Patent ID: 8198561

Claim:
A switching mechanism for a switching device, comprising: at least one contact element mounted in a switching shaft segment and automatically switchable off in the event of a fault via the switching mechanism; a switching lever for switching the at least one contact element on and off manually, including a switching link which is tiltable about a fixed-position bearing point; a cocking lever, mounted to be rotatable about a fixed-position cocking lever axis and including an opposite end, which interacts with a catch, for latching and unlatching the cocking lever; a toggle lever joint, comprising a coupling lug, a pivoting lever and a toggle lever joint shaft which connects the coupling lug and the pivoting lever, wherein the coupling lug is connected on another side to the contact element and wherein the pivoting lever is connected on the another side to the cocking lever; and a spring element, introduced between the toggle lever joint shaft and the switching lever, wherein at least one switched-on position is assumable by the switching lever, wherein the spring element moves the toggle lever joint to an extended position, a manual switched-off position or automatically unlatched tripped position, wherein the spring element moves the toggle lever joint to a bent position or an intermediate switch position which is located between the switched-on position and the tripped position when a contact element is welded, the switching link of the switching lever including at least one blocking element which interacts with the coupling lug such that the switching lever remains in the intermediate switch position if an opening operation is carried out when a contact element is welded.