Patent ID: 8492670

Claim:
A rocker switch having a mechanical switching unit comprising: a switch housing; a spring-action switching element supported within the switch housing and configured to move back and forth and having an actuating rocker that is connected to the switching element, the switching element comprising a rotating axle rotatably supported within the switch housing and is surrounded by a spring, which is double wound and oppositely coiled and is held in a prestressed state within the switch housing, the spring comprising: a first spring part having a free spring end shank being supported in a rotationally fixed manner within the switch housing, a second spring part having a free spring end shank being supported on a first arm that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the rotating axle, and an extended, U-shaped central spring leg being both fixedly supported within the switch housing and supported on a second arm that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the rotating axle; and an electrical switching unit, wherein the two free spring end shanks and the extended, U-shaped central spring leg in the installed state are arranged so that the extended, U-shaped central spring leg defines a first plane and the two free spring end shanks define a second plane, wherein the first plane and the second plane run substantially parallel to each other and oppose each other with respect to the longitudinal extension of the rotating axle.