HK1172114B - Touch screen protector - Google Patents

Description

touch screen protector

Cross-reference to related applications

This application claims the benefit of provisional application 61/433,789, filed January 18, 2011, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a touch screen protector. In particular, the present invention relates to a touch screen protector that can be easily attached to and removed from a handheld electronic device that includes a touch screen and can be operated by the touch screen.

Background Art

With the increasing prevalence of touch screens, handheld electronic devices require effective touch screen protectors. While the sleek, glossy screens of touch screen handheld electronic devices, such as iPads, appear appealing, fingerprints can significantly degrade the screen's appearance and display quality in real-world use. For this reason, screen cleaning cloths are sold with the devices. Because frequent cleaning is undesirable, various screen protectors have been proposed.

Several touch screen protectors are currently available. The ZAGG INVISIBLESHIELD ^™ product is a glare-reducing touch screen protector. Its main drawback is the difficulty of applying the protector to handheld devices. Even after careful cleaning and application, the anti-glare INCIPIO ^™ screen protector traps dust particles and air bubbles. Other touch screen protectors currently available on the market are unsatisfactory to consumers due to their tendency to trap air bubbles and dust even when carefully applied. During use, these touch screen protectors come into direct physical contact with the electronic device's touch screen due to static electricity or the application of adhesives. In the latter case, removing the screen protector requires laborious cleaning to restore the touch screen to its bright sheen. JP 2002328613 relates to a cover sheet comprising a transparent plastic film for protecting a display screen, the cover sheet having spacers comprising numerous dots on the surface opposite the display screen. U.S. Patent No. 7,070,837 relates to a plastic film screen protector having a slightly roughened surface so that the majority of the film facing the electronic device screen does not physically touch the screen. Therefore, the roughened surface of the protector prevents interference patterns from being generated when the film touches the screen.

None of these prior art devices have been found to be entirely suitable and therefore there is a need in the industry for a touch screen protector that can be easily and quickly installed without problems with trapped air bubbles or dust. This need is now met by the touch screen protector of the present invention.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention relates to a touch screen protector for a handheld electronic device having a front surface including a touch screen portion and an outer perimeter. The touch screen protector comprises: a plastic film; and a spacer provided along the outer perimeter of the plastic film, surrounding a transparent window of a size corresponding to the touch screen portion. In one embodiment of the present invention, the plastic film has a front side and a back side, an outer perimeter corresponding to the outer perimeter of the handheld electronic device, and a transparent window continuously surrounded by the spacer. Preferably, the spacer has a thickness sufficient to space the plastic film close to, but not in contact with, the touch screen portion. In a preferred embodiment, the spacer has exposed adhesive for removably attaching the protector to the outer perimeter of the front surface, thereby forming a closed air gap between the transparent window of the plastic film, the spacer, and the touch screen portion of the handheld electronic device. The transparent window of the touch screen protector of the present invention can be pressed against the touch screen portion for operating the handheld electronic device while preventing a user's finger from directly contacting the touch screen portion and without creating a visible interference pattern during use. The touch screen protector can be removed from the handheld electronic device and reapplied to the handheld electronic device. The spacer has a thickness that is less than the thickness of the plastic film and is typically between about 0.05 mm and about 1 mm.

Advantageously, the plastic film comprises particles adhered to at least the front side of the window in an amount effective to provide an anti-glare and anti-static effect to the protector. Preferably, the particles are also present on the back side of the plastic film in a density sufficiently high to provide an anti-static effect without adversely affecting the quality of an image viewed through the window.

In a preferred embodiment, the front face of the handheld electronic device has a non-functional band around its perimeter, and the width of the spacer is selected to conform to or lie within the band so that the spacer does not interfere with use of the touch screen portion when the protector is adhesively mounted to the handheld electronic device.

