GB2546124A

GB2546124A - Switch assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2546124A
Application number: GB1607014.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tutton Mark; Yarwood James
Original assignee: Megger Instruments Ltd
Current assignee: Megger Instruments Ltd
Priority date: 2016-04-22
Filing date: 2016-04-22
Publication date: 2017-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 2036-04-22
Also published as: GB2546124B

Abstract

A switch assembly 1 comprises a body 2 and a handle 3 whose range of movement relative to the body is limited by a first stop 5 of a first limiting member 4. Limiting member 4 registers with the body or the handle in one of plural alternative registration positions in which it engages with plural engagement points 7a,7b. A second limiting member 15 comprising a second stop 16 can register independently of first limiting member 5 in one of a plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body 2 or the handle 3 and also engage with the engagement points 7a, 7b of the body 2 or handle 3. Limiting members 54 and 15 can comprise plastics rings in a recess of the body or handle and have a perimeter comprising a straight edge. The first limiting member 4 can be concentric with second limiting member 15 so that the handle 3 has a range of movement that is limited by the first and second stops 5, 16. Engagement points 7a, 7b can comprise interlocking protrusions and depressions having the same angular spacing. The spacing of the registration position and the engagement points can have equal periodicity.

Description

SWITCH ASSEMBLY

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a switch assembly, in particular a switch assembly with a moveable handle that has a limited range of movement, and methods for assembling such a switch assembly.

Background

Switch assemblies with a moveable handle that has a limited range of movement are known. For example, there are different types of switches available, incorporated into various products, which use different mechanisms to stop the handle’s movement at a selected position.

An example of such a known switch assembly is a rotary switch using a pin stop mechanism, in which the housing of the switch assembly features a clock face of pinholes for insertion of cylindrical metal pins. The placement of pins at points around the clock face determines the range of movement of the range switch, as the range switch features a moulded round pin which contacts the inserted metal pins at the limit of the selected range. It may involve a difficult assembly operation to place the pins correctly in the housing. The pins can also be ineffective at limiting the movement of the handle.

Summary

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a switch assembly comprising a body, a handle, and a limiting member comprising a stop, wherein the limiting member is registrable in one of a plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body or the handle, and at each registration position the limiting member is engageable with a plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle, such that the handle is moveable relative to the body with a range of movement having a limit determined by the stop.

This allows force applied to the limiting member to be dispersed at multiple engagement points, providing improved resistance to the force. Thus, the switch assembly may be more effective at limiting the range of movement of the handle, and less prone to breaking or being overridden.

In some embodiments of the invention, the handle is rotatable, or moveable relative to the body by rotation, with a range of angular movement determined by the stop. This allows the switch assembly to be used for a rotary switch.

In some embodiments of the invention, the limiting member comprises a ring. This may be particularly effective at dispersing force applied to the limiting member. Thus, the limiting member may be made out of plastic, for example a plastics material comprising polycarbonate, and provide enough strength and structural integrity to function properly under force, with all the material advantages of plastics over other alternative materials.

In some embodiments of the invention, the plurality of alternative registration positions have a spacing of a first periodicity and the engagement points have a spacing of a second periodicity, wherein the first periodicity and the second periodicity are equal. In some embodiments wherein the handle is movable by rotation, for example rotary switch embodiments, the plurality of alternative registration positions and the plurality of engagement points may have the same angular spacing. This simplifies assembly such that the stop may only be placed at valid switch state positions.

In some embodiments of the invention, the limiting member is a first limiting member comprising a first stop, and the switch assembly comprises a second limiting member comprising a second stop, wherein the second limiting member is registrable, independently of the first limiting member, in one of the plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body or the handle, and at each registration position the second limiting member is engageable with a plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle, such that the handle is moveable relative to the body with a range of movement having a limit determined by the first and second stops.

This allows multiple limiting members to be registered independently of each other, with each limiting member dispersing force applied to it and so providing improved resistance to the force. Thus, the switch assembly may be more effective at limiting the range of movement of the handle in more than one direction.

