IP Library Granted Patent US 11,805,195
Granted Patent B2
US 11,805,195 · App. 17/184,044 · Granted Oct 31, 2023

Screen protector assembly for use with 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 11,805,195
App. No.
17/184,044
Granted
Oct 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A screen protector assembly includes a glass screen protector, a removable film, and an application film. The screen protector is configured to be adhered to a display of an electronic device. The removable film at least partially covers a first adhesive on a rear surface of the screen protector. The application film is removably adhered to the front surface of the screen protector. A first end of the adhered application film extends beyond a first edge of the screen protector and includes a post aperture for the post of an installation tool. A second end of the adhered application film extends beyond a second edge of the screen protector and includes alignment apertures for teeth of the installation tool. The screen protector is aligned with the display of the electronic device when the electronic device is centered in the installation tool and the application film is installed on the tool.

Claims (25)

1. A screen protector assembly for use with an electronic device and an installation tool, the screen protector assembly comprising:

a glass screen protector having a length and a width configured to substantially cover a display of the electronic device, wherein the glass screen protector has a front surface and an opposing rear surface, and wherein the rear surface is at least partially covered with a first adhesive configured for adhering the glass screen protector to the display of the electronic device;

a removable film at least partially covering the first adhesive on the rear surface of the glass screen protector; and

an application film removably adhered to the front surface of the glass screen protector with a second adhesive, wherein the first adhesive is stronger than the second adhesive, wherein the application film has a length that is longer than the length of the glass screen protector, wherein the application film has a primary width that is smaller than the width of the glass screen protector, wherein a first end of the adhered application film extends beyond a first edge of the glass screen protector and includes a post aperture for receiving a corresponding post of the installation tool, wherein a second end of the adhered application film extends beyond a second edge of the glass screen protector opposite the first edge and includes a plurality of alignment apertures for receiving corresponding teeth of the installation tool, and wherein the post aperture and the alignment apertures of the adhered application film each have a relative orientation to the glass screen protector such that the glass screen protector is aligned with the display of the electronic device when the electronic device is centered in the installation tool and the post aperture and the alignment apertures have received the post and the teeth, respectively, of the installation tool.

2. The screen protector assembly of claim 1 wherein the removable film is configured to be removed from the glass screen protector before the screen protector assembly is applied to the installation tool.

3. The screen protector assembly of claim 2 wherein the application film is configured to be detached from the glass screen protector after the glass screen protector is adhered to the electronic device with the first adhesive.

4. The screen protector assembly of claim 2 wherein the removable film includes a gripping tab configured to assist with removal of the removable film from the glass screen protector.

5. The screen protector assembly of claim 1 wherein the application film includes retention tabs which extend in opposite directions beyond the primary width of the application film.

6. The screen protector assembly of claim 5 wherein the retention tabs are located on the second end of the application film.

7. The screen protector assembly of claim 1 wherein the installation tool includes a body having a first corner alignment feature and a second corner alignment feature and also includes a movable alignment block slidably attached to the body to define an interior of the installation tool, wherein the movable alignment block includes a third corner alignment feature and a fourth corner alignment feature.

8. The screen protector assembly of claim 7 wherein the installation tool further includes an arm that is movable between an opened position and a closed position and extends over the post to hold the application film on the post when the arm is in the closed position.

9. The screen protector assembly of claim 1 wherein the application film is further configured to also be used with a second glass screen protector, wherein the second glass screen protector has a size that is different than the glass screen protector and is configured to fit a second electronic device having a size that is different than the electronic device.

10. A screen protector application system for use with an installation tool and with two or more electronic devices of different sizes, the screen protector application system comprising:

a first glass screen protector having a length and a width configured to substantially cover a display of a first one of the two or more electronic devices, wherein the first glass screen protector has a front surface and an opposing rear surface, and wherein the rear surface is at least partially covered with a first adhesive configured for adhering the first glass screen protector to the display of the first one of the electronic devices;

a second glass screen protector having a length and a width configured to substantially cover a display of a second one of the two or more electronic devices, wherein at least one of the length and the width of the second glass screen protector is different than the length and the width of the first glass screen protector, wherein the second glass screen protector has a front surface and an opposing rear surface, and wherein the rear surface is at least partially covered with the first adhesive;

a first application film removably adhered to the front surface of the first glass screen protector, wherein the application film has a length that is longer than the length of the first glass screen protector, wherein a first end of the adhered first application film extends beyond a first edge of the first glass screen protector and includes a first aperture for receiving a corresponding post of the installation tool, wherein a second end of the adhered first application film extends beyond a second edge of the first glass screen protector and includes one or more alignment apertures for receiving corresponding feature of the installation tool, wherein the first application film has a primary width that is smaller than the width of the first glass screen protector, and wherein the first aperture and the one or more alignment apertures of the adhered first application film each have a relative orientation to the adhered first glass screen protector such that the first glass screen protector is aligned with the display of the first electronic device when the first electronic device is centered in the installation tool and the first application film is installed on the installation tool; and

a second application film removably adhered to the front surface of the second glass screen protector, wherein the second application film is identical to the first application film, wherein the second application film has a primary width that is smaller than the width of the second glass screen protector, and wherein the first aperture and the one or more alignment apertures of the adhered second application film each have a relative orientation to the second glass screen protector such that the second glass screen protector is aligned with the display of the second electronic device when the second electronic device is centered in the installation tool and the second application film is installed on the installation tool.

11. The screen protector application system of claim 10 wherein each of the first and second glass screen protectors includes a removable film adhered to the rear surface of the respective glass screen protector.

12. The screen protector application system of claim 11 wherein each of the removable films is configured to be removed before the glass screen protectors are applied to the respective electronic devices.

13. The screen protector application system of claim 12 wherein each of the removable films includes a grip tab for removing the removable film from the respective glass screen protector.

14. The screen protector application system of claim 10 wherein the application films each include retention tabs which extend in opposite directions beyond a primary width of the application film.

15. The screen protector application system of claim 14 wherein the retention tabs are located proximate the second end of each of the application films.

16. The screen protector application system of claim 10 wherein the installation tool is compatible with both the first glass screen protector and the second glass screen protector as used with their respective application films.

17. The screen protector application system of claim 10 further including a cleaning cloth for cleaning one or more of the displays.

18. The screen protector application system of claim 10 further including the installation tool.

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.; VINSON, RICHARD W.; MIKSCH, JONATHAN B.; PICKETT, ZACHARIAH J.; GUERDRUM, JONATHAN H.; PRICE, GEORGE RUSSELL
To: OTTER PRODUCTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 055758/0067 →