Electrical switch with connector interlock

An electrical switch comprising

• a housing;
• a switch unit for selectively completing or breaking an electrical circuit, said unit being mounted within said housing and adapted to be connected to a source of electrical power;
• a first connector portion mounted to said housing and electrically connected to said switch unit and being adapted to receive a second connector portion mounted to an electrical cable, said first and second connector portions each including electrical connecting means for selectively completing an electrical connection between said first connector portion and said second connector portion when said second connector portion is received by said first connector portion and for breaking said electrical connection when said second connector portion is removed from said first connector portion;
• a switch unit operating member being mounted to said housing for movement between a first position and a second position, said operating member including a handle for enabling a human operator to move said operating member between said positions;
• an actuating member mounted for movement corresponding to said movement of said operating member between said first position and said second position and being operatively connected to said switch unit for moving a portion of said switch unit between a first, open circuit state when said actuating member is in said first position and a second, circuit completing state when said actuating member is in said second position, said actuating member being resiliently biased toward said first position and further comprising means for selectively engaging said operating member for movement therewith;
• a connector portion engaging member mounted to said first connector portion for reciprocal movement in a predetermined direction by said reception of said second connector portion by said first connector portion, said connector portion engaging member being operatively connected to said actuating member for effecting said selective engagement between said operating member and said actuating member when said connector portion engaging member is moved in said predetermined direction and after said completion of said electrical connection between said first connector portion and said second connector portion, and for releasing said selective engagement when said plug engaging member is moved in a direction opposite said predetermined direction but prior to said breaking of said electrical connection between said first connector portion and said second connector portion, whereby the switch unit resilient biasing means will move the switch unit to the open circuit state when the connector portion engaging member is moved in the opposite direction, regardless of the position of the switch unit operating member, whereby the second connector portion cannot be received by or removed from the first connector portion with the switch unit in a circuit completing state;
• and
• resilient biasing means urging said connector portion engaging member to move in said opposite direction upon removal of said second connector portion from said first connector portion.