In some further embodiments, the first and second limiting members each comprises a ring and are arranged concentrically. This may simplify assembly by allowing the limiting members to be assembled as part of the switch assembly more easily.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of assembling a switch assembly, the method comprising: providing a body, a handle, and a limiting member comprising a stop; and registering the limiting member in one of a plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body or the handle, wherein the limiting member engages with a plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle; such that the handle is moveable relative to the body with a range of movement having a limit determined by the stop.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of example only, which is made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an exploded view of a switch assembly according to embodiments of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional view of the switch assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3a is a schematic diagram of a perspective view of a limiting member of a switch assembly according to embodiments of the invention;

Figure 3b is a schematic diagram of a plan view of the limiting member shown in Figure 3 a; and

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a perspective view of two switch assemblies according to embodiments of the invention.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the invention are herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, for the purpose of explanation, numerous specific details of certain examples are set forth. Reference in the specification to "an example" or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example is included in at least that one example, but not necessarily in other examples. It should further be noted that certain examples are described schematically with certain features omitted and/or necessarily simplified for ease of explanation and understanding of the concepts underlying the examples. In particular, envisaged examples wherein the invention is employed as a rotary switch assembly are described, for example a rotary switch as part of a handheld multimeter. However, other embodiments and examples are also envisaged, for example linear and slider switch assemblies, and so the following description should be understood to not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the accompanying claims.

Figures 1 and 2 show a switch assembly 1 comprising a body 2, a handle 3, and a limiting member 4 comprising a stop 5. The limiting member 4 is registrable in one of a plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body 2 or the handle 3. In this embodiment, the limiting member is registrable with the body 2. The plurality of alternative registration positions may be the possible orientations that the limiting member 4 can be registered in with the body 2 or the handle 3. At each registration position the limiting member 4 is engageable with a plurality of engagement points 6a, 6b; 7a, 7b, of one of the body 2 or the handle 3. In Figure 1, the plurality of engagement points 6a, 6b; 7a, 7b, are of the body 2. The handle 3 is then moveable relative to the body 2 with a range of angular movement having a limit determined by the stop 5. The stop 5 limits the range of movement of the handle 3. In some embodiments, the handle 3 may comprise its own handle stop 8, shown in Figures 1 and 2, which may contact the stop 5 to stop the handle 3 moving past the position of the stop 5. In some embodiments, the handle 3 may also comprise a grip portion 9 for the user to grip onto and hold when moving the handle 3 relative to the body 2. In some embodiments, the handle 3 may comprise a marker 10 for indicating the position of the switch by reference labelling on the body 2. For example, in Figure 1, the body 2 has markings labelled A, B, C, D, E, and F as reference labelling for the marker 10 to line up with.

The plurality of alternative registration positions may have a spacing of a first periodicity and the engagement points 6a, 6b; 7a, 7b may have a spacing of a second periodicity. The first periodicity and the second periodicity may be equal. In some switch assembly embodiments, such as the one shown in Figures 1 and 2, the limiting member 4 may be registered at a plurality of alternative angular registration positions having an angular spacing of a first periodicity, with the engagement points 6a, 6b; 7a, 7b having an angular spacing of a second periodicity, wherein the first periodicity and the second periodicity are equal. The plurality of alternative registration positions and the plurality of engagement points may have the same angular spacing. For example, the alternative angular registration positions of the limiting member 4 may be positions that limit the movement of the handle such that the marker 10 corresponds to one of the markings labelled A, B, C, D, E, and F, shown in the example of Figure 1, at the limit of movement.

The limiting member 4 may comprise a ring 11. In some embodiments, the perimeter of the ring may comprise a straight edge. For example, in some embodiments the limiting member 4 may comprise a hexagonal, octagonal, or other straight-edged ring. In some further embodiments, the limiting member 4 may comprise a ring having a perimeter comprising one or more straight edges and one or more curved edges. In some switch assembly embodiments the limiting member 4 may be part of a ring or an arcuate member. The limiting member may comprise multiple engagement points about the perimeter of the ring.

The body 3 of the switch assembly 1 may comprise a cylindrical recess 12 for receiving at least part of the limiting member 4 and at least part of the handle 3, wherein the handle 3 is configured to be rotatably mounted in the body 2. For example, the body 2 may comprise an aperture 13 for the handle 3 to be mounted in as shown in Figure 2. The handle 3 may be mounted in the body by clipping an anchor portion 14 of the handle into the aperture 13 of the body 2. This may allow the handle 3 to rotate relative to the body 2 about the axis of the anchor portion 14, as shown in Figure 2.

