SYSTEMS FOR SECURING PROTECTIVE FILMS TO SURFACES OF SUBSTRATES

Abstract

Systems and films for protecting surfaces of various substrates, including electronic devices, such as portable electronic devices, include a liner with a strip liner and a main liner. The strip liner, which covers a small strip of adhesive on the back side of a protective film, is configured to be removed before the main liner. With the small strip of adhesive exposed, the protective film may be aligned with a substrate and, if necessary, removed from the substrates and repositioned thereon. Thereafter, the main liner may be removed to enable complete application of the protective film to the substrate. Methods for securing protective films to substrates are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for applying a protective film to an electronic device, comprising: a protective film including a lower surface that carries adhesive material and an upper surface opposite from the lower surface; a release layer over the upper surface of the protective film; and a liner secured to the adhesive material on the lower surface of the protective film, the liner including a liner strip and a main liner, the liner including a breakable boundary between the liner strip and the main liner, the breakable boundary enabling the liner strip to be fractured from the main liner and to be removed from the adhesive material without removing the main liner from the adhesive material.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the liner strip is positioned at a first end of the protective film and covers a strip of the adhesive material on the lower surface of the protective film at the first end of the protective film.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the liner strip includes a first tab protruding beyond the first end of the protective film.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the main liner includes a second tab protruding beyond a second end of the protective film.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a cap shield over the upper surface of the release layer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the cap shield distributes pressure applied thereto over the protective film to prevent damage to the protective film while securing the protective film to the surface of the electronic device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the release layer facilitates removal of the cap shield from the upper surface of the protective film without overcoming adhesion of the protective film to the surface of the electronic device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the protective film has a configuration that corresponds to a configuration of a surface of an electronic device on which the protective film is to be secured.

9. A system for applying a protective film to an electronic device, comprising: a protective film including an adherent surface that carries adhesive material and an outer surface opposite from the adherent surface; a liner secured to the adhesive material on the adherent surface of the protective film, the liner including: a liner strip covering a strip of the adhesive material on the adherent surface of the protective film, the liner strip including a first tab protruding beyond an edge of the liner strip and a corresponding edge of the protective film so as to enable removal of the liner strip from the strip of the adhesive material; and a main liner covering a remainder of the adhesive material on the adherent surface of the protective film, the main liner including a second tab protruding beyond an edge of the main liner and a corresponding edge of the protective film; and a release layer over the outer surface of the protective film.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a breakable boundary between the liner strip of the liner and the main liner of the liner is capable of being fractured to define adjacent edges of the liner strip.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the breakable boundary between the liner strip of the liner and the main liner of the liner is defined by a cut through the liner, the cut extending continuously across the liner.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the release layer, the protective film, and the liner comprise transparent elements, the release layer having a color to facilitate accurate alignment of the protective film with the surface of the electronic device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the color of the release layer and the protective film have configurations that corresponds to a configuration of a surface of an electronic device on which the protective film is to be secured.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising: a cap shield on the release layer, over the outer surface of the protective film, the cap shield capable of preventing damage to the outer surface of the protective film as pressure is applied to an upper surface of the cap shield to secure the adherent surface of the protective film to the surface of the electronic device, the release layer capable of enabling removal of the cap shield from the outer surface of the protective film without overcoming adhesion of the adherent surface of the protective film to the surface of the electronic device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the cap shield is pre-lifted away from the protective film at the second end of the protective film and then re-adhered in place over the protective film to enable a second end of the cap shield at the second end of the protective film to be more easily removed than a first end of the cap shield at the first end of the protective film, and to prevent removal of the cap shield instead of the liner strip from the first end of the protective film.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the cap shield is not pre-lifted at the first end of the protective film.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the cap shield includes: a first tab protruding beyond the first end of the protective film and superimposed with the first tab of the liner strip; and a second tab protruding beyond the second end of the protective film and superimposed with the second tab of the main liner.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first tab of the cap shield and the second tab of the cap shield enable proper alignment of the protective film over the surface of the electronic device after the strip liner has been removed from a bottom surface of the protective film.

