Method for actuating an electromechanical switching element

Abstract

A method for actuating an electromechanical switching element including a plurality of contacts, a coil with an iron core, and an armature includes: in the event that a predefined condition is fulfilled, in a switch-off process pulsing on and off or in the switch-on process pulsing off and on of the switching element is carried out repeatedly at a predefined time within an overtravel range such that a coil current flowing into the coil oscillates between a predefined maximum value and a minimum value so that the armature moves within the overtravel range and the plurality of contacts thereby rub against each other without becoming detached from each other. The minimum value is defined as a current value at a time at which the armature begins to detach from the iron core.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.