Gapless keys with Teflon, near frictionless side walls
Posted: 20 May 2019, 20:07
Hi all -- I was thinking about the MacBook Pro's sucky keyboard and how a grain of sand can kneecap the whole board. The MBP's keycaps have very little border space around, but there's just enough for a grain of sand or whatever to get in there, and if it does, they apparently can't handle it for some reason (normal keyboards seem to accept a bit of dirt without much trouble).
I've also been thinking about how it should be possible to make a keyboard with zero border space around the keys, even tighter than the MBP's. That would normally mean that the keycaps would rub and chafe against the frame. But what if the keycaps' side walls were coated with an extremely low friction material like Teflon? Has anyone tried such a design? With something like Teflon, it should be smooth, and could be made to last for years. There are probably even better low friction materials, like the stuff they coat engine pistons in – I'm always reading about how some automaker has reduced friction in its new engine due to some new low friction coating for the pistons and other parts.
It might be a cool way to keep the inside of a keyboard free of dirt and liquids, maybe even get an IP dust and water resistance rating for the board, like many smartphones have. Now, if somehow some dirt gets inside, it should still function fine, like most keyboards – it shouldn't be like the MBP in that scenario. Anyway, what do you think? What are the ways that keyboards resist liquids right now? (I assume there are some?)
Link: https://theoutline.com/post/4277/dont-b ... my-opinion
I've also been thinking about how it should be possible to make a keyboard with zero border space around the keys, even tighter than the MBP's. That would normally mean that the keycaps would rub and chafe against the frame. But what if the keycaps' side walls were coated with an extremely low friction material like Teflon? Has anyone tried such a design? With something like Teflon, it should be smooth, and could be made to last for years. There are probably even better low friction materials, like the stuff they coat engine pistons in – I'm always reading about how some automaker has reduced friction in its new engine due to some new low friction coating for the pistons and other parts.
It might be a cool way to keep the inside of a keyboard free of dirt and liquids, maybe even get an IP dust and water resistance rating for the board, like many smartphones have. Now, if somehow some dirt gets inside, it should still function fine, like most keyboards – it shouldn't be like the MBP in that scenario. Anyway, what do you think? What are the ways that keyboards resist liquids right now? (I assume there are some?)
Link: https://theoutline.com/post/4277/dont-b ... my-opinion