Patent ID: 8205682

Claim:
A rotary switch for shifting a switch element, comprising: a twist handle that is rotatable into at least two positions and includes a torsion spring; a rotatable actuating element including an eccentric that converts a rotary motion of the rotatable actuating element into a shifting motion of the switch element; and a common axis of rotation around which the twist handle, the rotatable actuating element, and the torsion spring are supported; wherein the twist handle and the rotatable actuating element are coupled by the torsion spring such that by rotating the twist handle relative to the rotatable actuating element the torsion spring is twisted; and further wherein: the twist handle is rotatable relative to the rotatable actuating element in a negative direction of rotation and relative to the axis of rotation in a positive direction of rotation; the twist handle and the rotatable actuating element, respectively, each comprise an abutment that faces in the positive direction of rotation relative to the axis of rotation and an abutment that faces in the negative direction of rotation relative to the axis of rotation; and the torsion spring comprises engagement elements that are arranged with respect to the abutments of the twist handle and the rotatable actuating element such that, as a result of relative twisting, one engagement element of the engagement elements couples with one of the abutments of the twist handle and an other of the engagement elements of the engagement elements couples with one of the abutments of the rotatable actuating element, wherein the one of the abutments of the twist handle and the one of the abutments of the actuating element are facing in opposing directions of rotation.