Figures 1 and 2 show that the limiting member 4 may be a first limiting member 4 comprising a first stop 5, and the switch assembly may also comprise a second limiting member 15 comprising a second stop 16. The second limiting member 15 may be registrable, independently of the first limiting member 4, in one of the plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body 2 or the handle 3. At each registration position the second limiting member may be engageable with a plurality of engagement points 6a, 6b; 7a, 7b of one of the body or the handle. The handle 3 may be rotatable relative to the body 2 with a range of angular movement having a limit determined by the first and second stops, 5 and 16 respectively.

The second limiting member 15 may also comprise a ring 17. In some embodiments, the perimeter of this ring may comprise a straight edge. For example, in some embodiments the second limiting member 15 may comprise a hexagonal, octagonal, or other straight-edged ring. In some further embodiments, the second limiting member 15 may comprise a ring having a perimeter comprising one or more straight edges, and one or more curved edges. In some switch assembly embodiments, the second limiting member 15 may be part of a ring or an arcuate member.

The first limiting member 4 and the second limiting member 15 may be arranged concentrically, as shown in Figure 2. At least one engagement point, of the plurality of engagement points 6a, 6b; 7a, 7b of one of the body or the handle, may be angularly separated from a position of the first stop 5 and/or second stop 16. For example, as can be seen from Figure 1, there are some of the engagement points 6a, 6b; 7a, 7b which are angular displaced from the stops 5 and 16. Thus, if the two limiting members 4 and 15 in Figure 1 are each registered in separate alternative registration positions with the body 2, they may engage with the body 2 at engagement points 6a, 6b...; 7a, 7b... some of which may be angularly separated from the positions of the two stops 5 and 16 which determine the limit of the handle’s 3 range of angular movement.

Figures 3a and 3b show a limiting member 18 in isolation. The limiting members 4 and 15 in Figures 1 and 2 may be alternative implementations of the limiting member 18. If the first and second limiting members 4, 15 are to be arranged concentrically, as shown in Figure 2, then the limiting member 18 may be scaled to have different diameters. In some embodiments the limiting member 18 comprises plastics material. The plastics material may comprise polycarbonate. Thus, the first limiting member 4 and the second limiting member 15 shown in Figures 1 and 2 may each comprise plastics material, which may comprise polycarbonate.

The limiting member 18 may comprise protrusions 19 and depressions 20 as shown in Figures 3a and 3b. These protrusions 19 and depressions 20 may be spaced around the perimeter of a limiting member 18, for example if the limiting member 18 has a perimeter comprising a ring. These protrusions 19 and depressions 20 may interlock or engage with the handle or the body of a switch assembly according to the first aspect of the invention. For example, the limiting member 18 may operate in a similar way as the first and/or second limiting members 4 and 15 in Figures 1 and 2, which interlock or engage with the body 2 at the engagement points 6a, 6b...; 7a, 7b... of the body 2. These engagement points may be protrusions 7a, 7b... and depressions 6a, 6b... themselves, such that the corresponding protrusions and depressions of a limiting member 4, 15 engage with those of the body 2 like teeth. As previously described, the limiting members 4 and/or 15 may instead engage with engagement points of the handle 3 in a similar way. This can be visualised by inverting the limiting members 4 and 15 of the switch assembly 1 shown in Figure 1. The engagement points 6a, 6b...; 7a, 7b... of the body 2 would then be features on the underside of the handle 3, and the body 2 may comprise its own stop to function like the handle stop 8 of some embodiments.

The engagement points 6a, 6b...; 7a, 7b... of the body 2 or, in an alternative embodiment, the engagement points of the handle 3, may be radial ribs and troughs in some switch assembly embodiments, as shown in Figure 1. The protrusions 19 and depressions 20 of the limiting member 18 may then be spaced radially about its perimeter, in a similar manner to the first limiting member 4 or second limiting member 15 in Figure 1. As described above, the engagement points 6a, 6b...; 7a, 7b... of the body 2, or the engagement points of the handle 3, may be spaced with the same periodicity as the plurality of alternative registration positions. The spacing of protrusions 19 and depressions 20 of the limiting member 18 may be configured to have this periodicity also. For example, in Figure 3b the limiting member 18 has ten depressions 20 centred at every 36 degrees around the ringed limiting member 18. Employing this limiting member as the first limiting member 4 would mean that it could be placed in ten alternative angular registration positions with the body 2, which may, in this example, have ten protruding engagement points 7a, 7b... with the same 36 degree periodicity. At each of the ten registration positions, the first limiting member 4 may engage, i.e. is engageable, with the ten depressed engagement points 6a, 6b... and ten protruding engagement points 7a, 7b... which constitute a plurality of engagement points. Similarly, another limiting member 18 may be employed as the second limiting member 15 in Figure 2, and registered in one of the ten alternative registration positions independently of the first limiting member 4. In these examples, both limiting members 4, 15 may engage with the plurality of engagement points 6a, 6b...; 7a, 7b... for example by being arranged concentrically in their engagement with the body 2.

