Rubber Button Stuck/Jammed On Silicone Rubber Keyboard

Rubber Button Stuck/Jammed On Silicone Rubber Keyboard

Rubber Button & Silicone Button, is known as Silicone Keyboard/Keypad or Push Button, which is made from elastomer translucent & transparent silicone rubber materials and with conductive carbon pill & graphite pads, is widely used in electronic switches like push buttons, on off switch for remote controller (TV/Air Conditioner remote control), automobile accessory, music/MIDI Controller Keyboard and so on.

Rubber push button & silicone rubber keypad is made by compression molding.

High precise mold can create even/uniform key webbing that shows a certain angle around the rubber key or rubber button.

When press the button and release it, the key webbing can offer a tactile response to let the keypad come back.

In your daily life, have you ever come across this problem?

The buttons was stacked/jammed, when they come back after pressed them and then released.

 

Our customers met this common phenomenon and came to us for help.

Let’s see the below two videos to know their rubber button stuck problems.

Now, you know this similar problem as your keyboard button.

Do you know what causes key stuck/jammed/stack on a keyboard?

Rubber Keyboard Unreasonable Design

The actuation force/pressing force/pressing strength is too small to let the button come back after pressed it and then released.

Two reasons:

The actuation force of silicone keyboard is too low in design stage.

For instance, based on the appearance of the button, weight, and the friction loss with outer case, it should need 50gr actuation force to achieve good rebound of keypad, while, only set 20gr actuation force when design the structure of the silicone keyboard.

If key webbing/the thickness of button rim is thin, the actuation force will be lower. It will also cause button stuck. Generally, the thickness of key webbing/button rim should be 0.25mm-0.4mm.

Rubber Button Pad Unreasonable Structure Design

The mating structure between the silicone button and the outer case is not well designed, which cause rubber key stuck after installed the rubber keyboard. This reason accounts for almost 90% of the problem.

The matching gap/clearance between the holes of outer case and the button body is too small/narrow. 

Generally, the gap/clearance should be left about 0.3mm-0.4mm each side to make sure rubber buttons can rebound flexibly.

Note: the gap/clearance should not be too large, otherwise, it can cause bad tactile feeling and get dust in.

Improper positioning between buttons and the outer case. Whether the center between the button and outer case is consistent, whether the button pad is ejected from mold well.

Improper key travel will not only cause bad tactile feeling, but also cause stuck key/button. Generally, the key travel should be 0.8mm-1.2mm.

The rubber button is too large and with irregular shape.

Silicone Rubber Key Manufacturing Problem

Inexperienced Manufacturer & Imprecise Rubber Push Button Mold

Key webbing/the thickness of the rim of the button is not uniform/even when making mold.

One of our advantage is that we can make sure even key webbing thickness in our mold processing.

Inexperienced silicone rubber keyboard manufacturing process resulting in insufficient rebound force.

Our mold engineer will adjust suitable key webbing/thickness of button rim according to their experience and based on customer’s pressing force requirements before mold processing.

Uneven material placement when place the raw material to the mold. When pressing the rubber button, the key is inclined to one side but not vertical sinking.

The resilience force of raw material is not good enough. 

Not strict quality check (QC) & manufacturing lead to some burrs/flashing in the edge of outer case, which will cause bigger friction between button and outer case. Which will also cause stuck buttons/keys.

 

Other Problems After Use For Long Time

The wear of the silicone keypad mould positioning legs that can cause stuck keys. When pressing the rubber button, the key is inclined to one side but not vertical sinking.

The damage of the silicone rubber button leads to keyboard key stuck/jammed. Because key webbing breaks will lead to the failure of rebound. 

 

As a professional Silicone Rubber Keypad Manufacturer, Xiamen Better Silicone Rubber Co.,Ltd can offer you the best silicone rubber keypad design solutions.

 

Silicone Rubber keypad/button/keyboard shows: Carbon Pill Silicone Rubber Keypad Manufacturing Process