Buckling spring

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A drawing included in the patent for the buckling spring mechanism
A drawing included in the patent for the buckling spring mechanism

A buckling spring is a type of keyswitch mechanism, popularized by IBM's keyboards for the PC, PC/AT, 5250/3270 terminals, and other keyboards, the most popular of these being the Model M. It is described in U.S. Patent 4,118,611  (now expired).

The name refers to the fact that the coil spring tensioning the keycap "buckles", i.e. kinks or collapses, at a certain point in its downward traverse, providing auditory and tactile feedback to the keyboard operator.

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