A system includes a dry contact with a first pair of switchable electrodes, a wet contact with a second pair of switchable electrodes, an arc suppressor, and a controller circuit operatively coupled to the arc suppressor and the first and second pairs of switchable electrodes. The controller circuit is configured to detect a failure of the wet contact and determine a stick duration associated with the first pair of switchable electrodes. The stick duration is based on a duration between an instance when a coil of the dry contact is deactivated and an instance of separation of the first pair of switchable electrodes during deactivation of the coil. The controller circuit generates, in-situ and in real-time, health assessment for the first pair of switchable electrodes based on a comparison of the determined stick duration with an average stick duration associated with a window of observation.

A switching device is for a low-voltage electric circuit having a plurality of conductors. In an embodiment, the switching device includes a housing having connection contacts arranged on the housing for connection of conductors of the low-voltage electric circuit; and a mechanical unit situated in the housing having an isolating function and an OFF or IN position, the mechanical unit including isolating contacts for galvanically interrupting the conductors of the low-voltage electric circuit. An electronic unit is provided which is connected to the mechanical unit in series on the current flow side; an auxiliary switch connected to the mechanical unit is provided and is connected in turn to the electronic unit; and the auxiliary switch and the electronic unit are designed in such a way that the electronic unit is highly resistive during an opening process of the mechanical unit.

A low-voltage protection switch unit, such as a motor protection switch, includes: at least an external conductor line, from an external line supply terminal of the low-voltage protection switch unit to an external line load terminal of the low-voltage protection switch unit; a neutral conductor line, from a neutral conductor terminal of the low-voltage protection switch unit to a neutral conductor load terminal of the low-voltage protection switch unit; a mechanical bypass switch arranged in the external conductor line; a semiconductor circuit arrangement connected in parallel with the mechanical bypass switch; an electronic control unit for actuating the mechanical bypass switch and the semiconductor circuit arrangement in a specifiable manner; and a current measurement arrangement connected to the electronic control unit, the current measurement arrangement being arranged at least in the external conductor line. The electronic control unit switches the semiconductor circuit arrangement on/off in a specifiable clocked manner.

An electrical protection device capable of operating without auxiliary electrical power supply includes a control module configured to detect an electrical fault and a switching module, a first circuit including at least two normally-on JFET transistors and a switching member including a first contact. The switching module is configured so that, upon a switchover of the first contact when the current circuits, an electric arc is formed and so that the appearance of the electric arc generates an electrical signal transmitted to at least one of the transistors, the electrical signal driving the switching of the transistor.

A circuit breaker has line-side terminals and load-side terminals for conductors of a low-voltage circuit. A mechanical break contact system is connected to the line-side terminals for indirect-coupling of the low-voltage circuit, and the other end of the break contact system is connected to an electronic interruption unit which has, by use of semiconductor-based switching elements, a high-impedance state of the switching elements to prevent current from flowing and a low-impedance state of the switching elements to allow current to flow in the low-voltage circuit. The electronic interruption unit is connected to the load-side terminals at the other end. The mechanical break contact system can be manually actuated such that contacts of the mechanical break contact system can be manually closed to allow current to flow and be manually opened to interrupt the flow of current in the low-voltage circuit.

A hybrid switch assembly for a circuit breaker assembly is provided. The circuit breaker assembly includes a housing assembly and an operating mechanism. The housing assembly defines a power electronic switch assembly cavity. A hybrid switch assembly includes a number of conductor assemblies, each conductor assembly including a movable conductor, and a stationary conductor. Further, each movable conductor is structured to move between an open, first position, wherein each movable conductor is spaced from and not in electrical communication with an associated stationary conductor, and a closed, second position, wherein each movable conductor is coupled to and in electrical communication with an associated stationary conductor. A number of the conductor assemblies further include a power electronic switch assembly. Each power electronic switch assembly includes an isolation contact assembly. Each isolation contact assembly is selectively coupled to, and in electronic communication with, the stationary conductor and the movable conductor.

A two terminal arc suppressor for protecting switch, relay or contactor contacts and the like comprises a two terminal module adapted to be attached in parallel with the contacts to be protected and including a circuit for deriving an operating voltage upon the transitioning of the switch, relay or contactor contacts from a closed to an open disposition, the power being rectified and the resulting DC signal used to trigger a power triac switch via an optoisolator circuit whereby arc suppression pulses are generated for short predetermined intervals only at a transition of the mechanical switch, relay or contactor contacts from an closed to an open transition and, again, at an open to a close transition during contact bounce conditions.

A composite sheet metal component for an automobile comprises an inner metal sheet, an outer metal sheet and an intermediate polymer sheet arranged between the inner and the outer metal sheet. The intermediate polymer sheet comprises a semiconductor device and the outer metal sheet comprises at least one functional area.

An interlock switch is turned on to close a power supply line when a cover is closed, and turned off to open the power supply line when the cover is opened. A time constant circuit is connected to a node side of the interlock switch in the power supply line. A switch control unit determines that a user is intentionally turning on and off the interlock switch and turns off a switch Q1 when a smoothed voltage obtained by smoothing a voltage difference between voltage dividing nodes becomes larger than a threshold value.

A current limiter for selectively limiting a rate of change of current in a DC electrical network may include a first electrical block including an inductive element and a second electrical block including a bidirectional switch. The first electrical block is connected in parallel with the second electrical block between first and second terminals, and the first and second terminals are connectable to the DC electrical network. The bidirectional switch is switchable to: (1) a first mode to permit current flow through the second electrical block in a first current direction and at the same time inhibit current flow through the second electrical block in a second, opposite current direction; and (2) a second mode to permit current flow through the second electrical block in the second current direction and at the same time inhibit current flow through the second electrical block in the first current direction.