Corner positioning turn-off type screen protection assembly and installation method

Abstract

The present application relates to electronic equipment screen protection accessories, in particular to a corner positioning and folding type screen protection assembly and installation method. The screen protection sheet is provided with two upper corner protection pieces and two lower corner protection pieces which are spaced apart from each other at four corners. A first release sheet covers an adhesive layer; a second traction sheet which is formed separately from the first release sheet is connected in force transmission at the upper end of the first release sheet, bypasses the upper end of the screen protection sheet, folds back to the front surface and extends downward. During installation, the two upper corner protection pieces are first clamped and positioned, then the second traction sheet is pulled downward, so that the peeling front edge of the first release sheet is pushed from top to bottom and the screen protection sheet is synchronously attached from top to bottom, and finally the two lower corner protection pieces are buckled. The present application is used for completing film attachment positioning and corner protection while keeping the side of the electronic equipment open.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of screen protection accessories for electronic devices, and in particular to a screen protection assembly and its installation method that combines a screen protector, four independent corner protectors that do not form a continuous frame, an upper corner positioning structure, a lower corner locking structure, and a two-piece fold-back release assembly. It is suitable for mobile phones, tablets, and other electronic devices with flat or near-flat displays. Background Technology

[0002] Current electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets typically have tempered glass or other transparent protective films pasted on the surface of their displays to reduce the risk of scratches or impact damage. However, the installation of these screen protectors generally relies on the user observing the edges of the display and manually aligning them, which can easily lead to problems such as the protector shifting, the adhesive layer prematurely contacting the display, air bubbles forming, or requiring repeated removal and adjustment.

[0003] To improve the positioning accuracy of film application, existing technologies also include independently set film application frames or positioners. However, these film application frames or positioners are usually only used during the installation process and are discarded after the film application is completed, increasing the number of parts, packaging volume, and usage costs.

[0004] Traditional electronic device protective cases typically protect the four corners of the device by continuously surrounding the sides with a bezel. However, this continuous bezel increases the overall size of the device and obscures the mid-frame. While existing corner protector structures and pull-tab release mechanisms exist, using a pull-tab release mechanism alone can still cause lateral displacement of the screen protector during the process of pulling the release tab. Furthermore, using a corner protector structure alone makes it difficult to simultaneously complete pre-application positioning, release tab removal, and corner locking after application. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a corner-positioned, fold-back release screen protector assembly and installation method, so as to achieve accurate positioning of the screen protector, controllable release of the release liner, gradual bonding of the screen protector, and buffer protection of the four corners of electronic devices without setting continuous side bezels and disposable film positioners.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a screen protection assembly, including a screen protection sheet and an adhesive layer disposed on the bonding side of the screen protection sheet. The screen protection sheet can be transparent tempered glass, a transparent resin sheet, or a multi-layer transparent composite sheet, and the front side of the screen protection sheet may also be provided with an oleophobic layer, an anti-reflective layer, a privacy layer, a blue light blocking layer, or other functional layers.

[0007] The screen protector has corner protectors spaced apart from each other at its four corners. Each corner protector includes two upper corner protectors and two lower corner protectors, and each corner protector extends at least partially beyond the outer edge of the screen protector. There is no continuous bezel surrounding the sides of the electronic device between adjacent corner protectors.

[0008] Each of the two upper corner protectors has a first retaining structure adapted to the two upper corners of the electronic device. The first retaining structure may include a covering portion and a retaining portion, and the two upper corner protectors together define the position of the screen protector relative to the display screen of the electronic device in the length and width directions. The two upper corner protectors form an open channel between the central regions of the upper end of the screen protector.

[0009] Each of the two lower corner protectors has a second locking structure that can switch between a released position and a locking position. The second locking structure may include a resiliently deformable locking part, a rotatable locking part, or a slidable locking part. During the film application process, the two lower corner protectors remain in the released position or in a partially engaged state; after the film application is completed, the two lower corner protectors switch to the locking position and engage with the two lower corners of the electronic device.

