Arc control for contactor assembly

A switch assembly adapted for switching power to a circuit having a power source, the switch assembly comprising:

• a housing defining an interior compartment and including internal walls that laterally extend within the interior compartment to define a protection chamber;
• current carrying contacts disposed in the protection chamber of the housing, the current carrying contacts including conductive bodies that protrude from the housing and are configured to close the circuit;
• arc dissipation areas provided in the protection chamber of the interior compartment, the arc dissipation chambers located proximate to the current carrying contacts;
• arcuate magnets provided proximate ends of the dissipation areas, the magnets create magnetic flux or a magnetic field that extends across the current carrying contacts, the magnetic flux from the magnets directs electric arcs radiating from the current carrying contacts into the arc dissipation areas, wherein paths of the electric arcs approximate a parabola, thereby effectively increasing the distance that the arcs must travel.

A switch assembly adapted for switching power to a circuit having a power source, the switch assembly comprising:

• a housing defining an interior compartment and including internal walls that laterally extend within the interior compartment to define a protection chamber;
• a pair of current carrying contacts disposed in the protection chamber of the housing, the current carrying contacts including conductive bodies that protrude from the housing and are configured to close the circuit;
• a pair of arc dissipation areas provided at opposite ends of the protection chamber of the interior compartment, the arc dissipation chambers located proximate to the current carrying contacts;
• a pair of magnets provided proximate ends of the dissipation areas, each magnet creates magnetic flux or a magnetic field that extends across a respective current carrying contact, the magnetic flux from the each magnet directs an electric arc radiating from the respective current carrying contact into a respective arc dissipation area, thereby increasing the effective distance that the electric arc travels wherein the electric arc is dissipated in the respective dissipation area.