The stop 21 of the limiting member 18 in Figure 3a may be employed as the first stop 5 of the first limiting member 4, and/or as the second stop 16 of the second limiting member in Figure 1. The two stops 5, 16 may then obstruct the handle 3 from moving past them, thus determining a limited range of movement for the handle 3.

Figure 4 shows an example with two switch assemblies according to embodiments, each comprising a handle 3a, 3b; a first limiting member 4a, 4b comprising a first stop 5a, 5b; and a second limiting member 15a, 15b comprising a second stop 16a, 16b. As shown in Figure 4, switch assemblies according to embodiments of the invention can be scaled in size, with limiting members scaled to different diameters, for example. A switch assembly may be scaled, for example, such that the first limiting member 4a may be the same size as the second limiting member 15b of another switch assembly. This may mean that the same limiting member assembly piece can be used in more than one size of switch assembly. For example, the two sizes of switch assembly shown in Figure 4 may be assembled using three sizes of limiting member piece: small 15a; medium 4a, 15b; and large 4b.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of assembling a switch assembly. The switch assembly may comprise an implementation of a switch assembly previously described, for example the switch assembly 1 in Figures 1 and 2. The method comprises providing a body, a handle, and a limiting member comprising a stop. These assembly components may be implementations of the corresponding components previously described, for example the body 2, handle 3, and limiting members 4, 15 shown in Figures 1 and 2, and 18 shown in Figures 3a and 3b. The method also comprises registering the limiting member 4 in one of a plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body 2 or the handle 3. The limiting member 4 engages with a plurality of engagement points 6a, 6b; 7a, 7b of one of the body 2 or the handle 3. The handle 3 is then moveable relative to the body 2 with a range of movement having a limit determined by the stop 5.

In some embodiments, the method may comprise providing a limiting member 4 which comprises a stop 5 and a ring 11. A perimeter of the ring 11 may comprise a straight edge, for example the ring 11 may be a hexagonal or other polygonal ring, or may comprise a perimeter with straight edges and curved edges. The limiting member 4 may comprise only part of a ring, as previously described with respect to the first aspect of the invention.

In some embodiments, the limiting member 4 may be provided as a first limiting member 4 comprising a first stop 5. The method may further comprise providing a second limiting member 15 comprising a second stop 16. The method may also comprise registering the second limiting member 15, independently of the first limiting member 4, in one of the plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body 2 or the handle 3. The second limiting member 15 may engage with a plurality of engagement points 6a, 6b; 7a, 7b of one of the body 2 or the handle 3. The handle 3 may then be moveable relative to the body 2 with a range of movement having a limit determined by the first and second stops, 5 and 16 respectively.

In some embodiments, providing the second limiting 15 member may comprise providing a second limiting member 15 comprising a second stop 16 and a ring 17. The perimeter of the ring 17 of the second limiting member 15 may, as described above for the ring 11 of the first limiting member 4, comprise a straight edge.

In some embodiments, the method of assembly may comprise arranging the first limiting member 4 and the second limiting member 15 concentrically, as shown in Figure 2.

Certain examples described herein provide technical improvements to switch assemblies when implementing a limit on the range of movement for a handle or range switch of the switch assembly.

For example, certain assemblies and methods described herein allow the range of movement for the handle or range switch to be easily selected and/or modified on assembly using the same assembled pieces. This is particularly useful where a switch assembly is to be used as part of multiple pieces of equipment, each with different range requirements. According to the present invention, the same assembly pieces (for example a body for the switch, a handle and one or more limiting members) can be used to set different ranges for the handle to move within, without having to modify the assembly pieces themselves.