[0010] A release assembly is provided on the outer side of the adhesive layer. The release assembly includes a first release sheet and a second traction sheet, which are respectively formed. The first release sheet extends continuously from the lower end region of the screen protector to the upper end region and can peelably cover all or most of the adhesive area.

[0011] The second traction piece is fixedly connected to the first release piece at its upper end via a force-transmitting connection area capable of transmitting traction force. The force-transmitting connection area can be formed by an adhesive layer, tape, hot-pressed joint, hot-melt joint, partial composite joint, perforated fastener, mechanical fastener, or other connection structures capable of transmitting the film-removing traction force.

[0012] The second traction piece passes through the open channel between the two upper corner protectors, bypasses the upper end of the screen protector, folds back to the side of the screen protector away from the adhesive layer, and extends towards the lower end of the screen protector to form a traction end. The traction end may extend to or beyond the lower edge of the screen protector and may be provided with a widened grip, surface anti-slip texture, or grip holes.

[0013] A guide structure may be provided at the upper end of the screen protector, between the two upper corner protectors, or on at least one upper corner protector to limit the folding position of the second traction piece. The guide structure may have an arc-shaped guide surface to reduce the risk of sharp creases forming at the folding point of the second traction piece.

[0014] At least one corner protector may include a rigid outer layer and a flexible cushioning layer disposed inside the rigid outer layer. The rigid outer layer may be made of polycarbonate, metal, or high-modulus resin, and the flexible cushioning layer may be made of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, thermoplastic elastomer, silicone, or rubber. The corner protector may also have an anti-collision flange that extends above the front of the screen protector.

[0015] The present invention also provides an installation method for the above-mentioned screen protection component, comprising the following steps: keeping the first release sheet covering the adhesive layer, and having the two upper corner protective members respectively hold the two upper corners of the electronic device to pre-position the screen protection sheet.

[0016] With the two upper corner protective pieces in a locked position and the two lower corner protective pieces in a released or not fully engaged position, pull the second traction piece in the direction toward the lower end of the screen protector.

[0017] The traction force is transmitted to the first release sheet through the folding area and force transmission connection area of ​​the second traction sheet, causing the first release sheet to detach from the adhesive layer starting from its upper end. The peeling front of the first release sheet advances from the upper end to the lower end of the screen protector, and the peeled portion moves out past the upper end of the screen protector.

[0018] As the first release liner gradually withdraws, the exposed adhesive layer gradually contacts the display screen of the electronic device from the top to the bottom of the screen protector, causing the overall bonding front edge of the screen protector to move from the top to the bottom.

[0019] After the first release liner is completely removed, the two lower corner protective pieces engage with the two lower corners of the electronic device, thus completing the bonding of the screen protector and locking protection of the four corners of the electronic device.

[0020] The terms "upper end" and "lower end" as used in this invention refer to the predetermined orientation of the electronic device when the screen protection component is installed, and do not limit the horizontal or vertical orientation of the electronic device during actual use.

[0021] The “force-transmitting connection” or “fixed connection” referred to in this invention means a connection between the first release sheet and the second traction sheet that can transmit the film-removing traction force, excluding free overlapping relationships that cannot transmit traction force.

[0022] The first release sheet referred to in this invention as "removing from top to bottom" means that the first release sheet starts to detach from the adhesive layer from the top end, and its peeling front generally moves from the top end of the screen protector to the bottom end. The part that has already detached moves out through the top end of the screen protector. It does not mean that the entire first release sheet moves downward along the plane of the screen protector.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention uses two upper corner protective parts to complete the pre-applying positioning and two lower corner protective parts to complete the locking after application, so that the four corner protective parts have both installation positioning and usage protection functions, reducing the use of disposable film applicator.

[0024] This invention employs a first release sheet and a second traction sheet that are formed separately. The materials, thicknesses, and surface treatments suitable for the release and traction can be selected respectively, and the traction end is kept on the front of the screen protector, making it convenient for the user to grasp and operate.

[0025] During the pulling of the second traction piece, the two upper corner protective pieces continuously restrict the lateral displacement of the screen protector; the peeling front edge of the first release piece and the bonding front edge of the screen protector generally advance from top to bottom, which can reduce the risk of displacement or bubbles caused by the entire adhesive surface contacting the display screen at the same time.

