METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING KEYCAP

A method for manufacturing a keycap includes a plastic injection step that involves forming a keycap preform; a coating layer forming step that involves spraying a surface paint material onto a processing surface of the keycap preform to form a surface paint coating layer, which has an engraved marking portion; a protection layer forming step that involves spraying a protection material onto the surface paint coating layer to form a first protection layer; a laser engraving step that involves removing the engraved marking portion; and a screen printing step that involves forming a second protection layer on the processing surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Taiwanese Invention Patent Application No. 112135568, filed on Sep. 18, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a manufacturing method, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing a keycap.

BACKGROUND

A conventional method for manufacturing a keycap according to Taiwanese Patent Publication No. TW 201131602A includes steps of: 1) a colored plastic injection molding step that involves pre-forming a colored plastic unit having a processed surface; 2) a spraying step that involves spraying a surface paint material onto the processed surface; 3) a baking step that involves curing the surface paint material on the processed surface so that the surface paint material becomes a surface paint layer; 4) a laser engraving step that involves processing the surface paint layer by a laser beam so that an engraved marking portion is formed on the surface paint layer; and 5) a transparent layer covering step that involves covering the engraved marking portion and the surface paint layer with a transparent protection layer for protection purposes.

However, in response to the current collaborative production model of the manufacturing industry, the plastic injection molding step usually takes place at a first production site where a large quantity of colored plastic units are produced. Then, the laser engraving step takes place at a second production site where the engraved marking portion is processed according to different languages. Various series of keycaps are thus formed. If adopting the conventional method for manufacturing a keycap, both of the first production site and the second production site need to purchase a spraying device for applying the surface paint material or the transparent protection layer, thereby increasing equipment cost. Thus, there is room for improvement in the conventional method for manufacturing a keycap.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a method for manufacturing a keycap that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to the disclosure, the method for manufacturing a keycap, which is cooperatively implemented by a plastic injection device, a spraying device, a laser device, and a screen printing device, includes steps of:(A) a plastic injection step that involves forming a keycap preform using a plastic injection device, the keycap preform including a processing surface and a surrounding surface that surrounds the processing surface;(B) a coating layer forming step that involves spraying a surface paint material, which has a color different from a color of the keycap preform, onto the processing surface using the spraying device, so as to form a surface paint coating layer on the processing surface, the surface paint coating layer having an engraved marking portion and a coating layer body;(C) a protection layer forming step that involves spraying a protection material, which is transparent, onto the surface paint coating layer using the spraying device, so as to form a first protection layer covering the surface paint coating layer, the first protection layer having a marking protection portion that corresponds to the engraved marking portion in position and a protection layer body that corresponds to the coating layer body in position;(D) a laser engraving step that involves removing the engraved marking portion and the marking protection portion using the laser device, so as to reveal an exposed portion of the processing surface corresponding to the engraved marking portion and the marking protection portion in position; and(E) a screen printing step that involves forming a second protection layer, which is transparent, on the processing surface using the screen printing device, the second protection layer covering the exposed portion of the processing surface that corresponds to the engraved marking portion and the marking protection portion in position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIG.1, according to an embodiment of the disclosure, a method for manufacturing a keycap is cooperatively implemented by a plastic injection device (not shown), a spraying device (not shown), a laser device (not shown), and a screen printing device (not shown).

In this embodiment, the plastic injection device is a hydraulic injection molding machine, an all-electric injection molding machine, or an oil-electric composite injection molding machine. The spraying device includes a spray gun and an oven. The laser device is a red light laser engraver or an optical fiber laser engraver. The screen printing device includes a screen mesh, a printer bed, a screen frame for applying materials, a squeegee for scraping off excess materials, and an ultraviolet lamp for drying.

When being implemented, the method includes the following steps.Step S11(a plastic injection step): referring toFIGS.1,2, and3, a keycap preform1is formed using the plastic injection device. The keycap preform1includes a processing surface11and a surrounding surface12that surrounds the processing surface11.

In this embodiment, a keycap body10, which is transparent, is formed by injection molding using the plastic injection device. Then, using the spray gun of the spraying device, the keycap body10is sprayed with a base paint material having a color different from a color of the keycap body10so that a base paint coating layer13is formed on the keycap body10. The keycap body10and the base paint coating layer13cooperatively form the keycap preform1, and the base paint layer13forms the processing surface11and the surrounding surface12. The base paint material may be acrylic paint or polyurethane paint. The color of the base paint layer13may be white but is not limited to.

