Latching mechanism for an electrical overload protection switch, in particular for a motor-protection circuit breaker

A latching mechanism comprises a stationary chamber (1), a spring-loaded main slide (2) which is guided along the stationary chamber (1) in a first direction, a spring-loaded message slide (3) disposed inside the stationary chamber (1) which is guided in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a spring-loaded snap lever (4) which is pivotally mounted inside the stationary chamber (11) and which supports the switch lock's toggle linkage during the switched-on position of an overload protection switch. The main slide (2) is mechanically coupled to a manual actuator. During switching-on, the main slide (2) is moved in the direction of the message slide (3), such that the message slide (3) is moved via interacting bevels (19, 28), and locks the main slide (2). During tripping, the trip latch moves the message slide (3), causing the main slide (2) to be locked into a tripped position and causing the snap lever (4) to be released. Advantageously, in order to switch off and reset after tripping, an increased force must be applied manually. The reset or main spring (12) is housed inside the main slide (2) and does not affect the switch lock. Additionally, it is possible to adjust the resetting strength of the main spring (12), which acts upon the manual actuator.