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A buckling spring is a type of keyswitch
File:Bucklingspring-animation-300ms.gif, Buckling spring on key press and release
File:Bucklingspring1-o.svg, Illustration from the original buckling spring , issued to IBM in 1978
File:IBM buckling spring.svg, A drawing included in the patent for the buckling spring mechanism
File:Fig 2 harris keyforce-o.svg, Graph of key force over key travel for a buckling spring key. Visible in graph position 1C the fast force drop when the spring buckles. , issued to IBM in 1978.
File:Buckling spring comparison.jpg, IBM Model F (left) and Model M (right) keyboard springs
Wiki article on the various buckling spring mechanisms
– From deskthority.net Computer keyboards {{Compu-hardware-stub
A buckling spring is a type of keyswitch mechanism
Mechanism may refer to:
*Mechanism (economics), a set of rules for a game designed to achieve a certain outcome
**Mechanism design, the study of such mechanisms
*Mechanism (engineering), rigid bodies connected by joints in order to accomplish a ...
, popularized by IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
's keyboards for the PC, PC/AT, 5250/3270 terminals, PS/2, and other systems. It was used by IBM's Model F keyboards (for instance the AT keyboard), and the more common Model M
Model M keyboards are a group of computer keyboards designed and manufactured by IBM starting in 1985, and later by Lexmark International, Maxi Switch, and Unicomp. The keyboard's different variations have their own distinct characteristi ...
. It is described in (Model F) and (Model M), both now expired. According to the original patent: "A non-teasible, snap action, tactile feedback, key mechanism of extreme mechanical simplicity and high reliability is achieved."
Operation
Thecoil spring
A tension coil spring
A coil spring is a mechanical device that typically is used to store energy and subsequently release it, to absorb shock, or to maintain a force between contacting surfaces. It is made of an elastic material formed into the ...
tensed between the keycap and a pivoting hammer buckles (i.e. kinks or collapses) at a certain point in its downward traverse, providing auditory and tactile feedback to the keyboard operator. Upon buckling, the hammer is pivoted forward by the spring and strikes an electrical contact which registers the key press. In a Model M, the electrical contact is a membrane sheet similar to that of a modern dome switch keyboard.
Image gallery
See also
*Euler's critical load
Euler's critical load or Euler's buckling load is the compressive Structural load, load at which a slender column will suddenly bend or Buckling , buckle. It is given by the formula:
P_ = \frac
where
*P_, Euler's critical load (longitudinal com ...
* List of mechanical keyboards
*
References
External links
Wiki article on the various buckling spring mechanisms
– From deskthority.net Computer keyboards {{Compu-hardware-stub