Keyboard Key with Upper Protrusion for Sink Mark Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional keyboard keys with woody boards attached to resin key bodies face issues with sink marks due to uneven cooling rates during molding, leading to reduced rigidity and degraded touch feeling, as thickness adjustments to prevent sink marks compromise the woody texture and key appearance.
Innovation Solution
The key design incorporates an upper portion protrusion with a thickness smaller than the top portion, allowing the side portions to maintain sufficient thickness for rigidity while suppressing sink marks by reducing the cooling rate difference between continuous and other portions, and the protruding length of the upper portion is made smaller than its thickness to cover the woody boards, maintaining the woody texture appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the thickness of side boards is reduced to suppress sink marks, then sink mark generation is reduced, but key rigidity and touch feeling are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The key body is designed with different thickness dimensions in different regions: the top portion maintains a first thickness dimension for woody texture appearance, while the side portions have a second thickness dimension that is smaller than the first. This local differentiation allows sink mark suppression in side portions while preserving the required appearance quality in the top portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from uniform thickness design to variable thickness design by introducing a thickness dimension differentiation between top and side portions of the key body. This dimensional change enables independent optimization of different regions for their specific functions.
2Shape
If the thickness of upper board is reduced to maintain woody texture appearance, then lateral appearance is improved, but side board thickness becomes insufficient for rigidity
Solution Approach 1:
The key body employs different thickness dimensions for different functional regions: the top portion has a first thickness dimension optimized for woody texture appearance, while side portions have a second thickness dimension optimized for structural rigidity. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between appearance and strength requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A key for a keyboard device includes a resin key body and one or a plurality of woody boards attached along at least part of a pair of side portions of the key body. The key body includes an upper portion protrusion which extends along an upper end of each of the side portions and is formed continuous with the top portion, the upper portion protrusion protruding in a lateral direction of the key body. Each woody board is disposed such that an upper end surface thereof is in contact with a lower surface of the upper portion protrusion. The upper portion protrusion has a thickness dimension in a vertical direction smaller than a thickness dimension of the top portion of the key body.