Druckkontakte

Druckkontakte are electrical contacts whose connection is established or broken by applied mechanical pressure. They are used in situations where a user action or an external force brings two conductive elements into contact, thereby closing a circuit. Druckkontakte can be normally open or normally closed, depending on the design and intended function. Common implementations include momentary push contacts and spring-loaded contacts, also known as pogo pins, which press a movable conductor against a stationary contact surface.

Construction and operation: typically a fixed contact surface paired with a moving element that is actuated by pressure. In spring-loaded designs, a compression spring or similar mechanism ensures a consistent contact force and helps return the contact to its original state after release. Contact surfaces are often plated with nickel, gold, or silver to reduce wear and corrosion and to maintain low contact resistance. The amount of actuation travel, contact force, and geometry influence bounce, arcing, and cycle life.

Applications: Druckkontakte are widely used in battery connections, docking and charging stations, test fixtures (such as bed-of-nails arrays), automotive sensors, and control panels. They also appear in keyboards and handheld devices where reliable, fatigue-resistant connections are required.

Design considerations: key factors include current rating and contact resistance, actuation force and travel, mechanical life (number of mating cycles), environmental sealing, and resistance to contamination. Material choice, surface finishes, and precise tolerances are important to minimize wear, corrosion, and contact resistance over time.

See also: pressure switch, pushbutton, contact relay, pogo pin.