A device (100) for monitoring the status of breakers (20) within a consumer unit (10). The device (100) uses a non-contact, optical sensor (104), such as an IR break-beam sensor (106, 108), or an optical time-of-flight sensor (106, 108) to monitor the positions of the toggle switches (22) on the breakers (20). In the event that one or more of the switches moves to an “off” position (22), an alarm is triggered, such as by sending an SMS message to a user, to alert them of the fact. The device (100) also monitors the consumer unit's power status (1020) and can warn in the event of a power outage of a master isolator or RCD trip. A UPS (1030, 1032, 1034) is suitably provided to enable the device to continue working during a mains power failure.

A remote-controlled mechanism according to an embodiment is used for coupling to a protective switching device to use a controllable drive device of the remote-controlled mechanism to actuate the coupled protective switching device. To this end, the remote-controlled mechanism includes: an actuating element operatively connectable to an actuating element of the coupled protective switching device and actuatable either by a remotely controllable drive device of the remote-controlled mechanism or manually; one or more sensor devices for capturing position data relating to a position of the actuating element of the remote-controlled mechanism; and a controller for evaluating the captured position data and for controlling the drive device via control commands. The controller is designed to disable the drive device upon an evaluation of the position data and/or of the control commands revealing that the actuating element of the remote-controlled mechanism has been switched off manually.

A switching assembly comprises a pair of fixed contacts, and a contact bridge movable between a bridging position in which the contact bridge electrically connects the contacts and a separated position in which the contacts are electrically separated. A detector of the assembly includes at least one sensor for detecting the presence of the contact bridge in at least one of the separated position or the bridging position, and a controller operatively connected to the sensor and having a first switching point and a second switching point. One of the switching points is associated with a position of the contact bridge between the bridging position and the separated position.

In an embodiment, a switching device includes at least one stationary contact, a movable contact, an armature, a permanent magnet and a magnetically-operated switch, wherein the movable contact is movable by the armature, wherein the permanent magnet is attached to the armature, and wherein the magnetically-operated switch is a Hall switch.

A switching device includes: a triggering unit; an actuator coupled to the triggering unit; a switching mechanism coupled to the actuator; and an interface module. The interface module includes: a signal processing unit coupled to the triggering unit; an interface circuit coupled to a transmitting and receiving circuit of the signal processing unit; a power supply input for feeding a first supply voltage; and a voltage converter connected on an input side to the power supply input and a power outlet for issuing a second supply voltage. The power outlet is coupled to the signal processing unit and to the triggering unit.

Device, circuit, system, and method for arc suppression. A contact separation detector is configured to output an indication of a separation state of a pair of electrical contacts. A contact bypass circuit, coupled to the contact separation detector, is configured to provide an electrical bypass between the pair of contacts based on the indication.

An actuator for a medium voltage circuit breaker or recloser includes: at least one movable contact with a contact stem, driven by an electromagnetic drive or a motor drive; and a spring, the spring being positioned in a kinematic chain between the drive and the at least one movable contact or contact stem. An arrangement of the at least one movable contact and the electromagnetic drive or motor drive is coupled to a detection unit for detecting a micromotion activation in order to register an actual movability and availability of the electromagnetic drive or motor drive of the at least one movable contact without changing an actual switch position itself.

A relay is disclosed. In an embodiment a relay includes a magnet armature including a magnetic core and a permanent magnet secured to the magnet armature for identifying a position of the magnet armature.

A contactor includes: at least one moveable contact mounted on a contact carrier; at least one stationary contact mounted on a housing; an electromagnet arranged to cause the contact carrier to move relative to the housing between a first position and a second position, and thus to cause the at least one moveable contact to travel from a contacts open position to a contacts closed position with respect to the at least one stationary contact; a sensor coupled to one of the contact carrier and the housing and arranged to detect an intermediate position, in between the first position and the second position, at which the housing and the contact carrier are located at a given moment in time as the contact carrier moves relative to the housing between the first position and the second position; and a controller connected to receive the signals from the sensor.

Device, circuit, system, and method for arc suppression. A contact separation detector is configured to output an indication of a separation state of a pair of electrical contacts. A contact bypass circuit, coupled to the contact separation detector, is configured to provide an electrical bypass between the pair of contacts based on the indication.