Certain assemblies and methods described herein also offer structural improvements over comparative switch assemblies, for example the pin stop mechanism. With the pin stop mechanism, it has been found that the moulded stop on the handle can be forced past a metal pin stop placed in a pinhole of the body or housing of the switch assembly. Certain examples described herein provide a switch assembly with a limiting member, comprising a stop, which engages as part of the assembly at a plurality of engagement points. Hence, force applied to the limiting member, e.g. when a user moves the handle against the stop, is dispersed at multiple engagement points, providing improved resistance to the force. This technical structural improvement provides a switch assembly which is more effective at limiting the range of movement of the handle or range switch and less prone to breaking or being overridden. The structural efficiency also means that the one or more limiting members of the switch assembly can be made out of plastic and provide enough strength and structural integrity to function properly under required levels of force. Plastic is a material with numerous advantages over alternatives such as metal for use in a switch assembly e.g. it is generally more lightweight, cheaper, non-conductive, more heat-resistant, and is durable.

In general terms, according to the first aspect of the present invention, embodiments of the invention provide a switch assembly comprising a body, a handle, and a limiting member comprising a stop. The body of the switch assembly may be part of, or contiguous with, the piece of equipment that the switch assembly is to work with. For example, if the switch assembly were to be used for switching between modes of a device such as an electrical multimeter, the body of the switch assembly may be part of the multimeter body. The handle of the switch assembly may be a knob or other part that can be handled by the user to operate the switch. The stop comprised as part of the limiting member may be a moulded feature of the limiting member, or may be a part that is attached to the limiting member. For example, the limiting member featuring a stop may be formed as one part from the same material. Alternatively, the stop may be attached to a precursor limiting member made out of the same, or a different, material to form a limiting member comprising a stop.

The limiting member is registrable in one of a plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body or the handle. For example, limiting member may be placed, orientated, positioned or otherwise registered in one of the plurality of alternative registration positions. The plurality of alternative registration positions may be a set of discrete possible placements, orientations or positions that the limiting member can be registered at or in. The registration of the limiting member may occur with either the body or the handle.

At each registration position the limiting member is engageable with a plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle, such that the handle is moveable relative to the body with a range of movement having a limit determined by the stop. Generally, once the registration position of the limiting member is selected from the plurality of alternative registration positions, the limiting member is then engageable with a plurality of engagement points of either the body or the handle. This may be by contact i.e. the limiting member may contact the body or the handle (dependent on the embodiment) at a plurality of contact or engagement points when it is registered with the body or handle, as described above. The alternative registration positions may be the possible orientations that the limiting member can have with respect to the body or the handle, as described above. In each of those possible orientations, or alternative registration positions, the limiting member may engage with either the body or the handle at a plurality of engagement points.

In some embodiments of the invention, the plurality of alternative registration positions have a spacing of a first periodicity and the engagement points have a spacing of a second periodicity, wherein the first periodicity and the second periodicity are equal. For example, in some embodiments of a linear switch assembly, the limiting member may be registered at a plurality of alternative linear registration positions which are linearly spaced. The linear spacing of the alternative registration positions may also have the same periodicity, for example the same interval distance, as the points where the limiting member engages with the body or the handle i.e. the plurality of engagement points.

In some embodiments the body comprises a recess for receiving at least part of the limiting member and/or at least part of the handle. The handle may be configured to be moveably mounted in the body. For example, in linear switch assembly embodiments, the handle, which may be a slider or fader knob, may be mounted in the body of the switch assembly in a way in which it can move, or slide, along a linear axis relative to the body.

In some embodiments at least one engagement point is separated from a position of the stop. For example, at least one of the engagement points may be displaced, for example at a linear distance, from the stop’s position.

In some embodiments, the switch assembly may comprise another, second, limiting member comprising a second stop in addition to a first limiting member comprising a first stop. The second limiting member may be registrable, independently of the first limiting member, in one of the plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body or the handle. At each registration position, the second limiting member may also be engageable with a plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle, such that the handle is moveable relative to the body with a range of movement having a limit determined by the first and second stops. For example, in some linear switch assembly embodiments, the first and second limiting members may be registered at various alternative registration positions relative to each other to provide various possible ranges for the handle to move within. The first stop may stop the handle moving in a first direction past the position of the first stop, and the second stop may stop the handle moving in a second direction past the position of the second stop. Thus, a range of permitted movement for the handle may be determined by the two stops.

