ITW magnetic valve
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| Manufacturer | ITW, Devlin |
|---|---|
| Introduced | Possibly 1974 |
| Discontinued | 2005 |
| Switch type | Linear, tactile |
| Sense method | Magnetic valve |
| Keycap mount | Custom cruciform, Alps mount |
| Switch mount | Plate mount, PCB mount |
| Patents |
US4099176 (1974) US4017850 (1976) |
ITW magnetic valve is a provisional name which refers to a type of electromagnetic switch patented by ITW and manufactured by ITW and Devlin.
History
ITW filed a patent for their magnetic valve switch in 1974. The tooling was later sold to Devlin; these Devlin-made switches are reported to have been very popular in the newspaper editing industry, with most European and North American newspapers specifying them across their operations.[1] Devlin ended production of them in 2005, choosing to use only Cherry MX switches.
Devlin referred to these switches as "Cortron" switches. No further details are known, as all documentation was disposed of (along with the tooling) at the termination of production.
Variants
Full-height
One variant of these switches uses a helical return spring, and appears to be linear.[2] The switch has a fairly typical late 1970s design, similar to contemporary metal contact microswitches, with a cruciform slider.
Low-profile
The most common variant of this switch is the low-profile version with an open shell. The switch should not be be confused with the RAFI RS 76C Hall effect switch, with which it bears more than a passing resemblance, in particular the open low-profile shell, slider, and keycap mount.
The low-profile version has no spring under the slider; consequently, a rubber dome is placed within the keycap to act as the return spring. These switches are tactile, with around 60 cN force.[3]
Keyboards
- HP 02645-60023[2] (full-height, black)
- Devlin KMX-144 (low-profile, white)
- Some Aydin keyboards (low-profile, white)[4]
- Decision Data Computer Corporation keyboard (low-profile, white)[5]
- Xerox 820 II keyboard (low-profile, red)
References
- ↑ Private correspondence with Devlin employee
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Google+ — HP 02645-60023
- ↑ geekhack — Devlin KMX-144 find - thread reload....
- ↑ Google+ — Misc Aydin Keyboards
- ↑ Kaineko2 — Decision Data Computer Corporation keyboard
