Switching apparatus for electric grids

A switching apparatus for low or medium voltage electric power distribution grids, said switching apparatus comprising one or more electric poles, wherein said one or more electric poles comprise:

• an outer casing made of electrically insulating material and defining an internal volume of said one or more electric poles;
• a fixed contact assembly accommodated in the internal volume of said one or more electric poles and comprising a fixed contact member formed by an electrically conductive tubular element extending along a longitudinal axis of said one or more electric poles;
• and
• a movable contact assembly accommodated in the internal volume of said one or more electric poles and hanging laterally relative to said fixed contact member,
• wherein said movable contact assembly comprises a movable contact member, said movable contact member reversibly movable, about a first rotation axis, between a coupled position, at which a first contact surface of said movable contact member is coupled with a corresponding second contact surface of said fixed contact member, and an uncoupled position, at which the first contact surface of said movable contact member is separated from the corresponding second contact surface of said fixed contact member,
• wherein said movable contact assembly further comprises at least a trip mechanism coupled to at least said movable contact member, said trip mechanism reversibly movable between a first trip position and a second trip position, wherein said trip mechanism moves said movable contact member from said coupled position to said uncoupled position when said trip mechanism moves from said first trip position to said second trip position upon receiving an actuation force,
• wherein said trip mechanism moves said movable contact member from said uncoupled position to said coupled position when said trip mechanism moves from said second trip position to said first trip position upon receiving the actuation force,
• wherein said one or more electric poles further comprise an actuation member accommodated in the internal volume of said one or more electric poles and formed by an electrically insulating hollow tubular element arranged coaxially and externally relative to said fixed contact member, so that said fixed contact member passes through said actuation member along said longitudinal axis,
• wherein said actuation member is slidingly movable along said fixed contact member,
• wherein said actuation member is reversibly movable between a first actuation position and a second actuation position by sliding along said fixed contact member, and
• wherein said actuation member transiently couples to said trip mechanism to actuate said trip mechanism between said first and second trip positions, when said actuation member moves between said first and second actuation positions.