Graded resistance solid state current control circuit

A method for handling an electrical fault comprising the steps of:

• a. detecting said fault using a fault detection circuitry, said fault detection circuitry producing a fault signal;
• b. opening a mechanical contactor having a stationary contact and a moving contact by forcing said moving contact away from said stationary contact in response to said fault signal;
• c. providing a secondary, parallel path to handle current flow as said mechanical contactor is opened, said secondary path being a resistance network having a plurality of parallel, switched resistance stages;
• and
• d. sequentially opening said switch in each of said resistance stages at staged intervals, thereby increasing the overall resistance of said resistance network at each interval, until said secondary path is an open circuit.

A circuit interrupting device having a graded resistance current path comprising:

• a. a first current path, traversing a mechanical contactor;
• b. a second current path, parallel to said first current path, said second current path comprising a resistance network of two or more switched, parallel resistance stages;
• c. fault detection circuitry, for detecting a fault condition;
• and
• d. a controller programmed, upon detection of said of said fault condition, to sequentially switch each stage of said resistance network out of said network, until an open circuit condition exists, thereby changing the overall resistance of said resistance network as each stage is switched;
• e. wherein said mechanical contactor is opened upon detection of said fault condition, thereby commutating current in the circuit from said first current path to said second current path.