[0026] The four corner protectors are spaced apart from each other and do not form a continuous side frame, which can protect the four corners of the electronic device while keeping the sides of the electronic device open, thereby reducing the size of the components and preserving the feel and appearance of the electronic device's frame. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of the screen protection component of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the bonding side structure of the screen protection component of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the layered structure and release path of the screen protection component of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded structure of the two-piece release assembly of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the top connection and folding structure between the first release sheet and the second traction sheet of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the positioning state of the two upper corner protective components of the present invention holding the upper corner of the electronic device.

[0033] Figure 7 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the upper corner protective component retaining structure of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the two lower corner protective components of the present invention in the released position.

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the two lower corner protective components of the present invention in the locked position.

[0036] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the corner protection composite structure of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the first release sheet portion when it is withdrawn from the present invention.

[0038] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention after installation.

[0039] Reference numerals: 1—Electronic device; 2—Display screen; 10—Screen protection assembly; 11—Screen protection sheet; 12—Adhesive layer; 13—Functional layer; 20—Corner protection structure; 21—First upper corner protection component; 22—Second upper corner protection component; 23—First lower corner protection component; 24—Second lower corner protection component; 25—Connecting part; 26—Covering part; 27—Holding part; 28—Flexible buffer layer; 29—Anti-collision flange; 30—Release assembly; 31—First release sheet; 32—Second traction sheet; 33—Force transmission connection area; 34—Returning area; 35—Traction end; 36—Guiding structure; 37—Rigid outer layer. Detailed Implementation

[0040] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following embodiments are illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit the scope of protection of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make adjustments to the shape, material, size, and connection method of the various components without departing from the concept of the invention.

[0041] In Embodiment 1, the screen protection assembly 10 includes a screen protection sheet 11, an adhesive layer 12, four corner protectors 21, 22, 23, and 24, and a release assemblies 30. The screen protection sheet 11 is made of transparent tempered glass, and the adhesive layer 12 is disposed on the side of the screen protection sheet 11 facing the display screen 2 of the electronic device 1. A functional layer 13 is disposed on the front side of the screen protection sheet 11.

[0042] Four corner protectors 21, 22, 23, and 24 are respectively installed in the four corner areas of the screen protector 11 and are fixedly connected to the screen protector 11 via connecting parts 25. Adjacent corner protectors are separated from each other, keeping the center of each side of the electronic device 1 open.

[0043] The first upper corner protector 21 and the second upper corner protector 22 each have a covering portion 26 and a retaining portion 27 that are adapted to the outer contours of the two upper corners of the electronic device 1. The two upper corner protectors together restrict the position of the screen protector 11 relative to the display screen 2 in the length and width directions.

[0044] An open central channel is formed between the first upper corner protective member 21 and the second upper corner protective member 22, through which the second traction piece 32 can pass. An arc-shaped guide structure 36 is provided within the open channel to limit the reversal position of the second traction piece 32.

[0045] The first lower corner protective member 23 and the second lower corner protective member 24 each include an elastic arm connected to the connecting part 25 and a retaining part 27 located at the free end of the elastic arm and protruding toward the inside of the electronic device 1.

[0046] In the released position, the elastic arm elastically deflects outwards from the electronic device 1, positioning the retaining part 27 on the outer side of the lower corner of the electronic device 1. After the film is applied, the corresponding lower corner protective piece is pressed inwards, causing the retaining part 27 to pass over the outer edge of the corner of the frame of the electronic device 1. The elastic arm then returns to its original position, allowing the retaining part 27 to engage with the outer edge of the corner of the electronic device 1.

[0047] Each corner protector includes a rigid outer layer 37 and a flexible buffer layer 28 disposed inside the rigid outer layer 37. The rigid outer layer 37 may be made of polycarbonate, and the flexible buffer layer 28 may be made of thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer. The outer edge of the front of the corner protector forms an anti-collision flange 29 that is higher than the front of the screen protector 11.

