Patent ID: 7164335

Claim:
A switch assembly comprising: a switch housing; an elongate actuator shaft projecting inwardly into said switch housing, said actuator shaft being axially displaceable between three predetermined switch positions; a magnet mounted to said actuator shaft, said magnet being positioned within said housing at separate predetermined locations that correspond on a one-to-one basis with said three predetermined switch positions; first and second magnetic reed switches, said first and second magnetic reed switches being mounted at locations within said housing relative to said elongate actuator shaft and said magnet to place said magnet at locations that cause said first and second reed switches to be in a first open-closed circuit operational state when said switch is in the first of said three predetermined switch positions, to be in a second open-closed circuit operational state when said switch is in the second of said three predetermined switch positions, and to be in a third open-closed operational state when said switch is in the third of said three predetermined switch positions.