A keycap, a keyboard, and an electronic device

Abstract

The application relates to the field of electronic equipment, in particular to a key cap, a keyboard and an electronic equipment. The key cap comprises a key cap body, a character display area is arranged on the surface of the key cap body, the character display area is used for forming characters under laser engraving, and the material of the character display area comprises a foamed material. Since the foamed material has good wear resistance and corrosion resistance when reacting with laser to form the required characters, the stability of the engraved characters and the characters on the key cap can be improved.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202421742399.6, filed on July 22, 2024, entitled "A Keycap, Keyboard and Electronic Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of electronic devices, and more particularly to a keycap, a keyboard, and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0003] In the prior art, electronic devices are generally equipped with keycaps for inputting text or symbols. Specifically, the keycaps can be set on the keyboard of a computer or the keyboard of other portable electronic devices.

[0004] Because electronic devices need to be used in different countries, the text or symbols on the electronic devices need to be engraved before shipment. The engraved keycaps are in direct contact with the external environment, resulting in lower stability of the engraved text and characters on the keycaps. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a keycap to improve the stability of the text and characters engraved on the keycap.

[0006] Firstly, this application provides a keycap, comprising a keycap body, the surface of which has a character display area for forming characters under laser engraving. The character display area is made of a foamed material. Because the foamed material has good wear resistance and corrosion resistance when reacting with the laser to form the required characters, the stability of the engraved text and characters on the keycap can be improved.

[0007] For example, the foaming material can be mica sheets, metal oxides, or non-metal oxides, etc.

[0008] In one embodiment, the keycap further includes a color paint layer and a protective topcoat layer; the color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer sequentially cover the surface of the keycap body, the color paint layer has a first hollow area corresponding to the character display area, and the protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area corresponding to both the first hollow area and the character display area. The presence of the color paint layer and the protective color paint layer improves the smoothness of the keycap surface.

[0009] The character display area is formed on the surface of the keycap body. The material of the character display area also includes foam material. That is to say, the material of the keycap body includes foam material. When the foam material reacts with the laser, it will grow protrusions of 20 to 100 micrometers. The setting of the first hollow area and the second hollow area can provide space for the growing protrusions, and the setting of the first hollow area and the second hollow area is conducive to the exposure of the characters.

[0010] In one embodiment, the keycap further includes a filler layer disposed in the first cutout area and / or the second cutout area. The filler layer covers the character display area, providing further protection for the characters. Additionally, the filler layer improves the surface flatness of the keycap, making it easier to clean.

[0011] Secondly, this application also provides a keycap, comprising: a keycap body, a primer layer, and a protective primer layer; the primer layer covers the keycap body, and the protective primer layer covers the primer layer; the primer layer has a character display area for forming characters under laser engraving. The protective primer layer can completely cover the characters formed on the character display area to protect the primer layer, prevent the primer layer from contacting the external environment, and thus improve the stability of the characters formed on the primer layer. The primer layer is made of a coloring material.

[0012] In one embodiment, the keycap further includes: a color paint layer and a protective topcoat layer; the color paint layer covers the protective primer layer, and the color paint layer has a first hollow area corresponding to the character display area; the protective topcoat layer covers the color paint layer, and the protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area corresponding to the first hollow area and the character display area. By setting the color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer, the smoothness of the keycap surface can be improved, and the first and second hollow areas on the color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer can facilitate the visibility of the characters on the primer layer.

[0013] In one embodiment, the keycap further includes a filler layer disposed in the first cutout area and / or the second cutout area. The filler layer improves the surface flatness of the keycap, making its surface easier to clean.

[0014] Thirdly, this application also provides a keycap, comprising: a keycap body, a primer layer, a color paint layer, a protective topcoat layer, and a filling layer; the primer layer covers the keycap body, and the side of the primer layer opposite to the keycap body has a character display area, which is used to form characters under laser engraving; the color paint layer covers the primer layer, and the color paint layer has a first hollow area, which corresponds to the character display area; the protective topcoat layer covers the color paint layer, and the protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area, which corresponds to the first hollow area and the character display area; the filling layer is disposed in the first hollow area and / or the second hollow area. In this method, the surface of the primer layer has a character display area. After the character display area forms characters under laser engraving, the characters are covered by a filling layer in the first hollow area and / or the second hollow area, thereby preventing the characters from contacting the external environment and ensuring the stability of the characters. In addition, the first and second hollow areas on the color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer can facilitate the exposure of the characters on the primer layer.