19. A method for applying a protective film to an electronic device, comprising: providing a protective film including a lower surface that carries adhesive material for securing the protective film to a surface of the electronic device and an upper surface that is to be exposed when the protective film is secured to the surface of the electronic device; fracturing a liner secured to the adhesive material on the lower surface of the protective film to separate a liner strip of the liner from a main liner of the liner; removing the liner secured to the adhesive material on the lower surface of the protective film, including: removing the liner strip from a strip of the adhesive material; applying the strip of the adhesive material to a corresponding location on the surface of the electronic device; and removing the main liner from a remainder of the adhesive material; and applying pressure to the upper surface of the protective film so as to adhesively secure the lower surface of the protective film to the surface of the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein applying the strip of the adhesive material to the corresponding location on the surface of the electronic device occurs before removing the main liner from the remainder of the adhesive material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] In the drawings:

[0011] FIG. 1 is an assembly view of an embodiment of a system according to this disclosure;

[0012] FIG. 1A is an assembly view of another embodiment of a system according to this disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment of system shown in FIG. 1;

[0014] FIG. 2A is a top view of the embodiment of system shown in FIG. 1A;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the embodiment of system shown in FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 3A is a bottom view of the embodiment of system shown in FIG. 1A; and

[0017] FIGS. 4-9 depict an embodiment of a method for applying a protective film to a surface of a substrate, such as a surface of an electronic device; and

[0018] FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a substrate with a protective film applied to a surface thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, an embodiment of a system 10 for protecting a surface of a substrate, such as an electronic device (e.g., a consumer electronic device, such as a smart phone, a portable media player, a tablet computing device, a wearable electronic device, a laptop computer, etc.) is illustrated. The system 10 includes a protective film 20 and a liner 30. Additionally, the system 10 may include a release layer 40, which may also function as an alignment element, and a cap shield 50.

[0020] The protective film 20 of the system 10 is configured to be secured to the surface of a substrate (not shown in FIG. 1, 2, or 3) and to remain in place on the surface. A lower surface 22 of the protective film 20 may be coated with a suitable adhesive material 24, which may adhesively secure the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20 to the surface of the substrate. When the protective film 20 has been installed on a surface of a substrate, an upper surface 26, or an outer surface, of the protective film 20 will be exposed, and may comprise the surface with which a user interacts (e.g., by touching, with a stylus, etc.) when using the substrate or a feature thereof (e.g., a touch screen of a smart phone, tablet computing device, laptop computer, etc.).

[0021] In some embodiments, the protective film 20 may be formed from a plastic material, such as a polyurethane. A number of polyurethanes may provide desirable protective properties. In embodiments where the protective film 20 is transparent, a polyurethane may impart the protective film 20 with desirable optical properties (e.g., a clarity through which information or images may be viewed with little or no visible (to the naked eye, without image enhancement, etc.) distortion, etc.). For the sake of simplicity, the term “polyurethane,” as used herein, includes polymers that include urethane, or “carbamate,” linkages. A polyurethane may also include urea linkages, as well as combinations of urethane and urea linkages (e.g., poly(urethane-urea)s, etc.).

[0022] Other materials that may be suitable for use in forming the protective film 20 include polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polypropylene, polyester, poly(meth)acrylate, polyethylene, and rubbery resins (e.g., silicone elastomers, etc.). In other embodiments, the protective film 20 of a system 10 according to this disclosure may comprise glass.

[0023] The adhesive material 24 may comprise a pressure-sensitive adhesive material that will semi-permanently secure the protective film 20 to the surface of a substrate. In addition, the adhesive material 24 may be optically transparent. Example of adhesive materials with these properties include, but are not limited to, (meth)acrylates (e.g., acrylates, methacrylate, etc.), as well as adhesive materials that include chemistries based on natural and synthetic rubbers, polybutadiene and copolymers thereof, polyisoprene and copolymers thereof, and silicones (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane, polymethylphenylsiloxane, etc.). In a particular embodiment, the adhesive material 24 may include 2-ethyl hexyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, and polymerized acrylic acid monomers. Such an adhesive material is available from entrochem, inc., of Columbus, Ohio, under trade name ENTROCHEM™-ECA 340.

[0024] The embodiment of liner 30 depicted by FIGS. 1-3 may also be transparent. Such a liner 30 is secured to the adhesive material 24 on the lower surface of the protective film 20. A surface of the liner 30 that is positioned against the adhesive material 24 may have a smoothness that enables the liner 30 to be readily removed from the adhesive material 24 without pulling the adhesive material 24 from the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20. In some embodiments, the liner 30 may be relatively rigid, when compared with the rigidity of the protective film 20. Of course, the liner 30 may be flexible enough to enable it bend while being peeled from the adhesive material 24 on the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20. Without limitation, the liner 30 may be formed from a biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BoPET) or a stretched polyester film (e.g., that marketed by du Pont de Nemours & Co. under the MYLAR® trademark, etc.).

