High-voltage change-over switch with linear movement

A high-voltage change-over switch with linear movement for the alternate application of a high voltage either to a first X-ray tube or to a second X-ray tube, said device comprising a change-over switch assembly having two identical half change-over switches, each half change-over switch comprising an insulation device, two input terminals wherein the insulation devices are mechanically linked and two output terminals, and each input terminal being connected to only one respective output terminal by means of a contact device that comprises a fixed contact element and a movable contact element shifting in a linear movement so as to come into contact with said fixed contact element or to move away from it, said linear movement of the two movable contacts of each half change-over switch being obtained by the linear shifting of said insulation device in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the movable contact elements, wherein for each half change-over switch said insulation device works together with the two movable contact elements in such a way that, in a first position of the insulation device, a first contact device is open while the second one is closed and that, in a second position of the insulation device, the first contact device is closed while the second one is open, the contact elements facing each open contact device being separated by a strip made of insulating material that constitutes the insulation device.