Switch assembly

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing, switch contacts at least partially disposed in said switch housing and operable between a first condition and a second condition, actuator means disposed in said switch housing and actuatable between an unactuated condition in which said switch contacts are in the first condition and an actuated condition in which said switch contacts are in the second condition, manually actuatable means at least partially disposed in said switch housing and movable relative to said switch housing for effecting actuation of said actuator means between the unactuated and actuated conditions, electromagnetic means disposed in said switch housing, said electromagnetic means having an energized condition and a de-energized condition, said actuator means being maintained in the actuated condition by said electromagnetic means when said electromagnetic means is in the energized condition, and control means disposed in said switch housing for energizing said electromagnetic means upon actuation of said actuator means to the actuated condition by movement of said manually actuatable means and for de-energizing said electromagnetic means upon actuation of a remote switch connected with said control means when said electromagnetic means is energized, said control means including circuit means having an output signal which effects energization of said electromagnetic means and is established in response to movement of said manually actuatable means from an initial position through an intermediate position to a fully actuated position, said circuit means being ineffective to provide the output signal which effects energization of said electromagnetic means in response to movement of said manually actuatable means from the initial position to a position other than the fully actuated position, said circuit means being operable to eliminate the output signal and de-energize said electromagnetic means in response to movement of said manually actuatable means from the initial position through the intermediate position to the fully actuated position with said electromagnetic means energized, said circuit means being ineffective to eliminate the output signal and de-energize said electromagnetic means in response to movement of said manually actuatable means until said manually actuatable means has been moved from the fully actuated position to the initial position after establishment of the output signal by movement of said manually actuatable means to the fully actuated position and until said manually actuatable means has been moved from the initial position back to the fully actuated position.

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing, switch contacts at least partially disposed in said switch housing and operable between a first condition and a second condition, actuator means disposed in said switch housing and actuatable between an unactuated condition in which said switch contacts are in the first condition and an actuated condition in which said switch contacts are in the second condition, manually actuatable means at least partially disposed in said switch housing and movable relative to said switch housing for effecting actuation of said actuator means between the unactuated and actuated conditions, electromagnetic means disposed in said switch housing, said electromagnetic means having an energized condition and a de-energized condition, said actuator means being maintained in the actuated condition by said electromagnetic means when said electromagnetic means is in the energized condition and control means disposed in said switch housing for energizing and de-energizing said electromagnetic means, said control means including a plurality of light sources disposed in said switch housing, a plurality of photocells disposed in said switch housing, a plurality of shutters which are movable between a blocking condition blocking the transmission of light from said light sources to said photocells and a nonblocking condition enabling light to be transmitted from said light sources to said photocells to change the output of said photocells, said manually actuatable means including means for moving said plurality of shutters upon movement of said manually actuatable means, and circuit means connected with said photocells for energizing said electromagnetic means in response to a change in the output of said photocells upon movement of said manually actuatable means relative to said switch housing from an initial position to an actuated position with said electromagnetic means de-energized and for de-energizing said electromagnetic means in response to a change in the output of said photocells upon movement of said manually actuatable means relative to said switch housing from the initial position to the actuated position with said electromagnetic means energized.

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing, switch contacts at least partially disposed in said switch housing and operable between a first condition and a second condition, actuator means disposed in said switch housing and actuatable between an unactuated condition in which said switch contacts are in the first condition and an actuated condition in which said switch contacts are in the second condition, manually actuatable means at least partially disposed in said switch housing and movable relative to said switch housing for effecting actuation of said actuator means between the unactuated and actuated conditions, electromagnetic means disposed in said switch housing, said electromagnetic means having an energized condition and a de-energized condition, said actuator means being maintained in the actuated condition by said electromagnetic means when said electromagnetic means is in the energized condition, and control means disposed in said switch housing for energizing said electromagnetic means upon actuation of said actuator means to the actuated condition by movement of said manually actuatable means when said electromagnetic means is de-energized, said control means including means for de-energizing said electromagnetic means upon actuation of said manually actuatable means when said electromagnetic means is energized, said control means includes circuit means having an output signal which effects energization of said electromagnetic means and which is established in response to movement of said manually actuatable means from an initial position through an intermediate position to a fully actuated position, said circuit means being ineffective to provide the output signal which effects energization of said electromagnetic means in response to movement of said manually actuatable means from the initial position to a position other than the fully actuated position, said circuit means being operable to eliminate the output signal and de-energize said electromagnetic means in response to movement of said manually actuatable means from the initial position through the intermediate position to the fully actuated position with said electromagnetic means energized, said circuit means being ineffective to eliminate the output signal and de-energize said electromagnetic means in response to movement of said manually actuatable mean until said manually actuatable means has been moved from the fully actuated position to the initial position after establishment of the output signal by movement of said manually actuatable means to the fully actuated position and until said manually actuatable means has been moved from the initial position back to the fully actuated position with said electromagnetic means energized.

A switch assembly comprising a switch housing, switch contacts at least partially disposed in said switch housing and operable between a first condition and a second condition, actuator means disposed in said switch housing and actuatable between an unactuated condition in which said switch contacts are in the first condition and an actuated condition in which said switch contacts are in the second condition, means at least partially disposed in said switch housing and movable relative to said switch housing for effecting actuation of said actuator means between the unactuated and actuated conditions, electromagnetic means disposed in said switch housing, said electromagnetic means having an energized condition and a de-energized condition, said actuator means being maintained in the actuated condition by said electromagnetic means when said electromagnetic means is in the energized condition, and control means disposed in said switch housing for energizing said electromagnetic means upon actuation of said actuator means to the actuated condition and for de-energizing said electromagnetic means upon actuation of said actuator means to the actuated condition with said electromagnetic means energized, said control means including means for providing light, photocell means responsive to light from said means for providing light, and shutter means which is movable between a blocking condition blocking the transmission of light from said means for providing light to said photocell means and a nonblocking condition enabling light to be transmitted from said means for providing light to said photocells means.