In another preferred embodiment, the spacer comprises at least one opaque adhesive strip applied to the plastic film. Preferably, the plastic film has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 2 mm and includes an opaque band around its perimeter that receives the at least one opaque adhesive strip. More preferably, the spacer comprises at least two strips; a first strip adhesively attached to the perimeter of the plastic film and a second strip adhesively attached to the first strip, with the second strip supporting the exposed adhesive. Each strip has a thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm, preferably 0.07 mm to 0.18 mm.

More preferably, the at least two strips are joined by an adhesive that securely holds the strips together and to the plastic film. This adhesive is an adhesive having a stronger tack than the exposed adhesive that attaches the protector to the handheld electronic device. The exposed adhesive has sufficient tack to attach the protector to the handheld electronic device but enables repeated removal of the protector without leaving adhesive residue on the handheld electronic device, and the exposed adhesive is removable together with the spacer.

In another preferred embodiment, the touch screen protector of the present invention further comprises a backing member to protect the rear side of the plastic film and the exposed adhesive of the spacer before use. Preferably, the backing member further comprises a protrusion for facilitating removal of the backing member when installing the protector on the handheld electronic device.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the touch screen protector further includes one or more alignment holes, which match one or more buttons on the handheld electronic device to facilitate mounting the protector on the handheld electronic device.

Preferably, the touch screen portion of the handheld electronic device and the plastic film of the touch screen protector are each substantially rectangular, and the touch screen is part of a phone, reading device, music device, viewing device, or navigation device (e.g., iPhone, Nook, iPod, iPad, Droid, and GPS navigator).

The transparent window of the touch screen protector can be clear, or can have a coating that provides a matte effect or privacy screen characteristics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

1A to 1D are schematic diagrams of assembling the touch screen protector of the present invention with an iPad device;

FIG2 is a front view of the touch screen protector of FIG1 ;

FIG3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the touch screen protector of FIG2 to illustrate a spacer; and

4 is a rear view of the touch screen protector with the backing member removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following definitions are used in this invention:

As used herein, the term "close" means close in distance but not in physical contact, preferably separated by about 1 mm or less.

As used herein, the term "perimeter" means the outermost portion or region within precise boundaries.

As used herein, the term "non-functional band around the perimeter" refers to an area surrounding the touch screen portion of a handheld electronic device that is made of a different material than the touch screen or made of the same material as the touch screen but not touch-sensitive. Typically, the touch screen is a single piece of glass that includes an operational touch screen portion and a non-functional band around the perimeter of the touch screen portion.

The term "matt" as used herein refers to a surface finish that reflects back only a small portion of incident light shining thereon.

The term "antistatic" is used to mean that the plastic film does not generate static electricity when touched or rubbed by a user.

The present invention relates to a novel touch screen protector comprising a plastic film and a spacer provided along the outer perimeter of the plastic film. Unlike most prior art touch screen protectors that directly physically contact the touch screen, the touch screen protector of the present invention does not touch the operable portion of the touch screen. This portion is referred to herein as the "touch screen portion." This key feature of the present invention makes it possible for the screen protector to be 100% bubble-free.

Although it varies between devices, the distance between the touchscreen protector and the touchscreen portion of a handheld device is determined by the thickness of the spacer, which is less than the thickness of the plastic film. In a preferred embodiment, the spacer of the present invention has a thickness less than that of the plastic film and is between about 0.05 mm and about 1 mm, and preferably between about 0.05 mm and about 0.15 mm. The spacing can be as small as possible, as long as the protector does not contact the touchscreen portion. The hardness of the plastic film contributes to the desired spacing, as the harder the plastic, the closer the spacing can be. In contrast, the plastic film should not be so hard as to hinder the user's ability to operate the touchscreen portion. The preferred dimensions and properties disclosed herein achieve these features.

The plastic film has a front side and a back side, an outer perimeter corresponding to the outer perimeter of the device, and a transparent window. The light transmission of the transparent window is preferably 60%, more preferably 75%, and most preferably 85%. In a preferred embodiment, the plastic film has a thickness between about 0.15 mm and about 2 mm and includes an opaque band around its perimeter.

