Patent ID: 8017880

Claim:
An operating head for a safety switch comprising: a key-operated cam mechanism; a plunger contacting said cam mechanism and extending from said cam mechanism along a first path, said plunger displaceable between first and second positions along said first path responsive to said cam mechanism; and at least one securing member interacting with said plunger, said securing member displaceable between a locked and a released position, and comprising a shaft positioned along a second path intersecting said first path at an intersection, wherein displacement of the securing member to said released position allows movement of the plunger in said first path, wherein displacement of the plunger to said second position causes displacement of said securing member from said released position to said locked position, wherein said locked position secures said plunger in said second position, and wherein said shaft has a shaft surface profile comprising at least a first shoulder, said first shoulder dimensioned to allow displacement of said plunger between said first and said second positions when said first shoulder is positioned in said intersection.