There is disclosed a paddle switch operated by pushing on the lower
portion of a rocker paddle to turn the switch "on" or "off". The lower
edge of the paddle pivots in and out about its upper edge. The switch
includes semi-rigid spiral wound driver means having a conical end
coupled to be driven by the rocker paddle. When the rocker paddle is
pushed in, the paddle urges the semi-rigid driver means to rotate a cam
means in a first, clock wise direction, or a second, counter clock wise
direction. Alternate rotation of the cam drives a slider member having a
cam follower back and forth along a linear axis. A shaped leaf spring
cooperates with the cam follower to assist in the movement of the slider
and determines its rest positions. An indicator such as an LED is used to
indicate the state of conduction of the switch. When the rocker paddle is
released, it is biased by a spring to pivot back to its initial position.
The rocker paddle of the switch is not located within a frame and has a
surface along its vertical axis of positive first differential and zero
second differential, comprised of a combination of splines which extend
between points of varying distances from a datum plane. This surface has
zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual
splines is constant.