An assembly and method for monitoring the status of a switch for high currents and/or high voltages with a blow magnetic field and a control element that can be moved into several control positions by a drive, wherein different switching positions of the switch are associated with different control positions, wherein the assembly comprises a status sensor that can be influenced by the blow magnetic field, and an influencing element for influencing the blow magnetic field at the status sensor, wherein the blow magnetic field at the status sensor depends on the relative position between the status sensor and the influencing element, and wherein the assembly is configured such that the relative position changes when the control position of the control element changes.

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.

An electrical protection system has connection terminals, separable electrical contacts, a switching mechanism and at least one power switch connected in series with the separable electrical contacts, the switching mechanism including a displaceable control member. The electrical protection system further includes an electronic control circuit coupled to the at least one power switch and a sensor coupled to the control member for measuring a position of the switching mechanism. The electronic control circuit is configured to switch the at least one power switch to a blocking state when the sensor detects that the switching mechanism reaches a position preceding a position in which the electrical contacts separate.

A circuit breaker and method for operating a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker includes a first and a second breaker terminal, a bimetal strip, a first conduction line, a switch with a first and a second contact, a triggering device mechanically coupling the bimetal strip to the switch, a magnet and a detection device comprising a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a magnetic field of the magnet. The first conduction line is electrically coupled to the first breaker terminal and to the first contact and is wound around the bimetal strip. The magnet is connected to at least one of the bimetal strip, the triggering device and the switch.

A switch assembly has two contacts; a switch having an open position in which the contacts are electrically separated from one another; and a switch status detector positioned remotely from the switch.

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.

In this method, the voltage outage load-side is an opening of the circuit breaker, and the circuit breaker is able to interrupt the flow of electric current in an electric connection including an electric conductor. The auxiliary unit comprises a current sensor for measuring the intensity of the current flowing in the electric conductor and a first detection means for detecting the voltage outage load-side from the circuit breaker. The method comprises the following steps: measuring the intensity of the current flowing in the electric conductor, detecting the voltage outage load-side from the electric circuit breaker, determining a cause of the detected voltage outage load-side from the circuit breaker, said cause being selected from the group consisting in: an electric overload, a short-circuit and a voltage drop.

A circuit breaker includes a current entry which conducts an electrical current via a wound coil conductor strip of a first coil to a first fixed contact, and includes a contact rocker which can be moved between two switching positions. The contact rocker includes mutually connected contact limbs. A first switching position of the contact rocker, electrically connects the first fixed contact with a second fixed contact which is connected via a wound coil conductor strip of a second coil to a current exit for dissipating an electrical current flowing through the contact limbs of the contact rocker and the coil conductor strips of the coils to a current exit of the circuit breaker. A high electrical current which flows through the wound coil conductor strips of the coils and through the contact limbs of the contact rocker produces a magnetic field which generates a switching force which moves the contact rocker from the first switching position into a second switching position in which the two fixed contacts are electrically separated to interrupt the electrical current.

An apparatus (100) and method are provided for translating diagnostic information provided by a circuit protective device, such as a circuit breaker, to a graphic display format. The apparatus and method monitor through a sensor (120) a trip sequence implemented by the circuit protective device as a function of time during a read out operation to indicate a type of fault condition from a plurality of fault conditions for a prior occurrence of a trip event or diagnostic information. The apparatus and method then determine a time period of the monitored trip sequence, and determine the type of fault condition based on the determined time period. Information concerning the determined type of fault condition is outputted.

A circuit breaker protecting an electric low-voltage circuit includes a housing with grid and load-side circuit connections. A mechanical isolating contact unit paired with load-side connections is series-connected to an electronic interruption unit paired with grid-side connections. A handle operating the isolating contact unit switches a contact opening function preventing current flow or closing function allowing current flow in the low-voltage circuit. Semiconductor-based switch elements of the electronic interruption unit switch to high-ohmic state preventing, or low-ohmic state allowing, current flow in the low-voltage circuit. A current sensor unit ascertains current level of the low-voltage circuit. A control unit is connected to the current sensor unit, isolating contact unit, and electronic interruption unit. Current flow in the low-voltage circuit is prevented upon exceeding current and/or current/time thresholds. An isolating contact unit handle sensor ascertains handle positions.