[0025] As shown, the liner 30 may be divided into a strip liner 32 and a main liner 36. Adjacent edges 33 and 37 of the strip liner 32 and the main liner 36, respectively, may be completely separated from one another at a boundary 35, which may comprise a cut line. The cut line may extend completely through the liner 30 without extending into the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20. Alternatively, the boundary 35 may comprise a cut line that extends partially into the liner 30, a series of perforations extending across the liner 30 or a weakened line across the liner 30, or it may have any other suitable configuration.

[0026] The strip liner 32 may cover a strip 25 of the adhesive material 24 on the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20 at a location adjacent to a first end 28 of the protective film 20. The main liner 36 may cover a remainder of the adhesive material 24, from a location adjacent to the strip 25 to a second end 29 of the protective film 20.

[0027] The system 10 may include a release layer 40 on the upper surface 26 of the protective film 20. In some embodiments, a configuration of the release layer 40 (e.g., shape(s), dimensions, etc.) may be the same as, or identical to, a configuration of the protective film 20. The release layer 40 may be completely superimposed over the protective film 20.

[0028] A lower surface 42 of the release layer 40 may be positioned against the upper surface 26 of the protective film 20 without being adhesively secured to the upper surface 26 of the protective film 20. Rather, static electricity, by way of so-called “static cling,” may releasably secure the lower surface 42 of the release layer 40 to the upper surface 26 of the protective film 20. The adhesive strength of the static cling between the release layer 40 and the protective film 20 may withstand (and even exceed) the strength with which the adhesive material 24 secures the liner 30 to the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20. This difference in adhesive strengths may enable removal of the liner 30 from the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20 while the upper surface 26 of the protective film 20 remains in place against the lower surface 42 of the release layer 40. The adhesive strength of the adhesive material 24 between the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20 and a surface of a substrate on which the protective film 20 is to be secured (e.g., a display of a portable electronic device, etc.) may, however, exceed the adhesive strength of static cling between the release layer 40 and the protective film 20, which may enable the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20 to remain in place on the surface against which it has been positioned when the release layer 40 is removed from (e.g., pulled away from, etc.) the upper surface 26 of the protective film 20.

[0029] In some embodiments, including those where the protective film 20, the liner 30 and any cap shield 50 are transparent, and where the release layer 40 has the same configuration as the protective film 20, the release layer 40 may be visible through the protective film 20, the liner 30 and any cap shield 50. Such visibility may be imparted by a combination of color and transparency, translucence, a visible border or in any other manner that will enable a surface of a substrate to be visualized through the release layer 40. Visibility of the release layer 40 through the protective film 20, the liner 30 and any cap shield 50 may enable use of the release layer 40 for precise alignment of the protective film 20 with the surface to which the protective film 20 is to be applied.

[0030] As indicated previously herein, in embodiments where a system 10 according to this disclosure includes a cap shield 50, the cap shield 50 may be transparent. The cap shield 50 may be configured to receive force and/or pressure applied to an upper surface 56 thereof and to distribute the same. The distribution of such force and/or pressure may protect (e.g., prevent denting of, prevent scuffing, scratching or other blemishing of, etc.) the protective film 20 before and during application of the protective film 20 to a surface of a substrate.

[0031] The cap shield 50 includes a lower surface 52 that is coated with an adhesive material 54. The adhesive material 54 may secure an upper surface 46 of the release layer 40 to the lower surface 52 of the cap shield 50. A strength with which the adhesive material 54 on the lower surface 52 of the cap shield 50 secures the upper surface 46 of the release layer 40 to the lower surface 52 may exceed a strength with which the lower surface 42 of the release layer 40 is secured to the upper surface 26 of the protective film 20, enabling removal of the release layer 40 from the protective film 20 when the cap shield 50 is pulled away from the protective film 20.

[0032] In some embodiments, cap shield 50 and the liner 30 may extend beyond an outer periphery 21 of the protective film 20. In a more specific embodiment, such as that depicted by FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the cap shield 50 and the liner 30 may include peripheral portions 51 and 31, respectively, that extend beyond an entire outer periphery 21 of the protective film 20. In such embodiments, the adhesive material 54 on the peripheral portion 51 of the lower surface 52 of the cap shield 50 may secure the peripheral portion 31 of the liner 30 to the peripheral portion 51 of the cap shield 50.

