Patent ID: 6969810

Claim:
An electrical key switch comprising: a housing attachable to a support; a key mechanism receiving a key within a key slot to allow rotation of the key mechanism with respect to the housing; a first electrical switch element communicating with the key mechanism to switch state with rotation of the key mechanism; an ejector ejecting the key from the key slot absent a countervailing pressure on the key holding the key within the key slot; a second electrical switch element communicating with the key mechanism to change state when a key is inserted into the key slot; wherein the ejector is a shaft passing along the key slot to be displaced by a key inserted into the key slot to activate the second electrical switch element; wherein the shaft extends rearwardly from the key slot with respect to an opening of the key slot through which the key is inserted to activate the second electrical switch element; wherein the second electrical switch element is a set of contacts activating with a travel less than a length of the key slot and further including a spacer block spacing the contacts away from the key slot by an amount at least equal to a difference between the length of the key slot and the travel of the contacts; and wherein the housing includes at least one releasable fitting allowing assembly of different combinations of modular contact blocks to the key mechanism including at least one contact block aligned with an axis of rotation of the key mechanism and wherein the spacer is received by the releasable fitting.