[0048] The release assembly 30 includes a first release sheet 31, a second traction sheet 32, a force transmission connection area 33, a folding-back area 34, and a traction end 35. The first release sheet 31 and the second traction sheet 32 ​​are two separately formed flexible sheets.

[0049] The first release tab 31 extends continuously from the lower end region to the upper end region of the screen protector 11 and peelably covers the adhesive layer 12. The side of the first release tab 31 facing the adhesive layer 12 is the release treatment surface, and the area at the upper end of the first release tab 31 used to connect the second traction tab 32 can be provided with a non-release treatment connection surface or an additional connection layer.

[0050] The upper end of the second traction piece 32 forms a force-transmitting connection area 33 with the upper end of the first release piece 31 through the adhesive tape layer. The second traction piece 32 passes through the open channel between the two upper corner protective members, bypasses the upper end of the screen protection piece 11 to form a fold-back area 34, and extends downward along the center of the front of the screen protection piece 11 to form a traction end 35.

[0051] The width of the second traction piece 32 is smaller than the width of the first release piece 31. The traction end 35 extends to the lower edge of the screen protector 11 and is provided with a widened grip portion and a surface anti-slip texture for the user to hold.

[0052] During installation, while the first release liner 31 is still covering the adhesive layer 12, the first upper corner protective member 21 and the second upper corner protective member 22 are respectively secured to the two upper corners of the electronic device 1, so that the screen protector 11 is pre-positioned relative to the display screen 2.

[0053] After the pre-positioning is completed, keep the first lower corner protector 23 and the second lower corner protector 24 in the released position. The user grasps the traction end 35 from the front of the screen protector 11 and pulls the second traction piece 32 in the direction toward the lower end of the screen protector 11.

[0054] The traction force is transmitted to the first release tab 31 through the return area 34 and the force transmission connection area 33, causing the first release tab 31 to detach from the adhesive layer 12 starting from its upper end. The portion of the first release tab 31 that has been peeled off gradually moves out through the upper end of the screen protector 11.

[0055] During the process of the first release sheet 31 being removed, the peeling edge of the first release sheet 31 is pushed from the upper end to the lower end of the screen protector 11, and the exposed part of the adhesive layer 12 simultaneously comes into contact with the display screen 2, so that the screen protector 11 gradually adheres to the display screen 2 from the upper end to the lower end.

[0056] After the first release tab 31 is completely removed, the surface of the screen protector 11 can be gently pressed to expel any remaining air bubbles. Then, the first lower corner protector 23 and the second lower corner protector 24 are pressed inwards respectively, causing the two lower corner protectors to switch from the released position to the locked position, thus completing the four-corner locking.

[0057] The difference between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 is that the guide structure 36 is disposed on the upper edge of the screen protection sheet 11 and has a continuous arc-shaped guide surface. The second traction piece 32 folds back along the arc-shaped guide surface, thereby keeping the folding position of the second traction piece 32 stable and reducing the folding resistance.

[0058] The difference between Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 1 is that the lower corner protective component adopts a rotating locking structure. The lower corner protective component is connected to the connecting part 25 via a rotating shaft and is held in the release position and the locking position respectively by limiting protrusions. After the film is applied, the lower corner protective component is rotated so that its locking part 27 engages with the lower corner of the electronic device 1.

[0059] The difference between Embodiment 4 and Embodiment 1 is that the lower corner protective component adopts a sliding locking structure. A guide groove is provided on the connecting part 25, and a slider that cooperates with the guide groove is provided on the lower corner protective component, so that the lower corner protective component can move laterally between the release position and the locking position, and is held in the corresponding position by the elastic locking teeth and the positioning recess.

[0060] In other embodiments, the second traction strip 32 may extend along the left or right side of the front of the screen protector 11, or it may be configured as a forked structure or two traction strips. The first release strip 31 may cover the entire adhesive layer 12, or it may cover the main area of ​​the adhesive layer 12.

[0061] The four corner protectors can be fixedly connected to the screen protector 11, or they can be detachably connected to the screen protector 11 through slot fitting, clamping, mechanical fastening, or other structures. The flexible buffer layer 28 can also be provided with ribs, honeycomb structures, or closed buffer cavities.