[0015] Fourthly, this application also provides a keycap, comprising: a keycap body, a color paint layer, and a protective topcoat layer; the color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer sequentially cover the keycap body, and the side of the color paint layer facing the protective topcoat layer has a character display area, which is used to form characters under laser engraving, and the material of the character display area includes a color-developing material. In this method, there is no need to form a hollow area on the protective topcoat layer. Based directly on the condition that the material of the character display area is a color-developing material, the wavelength, frequency, and other parameters of the laser beam can be controlled when the character display area forms characters under the action of laser. This ensures that the laser does not damage the protective topcoat layer when reacting with the character display area, thereby ensuring that the formed characters do not come into contact with the external environment, ensuring that the characters are not contaminated by the external environment, and improving the stability of the keycap characters.

[0016] For example, if the protective topcoat layer has a strong ability to absorb external infrared lasers, ultraviolet light can be used to react with the color rendering material of the character display area, and the ultraviolet light will not damage the protective topcoat layer when it passes through it.

[0017] In one embodiment, the protective topcoat layer can be a transparent or semi-transparent layer to ensure that the character display area on the paint layer can be clearly seen.

[0018] Fifthly, this application also provides a keycap, comprising: a keycap body, a color paint layer, a protective topcoat layer, and a filling layer; the color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer sequentially cover the keycap body; the side of the color paint layer facing the protective topcoat layer has a character display area, which is used to form characters under laser engraving; the protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area, which corresponds to the character display area; and the filling layer is disposed in the character display area and the second hollow area. In this method, the filling layer can directly display the color required for the characters, and the filling layer has a certain thickness, which also ensures the stability of the characters.

[0019] Sixthly, this application also provides a keycap, comprising: a keycap body, a color paint layer, a protective topcoat layer, and a filling layer; the color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer sequentially cover the keycap body, the protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area for displaying characters, and the filling layer is disposed in the second hollow area. In this method, the filling layer can directly display the color required for the characters, and the filling layer has a certain thickness, which can also ensure the stability of the characters.

[0020] Seventhly, this application also provides a keyboard, which includes a keyboard substrate and a plurality of keycaps as described in any of the above technical solutions, wherein the plurality of keycaps are arranged in an array on the keyboard substrate. Because the characters on each keycap are highly stable, it can be ensured that the characters on the keyboard remain clear even after prolonged use, thereby ensuring the aesthetics of the keyboard.

[0021] Eighthly, this application provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a device body, a display screen, and the keyboard described in the fifth aspect. The display screen is rotatably connected to the device body via a hinge mechanism, and the keyboard is disposed on the device body. The electronic device can be a tablet, laptop, or mobile phone, etc. Because the characters on the keycaps of the keyboard used in this electronic device have high stability, the characters on the keyboard can still be clearly displayed after long-term use, making the electronic device more aesthetically pleasing. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the keyboard structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a keycap structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 4a A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 6a A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of yet another structure of the keycap provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a keycap without a filling layer provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 15 This is another structural schematic diagram of a keycap provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of a keycap without a filling layer provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of a keycap provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0041] Figure label:

[0042] 1-Electronic device; 10-Keyboard; 100-Keycap; 110-Keycap body; 111, 122, 161-Character display area; 120-Color paint layer; 121-First hollow area; 130-Protective topcoat layer; 131-Second hollow area; 140-Filling layer; 150-Protective primer layer; 160-Primer layer; 20-Display screen; 30-Device body. Detailed Implementation

[0043] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0044] Keyboards are an essential part of many electronic devices. Electronic devices are sold in different regions, and the characters on the keyboards are also different. In the current technology, after the characters on the keyboard are engraved, they come into direct contact with the external environment. This causes the characters on the keyboard to gradually fade and eventually disappear after friction, which affects the appearance of the electronic device and affects the convenience of use for consumers.

