SWITCHING DEVICE CONTACT SYSTEM Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: electrical engineering. SUBSTANCE: contact system has group of movable contact members in the form of alternating conducting and insulating plates 2 and 3, respectively, joined together to from smooth solid surface 4 with fixed brushes 5 sliding over it. Nonlinear resistance units 6 cut in between adjacent brushes possess breakdown voltage insufficient to build up arcing process across each auxiliary contact during its opening. With power and auxiliary contacts normally closed, the former is first to open and load current starts flowing over auxiliary-contact circuit and upon breaking of auxiliary contacts with certain time delay, current starts flowing over circuit set up of members 6 (in case member 7 is not inserted in circuit) or over circuit using member 7. EFFECT: improved design. 2 cl, 1 dwg