[0033] Further, the adhesive material 54 may secure the peripheral portion 51 at a first end 58 of the cap shield 50 to the peripheral portion 31 at a first end 38 of the liner 30 with greater strength than the adhesive material 54 secures the peripheral portion 51 at a second end 59 of the cap shield 50 to the peripheral portion 31 at a second end 39 of the liner 30. This difference in adhesive strengths may be achieved in any of a number of different ways. Without limitation, such a differential adhesive strength may be achieved by adhering the peripheral portion 51 of the cap shield 50 to the peripheral portion 31 of the liner 30, lifting the peripheral portion 51 at the second end 59 of the cap shield 50 away from peripheral portion 31 at the second end 39 of the liner while leaving the peripheral portions 31 and 51 at the first ends 39 and 59 of the liner 30 and cap shield 50 in an adhered relation and re-adhering the second end 59 of the cap shield 50 to the second end 39 of the liner 30. As another example, differential adhesive strength may be achieved by use of different adhesive materials 54 or by use of different amounts of adhesive material 54 at the first end 58 and the second end 59 of the cap shield 50. Such processes may result in a “bumped” adhesive material 54 at the second end 59 of the cap shield 50.

[0034] In addition, a system 10 according to this disclosure may include tabs 68c and 69c at opposite ends thereof. More specifically, the tabs 68c and 69c may comprise extensions from the opposite first end 58 and the second end 59, respectively, of the cap shield 50. In some embodiments, the system may also include tabs 68L and 69L that extend from the opposite first end 38 and second end 39, respectively, of the liner 30. Tabs 68c and 68L may be completely superimposed with respect to one another, and tabs 69c and 69L may be completely superimposed with respect to one another. The tabs 68c and 69c may enable a user to position the system 10 and the protective film 20 in a manner that provides an individual with more control over the application process than merely grasping the edges of the cap shield 50 and/or the protective film 20. Additionally, the tabs 68c and 69c may reduce the likelihood that an individual's hands will contact and contaminate the adhesive material 24 on the lower surface 22 of the protective film 22 as the protective film 22 is being applied to the surface of a substrate.

[0035] One or more of the tabs 68c, 68L, 69c, 69L may include indicia 70. In the specific embodiment depicted by FIGS. 1-3, tab 68L may include indicia 70 in the embodiment of the number “1”, indicating that tab 68L is the first tab to be pulled in the process of applying a protective film 20 to a surface of a substrate. When tab 68L of the depicted embodiment is pulled, the strip liner 32 will be removed from the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20, which will expose the strip of 25 the adhesive material 24 on the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20.

[0036] Tab 69c may include indicia 70 in the form of the number “2”, which may indicate that tab 69c is to be pulled at some point in time after tab 68L to remove the cap shield 50 (and the release layer 40) from the upper surface 26 of the protective film 20. In some embodiments, the orientation of the indicia 70 on tab 69c may be combined with bumping of the adhesive material 54 at the second end 59 of the cap shield 50 to prevent tab 68c and the first end 58 of the cap shield 50 from being pulled and the cap shield 50 (and, optionally, the release layer 40) from being removed from the protective film 20 prematurely; i.e., before the protective film 20 has been secured to a surface of a substrate.

[0037] FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A depict a system 10′ with another embodiment of liner 30′, in which the strip liner 32′ includes a tab 68L′ that is oriented toward, and may overlap, the main liner 36′. By orienting the tab 68L′ in this manner, a user may grasp tabs 69c and 69L while pulling tab 68L′ away from tabs 69c and 69L to remove the strip liner 32′ from the main liner 36′, as will be described in further detail hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4. All of the other elements and features of the liner 30′ may be the same as the corresponding elements and features of the liner 30 described in reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. As such, the remaining reference numerals that are used in FIGS. 1-3 have been duplicated in FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A, respectively.

[0038] Turning now to FIGS. 4-9, and with continued reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, an embodiment of a method for applying a protective film 20 to a surface 102 of a substrate 100 is depicted.

[0039] FIG. 4 shows tab 68L and the strip liner 32 portion of the liner 30 being pulled away from the adhesive material 24 on the lower surface 22 of a protective film 20. This exposes a strip 25 of the adhesive material 24 on the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20.

[0040] Once the strip 25 of adhesive material 24 has been exposed, the protective film 20 may be aligned with the surface 102 to which the protective film 20 is to be applied, as shown in FIG. 5. Specifically, FIG. 5 shows alignment of the release layer 40, which is visible through the cap shield 50 and the liner 30 (FIGS. 1-3), which has the same configuration as the protective film 20 and which is completely superimposed with the protective film 20, with the surface 102 of a display of a portable electronic device, such as a smart phone, a portable media player, a wearable electronic device or a tablet computing device. More specifically, an individual may grasp the tabs 68C and 69C/69L to align the release layer 40 and, thus, the protective film 20 with the surface 102 of the substrate 100.

