Patent ID: 7760057

Claim:
Electrical switch device having an oblong electrical switch element disposed with a contact end thereof between two transversely-spaced, counter-contact elements that mate with said contact end, which contact end is movable transversely with respect to a longitudinal direction of the switch element toward either of the counter-contact elements by two displacement elements disposed on both sides of and next to the switch element, the switch element comprising magnetic material and the displacement elements comprising two magnet arrangements, said magnet arrangements defining respective magnetic pole axes, wherein each magnetic pole axis extends through the north and south poles of the respective magnet arrangement, and the magnetic field strength of one magnet arrangement and/or the magnetic field strength of the other magnet arrangement being respectively optionally reducible or increasable and wherein the magnetic pole axes of the magnet arrangements are directed transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the switch elements, wherein the magnet arrangement with the optionally reducible or increasable magnetic field strength comprises a permanent magnet and an electromagnet, wherein the other magnet arrangement comprises a permanent magnet, and wherein the permanent magnets are disposed in a homopolar manner such that the permanent magnets are oriented towards each other and towards the switch element with the same pole.