Switch

Abstract

In a switch or relay and, more particularly, a power or auxiliary switch or relay with a contact system mounted in a housing, as well as a magnet system which actuates the contact system, considerable difficulties are encountered when the contacts of the contact system are disposed in at least two planes which are disposed at different distances from the mounting plane. In such a case, the contact connecting zones which are facing away from the mounting plane are covered by the wiring for the contact connecting screws which are further displaced from the mounting plane and therefore are not accessible. Since switches or relays of this type are usually installed in large numbers in rows and in a compact arrangement with respect to each other in switch or relay boxes, a predetermined standard width for the switches or relays should not be exceeded. The employed switch or relay boxes are subjected to considerable shocks during transport to the installation site, so that the total wiring and the firm seating of the contact connecting screws must be checked before operation. In order to enable a simple handling of the wiring possibilities for the contacts and to also enable alternate installation of the wiring on the upper or on the lower contact connecting screws, or vice versa, without increasing the limited width of the switch or relay boxes, as is the case in actual practice, regardless of the number of poles, the switch or relay chambers are laterally displaced with respect to each other within the common flat side faces of the housing, while simultaneously maintaining the predetermined width from plane to plane, so that each contact connecting screw is freely accessible at the different distance planes of the installed wiring.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.