[0062] The screen protector 11 can be made of transparent resin sheet or multi-layer transparent composite sheet instead of tempered glass; the material, color, shape and size of the corner protector can be adjusted according to the corner contour of different electronic devices. The above changes do not affect the two-piece folding-back release path and the basic structural relationship of upper corner positioning and lower corner locking of the present invention.

Claims

1. A screen protector assembly, comprising a screen protector sheet and an adhesive layer disposed on the bonding side of the screen protector sheet, characterized in that: The screen protector has corner guards spaced apart from each other and connected to the screen protector at its four corners. Each corner guard includes two upper corner guards and two lower corner guards, each extending at least partially to the outside of the screen protector. The two upper corner guards each have a first retaining structure adapted to the two upper corners of the electronic device to jointly define the position of the screen protector relative to the electronic device's display screen, and the two upper corner guards form an open channel between the central area of ​​the upper end of the screen protector. The two lower corner guards each have a release position that allows them to... A second holding structure for switching between holding positions; a release assembly is provided on the outer side of the adhesive layer, the release assembly including a first release sheet and a second traction sheet respectively formed, the first release sheet extending from the lower end region of the screen protector to the upper end region and peelably covering the adhesive layer, the second traction sheet being fixedly connected to the first release sheet in the upper end region of the first release sheet through a force-transmitting connection region capable of transmitting traction force, and passing around the upper end of the screen protector through the open channel to the side of the screen protector away from the adhesive layer, extending in the direction toward the lower end of the screen protector to form a traction end.

2. The screen protection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, There is no continuous border surrounding the side of the electronic device between two adjacent corner protectors.

3. The screen protection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner contours of the two upper corner protective members are adapted to the outer contours of the two upper corners of the electronic device, and each includes a covering part and a retaining part.

4. The screen protection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second clamping structure includes a clamping part that can be elastically deformed, a clamping part that can be rotated, or a clamping part that can be slidable.

5. The screen protection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the corner protection components includes a rigid outer layer and a flexible buffer layer disposed inside the rigid outer layer.

6. The screen protection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the corner protectors has an anti-collision flange that is higher than the front of the screen protector.

7. The screen protection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The force-transmitting connection area is formed by an adhesive layer, tape, hot-pressed joint, hot-melt joint, partial composite joint, or mechanical fastening joint.

8. The screen protection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the screen protector or at least one of the upper corner protective members is provided with a guide structure for limiting the folding position of the second traction piece.

9. The screen protection component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The traction end extends to or beyond the lower edge of the screen protector and is provided with a widened grip portion, a surface anti-slip texture, or grip holes.

10. A method for installing a screen protector assembly, the screen protector assembly comprising a screen protector sheet, two upper corner protectors and two lower corner protectors disposed at the four corner regions of the screen protector sheet, a first release liner and a second traction sheet, wherein the first release liner peelably covers the adhesive layer on the bonding side of the screen protector sheet, and the second traction sheet is force-transmittingly connected to the first release liner at its upper end region and folds back around the upper end of the screen protector sheet to the front side of the screen protector sheet, characterized in that... include: The two upper corner protective components respectively hold the two upper corners of the electronic device to pre-position the screen protector. Pull the second traction piece along the direction towards the lower end of the screen protector, so that the first release piece begins to detach from the adhesive layer from its upper end. The peeling front edge of the first release piece is pushed from the upper end to the lower end of the screen protector. The peeled portion moves out through the upper end of the screen protector, and the screen protector gradually adheres to the display screen of the electronic device from the upper end to the lower end. After the first release piece is completely removed, the two lower corner protective pieces are respectively fastened to the two lower corners of the electronic device.

11. The installation method according to claim 10, characterized in that, During the pulling of the second traction piece, the two upper corner guards are kept in a locked state, and the two lower corner guards are kept in a partially engaged state.

12. The installation method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The peeling edge of the first release liner and the bonding edge of the screen protector both generally move from the upper end to the lower end of the screen protector.

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