Editing Tactility (section)

===Bowed helical spring===
There are multiple ways to use a [[helical spring]] to generate tactility.

[[Buckling spring]] switches involve a laterally bowed, vertically orientated helical spring being pressed downwards. When a certain threshold is reached, the spring buckles, or snaps outwards suddenly. The containing chamber ("barrel") that guides the slider obstructs the path of the spring, causing a collision and a corresponding sound.

[[File:Force graph--clicky--capacitive buckling spring.svg|centre]]

[[ITT ETL18]] switches place the helical spring horizontally across the switch, which is assumed to be bowed upwards within its slot. The spring runs through the slider, and pressing down on the slider causes the spring to be first compressed before the slider can pass, after which the spring is now exerting force downwards on the slider. In effect this is a similar principle to stacked spring, but with greater travel and using only a single spring.

[[Mitsumi standard mechanical]] switches and most tactile [[Mitsumi miniature mechanical]] switches achieve tactility using a similar principle. Here, instead of the spring passing through the slider, the spring is held by the slider and a raised nub within the switch presses on the slider instead. This approach results in a much rougher feel, while ETL18 is very smooth.