Patent ID: 8357867

Claim:
A controller unit for a switching device, the controller unit comprising: a body part; an operating axle, which is turnable between a closed position and an open position in relation to the body part and which is functionally connectable to contacts of the switching device to change respective states of the contacts between the closed position and the open position; a control axle that is turned by a user between an off-position and an on-position in relation to the body part and is functionally connected to turn the operating axle; a tripping assembly, which has a trip state and a tensioned state wherein, in a tensioning event, the tripping assembly transitions from the trip state to the tensioned state and, in a tripping event, transitions from the tensioned state to the trip state, wherein the tripping assembly is functionally connected to the operating axle such that the tripping event of the tripping assembly turns the operating axle from the closed position to the open position, and connecting means which selectably connect the control axle to the tripping assembly such that when the tripping assembly is in the trip state the connecting means functionally connects the control axle to the tripping assembly, which upon turning of the control axle from the off-position to the on-position causes a tensioning event of the tripping assembly, and when the tripping assembly is in the tensioned state the connecting means allows the control axle to turn freely between the on-position and the off-position while the tripping assembly remains in the tensioned state.