Electronic device with a reduced friction surface

• US 10,556,408 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Niu, James J., Leong, Craig C., Pilliod, Michael K., Hendren, Keith J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colilla, Daniel J
• Application Number:
  US15/725,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20180029339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/64 the filler influencing the surface characteristics of the material, e.g. by concentrating near the surface or by incorporating in the surface by force
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/78 Moulding material on one side only of the preformed part
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/101 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2274/00 Thermoplastic elastomer material thermoplastic elastomer fibres B32B2262/0215, thermoplastic elastomer particles B32B2264/0221, thermoplastic elastomer foam B32B2266/0292
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/51 Elastic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/702 Amorphous
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/14 next to a particulate layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/34 comprising polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/365 comprising polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 7/20 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 101/00 Compositions of unspecified macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0202 Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the input device
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/85 characterised by tactile feedback features
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/88 Processes specially adapted for manufacture of rectilinearly movable switches having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/00 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/002 Calculator, computer
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/125 using a scissor mechanism as stabiliser
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24413 : Metal or metal compound

Abstract

A surface of an electronic device includes a reduced friction surface that comprises a glass beaded film. The glass beaded film includes glass beads disposed in a polymer layer or in an adhesive layer, where a portion of the glass beads protrude from a surface of the polymer or adhesive layer. The reduced friction surface is disposed over at least a portion of the surface of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A keycap for a key mechanism, comprising:

a keycap body defining a top surface and at least four side surfaces;

a substrate attached to the top surface and the at least four side surfaces of the keycap body; and

a plurality of glass beads at least partially embedded in the substrate and distributed over at least the top surface of the keycap body, the plurality of glass beads having a same index of refraction as the substrate.

2. The keycap of claim 1, further comprising a glyph positioned on the top surface of the keycap body and visible through at least a portion of the plurality of glass beads and the substrate.

3. The keycap of claim 1, wherein the plurality of glass beads comprises:

a first group of beads having a first average diameter; and

a second group of beads having a second average diameter less than the first.

4. The keycap of claim 3, wherein the first group of beads is embedded further into the substrate than the second group of beads.

5. The keycap of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of glass beads are formed of borosilicate glass; and

the substrate is a polymer film.

6. The keycap of claim 1, wherein the keycap body and the substrate define a cut edge resulting from separation of the keycap body from an additional keycap body after application of the substrate to the keycap body and the additional keycap body.

7. The keycap of claim 1, wherein the plurality of glass beads comprises:

a first group of glass beads of a first diameter and having a highest point at a distance above the substrate; and

a second group of glass beads, of a second diameter different from the first diameter, having a highest point at a same distance above the substrate as the first group of glass beads.

8. A keycap for a key mechanism, comprising:

a keycap body defining a top surface; and

a glass beaded film disposed on at least the top surface of the keycap body and comprising;

a substrate;

a first plurality of glass beads of a first diameter embedded in the substrate and having a highest point at a distance above the substrate; and

a second plurality of glass beads, of a second diameter different from the first diameter, embedded in the substrate and having a highest point at a same distance above the substrate as the first plurality of glass beads.

9. The keycap of claim 8, wherein:

the keycap body further defines four side surfaces; and

the glass beaded film is further disposed on the four side surfaces of the keycap body.

10. The keycap of claim 8, wherein each glass bead of the first and second pluralities of glass beads contacts an adjacent glass bead.

11. The keycap of claim 8, further comprising a glyph formed on the substrate and visible through the substrate and the first and second pluralities of glass beads.

12. The keycap of claim 8, wherein the top surface of the keycap body is concave.

13. The keycap of claim 8, wherein the glass beaded film comprises substantially a same amount of glass beads of the first diameter and glass beads of the second diameter.

14. The keycap of claim 8, wherein the substrate and the first and second pluralities of glass beads have substantially a same index of refraction.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

an enclosure;

a first glass beaded film comprising first glass beads and disposed over at least a portion of the enclosure; and

an input device at least partially within the enclosure and comprising;

an actuation member defining a top surface and a side surface; and

a second glass beaded film disposed over at least the top surface of the actuation member, the second glass beaded film comprising second glass beads having a same size as the first glass beads.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein:

the side surface is a first side surface;

the actuation member further defines three additional side surfaces; and

the second glass beaded film is disposed over the first side surface and the three additional side surfaces of the actuation member.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein:

the electronic device is a laptop computer; and

the actuation member is a keycap of the laptop computer.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein:

the electronic device is a handheld electronic device; and

the actuation member is a button.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein:

the first glass beaded film comprises;

a first substrate comprising polyurethane; and

a first plurality of borosilicate glass beads at least partially embedded in the first substrate; and

the second glass beaded film comprises;

a second substrate comprising polyurethane; and

a second plurality of borosilicate glass beads at least partially embedded in the second substrate.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein:

the second glass beaded film comprises a substrate; and

the second glass beads and the substrate have a same index of refraction.