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Mobile Phone Patent Abstract
A display window of a mobile phone, which prevents a deposited layer
from being exposed and being oxidized/corroded, thereby improving
not only the quality of the display window but also the reliability
on the mobile phone provided with the display window. The display
window has a deposited layer and a printed layer, which are formed
in sequence on a transparent sheet, and a protective layer coated
on outer edges of the deposited layer and printed layers, thereby
preventing the deposited layer from being exposed.
Mobile Phone Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A display window for protecting a liquid crystal screen of a
mobile phone, the display window comprising: a transparent sheet
having a predetermined thickness and area; a deposited layer formed
on the transparent sheet; a printed layer formed on the deposited
layer and having a shape of a closed loop with a regular width,
the printed layer having an outer edge disposed a predetermined
space inside from an outer edge of the transparent sheet; and a
protective layer having a thickness which is substantially equal
to a thickness of the deposited layer and printed layer at a location
which corresponds with the outer edge of the transparent sheet such
that the protective layer fully occupies the predetermined space
between the outer edge of the transparent sheet and the outer edge
of the deposited layer, the protective layer being transparent or
colored; wherein the deposited layer is formed by etching after
depositing nonferrous metal powder on an entire surface of the transparent
sheet, so that the deposited layer remains only between the printed
layer and the transparent sheet, and the protective layer is coated
on outer edges of the deposited layer and printed layers, thereby
preventing the deposited layer from being exposed.
2. The display window of claim 1, wherein the transparent sheet
is made from a synthetic resin.
Mobile Phone Patent Description
PRIORITY
This application claims priority to a Korean Utility Model application
entitled "Display Window Of A Mobile Phone" filed in the
Korean Industrial Property Office on Aug. 21, 2001 and assigned
Serial No. 2001-25284, the contents of which are hereby incorporated
by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display window of a mobile phone,
and more particularly to an improved construction of a display window,
which is provided at a mobile phone so as to protect a liquid crystal
screen of the mobile phone, on which various information is displayed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile phones have various shapes and functions for providing convenience
for users of the mobile phones. In a conventional mobile phone,
a liquid crystal screen displaying general information about the
mobile phone for users is disposed at a central portion of the mobile
phone. The liquid crystal screen displays various information required
in using the mobile phone, such as the phone number and transmission/reception
state. Especially, in recent times, the mobile phone is often and
widely utilized in transmitting E-mails, character messages, etc.,
so that the dimension of the liquid crystal screen has a tendency
to be increased.
One problem is that the liquid crystal screen is fragile and can
be easily broken by an external impact. Therefore, in order to protect
the liquid crystal screen, a display window 1 made from synthetic
resin is assembled outside of the liquid crystal screen as illustrated
in FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, in manufacturing the display window
1 for protecting the liquid crystal screen of a mobile phone 100,
a deposited layer 11 is first formed on a flat transparent sheet
10 made from synthetic resin though a deposition step, in which
nonferrous metal powder such as powder of Al, Ni, Cu, or Ti is deposited
and coated on the flat transparent sheet. Thereafter, a printed
layer 12 having various rim shapes such as a rectangular-rimmed
shape is formed on the deposited layer 11.
After the printed layer 12 is formed, an etching is performed by
utilizing predetermined chemicals, to eliminate predetermined portions
of the deposited layer 11, thereby changing opaque portions of the
display window 1 covered by the deposited layer 11 into transparent
portions, through which the liquid crystal screen can be viewed.
After an etched sheet 13 is manufactured by the etching, various
characters required by manufacturers of mobile phones, such as symbols
and logos of the manufacturers, are printed on the printed layer
12, and the etched sheet 13 is cut along the shape of the remaining
deposited layer 11, so that complete display windows 1 for mobile
phones are manufactured.
However, as illustrated in FIG. 2, side edges of the printed layer
12 and the deposited layer 11 of the display window 1 are exposed,
so that the deposited layer 11 made from nonferrous metal powder
may be oxidized/corroded, thereby having bad influence on the external
appearance of the entire display window. The oxidization/corrosion
of the deposited layer 11 of the display window 1 deteriorates not
only the external appearance of the display window 1 itself but
also the quality of the mobile phone 100 provided with the display
window 1, thereby reducing its reliability for customers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been designed to solve the
above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object
of the present invention is to provide a display window of a mobile
phone, in which a protective layer is formed along an edge of the
display window, so as to prevent a deposited layer from being exposed
and being oxidized/corroded, thereby improving not only the quality
of the display window but also the reliability on the mobile phone
provided with the display window.
