Cleaning pad with operating tip for small electronic devices
In a cleaning pad for a small apparatus such as a smart phone or a minicomputer including a touch screen for its operation, the cleaning pad comprises a carrier element of a rigid material provided with a pad of fleece or similar soft material for cleaning the touch screen and the carrier element is provided with an operating tip for touching the touch screen for operating the small apparatus.
The invention relates to a cleaning pad for display screens of small electronic devices combined with a tip for operating small devices such as smart phones, minicomputers, so-called PDA's and similar apparatus for the interactive communication of the user with the apparatus by way of the display screens.
Smart phones, PDA's and similar apparatus are operated by the user by touching switching areas of the display screen wherein, because of the small size of the apparatus and its display screen and, consequently, of the switching area, a thin pointed operating stick is used. Generally, the operating stick can be inserted on the side of the apparatus and again retrieved for use. Since the operating stick is a loose part however, it is easily lost for example, in that it may drop to the ground or it is left somewhere after use.
On the other hand, a more-or-less needed accessory of such an apparatus is a cleaning pad for cleaning the display screen which requires frequent cleaning to facilitate reading of the relatively small screen. The cleaning pad is generally attached to an ear of the apparatus via a thin card so that it cannot be lost.
It is the object of the present invention to simplify the handling of such an apparatus and to overcome the problem of losing the operating stick and, as a result, the chance of being unable to operate the apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn a cleaning pad for a small apparatus such as a smart phone or a minicomputer including a touch screen for its operation, the cleaning pad comprises a carrier element of a rigid material provided with a pad of fleece or similar soft material for cleaning the touch screen and the carrier element is provided with an operating tip for touching the touch screen to operate the small apparatus.
The operating arrangement according to the invention has the advantage that the somewhat annoying removal and re-insertion of the operating stick is no longer necessary so that the operation of the apparatus is simplified since the operator only needs to grasp the cleaning pad which preferably is attached to the apparatus via a cord and which is easier to grasp than the small operating stick normally provided and to contact with tip formed thereon the desired switching area of the screen of the apparatus.
The geometric shape of the cleaning pad is of no importance. Expediently, the operating tip is arranged at an end of the cleaning pad opposite the location where the cord is connected to the cleaning pad support body.
Below, a number of embodiments of the invention will be described in greater detail on the basis of the accompanying schematic drawings.
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The geometric shape is in principle freely selectable. Also decorative shapes may be selected, that is, the pad may be for example in the shape of a piglet or an elephant where the tail may be used for the attachment of the cord and the trunk may be in the form of an operating tip.
The attachment of the cleaning pad provided with an operating tip via a cord to the apparatus is not necessary however. A user may not like his operating device to be connected to the apparatus. The invention is therefore not restricted to an arrangement where the cleaning pad is attached to an apparatus by a cord or in another way and consequently, the cleaning pad does not need to include an ear for the attachment of a cord.
Claims
1. A cleaning pad for small apparatus such as smart phones, minicomputers etc., including touch screens for their operation, said cleaning pad comprising a carrier element (1, 10) of a rigid material, a pad (2) of a fleece material or a similar soft material attached to the carrier element (1, 10) for cleaning the touch screen and an operating tip (4) formed from the carrier element (1) for contacting the touch screen to operate the small apparatus.
2. The cleaning pad according to claim 1, wherein the carrier element (1) is provided at a location remote from the operating tip (4) with an ear (3) for the attachment of a cord.
3. The cleaning pad according to claim 1, wherein the carrier element (1) is a plate provided at one side thereof with the cleaning pad (2)
4. The cleaning pad according to claim 1, wherein the carrier element (1) is a flat plate in the form of one of an oval, a triangular, a square and a round shape.
5. The cleaning pad according to claim 4, wherein the tip 4 is formed at a corner of the carrier element (1).
6. The cleaning pad according to claim 1, wherein the carrier element (1) is a rod (10) which extends centrally to the cleaning pad (2).
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 2, 2008
Publication Date: Oct 9, 2008
Inventors: Harald Richter (Engelsbrand), Steve Dixon (Carlsbad, CA)
Application Number: 12/080,423