# US 11,114,258 B2 · Switching apparatus for carrying and disconnecting electric currents, and switchgear having a switching apparatus of this kind > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,258 B2 - Document ID: US11114258B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/765,491 - Filed: 2018-11-20 - Published: 2020-11-19 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-24 - Assignees: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited - Applicants: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited - Inventors: Johannes Meissner; Gerd Schmitz; Kai Schroeder; Michael Wohlang; Oliver Kreft; Marcel Uedelhoven - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114258B2 ## CPC - H01H 9/542: {Contacts shunted by static switch means} - H01H 33/596: {for interrupting DC} - H01H 9/30: Means for extinguishing or preventing arc between current-carrying parts - H01H 33/59: Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switch and not otherwise provided for, e.g. for ensuring operation of the switch at a predetermined point in the AC cycle - H03K 17/56: by the use, as active elements, of semiconductor devices (using diodes H03K17/74) - H01H 2009/546: {the static switching means being triggered by the voltage over the mechanical switch contacts} - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A switching apparatus for carrying and disconnecting electric currents includes: a first mechanical contact arrangement; a second mechanical contact arrangement which is connected in series with the first mechanical contact arrangement; a semiconductor switch which is connected in parallel to the first mechanical contact arrangement; a switching electronics system for switching on and switching off the semiconductor switch; and a control circuit for ascertaining a voltage across the first mechanical contact arrangement as an ascertained voltage and generating an actuation signal for the switching electronics system, which actuation signal switches on the semiconductor switch, depending on the ascertained voltage. During a switching process, the switching apparatus closes the two mechanical contact arrangements with a time delay in relation to one another. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A switching apparatus for carrying and disconnecting electric currents, comprising: a first mechanical contact arrangement; a second mechanical contact arrangement which is connected in series with the first mechanical contact arrangement; a semiconductor switch which is connected in parallel to the first mechanical contact arrangement; a switching electronics system configured to switch on and switch off the semiconductor switch; and a control circuit configured to ascertain a voltage across the first mechanical contact arrangement as an ascertained voltage and to generate an actuation signal for the switching electronics system, which actuation signal switches on the semiconductor switch, depending on the ascertained voltage, wherein the switching apparatus is configured such that during a switching process the two mechanical contact arrangements are closed with a time delay in relation to one another, wherein the control circuit comprises a switch and a low-pass filter connected upstream of the switch, and wherein the switch is configured to generate the actuation signal for the switching electronics system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the actuation signal for the switching electronics system when the control circuit determines a drop in the voltage present across the first mechanical contact arrangement. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The switching apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the actuation signal for the switching electronics system when the determined voltage falls below a predetermined threshold value. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate the actuation signal for the switching electronics system such that the semiconductor switch is switched on after a predetermined period of time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The switching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined time period is selected depending on a mechanical switch-on behavior of the first mechanical contact arrangement and/or on a current carrying capacity of the semiconductor switch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The switching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the semiconductor switch is switched off after a contact bouncing phase of the first mechanical contact arrangement. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The switching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined period of time is about 100 μs. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises a Zener diode connected in parallel with a capacitor of the low-pass filter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises a resistor which is connected in parallel with a capacitor of the low-pass filter and which forms a voltage divider with a resistance of the low-pass filter to generate an input voltage suitable for controlling the switch. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The switching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a normally-blocking field-effect transistor, a load path of which is connected in series with a third resistor in parallel with the switching electronics system between a supply voltage and the reference potential, and wherein the control circuit is supplied with a voltage potential on an input side for control purposes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A switching device, comprising: the switching apparatus according to claim 1; and a switching drive configured to move contacts of the first mechanical contact arrangement and second mechanical contact arrangement.