Legend highlighting

• US 8,451,146 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mahowald, Peter H., Leung, Omar Sze
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai M
• Application Number:
  US12/814,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 341/22, 200/5.A, 200/341, 216/94
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• 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 2219/028 Printed information
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/016 Selective etching

Abstract

A method for manufacturing keycap includes applying a first coating layer on a surface of a keycap layer, applying a second coating layer on top of the first coating layer, etching at least a portion of the first coating layer to a first depth to form a first etched area, and etching at least a portion of the first etched area to a second depth to form a second etched area.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing keycap comprising:

applying a first coating layer on a surface of a keycap layer;

applying a second coating layer on top of the first coating layer;

etching at least a portion of the first coating layer to a first depth to form a first etched area; and

etching at least a portion of the first etched area to a second depth to form a second etched area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first etched area and the second etched area overlap.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second etched area includes a perimeter of the first etched area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second etched area has a width of between 0.3 to 0.5 mm.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first coating layer comprises a paint layer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second coating layer comprises a paint layer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first coating layer is lighter than the second coating layer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first coating layer is etched to the second depth to form the second etched area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a portion of the second coating layer overlapping the first etched area is removed by etching.

10. A keycap, comprising:

a keycap layer;

a first coating layer covering at least a portion of the keycap layer; and

a second coating layer covering at least a portion of the first coating layer;

wherein a first portion of the first coating layer defines a graphic having a first depth and a second portion of the first coating defines a border surrounding at least a portion of a perimeter of the graphic having a second depth greater than the first depth.

11. The keycap of claim 10, wherein the graphic and the border are formed by laser etching a surface of the keycap.

12. The keycap of claim 10, wherein the first coating layer comprises a first paint layer and the second coating layer comprises a second paint layer, and the second paint layer is a different color than the first paint layer.

13. The keycap of claim 12, wherein the second paint layer includes a pigment brightener.

14. The keycap of claim 13, wherein the first coating layer is lighter than the second coating layer.

15. The keycap of claim 10, wherein the perimeter has a width of between 0.3 to 0.5 mm.

16. The keycap of claim 15, wherein the width of the perimeter varies around the graphic.

17. A keyboard comprising:

at least one key including a keycap; and

a light source configured to illuminate the keycap, the keycap comprising;

a keycap layer;

a first coating layer adjacent the keycap layer;

a second coating layer adjacent the first coating layer;

wherein at least a portion of the keycap defines a graphic and a border, the graphic having a first depth and the border surrounding a perimeter of the graphic and having a second depth larger than the first depth.

18. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein the graphic and the border are formed by etching the first coating layer to different depths.

19. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein the border of the keycap is configured to transmit more light than the graphic when the keycap is illuminated by the light source.

20. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein a width of the border surrounding the perimeter of the graphic varies around the graphic.