Touch screen shield
AssigneeRacing Optics, Inc.
InventorsStephen S. Wilson, Bart Wilson, Seth Wilson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims23
A method for protecting a touch screen of an electronic device having a front face that includes a touch screen portion and an 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 a joining adhesive for adhering the spacer to the back side of the film;
- and
- 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.
A method for protecting a touch sensitive screen of an electronic device with a shield, the touch sensitive screen having an active area and an inactive area, the method comprising:
- removing at least a portion of a protective liner from the shield to expose an adhesive applied about an outer periphery of the shield;
- aligning the shield so that the outer periphery of the shield is positioned over the inactive area of the touch sensitive screen;
- and
- applying pressure to the outer periphery of the shield so that the adhesive attaches the shield to the touch sensitive screen,
- wherein at least a portion of the attached shield is lifted off the active area of the touch sensitive screen, and wherein air is trapped between the attached shield, the active area of the touch sensitive screen, and the adhesive.
A combination touch screen device and protective shield, the combination comprising:
- a touch sensitive screen for an electronic device, the touch sensitive screen comprising an active area and an inactive area;
- and
- a shield having an adhesive layer surrounding a central portion of the shield, the adhesive being applied only to the inactive area so that no part of the shield contacts the active area of the touch sensitive screen, the shield being mounted to the touch sensitive screen via the adhesive layer so that the central portion of the shield covers at least a portion of the active area of the touch sensitive screen,
- wherein the shield is mounted to the touch sensitive screen so that the central portion of the shield is lifted off the touch sensitive screen and so that air is trapped between the shield, the touch sensitive screen, and the adhesive layer, and wherein the shield is further mounted to the touch screen device so that the active area of the electronic device maintains touch sensitivity through the mounted shield.
A method for protecting a touch sensitive screen of an electronic device, the touch sensitive screen defining a shape having an active area and an inactive area, the method comprising:
- providing a shield having a base layer defining a shape that corresponds to the shape of the touch sensitive screen, the base layer having a central portion that corresponds to the active area of the touch sensitive screen and an outer peripheral portion that corresponds to the inactive area of the touch sensitive screen, the shield further having a pressure sensitive adhesive layer disposed about at least a portion of the outer peripheral portion;
- aligning the shield over the touch sensitive screen so that the pressure sensitive adhesive layer is positioned over the inactive area of the touch sensitive screen;
- and
- applying pressure around the outer peripheral portion of the shield to secure the shield to the touch sensitive screen so that at least a portion of the central portion of the attached shield is lifted off the touch sensitive screen,
- wherein the applying pressure around the outer peripheral portion of the shield traps air between the attached shield, the active area of the touch sensitive screen, and the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.