Method and apparatus for protecting a load against an overcurrent

A hybrid load protection apparatus comprising:

• a primary power supply path provided between an input terminal and an output terminal of said hybrid load protection apparatus and having a controllable mechanical switch connected in series with a primary coil coupled inductively to a secondary coil providing a voltage corresponding to a current rise speed of the electrical current flowing through the primary power supply path, wherein the provided voltage is applied directly to a driver input at a low voltage side of a first driver circuit associated with the primary power supply path to trigger automatically a switch-off of the mechanical switch within a first switch-off period to interrupt the primary power supply path ;
• and comprising
• a secondary power supply path provided in parallel to the primary power supply path between the input terminal and the output terminal of said hybrid load protection apparatus and having a further coil connected in series with a semiconductor power switch, wherein a second driver circuit associated with the secondary power supply path is provided to detect an increasing electrical current, I, flowing through the secondary power supply path caused by the interruption of the primary current path on the basis of a voltage drop generated by the further coil and a non-linear voltage drop along the semiconductor power switch applied as a sum voltage directly to a driver input at a high voltage side of the second driver circuit to trigger automatically a switch-off of the semiconductor power switch provided in the secondary power supply path within a second switch-off period to interrupt the secondary power supply path such that a generation of an electrical arc during switching-off of the mechanical switch is suppressed and the input terminal and the output terminal of the hybrid load protection apparatus are separated from each other.