One embodiment describes a three-phase electromechanical switching device, which includes three single-phase switching devices mechanically and electrically coupled in parallel with one another, each single-phase switching device including a direct current electromagnetic operator that in operation receives a direct current control signal for switching of the device, stationary contacts disposed in a respective device housing, and a movable assembly that in operation is displaced by energizing the operator and that include movable contacts that open and close, with the stationary contacts, a single current carrying path through the respective single-phase switching device; in which each of the single-phase switching devices receives control signals from control circuitry coupled to the operators of the respective single-phase switching devices to cause at least one of the single-phase switching devices to open or close the single current carrying path at a desired time coordinated with a current zero-crossing or a predicted current zero-crossing of a phase of three-phase power.

One embodiment describes a three-phase electromechanical switching device, which includes three single-phase switching devices mechanically and electrically coupled in parallel with one another, each single-phase switching device including a direct current electromagnetic operator that in operation receives a direct current control signal for switching of the device, stationary contacts disposed in a respective device housing, and a movable assembly that in operation is displaced by energizing the operator and that include movable contacts that open and close, with the stationary contacts, a single current carrying path through the respective single-phase switching device; in which each of the single-phase switching devices receives control signals from control circuitry coupled to the operators of the respective single-phase switching devices to cause at least one of the single-phase switching devices to open or close the single current carrying path at a desired time coordinated with a current zero-crossing or a predicted current zero-crossing of a phase of three-phase power.

A contact device includes a fixed contact, a movable contact, a housing, and an arc extinguishing member. The movable contact moves between a closed position where the movable contact contacts the fixed contact and an open position where the movable contact is separate from fixed contact. The housing houses the fixed contact and the movable contact. The arc extinguishing member is disposed in the housing and discharges an arc extinguishing gas. The arc extinguishing member is disposed facing a gap between the fixed contact and the movable contact when the movable contact is in the open position. The arc extinguishing member has a shape that tapers toward the gap.

An electromagnetic relay includes a pair of fixed terminals including a fixed contact, a movable contact piece, a housing portion, and a magnet portion. The movable contact piece includes a movable contact disposed facing the fixed contact. The movable contact piece is movable in a first direction in which the movable contact contacts the fixed contact and a second direction in which the movable contact separates from the fixed contact. The housing portion includes a housing space housing the fixed contact and movable contact piece. The magnet portion includes a pair of magnets disposed around the housing portion so as to face each other in a longitudinal direction of the movable contact piece and extending in the second direction beyond the housing space. The magnet portion generates a magnetic flux flowing in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction between the fixed contact and the movable contact.

An electromagnetic relay includes a pair of fixed terminals including a fixed contact, a movable contact piece, a housing portion, and a magnet portion. The movable contact piece includes a movable contact disposed facing the fixed contact. The movable contact piece is movable in a first direction in which the movable contact contacts the fixed contact and a second direction in which the movable contact separates from the fixed contact. The housing portion includes a housing space housing the fixed contact and movable contact piece. The magnet portion includes a pair of magnets disposed around the housing portion so as to face each other in a longitudinal direction of the movable contact piece and extending in the second direction beyond the housing space. The magnet portion generates a magnetic flux flowing in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction between the fixed contact and the movable contact.

A switch includes a first fixed contact, a second fixed contact, a movable contact, a drive shaft, a first outside yoke, a second outside yoke, a first inside yoke, a second inside yoke, and a permanent magnet. The permanent magnet magnetically couples the first outside yoke, the second outside yoke, the first inside yoke, and the second inside yoke, and produces a magnetic field component in a direction in which the first fixed contact point and the second fixed contact point are aligned, between the first fixed contact point and the first movable contact point and between the second fixed contact point and the second movable contact point.

A housing includes a first space, a second space, a first hole, a second hole, and an arc extinguishing member. A fixed contact and a movable contact are arranged in the first space. The second space is partitioned from the first space. The first hole communicates the first space and the second space. The second hole communicates the second space with a space outside the second space. The arc extinguishing member releases an arc extinguishing gas into the first space. The second hole has a smaller opening area than the first hole.

An electrical contactor system includes a stationary contactor having a stationary contact, a moving contactor having a moving contact, a rotating member, a magnetic blow-out arc quenching device including a permanent magnet, and an isolation arc quenching device. The moving contactor is mounted on the rotating member and is rotatable between a connected position and a disconnected position. The moving contact is in electrical contact with the stationary contact when the moving contactor is rotated to the connected position, the moving contact is separated from the stationary contact when the moving contactor is rotated to the disconnected position. The permanent magnet is statically disposed in a vicinity of the stationary contactor for elongating an arc between the stationary contact and the moving contact by an electromagnetic force so as to extinguish the arc. The isolation arc quenching device pushes the arc toward the permanent magnet so as to force the arc to move to a vicinity of the permanent magnet.

An electrical contactor system includes a stationary contactor having a stationary contact, a moving contactor having a moving contact, a rotating member, a magnetic blow-out arc quenching device including a permanent magnet, and an isolation arc quenching device. The moving contactor is mounted on the rotating member and is rotatable between a connected position and a disconnected position. The moving contact is in electrical contact with the stationary contact when the moving contactor is rotated to the connected position, the moving contact is separated from the stationary contact when the moving contactor is rotated to the disconnected position. The permanent magnet is statically disposed in a vicinity of the stationary contactor for elongating an arc between the stationary contact and the moving contact by an electromagnetic force so as to extinguish the arc. The isolation arc quenching device pushes the arc toward the permanent magnet so as to force the arc to move to a vicinity of the permanent magnet.

A relay includes a first fixed contact, a second fixed contact, a movable contact piece having first and second movable contacts, a contact piece holding unit configured to hold the movable contact piece, and first to fourth magnets. The first magnet and the second magnet are disposed so that same poles thereof face each other. The movable contact piece is disposed between the first magnet and the second magnet in a width direction of the movable contact piece. The third magnet is disposed so as to increase a magnetic flux in a longitudinal direction of the movable contact piece at a position between the first fixed contact and the first movable contact. The fourth magnet is disposed so as to increase a magnetic flux in the longitudinal direction of the movable contact piece at a position between the second fixed contact and the second movable contact.