Hermetically sealed snap switch assembly with pre-use backfilling option

A hermetically sealed snap switch assembly comprising:

• a housing defined by first and second housing members,
• said housing members each defining a substantially planar base wall,
• said first housing member being formed from imperforate material,
• said second housing member being mounted within said first housing member in hermetically sealed relation therewith, and with said base walls of said housing members being disposed in substantial parallelism to form said housing and define a switch chamber between said base walls of said housing members,
• said housing second member base wall including a plurality of depending electrically conductive tubes fixed to same in hermetically sealed relation therewith,
• said housing second member otherwise being formed from imperforate material,
• a snap action switch mounted in said switch chamber between said base walls of said housing members,
• said switch having a side that faces said first housing member base wall and is disposed within said chamber,
• said switch including an actuating member for said switch on said switch side and within said chamber,
• said switch being supported within said chamber by said second housing member base wall,
• said tubes each being disposed relative to said housing such that one end of each of said tubes projects away from said chamber,
• said switch having a plurality of terminals depending therefrom and that are individually lodged within said tubes, respectively, in slip fit relation thereto,
• said base wall of said first housing member having a portion of same indented out of the plane thereof to form a hermetic wall portion,
• a first lever disposed externally of said housing,
• said first lever extending in general parallelism to said switch side and being fixed to said hermetic wall portion,
• a second lever disposed internally of said chamber and being fixed to said hermetic wall portion and engaging said actuating member of said switch, and
• including means for fixing the respective tubes to the switch terminals lodged therein and in hermetically sealed relation thereto,
• whereby said tubes provide the option of purging said chamber and backfilling same through one of said tubes prior to the application of said fixing means to said one of said tubes, and including:
• an electrically insulating layer interposed between said switch and said second housing member base wall.