interruttore

An interruttore is a device that controls the flow of electricity by opening or closing an electrical circuit, and is used in a wide range of applications from domestic lighting to industrial control. The term is Italian for "switch," and it encompasses a variety of mechanisms and configurations designed to make or break contacts under manual or automatic control.

Mechanical switches come in several families, including toggle, push-button, rocker, slide, and rotary types. They can be operated by hand or actuated indirectly as part of a control system. Some switches are momentary, returning to their original position when released, while others are latching and remain in the chosen state until actuated again. In electrical practice, switches are described by their contact arrangements, such as single-pole single-throw (SPST), single-pole double-throw (SPDT), or double-pole double-throw (DPDT), and by their contact state at rest: normally open (NO) or normally closed (NC).

In power and control circuits, interruttori are designed to withstand specific voltage and current levels and may include additional features such as rainproof or dustproof enclosures, or dimming and signaling capabilities. Contact materials are typically copper or copper alloys with silver plating to reduce wear and improve conductivity. Durability is expressed in make-and-break cycles, often reaching thousands to millions of operations, depending on design and use.

Some interruttori serve protective functions, such as circuit-control switches and equipment interlocks, while others are used merely to route signals. Standards and specifications for switches vary by region but commonly reference electrical safety, contact ratings, and mechanical life, with IEC 60947 and related national standards guiding low-voltage switch design and testing.

See also: electrical switch, toggle switch, push-button switch, relay, circuit breaker.