Patent ID: 8169282

Claim:
A switch comprising: an operating element supported by a housing and operated to one side and an other side; a return spring for biasing the operating element in a direction operated to the other side in which the operating element is OFF operated; a power supply switch mechanism for turning ON/OFF a power supply when contacts of a movable piece and a fixed terminal facing each other in the housing are brought into contact with or separated from each other; and a state holding member that receives an operation force from the operating element when the operating element is ON operated to one side and that does not receive the operation force from the operating element when the operating element is OFF operated to the other side; wherein the state holding member comprises: a switch operating portion for turning ON the power supply switch mechanism in cooperation with the operation of the state holding member to an anti-biasing direction of the return spring upon receiving the operation force when the operating element is ON operated to one side; and a return spring regulating portion for regulating the return spring in the anti-biasing direction with the turning ON of the power supply switch mechanism, wherein the switch further comprises: a holding unit for holding a regulation state of the return spring regulated by the return spring regulating portion, and for holding an ON state of the power supply switch mechanism; and a release unit for releasing the ON state of the power supply switch mechanism by the holding unit at the time of power supply reset.