Quick break type switch with snap action deactuation structure

Claim 1

An electric switch assembly comprising: a base plate; a common electrical terminal on said base plate; a plurality of spaced, fixed electrical contacts arranged in an arcuate line on said base plate; a shaft secured to said base plate; a switch member rotatably supported on said shaft, said switch member including a contact arm for selectively bridging said common terminal with any one of said fixed contacts; a control knob disposed on said shaft, said control knob being adapted to be actuated by finger pressure and engageable with said shaft so as to control said switch member for selecting contact positions; means for retaining the switch member in certain of said contact positions after removal of the finger pressure used in selecting such positions; spring means formed around said shaft and engageable by said control knob such that the spring means is able to shift the contact arm abruptly from certain ones of said fixed contacts to other ones thereof; means on said base plate for restraining said spring means only when said switch member is being moved to a predetermined one of said contact positions from an adjacent position by application of sufficient pressure to said control knob, such tHat said switch member will remain in such predetermined position so as to engage the particular fixed contact thereat only so long as said sufficient pressure is being applied, and will return to said adjacent position upon release of the pressure.