An improved switching or contactor device with high arc extinguishing capabilities industrial and railways applications where a high current must be switched on and off is provided. The switching or contactor device includes, in a casing, a switch base portion including electrical switching means of a low voltage driving portion active on moving contacts; a high voltage portion including the moving contacts driven towards and away from each other with respect to a mutual contact position, said moving contacts being mounted at respective contact ends of a toggle mechanism which is movable by a low voltage driving portion, and a top arc chute extinguishing portion covering the high voltage portion.

An improved switching or contactor device with high arc extinguishing capabilities industrial and railways applications where a high current must be switched on and off is provided. The switching or contactor device includes, in a casing, a switch base portion including electrical switching means of a low voltage driving portion active on moving contacts; a high voltage portion including the moving contacts driven towards and away from each other with respect to a mutual contact position, said moving contacts being mounted at respective contact ends of a toggle mechanism which is movable by a low voltage driving portion, and a top arc chute extinguishing portion covering the high voltage portion.

A gas circuit breaker includes a sealed tank, a movable side main electrode and a fixed side main electrode in the sealed tank facing each other, a movable side arc electrode and a fixed side arc electrode in the sealed tank facing each other, a cylinder at a circumference of the movable side arc electrode, a piston in the cylinder in a slidable manner and forming a puffer chamber together with the cylinder, an insulation nozzle in the sealed tank, an exhaust pipe at a circumference of the fixed side arc electrode and exhausting heat gas, which is sprayed on an arc generated in the insulation nozzle in the opening electrode operation, to an outside, and a closing plate in the exhaust pipe. One or more vent holes leading the heat gas from an inside of the exhaust pipe to the outside is on a surface of the closing plate.

A gas circuit breaker includes a sealed tank, a movable side main electrode and a fixed side main electrode in the sealed tank facing each other, a movable side arc electrode and a fixed side arc electrode in the sealed tank facing each other, a cylinder at a circumference of the movable side arc electrode, a piston in the cylinder in a slidable manner and forming a puffer chamber together with the cylinder, an insulation nozzle in the sealed tank, an exhaust pipe at a circumference of the fixed side arc electrode and exhausting heat gas, which is sprayed on an arc generated in the insulation nozzle in the opening electrode operation, to an outside, and a closing plate in the exhaust pipe. One or more vent holes leading the heat gas from an inside of the exhaust pipe to the outside is on a surface of the closing plate.

A single or multiple pole switching device which includes a switch chamber with an arc extinguishing device for each pole, wherein the switch chamber has two lateral walls between which a cage is arranged that is provided for mounting a movable contact bridge, where contacts are arranged on the contact bridge, where the arc extinguishing device has a plurality of quenching plates, the ends of which are accommodated in a pocket arrangement, where the lateral walls have a support for laterally supporting the cage in a direction transverse with respect to the switching direction of the contacts and parallel to the lateral walls, where the pocket arrangement is a separate component from the cage, which pocket arrangement is spaced apart from the cage such that it does not provide such lateral support for the cage, such that a cost-effective and reliable single or multiple pole switching device is provided.

A single or multiple pole switching device which includes a switch chamber with an arc extinguishing device for each pole, wherein the switch chamber has two lateral walls between which a cage is arranged that is provided for mounting a movable contact bridge, where contacts are arranged on the contact bridge, where the arc extinguishing device has a plurality of quenching plates, the ends of which are accommodated in a pocket arrangement, where the lateral walls have a support for laterally supporting the cage in a direction transverse with respect to the switching direction of the contacts and parallel to the lateral walls, where the pocket arrangement is a separate component from the cage, which pocket arrangement is spaced apart from the cage such that it does not provide such lateral support for the cage, such that a cost-effective and reliable single or multiple pole switching device is provided.

An electric arc breaker device comprises a contact zone in which there are present at least one stationary contact and at least one movable contact that is movable relative to the stationary contact. The contacts are capable of being put into contact with each other and of being separated from each other. An arcing horn is present facing the stationary contact, the height h.sub.c of the arcing horn being greater than or equal to the height h.sub.t of the stationary contact, and the arcing horn presenting a folded-back arc switching portion extending in a direction away from the stationary contact.

An electric arc breaker device comprises a contact zone in which there are present at least one stationary contact and at least one movable contact that is movable relative to the stationary contact. The contacts are capable of being put into contact with each other and of being separated from each other. An arcing horn is present facing the stationary contact, the height h.sub.c of the arcing horn being greater than or equal to the height h.sub.t of the stationary contact, and the arcing horn presenting a folded-back arc switching portion extending in a direction away from the stationary contact.

A DC electrical circuit breaker includes first and second movable electrical contacts. The circuit breaker includes a magnetic circuit including a magnet and generating a magnetic field able to guide an electrical arc in the direction of a quenching chamber, and having for this purpose curved field lines extending perpendicularly to opposite lateral walls of an electrical arc formation chamber, these field lines converging, in a central region of the arc formation chamber containing the contact zones, toward the quenching chamber while extending parallel to the longitudinal plane.

A DC electrical circuit breaker includes first and second movable electrical contacts. The circuit breaker includes a magnetic circuit including a magnet and generating a magnetic field able to guide an electrical arc in the direction of a quenching chamber, and having for this purpose curved field lines extending perpendicularly to opposite lateral walls of an electrical arc formation chamber, these field lines converging, in a central region of the arc formation chamber containing the contact zones, toward the quenching chamber while extending parallel to the longitudinal plane.