Discovery challenge: Futaba reed switch

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I was already aware of US patent 4041427, which shows an MD series–style switch but with a reed inside.

Today I received an old GRI catalogue from Peter Pharaoh at Chaldon International shipped over from GRI in the states, and it contains one switch type that I guess was already gone from the GRI product range before their website was created — KBR:

KBR.jpg (39.04 KiB) Viewed 662 times

The dimensions are identical to KBM and it uses the same double-Cyberman mounting hole, but the top of the switch is more like Alps SKCC. In spite of the bad drawing, the keycap mount is standard Futaba.

So, how long before we stumble across some of these, do we reckon?

Incidentally, KBR lifetime: 30M. KBM lifetime: 10M. KBM-LP lifetime … 3M! I always felt from personal experience that the little switches were terrible for reliability, but I just noticed the lifetime! Ouch. Not as appalling as Tokai MM9, which in spite of all the laws of physics–defying ball bearing action, only comes in at 2M.

Spec PDF to come.