Patent Publication Number: US-2013230680-A1

Title: Protective film for a portable electronic device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a protective film, and more particularly to a protective film for a portable electronic device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     To protective a screen or a case of a portable electronic device, such as a cell phone or a panel computer, a protective film is attached to the portable electronic device such that the screen or the case of the electronic device can be kept from being scraped. In addition, the conventional protective film may be provided with a figure layer to improve the aesthetic appearance of the portable electronic device onto which the protective film is attached. 
     However, the figure layer of the conventional protective film is formed on an outer surface of the protective film and is easily worn off or fades. 
     To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a protective film to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the invention is to provide a protective film for a portable electronic device to keep a figure layer from being worn off or fading. 
     The protective film has a protective layer, a figure layer, an acrylic resin layer, a substrate, a silicon gel layer and a releasing sheet. The protective layer is pervious to light and has a bottom. The figure layer is attached to the bottom of the protective layer and has a bottom opposite to the bottom of the protective layer. The acrylic resin layer is attached to the bottom of the figure layer and has a bottom opposite to the bottom of the figure layer. The substrate is pervious to light, is attached to the bottom of the acrylic resin layer and has a bottom opposite to the bottom of the acrylic resin layer. The silicon gel layer is attached to the bottom of the substrate and has a bottom opposite to the bottom of the substrate. The releasing sheet is attached to the bottom of the silicon gel layer. The protective layer has a window segment and a non-window segment that has a shape. The figure layer has a shape same as the shape of the non-window segment and corresponds to the non-window segment in position. The acrylic resin layer is attached to the bottom of the figure layer and the bottom of the protective layer at a position corresponding to the window segment. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a protective film in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a protective film in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged cross sectional side view of the protective film in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows operational cross sectional side view of the protective film in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the protective film in  FIG. 1  attached onto a portable electronic device; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the protective film in  FIG. 2  attached onto a portable electronic device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a protective film in accordance with the present invention can be attached to a screen or case of a portable electronic device, such as a cell phone or a panel computer and comprises a protective layer  10 , a figure layer  11 , an acrylic resin layer  12 , a substrate  13 , a silicon gel layer  14  and a releasing sheet  15 . 
     The protective layer  10  is pervious to light, may be made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE) or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and has a bottom. The protective layer  10  has a window segment  101 A, 101 B and a non-window segment  102 A, 102 B that has a shape. The window segment  101 A, 101 B is formed on the protective layer  10  at position corresponding to the screen, figure or trademark on the electronic device  20 . In the first embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the window segment  101 A is rectangular, is formed on a central segment of the protective layer  10  and has a size and a shape corresponding to those of a screen of a cell phone. In the second embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the window segment  101 B is circular and has a position, a size and a shape corresponding to those of a trademark of a cell phone. The non-window segment  102 A, 102 B is formed on the protective layer  10  at a position beside the window segment  101 A, 101 B. 
     The figure layer  11  is attached to the bottom of the protective layer  10  and has a shape and a bottom opposite to the bottom of the protective layer  10 . The shape of the figure layer  11  is same as the shape of the non-window segment  102 A, 102 B and corresponds to the non-window segment  102 A, 102 B in position. 
     The acrylic resin layer  12  is attached to the bottom of the figure layer  11  to securely hold the figure layer  11  on the bottom of the protective layer  10  and has a bottom opposite to the bottom of the figure layer  11 . With the arrangement of the shapes of the figure layer  11  and the window segment  101 A, 101 B, the acrylic resin layer  12  is attached to the bottom of the figure layer  11  and the bottom of the protective layer  10  at a position corresponding to the window segment  101 A, 101 B. 
     The substrate  13  is pervious to light, is attached to the bottom of the acrylic resin layer  12  and has a bottom opposite to the bottom of the acrylic resin layer  12 . Preferably, the substrate  13  is made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene (PE). 
     The silicon gel layer  14  is attached to the bottom of the substrate  13  and has a bottom opposite to the bottom of the substrate  13 . The releasing sheet  15  is attached to the bottom of the silicon gel layer  14 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4 to 6 , in use, the releasing sheet  15  is detached from the silicon gel layer  14 , and the protective film can be securely attached to a screen or a case of a portable electronic device  20  by the silicon gel layer  14 . Accordingly, the screen or the case of the electronic device  20  can be kept from scraped. In addition, because the figurer layer  11  is mounted between the protective layer  10  and the acrylic resin layer  12 , the figurer layer  11  will not be worn off or fade even after a long term of use. 
     Furthermore, with the arrangement of the window segment  101 A, 101 B, the screen or the trademark of the electronic device  20  is visible via the window segment  101 A, 101 B and is not blocked by the figure layer  11 . 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.