Compressed gas switch

A switch, comprising:

• a cylindrical switching chamber containing a gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure;
• a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact axially disposed within the switching chamber, the contacts having respective contact ends spaced apart from each other to form a contact gap therebetween;
• a blast cylinder disposed within the switching chamber radially outward of and spaced away from the electrical contacts to form a compression volume therebetween, the blast cylinder movable between an open position and a closed position, the blast cylinder comprising a blast cylinder bottom ring further comprising an inner surface for directing gas in the compression volume radially inward;
• and
• a tubular guide disposed around at least one of the electrical contacts within the switching chamber radially inward of the blast cylinder and movable between an open position and a closed position, the tubular guide comprising a contact member portion for electrically connecting the contact ends across the contact gap in the closed position and electrically disconnecting the contact ends when at least partially withdrawn from the contact gap in the open position, the tubular guide further comprising an isolating ring disposed at a tubular guide end to engage at least a portion of the inner surface of the blast cylinder bottom ring for at least a portion of a blast cylinder's travel from the open position to the closed position to form a gas seal against the blast cylinder bottom to close the compression volume to prevent the gas from exiting the contact gap and flowing into the compression volume when the blast cylinder and the tubular guide are moved to the closed position, and to disengage from the inner surface of the blast cylinder bottom ring for at least the portion of the blast cylinder's travel from the closed position to the open position to open the compression volume to allow the gas to flow into the contact gap from the compression volume when the blast cylinder and the tubular guide are moved to the open position.