The plastic film is sufficiently hard or rigid so that when the protector is applied to the handheld device and the device is placed horizontally on a flat surface, it does not bend or collapse under its own weight and contact the touch screen portion. Preferably, the plastic film has a hardness of 1H or greater, as measured by a pencil hardness test. More preferably, the plastic film has a hardness of 2H or greater. More preferably, the plastic film has a hardness of 3H or greater. The plastic film is also sufficiently thin and resilient so that to operate the touch screen portion, all that is required is a slight force from a user's finger pressing against any point of the transparent window of the plastic film against the touch screen portion of the handheld device. The plastic film can be made of any suitable commercially available transparent material. Preferably, the plastic film is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The protector achieves the desired spacing without providing irregularities, bumps or other non-uniformities on the back side of the plastic film. Instead, the film is essentially smooth and utilizes a coating of particles to achieve improved performance (compared to prior art touch screen protectors).

In one embodiment, the plastic film is coated to have a "matte" or anti-glare effect. Surface treatments such as the EZ-GLIDE™ topcoat treatment further allow for greater touchscreen mobility and effectively reduce finger friction on the touchscreen portion of a handheld device. The EZ-GLIDE™ treatment is a technology in which the outside of the screen protector (i.e., the side that contacts the hand) is coated with particles that reduce static electricity effects, allowing the hand to move smoothly across the screen protector. While previous film products that would be handled by the user might have been thought to require treatment to reduce electrostatic charge generated by frictional contact, the present invention is based, at least in part, on the discovery that providing the EZ-GLIDE ^™ particle treatment on the inside of the plastic film (i.e., the side of the film facing the touchscreen portion) prevents or avoids the generation of interfering streaks when the protector is pressed against the touchscreen portion. This result is achieved because the treatment prevents or avoids the generation of static electricity between the screen protector and the touchscreen portion.

The particles do not physically contact the touch screen portion unless the screen protector is pressed against it. Due to the antistatic effect of the particles, the screen protector quickly rebounds or pulls away from the touch screen portion once it is no longer pressed against it. The particles on the inner side of the film can have various shapes, such as pillars and ripples. The density of the particles is optimized so that it is high enough to provide an antistatic effect, but not too high to adversely affect the image quality viewed through the window. Preferably, the particles cover at least 5% of the film. More preferably, the particles cover at least 8% of the film. Most preferably, the particles cover at least 10% of the film. If desired, the entire film of the protector can be covered with particles, but good results can be achieved with up to 50% coverage. The particles can be made of any transparent material commonly known in the art. Preferably, the particles are made of PET, making it compatible with the film material. The film of the screen protector of the present invention most preferably includes particles on both sides so that the outer surface of the film does not generate static electricity during use.

Most touch screens of electronic devices have non-functional edges that form a perimeter border. The screen protector of the present invention is designed so that the spacer adheres to these edges, allowing the transparent window to access the entire operating portion of the touch screen. The opaque band on the plastic film more or less corresponds to the non-operating edge of the touch screen. To ensure that the operating portion of the touch screen is not obstructed, the spacer has a thickness less than that of the edge, where possible. To this end, the spacer has a width of 1 to 2 mm, less than the width of the opaque band. Therefore, when the spacer is properly applied along the outer perimeter of the plastic film, it surrounds the transparent window without touching it, thereby facilitating proper operation of the touch screen portion.

For devices with uneven, non-functional borders (e.g., the iPod Touch), the exposed adhesive of the protector can be configured in the same manner. When the side borders of the touch screen are very small, it is also possible (although not preferred) to include adhesive on only a portion of the perimeter (e.g., the top and bottom of a rectangular protector) so that the protector can be installed on the device without obstructing or interfering with the functional portions of the touch screen.