In a variant embodiment, after the keycap body10is formed by injection molding using the plastic injection device, the spray gun of the spraying device may be used to spray the base paint material onto a top surface of the keycap body10, to ensure the processing surface11of the keycap preform1to have the color of the base paint material. In this case, the base paint layer13forms the processing surface11, and the keycap body10forms the surrounding surface12.

In yet another variant embodiment, using the plastic injection device, the keycap preform1may be directly formed by injection molding a colored plastic material, but is not limited to.

Referring toFIGS.1,3and4, Step S12(a coating layer forming step): a surface paint material, which has a color different from a color of the keycap preform1is sprayed onto the processing surface11using the spray gun of the spraying device, so as to form a surface paint coating layer2on the processing surface11. The surface paint coating layer2has an engraved marking portion21and a coating layer body22, and exhibits the color of the surface paint material.

In this embodiment, after the processing surface11is sprayed with the surface paint material by the spray gun of the spraying device, the surface paint material is baked by the oven of the spraying device so that the surface paint material is cured and forms the surface paint coating layer2. The surface paint material may be acrylic paint or polyurethane paint. The color of the surface paint coating layer2may be black but is not limited to.

Referring toFIGS.1,4, and5, Step S13(a protection layer forming step): a protection material, which is transparent, is sprayed onto the surface paint coating layer2using the spray gun of the spraying device, so as to form a first protection layer3covering the surface paint coating layer2. The first protection layer3has a marking protection portion31that corresponds to the engraved marking portion21in position, and a protection layer body32that corresponds to the coating layer body22in position.

In this embodiment, the surface paint coating layer2is sprayed with the protection material by the spray gun of the spraying device, and then the protection material is baked by the oven of the spraying device so that the protection material is cured and forms the first protection layer3.

Referring toFIGS.1,4,5, and6, Step S14(a laser engraving step): the engraved marking portion21and the marking protection portion31are removed using the laser device, so as to reveal an exposed portion111of the processing surface11corresponding to the engraved marking portion21and the marking protection portion31in position.Step S15(a screen printing step): a second protection layer4, which is transparent, is formed on the processing surface11using the screen printing device. The second protection layer4covers the exposed portion111of the processing surface11that corresponds to the engraved marking portion21and the marking protection portion31in position.

In this embodiment, the screen printing device is utilized to fill an ultraviolet curing material, which is transparent, in a groove that is cooperatively defined by the exposed portion111of the processing surface11, the coating layer body22, and the protection layer body32(to be specific, after step S14, the ultraviolet curing material is applied onto the first protection layer3using the screen printing device, and an excess of the ultraviolet curing material is removed using the squeegee of the screen printing device so as to permit the groove to be filled with the ultraviolet curing material). Then, using the ultraviolet lamp of the screen printing device, an ultraviolet light beam is emitted toward the ultraviolet curing material, so that the ultraviolet curing material is cured and forms the second protection layer4, thereby allowing the second protection layer4to cover the exposed portion111of the processing surface11. The second protection layer4is an ultraviolet (UV) light curing layer, such as a UV ink layer.

In summary, in response to the current collaborative production model, where the plastic injection molding step takes place at a first production site to produce a large quantity of keycap preforms1, and where the laser engraving step takes place at a second production site, corresponding effects produced by the method for manufacturing a keycap according to the disclosure are as follows:1) By using the spraying device to pre-conduct step S11to step S13at the first production site, the keycap preform1sprayed with the surface paint coating layer2and the first protection layer3is formed, and the surface paint coating layer2is covered by the first protection layer3, thereby preventing the surface paint coating layer2from peeling off during transit from the first production site to the second production site.2) By using the laser device to conduct subsequent step S14to step S15at the second production site, after the exposed portion111of the processing surface11corresponding to the engraved marking portion21and the marking protection portion31in position is revealed, the second protection later4fills and covers the groove, thereby preventing the surface paint coating layer2and the first protection layer3from rubbing sideways (e.g., by a finger) during use due to height difference of the groove itself.3) In response to the collaborative production model, there is no need to purchase the spraying device at both of the first production site and the second production side, thereby reducing equipment cost.

Therefore, the method for manufacturing a keycap according to the disclosure may achieve the object of the disclosure through the abovementioned simple steps.