GB2420655A

GB2420655A - Skins for customising portable media devices

Info

Publication number: GB2420655A
Application number: GB0426128A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Declan Butterfield
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-11-27
Filing date: 2004-11-27
Publication date: 2006-05-31
Also published as: GB0426128D0

Abstract

Affixing an external shaped template skin (incorporating a design) to a portable media device, such as an MP3 player, or MP4 video jukebox, or similar, to allow someone to quickly and easily customise the way their device looks. The invention will also protect the covered panels against minor scrapes that would otherwise damage and devalue the device. The skins cover the major panels without restricting access to the buttons, scrollers, sliders or other implements that control the device.

Description

Media device Skins Media devices are becoming more and more popular, but each device of the same specification looks the same. Customising a device by replacing the panelling (e.g. as with phone covers) is risky, as in many cases it involves opening the device up. This will lad to the product warranty t' being voided in many cases. E.g. the Appl4iPodwarranty would be voided by replacmg the panelling.

The invention relates to template stick-on design covers for portable media devices, such as MP4 players, for the purposes of changing the overall look of the device and providing protection against minor scrapes to the device's bodywork.

These minor scrapes occur constantly, for example, from coat zips as the device is retrieved from-or deposited in the inside coat pocket. Protecting the bodywork against suthniinor scrapes is an object of the invention.

Affixing an external skin-would allow someone to quickly and easily customise the way their device looks. That is an object of this invention.

Covering the panels in this way will protect the bodywork or paintwork against minor scrapes that would otherwise damage or devalue the device, its panelling or its case.

The invention comprises shaped pattern templates that affix to the outer panelling of media devices such as MP3 players, MP4 players, wma players and similar portable media devices, for the purpose of giving the device a new design, or look. By changing the skin you can change the look of the device completely in a very short time.

The side of the skin that is in contact with the device may be adhesive.

None of the original panelling will have to be removed to attach skins.

The shape of the patterns to be overlaid on the device will depend on the type of device. Each separate device or range may have a separate set of corresponding skins. The skin for a specific device will be cut in such a way as to allow access to buttons and such like on the device so that the device can still be used normally.

These skins may cover the original panelling, replacement covers, or external cases for the purpose of carrying such devices.

The Skins could be made from sticky-backed (adhesive coated) vinyl with the designs being printed onto the front, but the skins could alsQ be made form wood, paper, metal, plastics, fabrics or any combination thereof and designs can be printed, etched, burned, dyed or similar onto the skins.

The template skins included in the drawings section e for one specific type of media device, the Creative Labs Jukebox Zen1d appear for illustrative purposes. Each device these skins are marie for will require a new set of template patterns as they appear in the drawings.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: The design of the harp onthe skin appears for illustrative purposes.

Figure 1 is the skin that would be attached to the front, or top part of a Creative Jukebox zen.

Figure 2 is the skin that would be attached to the back, or underside part of the Creative Jukebox 4en.

As shown in Fig 1 the skin comprises of a specific shape designed to fit the front of the device in question.

There are holes in the skin to allow normal functioning of the device. E. g.

(1) is a hole in the skin so that the device's underlying screen can still be seen by the user after the application of the skin. In some cases this may be a transparent patch of skin as opposed to a bole.

(2) is a hole in the skin that overlays a relief of the manufacture? s name, in this case Creative, that would otherwise cause the skin to warp, stretch, bubble, or similar, and which may have caused trademark issues if covered. In some cases for protuberances such as this, or buttons, or similar, a corresponding fitting relief may occur on the skin instead of the hole illustrated in this example.

The rounded concave corners as appear at (3) are to fit the contours of the front panel of the device in question.

The larger concave corner as appears at (4) is to allow access to the device in question's navigation scroller, and to fit the contours of the panel that the skin covers.

In figure 2 the holes at (5) are to accommodate feet that protrude from the underside of the device in question.

The shape of the area at (6) is to fit the shape of the panel being covered.

The concave shapes at (3), the position of the holes at (1) (2) and (5) and the4ped edges at (4) and (6) in this case are specific to the Creative ZenLexample. Every other device or range would have their own ldn template shape and the template shape skin for the Creative Zen vary from the illustration.

Claims

Claims Media device Skins Template affix design covers for portable media

devices 1. A set of templates (skins) that fit on to portable media devices to change the appearance of such devices and to protect covered portions of those media devices against minor scrapes.
2. A skin as in claim 1 with holes cut-out for the device's buttons to fit through so that the device can still be utilised.
3. People may select graphics, pictures, words, colours, etc. (graphics) for their skins, either from a set of standard graphics, or through custom-made graphics.
4. Those graphics are then incorporated on to the skin as in claim 1 or claim 2.
5. Skins may be purchased pre made, or made to user specificatiQns.
6. This will enable people to customise the external appearance of their device by placing the skins on to their media device for which that skin, as mentioned in claim 1 and 2, has been shaped.
7. The skins as described above may cover the original panelling, replacement' alternative panelling, or external cases for the purpose of carrying such devices.
8. The skins as described above will provide protection against minor scrapes and bumps to the face, paint work, bodywork or similar, of the device, depending on what the skins covr as mentioned in claim 7 above.
9. The skins as described above can be attached without removing any panelling from the device.
10. The skins as described above can be removed by taking them off the device.
11. Skins as described herein, made from vinyl, plastics, pulped products, woven fibres, wood or metal, or any combination therçof.
12. Skins substantially as described above and in the accompanying

description and drawings.