When the device's touchscreen has a non-functional band around its perimeter, the width of the spacer is selected to match the width of the band so that it does not interfere with the use of the touchscreen portion when the protector is adhesively attached to the device. The spacer has a thickness sufficient to space the plastic film close to, but not in contact with, the touchscreen portion. The spacer also has exposed adhesive for removably attaching the protector to the outer perimeter of the touchscreen, creating a closed air gap between the transparent window of the plastic film, the spacer, and the touchscreen portion of the device. The exposed adhesive has sufficient tack to attach the protector to the device but allows it to be removed without leaving adhesive residue on the device. Various adhesives of this type are commercially available, and those skilled in the art can select a specific adhesive for applying the protector to any particular device. An adhesive that allows for repeated cleaning and reapplication is preferred, allowing the screen protector to be repeatedly cleaned and reapplied. Any commercially available cleanable and reusable adhesive, such as those made from silica and polyurethane (PU), can be used.

The spacer preferably comprises at least one opaque adhesive strip applied to the plastic film, preferably received by the opaque band of the plastic film. Alternatively, the spacer comprises at least two strips, a first strip adhesively attached to the perimeter of the plastic film and a second strip adhesively attached to the first strip, with the second strip supporting the exposed adhesive. The adhesive that can be used can be any commercially available adhesive for joining plastic films together. More preferably, the adhesive is stronger than the exposed adhesive that attaches the protector to the device, as the spacer is not intended to be removed from the plastic film.

The touch screen protector of the present invention preferably further includes a backing member to protect the back side of the plastic film and the exposed adhesive of the spacer. The backing member may further include a protrusion to facilitate removal of the backing member during installation of the protector. By pinching and pulling the protrusion, the backing member can be easily removed from the protector, allowing the protector to be installed on the device by contacting the exposed adhesive with the non-functional edge of the device's touch screen.

Since many of these types of electronic devices include one or more operating buttons on the touch screen operating portion or edge for performing functions such as switching between an Internet browser, photos, music, or email, the touch screen protector of the present invention may further include one or more holes that match the one or more buttons on the electronic device. In addition to exposing the buttons for easy operation, these holes also serve as alignment features to facilitate proper installation of the plastic film on the touch screen.

While the touch screen protector can be any shape, it is preferably generally rectangular to conform to the shape of current handheld devices, most of which have a generally rectangular shape. Specifically, the shape of the protector is not exactly rectangular, as the corners are rounded to match the corners of the device. Therefore, the touch screen protector can be used to protect the touch screens of many different types of handheld electronic devices, such as mobile phones, reading devices, music devices, viewing devices, or navigation devices. Examples of such devices are iPhones, Nooks, iPods, iPads, Droids, and GPS navigation systems. The nature of the protector and its design enable specific embodiments to be adapted to conform to the touch screen of any such device.

The touch screen protector of the present invention has the advantage of being easily and quickly installed, for example, in 30 seconds or less. Because the installation process is so quick, dust will not be trapped between the touch screen portion of the handheld electronic device and the touch screen protector when properly applied. Because the touch screen protector of the present invention is gently applied to the outer perimeter of the handheld device's touch screen, there is no concern about leaving adhesive marks on the touch screen portion. Consequently, the touch screen protector of the present invention can be easily and effortlessly removed without adversely affecting the appearance and display quality of the touch screen portion of the handheld device.

Advantageously, when a handheld device is protected by the touch screen protector of the present invention, there will be no fingerprint smudges on the touch screen portion, no degradation of the display quality, and no degradation of the touch response of the screen. It will even allow the use of a capacitive stylus when using art applications on the handheld device.

The touchscreen protector of the present invention also reduces glare on the smooth touchscreen portion. As a result, photos on the touchscreen portion appear like printed matter. Even with glare completely removed, the sharpness of the touchscreen portion's outlines is barely affected. Thanks to the touchscreen protector's absolute anti-fingerprint properties, it completely eliminates the problem of smudges on the touchscreen portion.

