Environmentally sealed rocker switch

An environmentally sealed switch comprising:

• a switch housing;
• a stationary contact mounted within the switch housing;
• a moveable contact mounted within the switch housing, the moveable contact having a first position for electrically making with the stationary contact and a second position for electrically breaking with the stationary contact;
• an internal actuator portion moveably mounted within the switch housing for moving the moveable contact between the first and second positions, the internal actuator portion having an external neck extending through an actuator opening defined by the switch housing, the neck including a cavity having an opening at a distal end of the neck defining a neck rim and a neck groove extending around the periphery of the neck proximate the neck rim;
• an external actuator portion mounted in fixed relation to the internal actuator portion, the external actuator portion having a stem extending into the cavity of the neck, the stem including a stem rim congruent to the neck rim;
• and
• a membranous boot seal surrounding the neck of the internal actuator, the boot seal having,
• a first opening including a first border having a resilient first lip extending inwardly between the stem rim and neck rim to provide a dynamic seal and a resilient second lip radially compressed against the neck groove to provide a seal thereto, and
• a second opening including a second border engaged against a portion of the switch housing surrounding the neck of the internal actuator;
• wherein, the dynamic seal is maintained when moveable contact is moved between the first position and the second position.

An environmentally sealed switch comprising:

• a switch housing;
• at least one stationary contact mounted within the switch housing;
• a moveable contact mounted within the switch housing, the moveable contact having a first position for electrically making with the stationary contact and a second position for electrically breaking with the stationary contact;
• an actuator moveably mounted within the switch housing and having an internal actuator portion for moving the moveable contact between the first and second positions, the internal actuator portion having an external neck extending through an actuator opening defined by the switch housing, the neck including a cavity having an opening at a distal end of the neck defining a neck rim;
• a membranous boot seal surrounding the neck of the actuator portion, the boot seal having a first and second opening,
• the first opening being disposed adjacent the distal end of the neck and having a resilient lip extending inwardly over a top surface of the neck rim, and
• the second opening being disposed at an opposite end of the neck and having a border engaged against a portion of the switch housing surrounding the neck;
• and
• an external actuator portion of the actuator mounted in fixed relation to the internal actuator portion, the external actuator portion having a stem extending into the cavity of the neck and a stem base with an external actuator rim disposed thereon such that the external actuator rim is congruent to the neck rim, the external actuator rim and neck rim compressing the resilient lip of the boot seal therebetween to provide a dynamic seal;
• wherein, the dynamic seal is maintained when the external and internal actuators actuate the moveable contact from the first position to the second position.