In a world of touchscreens and squishy laptop keyboards, clicky mechanical keyboards are a niche toy for a certain kind of nerd. While the most iconic and unique clicker—IBM's classic Model F—is making its own small comeback, the most common mechanical keyboards today use Cherry-inspired switches and trace their roots back to a different ancestor. This guy, a 1959 switch, was recently showcased in a demonstration from YouTuber LGR:



This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Cherry's first mechanical switch from 1959 is detailed in a patent that was filed that same year. The best description of what made these switches special is outlined in a series of earlier patents which identify its key features as:

The switch is 'tease proof.' It activates at a specific point as it is pressed, and the process is unstoppable once it has started. You can't ease the leads together by pressing the switch slowly.

The direction of the force on the actuator is independent of the direction of force connecting the leads. You press down on the key, but a spring at 90 degrees exerts the force to connect the contacts.

The pressure connecting the contacts starts at and remains at its maximum as soon as the actuator triggers with the slightest pressure. As soon as it clicks, it clicks all the way.

In the years since, Cherry's mechanical keyboard switches have gotten a lot more complicated. It's much more iconic (and modern) 1984 patent has been turned into posters and even tattoos. The patent has also since expired, giving birth to a bevy of cheaper but still clicky knockoffs. We've come a long, long way, but the musical click of the classic is still terrific.



This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io