Touch-pad cover protecting against wear, spills and abuse

Details Touch-pad cover protecting against wear, spills and abuse Touch-pad cover protecting against wear, spills and abuse

2000-11-07

2003-09-02

Chang, Kent (Department: 2673)

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system

Display peripheral interface input device

Touch panel

C361S689000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06614423

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to point-of-sale or point-of-service (POS) terminals and protective coverings for the same. More specifically, this invention relates to a cover for a touchscreen of a POS terminal, the cover protecting against wear, abuse and spillage.
BACKGROUND
FIG. 1
illustrates a transaction computer
100
of the art. The transaction computer
100
includes an overlay
110
, a cover
120
, a touch pad
130
, a display
140
and a substrate
150
. The display
140
lies in the substrate
150
. The touch pad
130
lies above and on the display
140
. The transparent cover
120
lies above the touch pad
130
.
The overlay
110
lies above and on the cover
120
. The overlay
110
includes an opening
111
coinciding with the position of the cover
120
and touch pad
130
beneath it. (For clarity, the overlay
110
and the cover
120
are illustrated both in situ in the transaction computer (TC)
100
and out of position hovering above the TC
100
.)
The display
140
is a liquid crystal display (LCD). It typically cooperates with the touch pad
130
to create a touchscreen.
The screen protectors with reorder nos. 60027-250 and 0033-250, available from the assignee of the instant invention, are examples of the prior-art cover
120
.
The procedure for installing the cover
120
, however, limits its effectiveness.
FIG. 2
illustrates the installation of a cover
120
. The cover
120
is slid under the overlay
110
in the X axis or in the Y axis.
The edges of the cover
120
extend over the edges of the touch pad
130
in the X axis when the overlay is inserted along the X axis and extend over the edges of the touch pad
130
in the Y axis when it is inserted along the Y axis. Notably, the cover
120
does not cover the edges of the touch pad
130
in both the X and Y axes. (The “edge” of the touch pad #_
130
is the line at which the touch pad #_
130
becomes visible through the overlay #_
110
.)
Accordingly, in day-to-day use, the touch-pad stylus, users' fingernails, etc. may wear the exposed edges of the touch pad
130
. Malicious users may intentionally damage the touch pad
130
by poking into and prying along its unprotected edges.
Liquids may spill onto the transaction computer
100
. While the cover
120
may help to prevent the spilled liquid's moving into the transaction computer
100
along one axis (the axis of the cover
120
's insertion), the cover
120
does nothing to prevent the liquid's movement into the exposed edges of the touch pad
130
(along the axis orthogonal to the axis of insertion) and into the electronics of the transaction computer
100
from there.
Indeed, the prior-art cover
120
even has an unintended side affect. While the cover
120
diverts a spilled liquid away from the protected edges of the touch pad
130
, the liquid must still go somewhere. The cover
120
has the effect of diverting the liquid to the protected edges of the touch pad
130
and into the electronics of the transaction computer
100
from there.
Accordingly, more complete protection of the touch pad
130
and the underlying components of the transaction computer
100
is sought.
These and other goals of the invention will be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art on reading the background above and the description below.
SUMMARY
Herein are taught apparatus for protecting a touch pad against wear, spills and abuse. An apparatus may include a cover for placement over a touch pad and adhesive, adhering to the cover, not adhering to the touch pad and for adhering to a surface surrounding the touch pad. The cover may have upper and lower surfaces. Then the adhesive adheres to the lower surface of the cover.
An apparatus may include a touch pad with x and y orthogonal dimensions and at least one edge in each dimension, an overlay above the touch pad and with the touch pad forming a contour, and a plastic-film cover, above and adhering to the overlay, fitting the contour of the touch pad and overlay and covering two edges of the touch pad in each of the x and y dimensions. An edge of the touch pad may be the line at which the touch pad becomes accessible from under any overlying material.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6122162 (2000-09-01), Horie et al.
patent: 6163313 (2000-12-01), Aroyan et al.
patent: 6262717 (2001-07-01), Donohue et al.

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