IP Library Granted Patent US 11,665,269
Granted Patent B2
US 11,665,269 · App. 17/172,283 · Granted May 30, 2023

Tool for installing a screen protector on an electronic device

Inventors: Ross V. Bulkley (Loveland, CO); Bryan W. Goings (Fort Collins, CO); Elise S. Niedringhaus (Fort Collins, CO); George Russell Price (Fort Collins, CO); Jamie L. Johnson (Fort Collins, CO); David J. Bohman (Fort Collins, CO); Richard W. Vinson (Fort Collins, CO); Zachariah J. Pickett (Fort Collins, CO); Jonathan B. Miksch (Fort Collins, CO); Jonathan H. Guerdrum (Fort Collins, CO)
Assignee: Otter Products, LLC
H04M1/0266B29C66/861G06F1/1637H04B1/3888B29L2031/3437
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,665,269
App. No.
17/172,283
Granted
May 30, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tool for facilitating attaching a screen protector of a screen protector assembly to a display of an electronic device includes a tray, an alignment block, and a spring. The tray includes a first corner alignment feature, a second corner alignment feature, and an engagement feature for engaging the screen protector assembly. The tray also includes a movable arm for holding the screen protector assembly on the engagement feature. The alignment block is slidably attached to the tray to define an interior of the tool. The alignment block includes a first corner alignment feature, a second corner alignment feature, and an engagement feature for engaging the screen protector assembly. The spring is configured to push the alignment block toward the first and second corner alignment features of the tray to center the electronic device is in the tool for the attaching of the screen protector to the electronic device.

Claims (32)

1. A kit comprising:

a screen protector comprising:

a front surface and an opposing rear surface;

a first removable film adapted to at least partially cover the rear surface of the screen protector; and

a second removable film adapted to at least partially cover the front surface of the screen protector; and

a screen protector installation tool comprising:

a body having a first corner alignment feature and a second corner alignment feature;

a movable alignment block slidably attached to the body to define an interior of the screen protector installation tool, wherein the movable alignment block includes a third corner alignment feature and a fourth corner alignment feature, and wherein the movable alignment block is configured to slide toward the first and second corner alignment features of the body to center the electronic device in the interior of the screen protector installation tool when the electronic device is in the screen protector installation tool.

2. The kit of claim 1 wherein the body includes one or more posts configured to engage a first end of the screen protector.

3. The kit of claim 2 wherein the movable alignment block includes one or more posts configured to engage a second end of the screen protector.

4. The kit of claim 2 wherein the one or more posts are configured to extend through one or more corresponding apertures near the first end of the screen protector.

5. The kit of claim 2 wherein the body includes an arm that is movable between an opened position and a closed position.

6. The kit of claim 5 wherein the arm extends over the one or more posts of the body and holds the screen protector on the one or more posts when the arm is in the closed position.

7. The kit of claim 6 wherein at least one of the body and the arm includes a magnet for temporarily holding the arm in the closed position.

8. The kit of claim 2 wherein at least one of the one or more posts of the body is keyed relative to the other posts.

9. The kit of claim 1 further comprising a cleaning cloth.

10. The kit of claim 1 wherein the interior of the screen protector installation tool is configured to receive a variety of sizes of electronic devices each being associated with another screen protector having a size that is different than the screen protector.

11. The kit of claim 1 wherein the screen protector is taut when engaged with the one or more posts of the body and engaged with the one or more posts of the movable alignment block when the electronic device is in the interior of the screen protector installation tool.

12. A tool for facilitating attachment of a screen protector to a display of an electronic device, wherein the screen protector is part of a screen protector assembly, the tool comprising:

a tray including a first corner alignment feature, a second corner alignment feature, and an engagement feature for engaging the screen protector assembly, wherein the tray includes a movable arm for holding the screen protector assembly on the engagement feature;

an alignment block slidably attached to the tray to define an interior of the tool, wherein the alignment block includes a first corner alignment feature, a second corner alignment feature, and an engagement feature for engaging the screen protector assembly, and wherein the alignment block is configured to slide toward the first and second corner alignment features of the tray to center the electronic device is in the tool for the attaching of the screen protector to the electronic device.

13. The tool of claim 12 wherein the first corner alignment feature and the second corner alignment feature of the tray each comprise a surface forming a corresponding angle between an end of the tool and a corresponding side of the tool, wherein the angle is between 30° and 60°.

14. The tool of claim 12 wherein the screen protector assembly includes:

the screen protector, wherein the screen protector has a front surface and an opposing rear surface;

a first removable film configured to at least partially cover the rear surface of the screen protector; and

a second removable film configured to at least partially cover the front surface of the screen protector.

15. The tool of claim 14 wherein the second removable film includes an alignment extension on each of two opposite ends of the second removable film, wherein each alignment extension includes one or more alignment apertures.

16. The tool of claim 15 wherein each of the alignment apertures of each alignment extension is configured to align with one of the engagement feature of the tray and the engagement feature of the alignment block.

17. The tool of claim 16 wherein the engagement feature of the tray and the engagement feature of the movable alignment block are spaced apart by a distance when the electronic device is installed in the tool, where the distance is substantially the same as a distance between corresponding engagement features on the screen protector assembly.

18. The tool of claim 15 wherein one of the engagement feature of the tray and the engagement feature of the movable block includes two or more posts.

19. The tool of claim 18 wherein the two or more posts are keyed such that the screen protector assembly will engage the two or more posts in only one orientation.

20. The tool of claim 12 wherein one of the tray and the arm includes a magnet for holding the arm in place over the screen protector assembly through magnetic attraction between the magnet and a metallic element on the other of the tray and the arm.

Assignments (4)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 20, 2026
From: OTTER PRODUCTS, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 075611/0291 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AT REEL/FRAME NO. 59554/0930 Recorded May 20, 2026
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: OTTER PRODUCTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 075613/0276 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 31, 2022
From: OTTER PRODUCTS, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 059554/0930 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2021
From: BULKLEY, ROSS V.; GOINGS, BRYAN W.; NIEDRINGHAUS, ELISE S.; JOHNSON, JAMIE L.; BOHMAN, DAVID J.; MIKSCH, JONATHAN B.; PICKETT, ZACHARIAH J.; GUERDRUM, JONATHAN H.; PRICE, GEORGE RUSSELL; VINSON, RICHARD W.
To: OTTER PRODUCTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 055757/0918 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 16986975 · Aug 6, 2020
Continuation 16694237 · Nov 25, 2019
Provisional Application 62783283 · Dec 21, 2018
Provisional Application 62886493 · Aug 14, 2019
Related Publication 20210176351A1 · Jun 10, 2021
Cited By (3)
US 1,062,435 US 1,139,260 US 1,141,790