Electrical switch for an electrical device and sealing assembly for an electrical switch

An electrical switch comprising:

• a housing;
• one or more stationary contacts disposed within said housing, wherein each one or more stationary contacts being in electrical communication with a terminal, and one or more moveable contacts moveable within said housing, said one or more moveable contacts being moveable and engageable with one or more of said more stationary contacts so as to provide electrical communication between a terminal of said more stationary contacts and a terminal in electrical communication with said one or more moveable contacts;
• and
• an actuator assembly disposed within said housing and being movable in a linear direction of movement between a plurality of predefined operable positions upon being urged in said direction of movement;
• said actuator assembly including:
• a locking mechanism for retaining the actuator assembly at each operable position of said plurality of operable positions, wherein the locking mechanism includes a biasing arrangement for retaining the actuator assembly at each operable position and having a predetermined retention load, and whereby upon the actuator is urged in the direction of movement at a load which overcomes the retention load, retention of the actuator assembly is overcome and the actuator assembly is moveable to an adjacent operable position;
• and
• a biasing assembly including one or more biasing elements for urging at one or more moveable contacts against a contact of one or more of said more stationary contacts when the actuator assembly is moved to located at an operable position, so as to provide an electrical communication between respective contacting moveable and stationary contacts and so as to provide electrical communication between the terminal of the stationary contact and a terminal in electrical communication with the moveable contact;
• wherein the predetermined retention load of the locking mechanism is determined based upon a requisite force above which the actuator assembly is permitted to be moved to an adjacent operable position;
• and
• wherein the biasing assembly maintains the contact load between movable and stationary contacts with a predetermined contact load range during engagement of contacts, disengagement of contacts and whilst contacts are operatively engaged, wherein the predetermined contact load range determined based upon requisite operational parameters of the contacts.