Design of electrical services for buildings 2

Figure 1.1 Boxes (Courtesy of M.K.

Electric Ltd)
Rocker operated switches are illustrated in Figure 1.2. It has a rocker which is pivoted
at its centre and which carries a spring-loaded ball. The ball presses on the moving
contact and the combination acts like a toggle; the spring always forces the moving
contact into one of its two extreme positions. The switch shuts when the bottom of the
rocker is pressed and opens when the top is pressed. The advantages of the rocker switch
are that it is easier to operate and that it is almost impossible to hold it half open, even
deliberately. The disadvantages are that it is not so easy to see at a glance whether it is on
or off and that it is more easily switched from one position to the other by an accidental
knock.