In order to accomplish this object, there is provided a display
window for protecting a liquid crystal screen of a mobile phone,
the display window comprising: a transparent sheet made from synthetic
resin and having a predetermined thickness and area; a deposited
layer formed on the transparent sheet; a printed layer formed on
the deposited layer and having a shape of a closed loop with a regular
width, the printed layer having an outer edge disposed a predetermined
space inside from an outer edge of the transparent sheet; and a
protective layer formed in the predetermined space between the outer
edge of the transparent sheet and the outer edge of the deposited
layer, the protective layer being transparent or colored. The deposited
layer is formed by etching after depositing nonferrous metal powder
on an entire surface of the transparent sheet, so that the deposited
layer remains only between the printed layer and the transparent
sheet, and the protective layer is coated on outer edges of the
deposited layer and printed layers, thereby preventing the deposited
layer from being exposed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present
invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional mobile phone;
FIG. 2 is a view illustrated a process of manufacturing a conventional
display window of a mobile phone;
FIG. 3 is a plan and a side view of a conventional display window
of a mobile phone;
FIG. 4 is a view illustrated a process of manufacturing a display
window of a mobile phone according to a preferred embodiment of
the present invention; and
FIG. 5 is a plan and side view of a display window of a mobile
phone according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described
herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the
following description of the present invention, a detailed description
of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be
omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention
confusing.
As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, a display window of a mobile phone
according to the present invention includes a central portion, a
transparent portion formed at peripheral portions of the window,
and an opaque section in which a deposited layer and a printed layer
overlap each other. In FIG. 4, a display window 2 of a mobile phone
according to the present invention includes a transparent sheet
20 having a predetermined thickness and area made from synthetic
resin, and a deposited layer 21 deposited on the entire surface
of the transparent sheet 20. The deposited layer 21 has a uniform
thickness and is formed by depositing nonferrous metal powder on
the transparent sheet 20.
Further, a printed layer 22 is formed on the deposited layer 21
in such a manner that the printed layer 22 has a predetermined width
b so as to form the external appearance of the display window 2
corresponding to the liquid crystal screen of the mobile phone.
In this case, the outer edge of the printed layer 22 is not equal
to that of the conventional display window, but is disposed a predetermined
distance inside from the outer edge of the display window 2 when
the display window 2 is completed, as illustrated in FIG. 5.
After the above-mentioned printed layer 22 having various rim shapes,
such as a rectangular-rimmed shape, is formed on the deposited layer
21, the transparent sheet 20 is subjected to an etching by means
of predetermined chemicals, so as to eliminate predetermined portions
of the deposited layer 21, thereby changing opaque portions of the
surface of the transparent sheet 20 covered by the deposited layer
21 into transparent portions, through which the liquid crystal screen
can be viewed.
After an etched sheet 23 is manufactured by the etching, various
characters required by manufacturers of mobile phones, such as symbols
and logos of the manufacturers, are printed on the printed layer
22.
Thereafter, a transparent film or film with one of various colors
is coated on an etched portion 24, which means exposed outer edges
of the deposited layer 21 and the printed layer 22. Then, the transparent
sheet 20 is cut not along the outer edge of the printed layer 22
but along a portion including the coated film outside of the outer
edge of the printed layer 22, so that the coated film forms a protective
layer 26 having a predetermined width along the rim of the display
window 2 as illustrated in FIG. 5.
In the display window 2 manufactured through the above process,
the deposited layer 21 is not exposed but is covered by the protective
layer 26, that is, the coated film. Therefore, the protective layer
26 prevents the deposited layer 21 from being oxidized/corroded,
differently from the conventional display window, in which the deposited
layer 11 and the printed layer 12 are exposed and the deposited
layer 11 is oxidized/corroded.
In forming the protective layer 26 which prevents the deposited
layer 21 from being oxidized/corroded, the printed layer 22 has
a smaller width in comparison with that of the prior art, while
the entire width of the transparent section is maintained the same,
and the protective layer 26 is formed in the gap formed due to the
difference of the width, so that there is no change in the entire
dimension of the display window.
As described above, in a display window of a mobile phone according
to the present invention, a protective layer formed along the edge
of the display window prevents the deposited layer from being exposed
and being oxidized/corroded, thereby improving not only the quality
of the display window but also the reliability of the mobile phone
provided with the display window.
While the invention has been shown and described with reference
to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood
by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details
may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope
of the invention as defined by the appended claims. |