[0041] With the protective film 20 in alignment with the surface 102 to which the protective film 20 is to be adhered, the strip 25 of adhesive material 24 may be applied to the surface 102, as illustrated by FIG. 6, which will secure the first end 28 of the protective film 20 to the surface 102. The act of securing the first end 28 of the protective film 20 to the surface 102 may include applying the strip 25 (FIG. 4) of adhesive material 24 (FIG. 4) on the first end 28 to the surface 102 and pressing the first end 28 against the surface 102. Such pressure may be applied manually (e.g., with one or more fingers, etc.) and/or with a pressure application tool 110, such as a plastic card, a squeegee or the like.

[0042] Since only a relatively small strip 25 (FIG. 4) of adhesive material 24 (FIG. 4) is exposed and secured to the surface 102 of the substrate 100, if any misalignment has occurred (e.g., while securing the first end 28 of the protective film 20 to the surface, etc.), the first end 28 may be removed from the surface 102, the protective film 20 may be realigned with the surface 102 and the first end 28 of the protective film 20 may be re-secured to the surface 102 (e.g., with the strip 25 (FIG. 4) of the adhesive material 24 (FIG. 4), etc.). If such repositioning of the protective film 20 is desired or necessary, the first end 28 of the protective film 20 may be removed from the surface 102 by pulling tab 68c and/or tabs 69c and 69L away from the surface 102.

[0043] As an alternative, the entire liner 30 may be removed from the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20 before any portion of the adhesive material 24 on the lower surface 22 contacts the surface 102. Such a technique may be employed in embodiments where the protective film 20 is rigid (e.g., formed from a glass, etc.) and/or when so-called “wet apply” processes are used. When such a technique is employed, the process steps shown and described in reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 may be omitted.

[0044] In some embodiments, including those where the protective film 20 comprises a flexible film, after the first end 28 of the protective film 20 has been adhesively secured to the surface 102 of the substrate 100, the second ends 29, 39 and 59 of the protective film 20, the liner 30 (i.e., the main liner 36) and the cap shield 50, respectively, may be lifted away from the surface 102, as depicted by FIG. 7. As these portions of the assembled elements of the system 10 are lifted away from the surface 102 and back over the first ends 58 and 28 of the cap shield 50 and the protective film 20, respectively, an edge 37 of the main liner 36 may peel away from the adhesive material 24 (FIG. 1) on the lower surface 22 (FIG. 1) of the protective film 20, and may rest against the surface 102 of the substrate 100.

[0045] With the system 10 in the arrangement depicted by FIG. 7, as illustrated by FIG. 8, a force (e.g., a linear pressure front, etc.) may be applied across the cap shield 50 at a location adjacent to the first end 58 of the cap shield 50, and moved along the cap shield 50 over a length (or height) of the cap shield 50 toward its second end 59. Such force may be applied with a suitable application tool 110, such as a plastic card, a squeegee or the like. As force is applied in the direction illustrated by FIG. 8, the main liner 36 is removed from the adhesive material 24 on the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20 and the edge 37 of the main liner 36 moves along the surface 102 of the substrate 100 until the main liner 36 has been completely removed from the lower surface 22 of the protective film 20 and the protective film 20 has been fully secured to the surface 102.

[0046] Once the protective film 20 has been properly secured to the surface 102 of the substrate 100, the cap shield 50 and the release layer 40 may be removed from the upper surface 26 of the protective film 20. Removal of the cap shield 50 and the release layer 40 may be effected by pulling tab 69c away from the surface 102. As illustrated, tab 69C and the second end 59 of the cap shield 50 may be pulled back across the protective film 20 and the surface 102 on which the protective film 20 resides.

[0047] With reference now turned to FIG. 10, an embodiment of a substrate 100 is shown with a surface 102 to which a protective film 20 has been applied. The substrate 100 may, without limitation, comprise a portable electronic device or a consumer electronic device, such as a smart phone, a portable media player, a tablet computing device, a wearable electronic device, a laptop computer or the like. The surface 102 of such a substrate 100 may comprise a display or any other feature that may be subjected to conditions that may, without the presence of a protective film 20 thereon, detrimentally affect the appearance of the surface 102.

[0048] Although the preceding disclosure provides many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any of the ensuing claims. Other embodiments may be devised which do not depart from the scopes of the claims. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. The scope of each claim is, therefore, indicated and limited only by its plain language and the full scope of available legal equivalents to its elements.