Oki Gourd Spring

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Oki Gourd Spring

Manufacturer	Oki Electric
Inventor	Kunimine Naoki Hokari Shoji Tachibana Sadao
Switch type	Linear
Sense method	Spring over membrane
Rated lifetime	Unknown
Peak force	55 cN
Patents	US4755645

History

This switch was developed by Oki Electric in the late 1980's as a keyboard and electric typewriter switch. It takes advantage of an inexpensive contact membrane while using large springs for the actuation. These large springs provide a very smooth switch action.

These switches are only found in keyboards that were manufactured by Oki Electric, sometimes as OEM for other companies. Electric typewriters made by Oki Electric were also known to sometimes have Oki Gourd Spring switches.

The term "Gourd Spring" seems to have originated from MouseFan of the Japanese keyboard community.

Key feel

Very smooth barrel, virtually no scratchiness on press or release of the switch.

Keycaps

All known keycaps are dye sublimated.

Availability

It is unlikely that Oki Electric still produces these switches, and since they are not available as single units they can only be taken from complete keyboards. Known keyboards are from the early 1990's.