[0045] Therefore, improving the stability of characters on the keyboard has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] The terminology used in the following embodiments is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this application. As used in the specification and appended claims of this application, the singular expressions “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” “the,” and “this” are intended to also include expressions such as “one or more” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0048] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" as described in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0049] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application. The electronic device can be a tablet, laptop, mobile phone, etc., and a laptop is used as an example. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The electronic device 1 may include a device body 30, a display screen 20, and a keyboard 10. The display screen 20 and the device body 30 are rotatably connected via a pivot mechanism, and the keyboard 10 is disposed on the device body 30. The keyboard 10 may include multiple keycaps as described in the following embodiments of this application. Because the keycaps mentioned in the following embodiments of this application can ensure that the characters on the keycaps are relatively stable and not easily corroded or weathered by external factors, the stability of the characters displayed on the keyboard 10 can be guaranteed to be high. Therefore, even after long-term use, the characters on the keyboard can still be clearly displayed, making the electronic device 1 more aesthetically pleasing and more convenient for users.

[0050] Figure 2 A top view of a keyboard provided in an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 2 The keyboard 10 includes a keyboard substrate and a plurality of keycaps 100 provided in the following embodiments of this application. The plurality of keycaps 100 are arranged in an array on the keyboard substrate (not shown in the figure). The keyboard 10 with a plurality of keycaps 100 provided in the following embodiments of this application has high character stability and makes the keyboard 10 more aesthetically pleasing.

[0051] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a keycap provided in an embodiment of this application is shown below. Figure 3 The keycap 100 includes a keycap body 110, the surface of which has a character display area 111. The character display area 111 is used to form characters under laser engraving, and the material of the character display area 111 includes foam material. The characters can specifically be letters, symbols, or numbers, etc.

[0052] Specifically, the character display area 111 can be achieved by adding mica sheets, metal oxides, or non-metal oxides to the keycap body 110. This allows the keycap body 110 to react with the laser, resulting in characters with good wear and corrosion resistance, thereby improving the stability of the keycap 100. When mica sheets or metal oxides are incorporated into the keycap body 110, the entire keycap body 110 can be considered the character display area 111, not just limited to it. Figure 3 The character display area 111 in the text.

[0053] Continue to refer to Figure 3 The keycap 100 also includes a color paint layer 120 and a protective topcoat layer 130. The color paint layer 120 covers the surface of the keycap body 110, and the protective topcoat layer 130 covers the side of the color paint layer 120 facing away from the surface of the keycap body 110. The color paint layer 120 has a first hollow area 121, and the protective topcoat layer 130 has a second hollow area 131. The first hollow area 121 and the second hollow area 131 correspond to the character display area 111. The color paint layer 120 is generally a dark ink layer that can protect the surface of the keycap body 110 and can be adjusted in color according to actual needs. Setting the protective topcoat layer 130 on the surface of the color paint layer 120 can make the surface of the keycap 100 smoother and reduce the problem of the surface being scratchy.

[0054] Since the material of the character display area also includes foam material, and the character display area is formed on the surface of the keycap body, that is, the material of the keycap body 110 also includes foam material. When the foam material reacts with the laser, it will grow upward protrusions of 20 to 100 micrometers. The upward direction is the direction from the keycap body 110 to the paint layer 120. The setting of the first hollow area 121 and the second hollow area 131 can provide overflow space for the growing protrusions, and the setting of the first hollow area 121 and the second hollow area 131 is conducive to the exposure of characters.

[0055] In the process of manufacturing the keycap 100 described above, the color paint layer 120 and the protective topcoat layer 130 are sequentially applied to the surface of the keycap body 110. When forming characters on the keycap 100, a second cutout area 131 can be etched into the protective topcoat layer 130 using a laser, and a first cutout area 121 can be etched into the color paint layer 120. Then, the desired characters are etched into the character display area 111 of the keycap body 110. Electronic devices equipped with this keycap 100 can etch the desired characters onto the keycap 100 using laser etching, depending on the geographical area where the electronic device is used. For example, Chinese characters, English characters, or Russian characters can be etched. In this way, laser etching can be performed after the area of ​​use of the electronic device has been determined, and the laser etching method will not contaminate other areas of the electronic device, reducing the risk of contamination.

