layer.

12. The overlay applicator of claim 1, wherein the alignment tab is attached to the overlay layer at an interface slit.

13. A method, comprising:

attaching an alignment mechanism of an overlay applicator to an alignment base of an applicator machine or a cradle supporting an electronic device, wherein the overlay applicator includes;

an overlay layer, wherein the overlay layer includes an overlay layer top side and an overlay layer bottom side, wherein the overlay layer has a first length, and wherein the overlay layer has a perimeter corresponding to an outer boundary of the overlay layer;

an adhesive positioned on the overlay layer bottom side;

an adhesive release liner, wherein the adhesive release liner includes a release liner top side and a release liner bottom side, and wherein the release liner top side is removably attached to the overlay layer bottom side;

a pull tab layer attached to the adhesive release liner, the pull tab layer for removing the adhesive release liner from the overlay layer bottom side, wherein the pull tab layer has a pull tab top side and a pull tab bottom side, and wherein at least a portion of the pull tab layer is located outside the perimeter of the overlay layer;

a wiper positioned on the pull tab top side of the pull tab layer such that the wiper faces away from the overlay layer when the pull tab layer is extended across the adhesive release liner so that the pull tab bottom side faces the release liner bottom side; and

an alignment tab attached to the overlay layer, wherein the alignment tab includes the alignment mechanism positioned outside of the perimeter of the overlay layer, the alignment mechanism for removably engaging with the alignment base of the applicator machine or the cradle; and

pulling the pull tab layer to wipe the wiper across a screen of the electronic device, to remove the adhesive release liner from the overlay layer bottom side, and to adhere the overlay layer bottom side to the screen of the electronic device, wherein the alignment mechanism aligns the overlay layer with the screen of the electronic device as the overlay layer bottom side is adhered to the screen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein alignment mechanism corresponds to one or more alignment slots or holes in the alignment tab.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the adhesive release liner and the pull tab layer are integral with each other.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the adhesive release liner extends outside of the perimeter of the overlay layer and includes a second alignment mechanism positioned outside of the perimeter of the overlay layer.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the wiper is positioned to overlap the perimeter of the overlay layer when the pull tab layer is extended across the adhesive release liner so that the pull tab bottom side faces the release liner bottom side.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the pull tab layer includes a pulling aid, and wherein the pulling aid corresponds to one or more slots or holes in the pull tab layer.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the pull tab layer and the adhesive release liner are attached at a proximal end of the pull tab layer and wherein the pull tab layer includes a pulling aid at a distal end of the pull tab layer.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the overlay applicator further includes a protective layer removably attached to the overlay layer by a second layer of adhesive between a protective layer bottom side and the overlay layer top side.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the alignment tab is attached to the overlay layer via the protective layer.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the alignment tab is integral with the protective layer.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the overlay applicator further includes a joining sticker attached to the alignment tab and to a protective layer top side of the protective layer.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the alignment tab is attached to the overlay layer at an interface slit.