Modern bezel-less keyboards

Makerspace Making keyboards
1

I broke this out from deshipu’s introduction into a proper topic for discussion.

I haven’t found much in the way of truly bezel-less designs, besides sandwich-mount boards, but usually the PCB sticks out past the edges of the caps, for example, the TG4x:

4050×1775 1.69 MB

One prototype I’ve always liked the look of is the frog design apple tablet/snow white keyboard prototype from 1983:

The way the caps go all the way to the edges and meet up with the case underneath is a unique aesthetic that I’d like to recreate as a modern keyboard design. There are no similar “top-hat” style stepped caps, so something like DSA or Rama grid caps might be appropriate (with a few odd-sized mods needed). Low-profile switches might be best, with the thin case wrapping around the bottom. I’m inexperienced in case design, so I don’t know if tray mount or burger-mount styles might work?

Layouts I’m considering include a mostly normally staggered one with a small offset to either the number row or R4, and also a zlant-like uniform 0.25u staggered layout. With that bottom row and 1u blockers, both a 7u spacebar and a 6.25u spacebar are possibilities, though I think the 7u bar looks better. I’m eternally spoiled and beguiled by the YAS-62’s arrow cluster, so naturally that informs the layout.

Screen Shot 2020-09-22 at 10.07.43 AM
Screen Shot 2020-09-22 at 10.07.43 AM813×273 39.2 KB

2 Likes
2

One thing I plan to add to that Dorsch 48k keyboard is a laser-cut frame around the switches. It will then look more like that Mac keyboard, only with the gap being higher up. Here’s a side view of that keyboard right now:

IMG_20200917_132034
IMG_20200917_1320344000×2992 2.96 MB

1 Like
3

I remember 3-4 years ago when the trend was taking a picture of your keyboard with your backpack and your ‘mobile setup’ kinda stuff. A major issue with that trend back then was there were a lot of bezel-less keyboards, but only cherry mx style switches + keycaps. That meant quite a few people had switches/keycaps shear off :frowning:. Oh and bezel-less 60%s were much much more popular back then as well with cheap sandwich style cases.

Fortunately in the modern day that’s less of an issue since many who don’t want bezels have low profile options with the choc switches. I don’t think the Dorsch 48k is gonna be catching on too many things and shearing keycaps anytime soon… :crossed_fingers:

The frog design apple white keyboard is definitely a very awesome looking option in terms of bezelless design. I think it works best due to the fact practically every key is ‘stepped’ in practically every direction. This leaves the sides of the keycaps to almost ‘blend in’ with the height of the case like we see with the keys next to the blockers.

I think the most viable future for bezel less keyboards would probably be in low profile switches :thinking:. But I also personally don’t like mx style switches in a bezeless form usually.

5 Likes