[0056] The first cutout area 121 and the second cutout area 131 can take various forms. Taking the etched character "L" as an example, during the process of laser etching the protective topcoat layer 130, the second cutout area 131 can be an "L"-shaped cutout area formed by the laser on the protective topcoat layer 130. Similarly, during the process of laser etching the color paint layer 120, the first cutout area 121 can also be an "L"-shaped cutout area formed by the laser on the color paint layer. Then, the "L" character is etched in the character display area 111 of the keycap body 110.

[0057] When the character "L" is etched on the keycap 100, during the etching process of the protective topcoat layer 130 and the color paint layer 120, a rectangular, rhomboid, or circular hollow portion can be etched through the protective topcoat layer 130 to form a second hollow area 131. A rectangular, rhomboid, or circular hollow portion can be etched through the color paint layer 120 to form a first hollow area 121. Then, the character "L" is etched in the character display area 111 of the keycap body 110. During the above process, in the projection of the keycap body 110, the first hollow area 121 and the second hollow area 131 will completely cover the character "L" formed on the keycap body 110 to ensure that the character "L" can be stably formed on the keycap body 110.

[0058] Figure 4 This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 To improve the cleanliness of the keycap 100 surface and the stability of the characters on the keycap 100, a filler layer 140 can be filled in the first cutout area 121 to cover the characters on the surface of the keycap body 110 and prevent the characters on the surface of the keycap body 110 from contacting the external environment. While the first cutout area 121 is filled with the filler layer 140, the second cutout area 131 can also be filled with the filler layer 140. The thickness of the filler layer 140 in the second cutout area 131 can be greater than the thickness of the protective topcoat layer 130, meaning that the filler layer 140 in the second cutout area 131 protrudes from the surface of the protective topcoat layer 130. The thickness of the filler layer 140 disposed in the second cutout area 131 can be less than or equal to the thickness of the protective topcoat layer 130. When the thickness of the filler layer 140 in the second cutout area 131 is also less than the thickness of the protective topcoat layer 130, the thickness of the filler layer 140 in the second cutout area 131 is slightly lower than the thickness of the protective topcoat layer 130. The material of the filler layer 140 can be UV adhesive, and the filler layer can be filled into the first cutout area 121 and the second cutout area 131 by UV printing or UV spot spraying. The color of the filler layer 140 can also be adjusted according to the color required for the character. When the color of the filler layer 140 is used to display the color of the character, the shapes of the first cutout area 121 and the second cutout area 131 are the same as the shape of the character to ensure that the required character can be displayed after the filler layer 140 is filled into the first cutout area 121 and the second cutout area 131.

[0059] Figure 4a This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 4a The surface of the protective topcoat layer 130 facing away from the color paint layer 120 can be a concave surface. This concave surface can guide the user toward the center of the keycap 100, thereby improving the user's experience when using the keycap. Specifically, the concave surface can be the entire concave surface of the protective topcoat layer 130 facing away from the color paint layer 120, or it can have raised portions at both ends of the protective topcoat layer 130 facing away from the color paint layer 120, with the raised portions forming a concave surface with a portion of the protective topcoat layer 130 body.

[0060] Figure 5 This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 5The keycap 100 includes a keycap body 110, a primer layer 160, and a protective primer layer 150. The primer layer 160 covers the keycap body 110, and the protective primer layer 150 covers the primer layer 160. The primer layer 160 has a character display area 161, which is used to form characters under laser engraving. The protective primer layer 150 has chemical resistance and abrasion resistance, preventing the primer layer 160 from directly contacting external friction and environmental corrosion, thereby ensuring the reliability of the characters formed on the primer layer 160. The protective primer layer 150 can be made of UV varnish, and the primer layer 160 can be made of PU varnish, which is polyurethane varnish, also known as polyurethane paint. A color-developing material is added to the primer layer 160; specifically, the color-developing material can be a fluorescent material or a laser-induced color-changing material. In this method, when the laser engraves the character display area 161, the laser passes through the protective primer layer 150 and reacts with the character display area 161 to form characters on the side of the primer layer 160 facing the protective primer layer 150. In this method, because the material of the character display area is a color-developing material, when characters are formed under the action of the laser on the character display area 161, no hollow areas are formed on the protective primer layer 150. The wavelength, frequency, and other parameters of the laser beam can also be controlled to ensure that the laser does not damage the protective primer layer 150 when reacting with the character display area. This ensures that the formed characters are covered by the protective primer layer 150 and do not come into contact with the external environment, preventing contamination and improving the stability of the keycap 100 characters. Specifically, if the protective primer layer 150 has a strong absorption capacity for external infrared lasers, ultraviolet light can be used to react with the character display area. The ultraviolet light will not be damaged when passing through the protective primer layer 150.

