Topre Switch

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

Topre switch is a keyboard switch made by Topre Corporation, of Japan. Topre switch is famous due to its use in Happy Hacking Keyboard, being famous as a high-end keyboard from about 1996 to 2015.

Topre Switch Mechanism

The electrical switch mechanism in Topre switch is capacitance. This means, there is no contact between electric conductors for the switch to turn on. The key does not need to hit bottom to activate.

Topre switch's key feel came from its rubber dome, not the spring.

hhkb topre switch 36984
Topre key switch diagram
Topre key switch-2
Topre key switch diagram
keyboard Topre switch rubber dome

Activation Force

realforce topre 2020-05-08 69yx2
Some RealForce keyboards feature topre switches with varying activation force.

Origin of the Name Topre

The name Topre, came from Tokyo Press, because the company was named Tokyo Press Kogyo Co Ltd, and got renamed in 1985-10 to Topre Corporation.

Expired Patent

Topre switch patent expired in 2004

topre patent 2020-05-08 nts4x
US patent 4584444, year 1984. https://patents.google.com/patent/US4584444

Topre Clone

Topre Switch Review

I don't like topre switch. It has a hit-bottom finger-shock problem. Topre switch, got this rubber dome, you have to hit with certain force, and because it is rubber dome, the dome collapses at some point and sucks you down, thus hit bottom and creates a finger impact shock feel. I don't have this problem with any Cherry MX Switches, nor with Buckling Spring Key Switch , nor Romer-G Switch .

Topre Switch Keyboards