A new keyboard profile

[Ranger_Trivette]

is now a year since i started playing with keyboards. i'm definitely a noob.
but i spend 8 hours a day working with cad and sometimes my mind fly around.


i've always seen profile like this [A]:


-the top part is very easy. can be obtained from vertical milling machine (VMM).
you can create samples in your garage if you have one, it's really easy.
in the 99% of the keyboards i see, you don't even need to re-positioning (is expensive) the part and add external chamfer later.
(you can't add chamfer to the internal border, ok)

-the bottom part is similar to the other one.
you start from a block. you mill the interior (the lower plan can give you some troubles).
then you flip the components and add the inclined bottom.
not easy as the top part. but still an easy job. you don't even need a cnc machinery.


this is instead something that is going round and round in my head since a while [B.]:

-the top part looks now very complicated.
but is not. if you work with cnc machine, is pretty the same.
and today, if you want to be competitive, you have to.
you definitely need more time to program the travel of the toolings, but who cares?
if you buy 100+ pcs that time doesn't influence the cost.
-the bottom part become now easier.




what do you think?
does this design has some pro-cons?
is it good looking?
am i missing something?
why noone do that?
so many questions...

the only answer i have is this.
why? well you don't need a good reason to choose a different path.
and if you choose the wrong one you are still an explorer.

[yui]

i am not a mechanical engineer, at all, but i do think you only move the complexity, either way you will cut at an angle, be it the bottom or top, so i think the only reason most have the squared to and angled bottom is to have the 2 90° toward the user making it look more even, and maybe the clearance for the last row switches would make your design a bit taller in the rear. and i am pretty sure some OEM boards are made more like your design but i can't remember which ones in particular.

at least this is my take on it, others may have other ideas or even experience

[nuudul]

i think its too tall. might hurt the user's wwrist after use

[brodiegrizz]

It looks to me as however you put it, an angle will need to be machined at some point. Even if you plan on doing very small step cuts in the machining process, you'd notice the micro steps in the final product.

Also another point I want to mention, the top case for example would still need to be machined on both sides. For example the chamfers on the top and the screw holes on the bottom. So if both sides need to be machined anyways, whats the difference in not putting an inclined wedge underneath to create the angle of the board? Just the nature of a 3 axis machine requires this.

[DylanMcLean]

Hi, you know, maybe the wrist they do not hurt as they say, but there should be well thought out in terms of engineering, functionality and comfort is the main thing, something in the middle is always better than more or less....you know what I mean?))