[0061] Continue to refer to Figure 5 The keycap also includes a color paint layer 120 and a protective topcoat layer 130. The color paint layer 120 can cover the surface of the protective primer layer 150, and the protective topcoat layer 130 covers the side of the color paint layer 120 away from the protective primer layer 150. The color paint layer 120 has a first cutout area 121, and the protective topcoat layer 130 has a second cutout area 131. The first cutout area 121, the second cutout area 131, and the character display area 161 correspond to each other. The color paint layer 120 can protect the surface of the protective primer layer 150, and its color can be adjusted according to actual needs. Setting the protective topcoat layer 130 on the surface of the color paint layer 120 can make the surface of the keycap 100 smoother and reduce the problem of the surface being scratchy. The setting of the first cutout area 121 and the second cutout area 131 facilitates the character display formed by the character display area 161.

[0062] In the process of manufacturing the keycap 100 described above, a primer layer 160 is prepared on the surface of the keycap body 110, and a protective primer layer 150 is prepared on the side of the primer layer 160 away from the keycap body 110. Then, a color paint layer 120 and a protective topcoat layer 130 are sequentially applied to the surface of the protective primer layer 150. When forming characters on the keycap 100, a second hollow area 131 can be etched into the protective topcoat layer 130 and a first hollow area 121 can be etched into the color paint layer 120 using a laser. The laser passes through the protective primer layer 150 and reacts with the side-shaped character display area 161 of the primer layer 160 away from the keycap body 110 to form characters. The first hollow area 121 and the second hollow area 131 facilitate the exposure of characters on the primer layer 160.

[0063] Figure 6 This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 5 and Figure 6 To improve the cleanliness of the keycap 100 surface and the stability of the characters, a filler layer 140 can be filled in the first cutout area 121 to cover the protective primer layer 150. This increases the thickness of the protective layer on the character surface, reducing the possibility of the characters on the keycap body surface coming into contact with the external environment. The filler layer 140 also reduces the depth of the groove formed by the first and second cutout areas, facilitating cleaning of the keycap 100 surface. When the first cutout area 121 is filled with the filler layer 140, the second cutout area 131 can also be filled with the filler layer 140. The thickness of the filler layer 140 in the second cutout area 131 can be greater than the thickness of the protective topcoat layer 130, meaning the filler layer 140 in the second cutout area 131 protrudes from the surface of the protective topcoat layer 130; alternatively, the thickness of the filler layer 140 in the second cutout area 131 can be less than or equal to the thickness of the protective topcoat layer 130. The filler layer 140 can be made of UV adhesive, and the filler layer 140 can be filled into the first cutout area 121 and the second cutout area 131 by UV printing or UV partial spraying. The specific configuration of the first cutout area 121 and the second cutout area 131 is the same as described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0064] Figure 6a This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 6aThe keycap 100 includes a keycap body 110, a primer layer 160, a protective primer layer 150, a color paint layer 120, and a protective topcoat layer 130. The primer layer 160, the protective primer layer 150, the color paint layer 120, and the protective topcoat layer 130 are sequentially disposed on the keycap body 110. The color paint layer 120 and the protective topcoat layer 130 are respectively formed into a first cutout area 121 and a second cutout area 131 for displaying the same characters under laser etching. In this method, the color of the primer layer 160 is determined by the protective topcoat layer 130. The primer layer 150, the first cutout area 121, and the second cutout area 131 are exposed on the outside. The color of the characters is an extension of the primer layer 160, and the background color of the characters is the color of the paint layer 120. In this configuration, the protective primer layer 150 protects the primer layer 160, preventing it from directly contacting external friction and environmental corrosion. The first cutout area 121 and the second cutout area 131 rub against the entire protective topcoat layer 130 during wear, thus improving the stability of the characters. Additionally, the keycap 100 may also include a filling layer, which fills the first cutout area 121 and the second cutout area 131. The filling layer improves the smoothness of the protective topcoat layer 130.