Examples

Example 1: Protecting iPad

The protector of the present invention can be made for use with Apple's iPad as an anti-reflective screen protector specifically designed to protect the iPad's touch screen while reducing fingerprint smudges. Unlike other screen protectors that require a cumbersome installation process and often cause unwanted bubbles or hinder touch screen performance, the protector can be installed in seconds without any bubbles. As shown in the schematic diagrams of Figures 1A to 1D, the installation process is as follows. First, clean the screen of the iPad using a microfiber cloth included in the packaging to wipe off any dust particles on the iPad screen (Figure 1A). Second, gently peel off the backing member before applying the plastic film to the non-functional border of the iPad screen (Figure 1B). Third, begin aligning the protector at the bottom, with the circular open aligner of the protector placed on the iPad's "Home" button (Figure 1C). Finally, apply gentle pressure around the edge of the protector so that it is fixed in place on the iPad (Figure 1D).

Further details of the protector and its construction are shown in Figures 2 through 4. As shown in Figure 2, the protector 10 is generally rectangular and has an opaque band 15 around its perimeter. The band essentially corresponds to the non-functional band surrounding the iPad's touchscreen, while the transparent window 20 corresponds to the functional portion of the iPad's touchscreen. The protector includes a hole 25 corresponding to the iPad's switch selector button. The spacer is located on the back side of the plastic film and is not visible due to the presence of the opaque band.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a spacer. The plastic film is shown as 30, with the opaque strip shown as 35. The spacer is shown as 40 and includes a first strip 42 adhered to the plastic film 30 by adhesive 44 and a second strip 46 adhered to the first strip 42 by adhesive 48. Exposed adhesive 50 is shown on the spacer.

FIG4 is a view of the back side of the protector 10 when the backing member 65 is removed to apply the protector to the iPad. As shown, the tab member 60 has been pulled to separate the backing member 65 from the spacer 50, thereby showing the inner surface 62 of the backing member and the back side of the plastic film 30 behind the transparent window and the exposed adhesive 50 of the spacer. The backing member 65 is completely removed before applying the protector 10 to the iPad.

Because the screen protector does not touch the touchscreen portion of the iPad, it can be easily removed without leaving any residue on the touchscreen portion. The adhesive also does not leave any residue on non-functional edges due to its relatively low adhesion. The touchscreen protector provides excellent touchscreen mobility and scratch/smudge resistance while maintaining optimal touchscreen sensitivity and feedback.

Example 2: Protecting iPhone 4

Another protector is specifically designed for Apple's iPhone 4 touchscreen. The protector is sized to fit the touchscreen and applied in a similar manner to the iPad. First, clean the iPhone 4 by using the microfiber cloth included in the packaging to wipe away any dust particles on the iPhone 4 screen. Second, gently peel off the backing of the protector before applying the plastic film to the edge of the iPhone touchscreen. Third, properly align the protector over the top of the iPhone touchscreen. Finally, gently apply pressure around the edges of the protector to secure it in place. Again, the touchscreen protector provides superior touchscreen mobility and scratch/smudge resistance while maintaining optimal touchscreen sensitivity and feedback.

Example 3: Plastic film for touch screen protector

The plastic film is produced according to the following specifications:

To ensure the quality of the films, several tests were performed, such as the cross-hatch tape test, as follows:

First, use a utility knife to cut the film surface 11 times horizontally and 11 times vertically, creating a grid of 100 1 mm x 1 mm squares. Next, apply a 20 mm or longer length of Nichiban Celofan Tape (Nichiban No. 405) to the cut surface and press it with your fingers. Afterwards, pick up the tape end and remove it at a 60° angle (0.5 mm to 1 mm) to observe if any coating has come off.

In either case, the protector can be removed for cleaning and reapplying as needed. The protector can be cleaned by rinsing with water and air drying. A small amount of dish soap can be applied as needed. Debris or dust trapped on the touch screen portion can be brushed off first. Once rinsed, the protector is placed adhesive-side up on a towel and allowed to air dry. After it is completely dry and clean, it can be reapplied to the device.

