Fabric Keyboard Layers With Laser-Tuned Key Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing variations in electronic device structures, such as overly stiff fabric layers, can lead to yield issues and the need for part discarding without suitable rework techniques.
Innovation Solution
The use of laser ablation and other processing techniques to adjust the stiffness of fabric layers by removing material from border regions surrounding keys in electronic devices, ensuring keys exhibit satisfactory stiffness levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If laser ablation is used to remove fabric material to reduce stiffness, then key stiffness is improved, but fabric layer integrity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The laser ablation process selectively removes fabric material only from border regions surrounding specific keys that exhibit excessive stiffness, while leaving the rest of the fabric layer intact. This localized modification approach adjusts key stiffness where needed without compromising the overall integrity and structure of the fabric layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser ablation technique extracts or removes portions of the fabric material from border regions to reduce stiffness. By selectively removing material only from areas where stiffness adjustment is required, the process maintains fabric layer integrity in non-processed areas while achieving the desired mechanical property modifications.
2Strength
If manufacturing variations cause overly stiff fabric layers, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing yield is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The laser ablation process is applied during manufacturing to proactively adjust fabric layer stiffness before final assembly and testing. By identifying and correcting stiffness issues early in the manufacturing process through selective material removal, the technique prevents defective products from reaching final inspection, thereby improving manufacturing yield while maintaining structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser ablation process modifies the physical parameters of the fabric layer by selectively removing material to change local stiffness characteristics. This parameter adjustment allows the fabric layer to meet specified mechanical property ranges, converting parts that would otherwise be discarded due to stiffness variations into acceptable products, thus improving manufacturing yield.
3Ease of operation
If border regions are processed to reduce stiffness, then key performance is improved, but fabric material is removed
Solution Approach 1:
The laser ablation process extracts minimal amounts of fabric material from border regions surrounding keys to reduce stiffness and improve key performance. By removing only the necessary amount of material localized to border regions, the process achieves the desired mechanical property adjustments with minimal material loss, preserving the majority of the fabric layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing is localized to border regions surrounding specific keys, applying material removal only where it directly impacts key performance. This localized approach ensures that fabric material is removed only where necessary for performance optimization, minimizing overall material loss while achieving the desired ease of operation for affected keys.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for the effective adjustment of key stiffness, reducing manufacturing waste and ensuring consistent device performance by modifying fabric layers during manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
laser ablation techniques or other processing techniques may be used to ablate portions of a fabric layer, thereby removing fabric and reducing fabric stiffness in the border regions
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device such as a cover for a portable device or other electronic equipment may have circuitry mounted in a housing. The housing may be formed from layers of material such as fabric and polymer layers. The circuitry of the electronic device may include components mounted on a printed circuit. The components may include movable components such as keys in a keyboard. A fabric layer may overlap the keys. Border regions of the fabric layer that surround each key may be characterized by a stiffness. To ensure that the keys or other movable components in the device exhibit satisfactory stiffness levels, the keys can be tested and selected border regions or other fabric layer portions may be laser ablated or otherwise processed to locally reduce fabric layer stiffness.