[0065] Figure 7 This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 7The keycap 100 includes a keycap body 110, a primer layer 160, a color paint layer 120, a protective topcoat layer 130, and a filler layer 140. The primer layer 160 covers the keycap body 110, and has a character display area 161 on the side of the primer layer 160 opposite to the keycap body 110. The character display area 161 is used to form characters under laser engraving. The color paint layer 120 covers the side of the primer layer 160 opposite to the keycap body 110, and the protective topcoat layer 130 covers the color paint layer 140. The paint layer 120 is located on the side opposite to the primer layer 160. The paint layer 120 has a first hollow area, and the protective topcoat layer 130 has a second hollow area. The second hollow area and the first hollow area correspond to the character display area, and a filling layer 140 is provided in the first hollow area and / or the second hollow area. The filling layer 140 can cover the characters and prevent them from contacting the external environment, thereby ensuring that the primer layer 160 is not contaminated by the external environment and improving the stability of the characters on the keycap 100. When a filling layer is provided in both the first hollow area and the second hollow area, the thickness of the filling layer can be greater than the thickness of the first hollow area and the second hollow area. That is, the filling layer 140 provided in the first hollow area and the second hollow area protrudes from the surface of the protective topcoat layer 130 to facilitate cleaning of the keycap. The thickness of the filling layer 140 can also be less than or equal to the thickness of the protective topcoat layer 130, which also facilitates cleaning of the keycap 100 and prevents the filling layer 140 from overflowing to the outside of the keycap. In this embodiment, the color of the fill layer 140 can also be adjusted according to the color required for the character. Furthermore, when the color of the fill layer 140 is used to display the character's color, the shapes of the first and second cutout areas are the same as the shape of the character, ensuring that the required character can be displayed after the fill layer 140 fills the first and second cutout areas.

[0066] Figure 8 This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 8 The keycap 100 includes a keycap body 110, a paint layer 120, a protective topcoat layer 130, and a filling layer 140. The keycap body 110 has a character display area 111. The paint layer 120 and the protective topcoat layer 130 are sequentially disposed on the surface of the keycap body 110. The paint layer 120 has a first hollow area, and the protective topcoat layer 130 has a second hollow area. The second hollow area and the first hollow area correspond to the character display area 111. The first hollow area and / or the second hollow area have a filling layer 140. The filling layer 140 can cover the characters and prevent the characters from contacting the external environment, thereby ensuring that the keycap body 110 is not contaminated by the external environment and improving the stability of the characters on the keycap 100. In this method, since the filling layer 140 can prevent the characters on the keycap body 110 from coming into contact with the external environment, the material of the keycap body 110 does not need to contain mica sheets or metal oxides, and the stability of the characters formed on the keycap body 110 can still be guaranteed.

[0067] Figure 9 This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 9 The keycap 100 includes a keycap body 110, a paint layer 120, and a protective topcoat layer 130. The keycap body 110 has a character display area 111, where characters are formed by laser etching. The paint layer 120 is then printed onto the area where the characters are formed using UV printing. A protective topcoat layer 130 is formed on the side of the paint layer 120 facing away from the keycap body 110 using UV printing. This method ensures the stability of the characters on the keycap 100, and the paint layer 120 and protective topcoat layer 130 formed on the surface of the keycap body 110 by printing will not contaminate other parts of the keyboard containing the keycap. In this method, the paint layer 120 and protective topcoat layer 130 on the surface of the characters can have the same shape as the characters.

