Patent ID: 7633029

Claim:
A safety switch comprising: a switch main unit having an operation section, a switch section and a lock mechanism section, the switch section including an operating rod and a contact section including a contact, an actuator provided so as to be capable of freely entering into and withdrawing from said operation section of said switch main unit, and wherein entry and withdrawal of said actuator effects opening and closing, respectively, of said contact of said contact section via a reciprocating motion in accordance with entry and withdrawal of said actuator of said operating rod provided in said switch section a drive cam that is provided so as to be capable of freely rotating in said operation section, and a lock mechanism that is provided in said lock mechanism section of said switch main unit and locks a rotation of said drive cam; wherein said drive cam having an engagement section, a notch cut-out section, and a cam curve section each formed on an outer peripheral surface of said drive cam, said engagement section engaging with a portion of said actuator pursuant to pushing in of said actuator, is rotated in one direction along with entry of said actuator into said operation section while retaining the engagement condition, and is rotated in another direction along with withdrawal of said actuator from said operation section pursuant to extraction of said actuator until the portion of said actuator comes free of the engagement condition with said engagement section, and thus said operating rod moves in a reciprocating fashion as a result of said operating rod making sliding contact with said cam curve section due to rotation of said drive cam in both directions; and said lock mechanism comprises a lock member and a drive section that moves said lock member, said look member being provided so as to be capable of freely moving between a lock position and an unlock position in a direction substantially perpendicular to a rotating shaft of said drive cam, engaging with said notch cut-out section to lock a rotation of said drive cam as a result of motion to said lock position when said actuator is in an entry condition, and being released from engagement with said notch cut-out section as a result of motion to said unlock position.