Keycap and manufacturing method thereo
AssigneeDarfon Electronics Corp.
InventorsTSAI-JUNG HU, SHIH-KAI CHEN
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing keycaps, each keycap having a top and a skirt, includes: providing a first jig having a plurality of positioning units; arranging correspondingly a plurality of keycaps onto the plurality of positioning units; attaching a first film including an ink layer and a first release layer to the plurality of keycaps by using an out-mold transfer technique, such that the first film covers respective upper surfaces of the tops and respective side surfaces of the skirts of keycaps; removing the first release film; laser-engraving the ink layer; and forming a protection layer on the laser-engraved ink layer. A keycap manufactured by the method of the present invention is also disclosed.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing keycaps, comprising:
- (a) providing a first jig having a plurality of positioning units respectively corresponding to a plurality of keycaps, each keycap having a top and a skirt connected to at least a portion of periphery of the top, the skirt having a side face and defining, together with the top, a space of the keycap;
- (b) arranging the plurality of keycaps onto the plurality of positioning units, respectively;
- (c) attaching a first film comprising an ink layer and a first release layer onto the plurality of keycaps by an out-mold transfer technique in a manner that the first film covers surfaces of the tops of the plurality of keycaps and the side faces of the skirts of the plurality of keycaps;
- (d) removing the first release layer to expose the ink layer on the plurality of keycaps;
- (e) patterning the ink layer to form corresponding characters or symbols on the plurality of keycaps;
- and
- (f) forming a protection layer on the patterned ink layer to protect the characters or symbols on the plurality of keycaps.
A keycap, comprising:
- a top having an upper surface;
- a skirt surroundingly connected to at least a portion of periphery of the top, the skirt having a side face;
- an ink layer for forming character or symbol, the ink layer comprising an upper ink portion on the upper surface of the top and a side ink portion on the side face of the skirt, the side ink portion comprising an upper section and a lower section;
- and
- a protection layer formed on the upper ink portion and the upper section of the side ink portion to expose the lower section of the side ink portion.
A keycap, comprising:
- a top having an upper surface;
- a skirt surroundingly connected to at least a portion of periphery of the top, the skirt having a side face comprising an upper portion and a lower portion;
- an ink layer for forming character or symbol, the ink layer comprising an upper ink portion on the upper surface of the top and a side ink portion on the upper portion of the side face of the skirt;
- and
- a protection layer formed on the upper ink portion and the side ink portion to expose the lower portion of the side face.
A keycap, comprising:
- a top having an upper surface;
- a skirt surroundingly connected to at least a portion of periphery of the top, the skirt having a side face and a bottom face;
- an ink layer formed on the upper surface of the top and the side face and the bottom face of the skirt;
- and
- a protection layer formed on the ink layer.
A keycap, comprising:
- a top having an upper surface;
- a skirt surroundingly connected to at least a portion of periphery of the top, the skirt having a side face and a bottom face;
- an ink layer formed on the upper surface of the top and the side face of the skirt by an out-mold transfer technique;
- and
- a protection layer formed on the ink layer to cover at least the upper surface of the top.
A keycap having a character or symbol, the keycap having a top and a skirt surroundingly connected to at least a portion of periphery of the top, the top having an upper surface, the skirt having a side face, the keycap being manufactured by a method comprising:
- (a) providing a first jig having a positioning unit;
- (b) arranging the keycap onto the positioning unit;
- (c) attaching a first film comprising an ink layer and a first release layer onto the keycap by an out-mold transfer technique in a manner that the first film covers the upper surface and the side face;
- (d) removing the first release layer to expose the ink layer on the upper surface and the side face;
- (e) patterning the ink layer to form the character or symbol on the keycap;
- and
- (f) forming a protection layer on the ink layer on the upper surface to protect the character or symbol on the keycap;
- and
- (g) removing the keycap from the positioning unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.