[0068] Figure 10 This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 10 The keycap 100 includes a keycap body 110, a color paint layer 120, and a protective topcoat layer 130. The color paint layer 120 and the protective topcoat layer 130 sequentially cover the keycap body 110. The side of the color paint layer 120 facing the protective topcoat layer 130 has a character display area 122. The character display area 122 is used to form characters under laser engraving. The material of the character display area 122 includes a color-developing material, which can specifically be a fluorescent material or a laser-induced color-changing material. In this method, when the laser engraves the character display area, the laser passes through the protective topcoat layer 130 and reacts with the character display area 122 to form characters on the side of the color paint layer facing 120 towards the protective topcoat layer 130. Or, refer to... Figure 11 The character display area 122 actually penetrates the paint layer 120, and the characters formed in the character display area 122 after the laser reaction penetrate the paint layer 120. In this method, the laser passes through the protective topcoat layer 130, eliminating the need to etch a hollow area on the protective topcoat layer 130. This allows the protective topcoat layer 130 to completely cover the area of ​​the paint layer 120 where the characters are formed, ensuring that the characters do not come into contact with the external environment, thus preventing contamination and improving the stability of the keycap 100 characters.

[0069] Figure 12 This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 12The keycap 100 includes a keycap body 110, a primer layer 160, a color paint layer 120, and a protective topcoat layer 130. The primer layer 160, color paint layer 120, and protective topcoat layer 130 sequentially cover the keycap body 110. The color paint layer 120 has a character display area 122 on the side facing the protective topcoat layer 130. The character display area 122 is used to form characters under laser engraving. The character display area has a greater ability to absorb laser light than the protective topcoat layer. The material of the character display area 122 includes a color-developing material, which can specifically be a fluorescent material or a laser-induced color-changing material. In this method, when the laser engraves the character display area 122, based directly on the condition that the material of the character display area is a color-developing material, the laser can pass through the protective topcoat layer 130 and react with the character display area 122 to form characters on the side of the color paint layer 120 facing the protective topcoat layer 130. Furthermore, since the material of the character display area is a color-developing material, when the character display area 122 forms characters under the action of the laser, no hollow areas will be formed on the protective topcoat layer 130. The wavelength, frequency and other parameters of the laser beam can also be controlled to ensure that the laser does not damage the protective topcoat layer when it reacts with the character display area. This ensures that the formed characters will not come into contact with the external environment, and that the characters will not be contaminated by the external environment, thereby improving the stability of the keycap 100 characters.

[0070] Figure 13 This is another structural schematic diagram of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 13 The character display area 122 actually penetrates the paint layer 120. When the laser reacts with the character display area 122, the formed characters penetrate the paint layer 120. In this method, parameters such as the wavelength and frequency of the laser beam can be controlled to ensure that the laser passes through the protective topcoat layer 130 without etching any hollow areas on the protective topcoat layer 130, so that the protective topcoat layer 130 completely covers the area of ​​the paint layer 120 where the characters are formed.

[0071] To ensure that the laser is not etched when passing through the protective topcoat layer, a chemical-resistant agent can be added to the protective topcoat layer. This agent can include at least one of the following: inorganic particles (such as silica, ceramic powder, etc.), polymethyl methacrylate, polyurethane, dispersants, antioxidants, UV absorbers, lubricants, polyether-modified silicone, oxidized high-density polyethylene wax, carnauba wax, or polyethylene wax. Alternatively, if the protective topcoat layer has strong absorption capacity for external infrared lasers, ultraviolet light can be used to react with the color-developing material of the character display area, ensuring that the ultraviolet light does not damage the protective topcoat layer when passing through it.

[0072] In the above embodiments, the protective topcoat layer is a transparent or semi-transparent layer to ensure that the user can see the characters through the protective topcoat layer.

[0073] When the protective topcoat layer is a transparent layer, the material of the protective topcoat layer can be one or more of the following: acrylic resin, polyacrylic resin, polycarbonate (PC), modified polystyrene plastic (ABS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polyformaldehyde thermoplastic crystalline polymer (POM).