Embodiments of the switch assembly invention herein described can therefore be used to provide different ranges of handle movement using the same switch assembly. For example, the same switch assembly pieces could be assembled to provide a slide switch with an operable range of 0 to 5, for example for a volume scale, or a volume slide switch with an operable range of 1 to 11 on the same scale, by registering the limiting member, or limiting members, at different alternative registration positions on assembly of the switch.

Further, embodiments of the switch assembly may employ one or more limiting members made out of, or comprising, plastic. This plastic may comprise polycarbonate.

The plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle may comprise interlocking protrusions and depressions. These may behave as teeth to engage or interlock with the limiting member, which may have corresponding teeth, which may be protrusions and depressions. This form of engagement between the limiting member and the body or handle provides stability and robustness to the switch assembly in limiting the range of movement of the handle by obstructing it at one or more stops.

It is to be understood that any feature described in relation to any one embodiment may be used alone, or in combination with other features described, and may also be used in combination with one or more features of any other of the embodiments, or any combination of any other of the embodiments. Furthermore, equivalents and modifications not described above may also be employed without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A switch assembly comprising: a body; a handle; and a limiting member comprising a stop, wherein the limiting member is registrable in one of a plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body or the handle, and at each registration position the limiting member is engageable with a plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle, such that the handle is moveable relative to the body with a range of movement having a limit determined by the stop.

2. A switch assembly according to claim 1, the plurality of alternative registration positions having a spacing of a first periodicity and the plurality of engagement points having a spacing of a second periodicity, wherein the first periodicity and the second periodicity are equal.

3. A switch assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the body comprises a recess for receiving at least part of the limiting member and at least part of the handle, wherein the handle is configured to be moveably mounted in the body.

4. A switch assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one engagement point is separated from a position of the stop.

5. A switch assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the limiting member comprises a ring.

6. A switch assembly according to claim 5, wherein a perimeter of the ring comprises a straight edge.

7. A switch assembly according to any preceding claim, the limiting member comprising plastics material.

8. A switch assembly according to claim 7, the plastics material comprising polycarbonate.

9. A switch assembly according to any preceding claim, the limiting member being a first limiting member comprising a first stop, and the switch assembly comprising a second limiting member comprising a second stop, wherein the second limiting member is registrable, independently of the first limiting member, in one of the plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body or the handle, and at each registration position the second limiting member is engageable with a plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle, such that the handle is moveable relative to the body with a range of movement having a limit determined by the first and second stops.

10. A switch assembly according to claim 9, wherein the first limiting member and the second limiting member are arranged concentrically.

11. A switch assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle comprise interlocking protrusions and depressions.

12. A switch assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the handle is moveable relative to the body by rotation, wherein the range of movement comprises a range of angular movement.

13. A switch assembly according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of alternative registration positions and the plurality of engagement points have the same angular spacing.

14. A method of assembling a switch assembly, the method comprising: providing a body, a handle, and a limiting member comprising a stop; and registering the limiting member in one of a plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body or the handle, wherein the limiting member engages with a plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle; such that the handle is moveable relative to the body with a range of movement having a limit determined by the stop.

15. A method of assembling a switch assembly according to claim 14, wherein providing the limiting member comprises providing a limiting member comprising a stop and a ring.

16. A method of assembling a switch assembly according to claim 15, wherein a perimeter of the ring comprises a straight edge.

17. A method of assembling a switch assembly according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the limiting member is a first limiting member comprising a first stop, the method further comprising: providing a second limiting member comprising a second stop; and registering the second limiting member, independently of the first limiting member, in one of the plurality of alternative registration positions with one of the body or the handle, wherein the second limiting member engages with a plurality of engagement points of one of the body or the handle; such that the handle is moveable relative to the body with a range of movement having a limit determined by the first and second stops.

18. A method of assembling a switch assembly according to claim 17, wherein providing the second limiting member comprises providing a second limiting member comprising a second stop and a ring.

19. A method of assembling a switch assembly according to claim 18, wherein a perimeter of the ring of the second limiting member comprises a straight edge.

20. A method of assembling a switch assembly according to any one of claims 17 to 19, the method comprising arranging the first limiting member and the second limiting member concentrically.

21. Apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described in the description and/or shown in the drawings.