Particle removal device and method of using the same

• US 10,065,365 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• 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: Lane, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Nordmeyer, Patricia L.
• Application Number:
  US15/656,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20170326813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 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

A particle removal device including a particle removal sticker. The particle removal sticker including a top side and a bottom side. The bottom side of the particle removal sticker includes an adhesive configured to removably adhere to a screen of an electronic device. The particle removal device also includes a sticker release liner. The sticker release liner includes a top side removably attached to the bottom side of the particle removal sticker. The sticker release liner is configured to be removed from the bottom side of the particle removal sticker to expose the adhesive and to adhere the particle removal sticker to the screen. The particle removal sticker is configured to remove particles as the particle removal sticker is removed from the screen. Other embodiments are provided.

Claims

1. A kit comprising:

a particle removal device for removing particles from a screen of an electronic device, wherein the particle removal device includes;

a particle removal sticker, the particle removal sticker including a sticker top side and a sticker bottom side, wherein the particle removal sticker includes a sticker device portion for removably adhering to the screen of an electronic device and a sticker end portion for extending to or beyond an edge of the screen of the electronic device when the sticker device portion is adhered to the screen of the electronic device;

a sticker adhesive positioned on the sticker bottom side, wherein the sticker adhesive includes a sticker adhesive device portion positioned on the sticker device portion and a sticker adhesive end portion positioned on the sticker end portion, wherein the sticker adhesive device portion is configured to removably adhere the sticker device portion to the screen of the electronic device; and

a sticker release liner removably attached to the sticker adhesive, wherein the sticker release liner includes a sticker release liner device portion removably attached to the sticker adhesive device portion and a sticker release liner end portion removably attached to the sticker adhesive end portion and separated from the sticker release liner device portion; and

an overlay applicator, 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;

an overlay adhesive positioned on the overlay layer bottom side and configured to adhere the overlay layer to the screen of the electronic device;

an overlay release liner, wherein the overlay release liner includes an overlay release liner top side and an overlay release liner bottom side, wherein the overlay release liner has a second length, wherein the overlay release liner top side is removably attached to the overlay layer bottom side, and wherein the overlay release liner is configured to be removed from the overlay layer bottom side to expose the overlay adhesive; and

a pull tab layer connected to the overlay release liner, wherein the pull tab layer is configured to remove the overlay release liner from the overlay layer bottom side to expose the overlay adhesive and to adhere the overlay layer to the screen, wherein the pull tab layer has a third length that is greater than the first length or the second length so that the pull tab layer is extendible across and beyond the first length of the overlay layer or the second length of the overlay release liner.

2. The kit of claim 1, wherein the particle removal sticker has a length between a first end of the sticker device portion and a second end of the sticker end portion that is longer than a screen length of the screen of the electronic device.

3. The kit of claim 1, wherein removing the sticker release liner device portion exposes the sticker adhesive device portion.

4. The kit of claim 1, wherein the overlay layer has a perimeter corresponding to an outer boundary of the overlay layer, and wherein the overlay applicator further includes:

includes an alignment tab connected to the overlay layer, wherein the alignment tab includes an alignment mechanism positioned outside of the perimeter of the overlay layer, wherein the alignment mechanism is configured to removably engage with an alignment base of an applicator machine or a cradle supporting the electronic device, and wherein the alignment mechanism is configured to align the overlay layer with the screen of the electronic device as the overlay layer is adhered to the screen.

5. The kit of claim 1, wherein, when the sticker device portion of the particle removal sticker is adhered to the screen of the electronic device and the sticker end portion of the particle removal sticker is adhered to the pull tab layer of the overlay applicator, pulling on the pull tab layer synchronously removes the particle removal sticker from the screen of the electronic device, removes the overlay release liner from the overlay applicator to expose the overlay adhesive, and attaches the overlay layer to the screen of the electronic device.

6. The kit of claim 5, wherein folding over the sticker end portion when the sticker device portion is attached to the screen of the electronic device exposes the sticker release liner end portion.

7. The kit of claim 5, wherein removing the sticker release liner device portion exposes the sticker adhesive device portion.

8. A method comprising:

providing a kit, wherein the kit includes;

a particle removal device, wherein the particle removal device includes;

a particle removal sticker, the particle removal sticker including a sticker top side and a sticker bottom side, wherein the particle removal sticker includes a sticker device portion for removably adhering to a screen of an electronic device and a sticker end portion for extending to or beyond an end of the screen of the electronic device,

a sticker adhesive positioned on the sticker bottom side, wherein the sticker adhesive includes a sticker adhesive device portion positioned on the sticker device portion and a sticker adhesive end portion positioned on the sticker end portion, wherein the sticker adhesive device portion is configured to removably adhere the sticker device portion to the screen of the electronic device, and

a sticker release liner removably attached to the sticker adhesive, wherein the sticker release liner includes a sticker release liner device portion removably attached to the sticker adhesive device portion and a sticker release liner end portion removably attached to the sticker adhesive end portion and separated from the sticker release liner device portion; and

an overlay applicator, 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;

an overlay adhesive positioned on the overlay layer bottom side and configured to adhere the overlay layer to the screen of the electronic device;

an overlay release liner, wherein the overlay release liner includes an overlay release liner top side and an overlay release liner bottom side, wherein the overlay release liner has a second length, wherein the overlay release liner top side is removably attached to the overlay layer bottom side, and wherein the overlay release liner is configured to be removed from the overlay layer bottom side to expose the overlay adhesive; and

a pull tab layer connected to the overlay release liner, wherein the pull tab layer is configured to remove the overlay release liner from the overlay layer bottom side to expose the overlay adhesive and to adhere the overlay layer to the screen, wherein the pull tab layer has a third length that is greater than the first length or the second length so that the pull tab layer is extendible across and beyond the first length of the overlay layer or the second length of the overlay release liner;

removing the sticker release liner device portion from the sticker bottom side of the particle removal sticker to expose the sticker adhesive device portion;

applying the sticker device portion to the screen of the electronic device;

removing the sticker device portion from the screen of the electronic device; and

attaching the overlay layer to the screen of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the particle removal sticker has a length between a first end of the sticker device portion and a second end of the sticker end portion that is longer than a screen length of the screen of the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the overlay layer has a perimeter corresponding to an outer boundary of the overlay layer, and wherein the overlay applicator further includes:

an alignment tab connected to the overlay layer, wherein the alignment tab includes an alignment mechanism positioned outside of the perimeter of the overlay layer, wherein the alignment mechanism is configured to removably engage with an alignment base of an applicator machine or a cradle supporting the electronic device, and wherein the alignment mechanism is configured to align the overlay layer with the screen of the electronic device as the overlay layer is adhered to the screen.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

engaging the alignment mechanism with the alignment base of the applicator machine or cradle supporting the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein removing the sticker device portion from the screen of the electronic device and attaching the overlay layer to the screen of the electronic device includes:

removing the sticker release liner end portion from the sticker bottom side of the particle removal sticker to expose the sticker adhesive end portion;

attaching the sticker adhesive end portion to the pull tab layer of the overlay applicator; and

pulling the pull tab layer to synchronously remove the particle removal sticker from the screen of the electronic device, remove the overlay release liner from the overlay applicator to expose the overlay adhesive and attach the overlay layer to the screen of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein removing the sticker release liner device portion exposes the sticker adhesive device portion.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

folding the sticker end portion over the sticker device portion to expose the sticker release liner end portion.