[0074] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a keycap structure without a filling layer provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 14 and Figure 15 In this embodiment, the keycap includes a keycap body 110, a paint layer 120, a protective topcoat layer 130, and a filler layer 140. The paint layer 120 and the protective topcoat layer 130 sequentially cover the keycap body 110. The protective topcoat layer 130 has a second hollow area 131, which is used to display characters. That is, the required characters are engraved on the protective topcoat layer 130 by laser. The filler layer 140 fills the second hollow area 131. The filler layer 140 has a certain thickness to ensure the wear resistance of the characters and improve their stability. In addition, the color of the filler layer 140 can be a colored UV adhesive, and the specific color can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0075] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of a keycap structure without a filling layer provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of another structure of the keycap provided in the embodiments of this application, referred to... Figure 16 and Figure 17 In this embodiment, the keycap includes a keycap body 110, a paint layer 120, a protective topcoat layer 130, and a filler layer 140. The paint layer 120 and the protective topcoat layer 130 sequentially cover the keycap body 110. The paint layer 120 has a character display area 122 on the side facing the protective topcoat layer 130. The character display area 122 is used to form characters under laser engraving. The protective topcoat layer 130 has a second hollow area 131, which corresponds to the character display area 122. The filler layer 140 is disposed in the character display area 122 and the second hollow area 131. The shape of the second hollow area 131 is exactly the same as the shape of the characters in the character display area 122, so as to ensure that when the filler layer 140 fills the second hollow area 131, the filler layer 140 displays the required characters. The filler layer 140 has a certain thickness to ensure the wear resistance of the characters and improve their stability. In addition, the filler layer 140 can be colored UV adhesive, and the specific color can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0076] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A keycap, characterized in that, include: The keycap body has a character display area on its surface, the character display area is used to form characters under laser engraving, and the material of the character display area includes foam material; Color paint layer and protective topcoat layer; The color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer sequentially cover the surface of the keycap body. The color paint layer has a first hollow area, which corresponds to the character display area. The protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area, which corresponds to the first hollow area and the character display area. The keycap also includes a filling layer, which is disposed in the first cutout area and / or the second cutout area.

2. A keycap, characterized in that, include: Keycap body, primer layer, and protective primer layer; The primer layer covers the keycap body, and the protective primer layer covers the primer layer. The primer layer has a character display area, which is used to form characters under laser engraving.

3. The keycap as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: Color paint layer and protective topcoat layer; The paint layer covers the protective primer layer, and the paint layer has a first hollow area, which corresponds to the character display area. The protective topcoat layer covers the color paint layer, and the protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area, which corresponds to the first hollow area and the character display area.

4. The keycap as described in claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a filling layer, which is disposed in the first cutout area and / or the second cutout area.

5. A keycap, characterized in that, include: The keycap body consists of a base coat, a color coat, a protective top coat, and a filler layer. The primer layer covers the keycap body, and the side of the primer layer opposite to the keycap body has a character display area. The character display area is used to form characters under laser engraving. The color paint layer covers the primer layer and has a first hollow area, which corresponds to the character display area. The protective topcoat layer covers the color paint layer, and the protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area, which corresponds to the first hollow area and the character display area. The filling layer is disposed in the first hollow area and / or the second hollow area.

6. The keycap as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The protective topcoat layer is a transparent or semi-transparent layer.

7. A keycap, characterized in that, include: Keycap body, paint layer, protective topcoat layer, and filler layer; The color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer sequentially cover the keycap body. The color paint layer has a character display area on the side facing the protective topcoat layer. The character display area is used to form characters under laser engraving. The protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area, which corresponds to the character display area. The filling layer is disposed in the character display area and the second hollow area, wherein the filling layer is used to display the color of the characters.

8. A keycap, characterized in that, include: Keycap body, paint layer, protective topcoat layer, and filler layer; The color paint layer and the protective topcoat layer sequentially cover the keycap body. The protective topcoat layer has a second hollow area for displaying characters. The filling layer is disposed in the second hollow area, wherein the filling layer is used to display the color of the characters.

9. A keyboard, characterized in that, It includes a keyboard substrate and a plurality of keycaps as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of keycaps are arranged in an array on the keyboard substrate.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a device body, a display screen, and a keyboard as described in claim 9, wherein the display screen is rotatably connected to the device body via a pivot mechanism, and the keyboard is disposed on the device body.

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