Rotary switch

A rotary switch, including:

• a main contactor including a main contact carrier and a main cam;
• a shaft rotatably journaled in the main contactor and extending axially through the main contactor, wherein the shaft is rotable between a first position in which the switch is in an OFF position and a second position in which the switch is in an ON position, and wherein the main contact carrier and the main cam are driven apart axially upon rotation of the shaft to the second position to drive main contacts on the main contact carrier to contact against main contacts on corresponding terminals of the switch when the switch is in the ON position;
• an auxiliary contactor including auxiliary contacts;
• an auxiliary cam secured at a distal end of the shaft, wherein the auxiliary cam co-acts with the auxiliary contactor upon rotation of the shaft between the first and second positions to open and close the auxiliary contacts;
• and
• a rod extending radially from the shaft, wherein
• the main cam has a rod receiving portion defined by at least one arcuate portion having a radially extending opening driving surface, a radially extending closing driving surface and a gap therebetween, wherein the rod urges against the closing driving surface upon rotation of the shaft to the second position and urges against the opening driving surface upon rotation of the shaft to the first position, whereby
• when the switch is rotated from the ON position to the OFF position, the shaft rotates from the second position and the auxiliary cam co-acts with the auxiliary contactor to break open the auxiliary contacts while the rod rotates in the gap of the rod receiving portion until reaching the opening driving surface of the rod receiving portion so that the auxiliary contacts break open before the main contacts on the main contact carrier break open from the main contacts on the corresponding terminals as the main contact carrier and the main cam are driven together axially upon further rotation of the shaft to the first position.