A motor starter includes: a motor circuit breaker which has an electronic tripping device; a contactor which is correspondingly interconnected to the motor circuit breaker for forming the motor starter; and at least one control line disposed between the motor circuit breaker and the contactor, via which control line a control signal, which is generated depending upon a switching signal for switching the contactor, is transmitted from the contactor to the electronic tripping device. The electronic tripping device generates a tripping signal for switching off a current flow across the switching contact or switching contacts of the motor circuit breaker, depending upon the control signal and current flow across one or more switching contacts of the motor circuit breaker.

A circuit breaker includes a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact moveable between an open state and a closed state; an armature, wherein movement of the armature from a first position to a second position initiates the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact to move from the closed state to the open state; a first electromagnetic device configured to move the armature from the first position to the second position in response to being energized by a first signal; and a second electromagnetic device configured to move the armature from the first position to the second position in response to being energized by a second signal and in response to generation of the first signal and the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact still being in the closed state. Other circuit breakers and methods of operating circuit breakers are disclosed.

A module for the interconnection between an electrical circuit breaker and an electrical contactor includes a housing and multiple high-power electrical conductors that are housed inside the housing, each of the high-power electrical conductors being suitable for electrically connecting an electrical output of a circuit breaker to an electrical input of a contactor, in order to allow a supply electric current to flow from the circuit breaker to the contactor. This interconnection module additionally includes a voltage sensor, which sensor is suitable for detecting the presence of a voltage between at least two of the high-power electrical conductors.

A circuit breaker device or circuit breaker system may include a series connection of a semiconductor switch and an isolating contact system, for a low voltage electrical circuit, in which the magnitude of the current is determined.

A motor starter includes: a motor circuit breaker which has an electronic tripping device; a contactor which is correspondingly interconnected to the motor circuit breaker for forming the motor starter; and at least one control line disposed between the motor circuit breaker and the contactor, via which control line a control signal, which is generated depending upon a switching signal for switching the contactor, is transmitted from the contactor to the electronic tripping device. The electronic tripping device generates a tripping signal for switching off a current flow across the switching contact or switching contacts of the motor circuit breaker, depending upon the control signal and current flow across one or more switching contacts of the motor circuit breaker.

An electrical protection system has a housing, connecting terminals, separable electrical contacts, a switching mechanism and at least one power switch connected in series with the separable electrical contacts. The system further includes an electronic control circuit coupled to the at least one power switch, the or each power switch has a metallic heat dissipation plate connected to an electrode of the power switch, the heat dissipation plate being thermally connected to the body of the power switch. The or each power switch is connected in series with the separable electrical contacts between the connecting terminals via a conductive plate connected to the heat dissipation plate of the respective power switch.

A circuit breaker having, in a current path, a switching device having a thermal and/or magnetic tripping device for interruption of a current circuit having the current path comprehensive in an event of overcurrent or short-circuit, wherein a functional component of the switching device connected into the current path is bridged by means of a bypass which carries the load current detected by means of a current sensor when the current is below a current threshold, and is shut off when the current threshold is exceeded.

A method of executing a self-test of an alternating current circuit breaker involves executing a self-test of the circuit breaker for each of a plurality of functional blocks, wherein a sequence and timing of the executing a self-test for each of the plurality of functional blocks is programmed in and executed under control of a processing unit, and entering a failure mode of the circuit breaker upon detection of a failure status in any one of the functional blocks. The alternating current circuit breaker includes a live line between a live supply connecting terminal and a live load connecting terminal, and a neutral line between a neutral supply connecting terminal and a neutral load connecting terminal, the plurality of functional blocks, and the processing unit, which is connected to the first and second galvanic separation switch, the bypass switch and the semiconductor switch element.

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.

The present invention relates to a circuit breaker (20, 40) comprising a handle (33) connected to a switching and trip mechanism (25) in the base unit (20a), and capable of opening and closing a system (24) of electrical contacts in normal operation, ensuring the interchangeability between a pluggable electronic trip module (20b) and/or a pluggable thermomagnetic trip module (20b), using the same structural base unit (20a). The device comprises a main electric circuit 1 and a secondary circuit 2 or 2b, wherein the main circuit 1, using a current transformer (29) in the base unit (20a) which converts a current flowing in the main circuit 1 of the power line (23) to power the secondary circuit 2 or 2b, issues a trip command to protect the main circuit 1, opening the contact system (24) when predefined current limits are exceeded.