Importance

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Abstract

A switch wherein an elongated at least substantially tubular housing contains a bearing member pivotably mounting a two-armed lever. One arm of the lever is directly coupled to a motion transmitting device which is rigid with a depressible pushbutton and carries a reflector for a light source behind the pushbutton. The other arm of the lever can move the front end of a stressed leaf spring which bears against a pivotable contact to urge the latter against an electric terminal in depressed position of the pushbutton or against an insulating stop in extended position of the pushbutton. A coil spring reacts against the bearing member and biases the lever to an end position in which the contact engages the stop; the lever then maintains the pushbutton in the extended position. If the switch is to be used as an alternate action switch, the bearing member carries an indexible blocking device cooperating with an indexing device which is reciprocable by the pushbutton to ensure that a first depression of the pushbutton results in retention of the contact in engagement with the terminal (switch closed) and that the next-following depression of the pushbutton enables the coil spring to pivot the lever so that the contact can be moved against the stop to thus open the switch.

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First Claim