Claims (15)

1. A touchscreen protector (10) for a handheld electronic device having a front surface including a touchscreen portion and an outer perimeter, the touchscreen protector (10) comprising: A plastic film (30) having a front and rear side, an outer perimeter corresponding to the handheld electronic device, and a transparent window (20) of a size corresponding to the touchscreen portion; and A spacer (40) is provided on the rear side of the plastic film (30) along the outer perimeter of the transparent window (20), the spacer (40) having a thickness between 0.05 mm and 1 mm sufficient to space the plastic film (30) close to but not in contact with the touch screen portion and an exposed adhesive (50) for removably mounting the protector (10) to the outer perimeter of the front touch screen portion to form a closed air gap between the transparent window (20) of the plastic film (30), the spacer (40) and the touch screen portion of the handheld electronic device, wherein the exposed adhesive (50) is sufficiently tacky to mount the protector (10) to the front touch screen portion but allows the protector (10) to be repeatedly removed without leaving adhesive residue on the touch screen portion, and the exposed adhesive (50) can be repeatedly removed together with the spacer (40); The transparent window (20) can be pressed onto the touchscreen portion for operating the handheld electronic device, while preventing the user's fingers from directly contacting the touchscreen portion and preventing visible interference patterns from being generated during use. The touchscreen protector (10) is removable from the handheld electronic device and can be reapplied to the handheld electronic device. 2. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 1, wherein the plastic film (30) has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 2 mm and includes an opaque strip (35) around its periphery that receives the spacer (40). 3. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 1 further includes microparticles having a density on the rear side of the plastic film (30), the density being sufficiently high to provide an antistatic effect without adversely affecting the image quality viewed through the transparent window (20). 4. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 3, wherein the microparticles are transparent and cover 5% to 50% of the back side of the plastic film (30) to avoid the interference pattern that appears when the transparent window (20) is pressed onto the touchscreen portion of the handheld electronic device during operation. 5. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 4, wherein the plastic film (30) further comprises microparticles adhered to the front side of the transparent window (20) in an amount that effectively provides anti-glare and antistatic effects to the transparent window (20). 6. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 1, wherein the front side of the touchscreen portion of the handheld electronic device has a non-functional band (35) around its perimeter, and the width of the spacer (40) is selected to conform to or be located within the band (35) such that when the protector (10) is adhesively mounted to the handheld electronic device, the spacer (40) does not interfere with the use of the responsive area of the touchscreen portion. 7. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 6, wherein the spacer (40) includes at least one adhesive strip applied to the plastic film (30), wherein the adhesive strip is opaque. 8. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 7, wherein at least one adhesive strip that bonds the spacer (40) to the plastic film (30) has a stronger adhesiveness than the exposed adhesive (50) that attaches the spacer (40) to the touchscreen portion of the handheld electronic device. 9. The touchscreen protector (10) of claim 7, wherein the spacer (40) comprises at least two strips (42, 46); the first strip (42) is adhesively attached to the outer periphery of the plastic film (30) and the second strip (46) is adhesively attached to the first strip (42), wherein each strip has a thickness of 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm and the second strip (46) supports the exposed adhesive (50). 10. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 9, wherein the first and second strips (42, 46) are joined together and bonded to the plastic film (30) by an adhesive (44, 48) having a stronger tack than the exposed adhesive (50) that attaches the protector (10) to the handheld electronic device. 11. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a backing member (65) to protect the rear side of the plastic film (30) and the exposed adhesive (50) of the spacer (40) before use. 12. The touchscreen protector (10) of claim 11, wherein the backing member (65) further includes a protrusion (60) for assisting in removing the backing member (65) when the protector (10) is mounted on the handheld electronic device. 13. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 1, further comprising one or more alignment holes (25) that mate with one or more buttons on the handheld electronic device to facilitate mounting the protector (10) on the handheld electronic device. 14. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 1, wherein the touchscreen and the plastic film (30) of the handheld electronic device are each rectangular, and the touchscreen is part of a telephone, reading device, music device, viewing device or navigation device. 15. The touchscreen protector (10) according to claim 1, wherein the transparent window (20) is transparent but includes a coating that provides a matte effect or privacy screen features.