Patent ID: 7750260

Claim:
A leading auxiliary switch comprising: an auxiliary switch housing configured for attachment to a circuit breaker; an operating slide including a sliding edge and being supported so as to be movable in a first sliding direction; a contact carrier supported so as to be movable parallel to the first sliding direction, the contact carrier including a sliding nose and being configured to be moved, in a first operating phase of the operating slide, against an action of a contact pressure spring into an ON position of movable contacts with fixed contacts; an actuating element of the circuit breaker operable in a second operating phase of operating slide while the contact carrier remains in the ON position; and a drive slide supported in the auxiliary switch housing so as to be movable in a second sliding direction transverse to the first sliding direction, the drive slide including first and second opposed sliding surfaces extending at an angle to the first and second sliding directions; wherein the sliding edge of the operating slide abuts against the first sliding surface in the first operating phase and is out of contact with the first sliding surface in the second operating phase, and wherein the sliding nose of the contact carrier remains in contact with the second sliding surface under the action of the contact pressure spring.