Touch screen shield

• US 8,974,620 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RO Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Racing Optics Incorporated
• Inventors: Wilson, Stephen S., Wilson, Bart, Wilson, Seth
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Sing P
• Application Number:
  US13/838,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20130209752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 428/40.1, 428/41.8, 428/343, 349/122, 345/173, 156/247, 156/289, 156/290, 156/249
• US Class Current: 156/247
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/02 2 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/208 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2551/00 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2571/00 Protective equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/06 for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support , or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/0076 characterised in that the layers are not bonded on the totality of their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/12 characterised by using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/18 involving the assembly of discrete sheets or panels only
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/10 Removing layers, or parts of layers, mechanically or chemically
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/05 the layers not being connected over the whole surface, e.g. discontinuous connection or patterned connection using interposed adhesives or bonding materials applied in spaced arrangements B32B7/14
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/06 permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1633 Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• 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 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 : Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 : Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 : with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 : Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1471 : Protective layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/239 : Complete cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 : including nonapertured component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24744 : Longitudinal or transverse tubular cavity or cell

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.

Claims

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 that essentially corresponds to the outer perimeter of the touch screen of the front face of the device, and a transparent window that essentially corresponds in size to that of the touch screen portion;

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 bark side of the film, wherein the joining adhesive has 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 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 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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the film has a thickness of between about 0.001 inch to about 0.007 inch and includes an opaque band about its periphery that receives the spacer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the front face of the device has a non-functional band about its perimeter and the width of the spacer 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 touch screen protector is adhesively mounted onto the device.

4. The method of claim 1, which further comprises providing a backing member to protect the back side of the film and the exposed adhesive prior to use.

5. The method of claim 1, which further comprises providing one or more alignment holes that match one or more buttons on the electronic device to facilitate mounting of the touch screen protector on the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch screen of the device and the film are each substantially rectangular and the touch screen is part of a telephone, reading device, music device, viewing device or navigation device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the space formed between the transparent window of the film, the spacer and the touch screen portion of the device is an enclosed spare.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the film is a plastic film.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the plastic film has a thickness of between about 0.001 inch and about 0.007 inch.

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:

providing a touch screen protector comprising a film having from and back sides, an outer perimeter that essentially corresponds to the outer perimeter of the outer perimeter of the touch screen of the front face of the device, and a transparent window that essentially corresponds in size to that of the touch screen portion; 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 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; and

removably 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;

wherein the transparent window can be 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.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the film is a plastic film, the touch screen of the device and the film are each substantially rectangular, and the spacer is provided at least upon the top and bottom portions of the outer perimeter of the film.

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:

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 to create 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, and so that the step applies tension to the base layer,

wherein the attaching step traps air between the base layer and the active area of the touch sensitive screen, and wherein the tension is sufficient to lift the flexible shield off of the active area of the touch sensitive screen.

13. A method for protecting a touch sensitive screen of an electronic device with a flexible shield, the touch sensitive screen an active area and an inactive area, the flexible shield having an adhesive applied about an outer periphery of the flexible shield, the method comprising:

aligning the flexible shield so that a portion of the outer periphery of the flexible shield is positioned over a portion of the inactive area of the touch sensitive screen; and

attaching the flexible shield to the operating surface 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 the adhesive traps air between the flexible shield and the active area of the touch sensitive screen.

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 and about an outer periphery of the base layer, the annular film having, an exposed adhesive applied on an exposed surface of the annular film, the method comprising:

aligning the flexible shield so that at least a portion of the annular film is positioned over the inactive area of the touch sensitive screen; and

attaching the flexible shield to the operating surface so that the exposed adhesive on the annular film adheres the flexible shield to the touch sensitive screen,

wherein the annular film has a thickness sufficient to lift the base layer off the active area of the touch sensitive screen, and wherein 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.