Patent · US Expired

Switching device

US6005459A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
32References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 30, 1997
Grant dateDec 21, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 30, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01H2051/2218
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A switching device providing highly-reliable, frictionless, adjustment-free operation is described. Comprised of a comparatively small number of moving parts, the various aspects of the invention offer compact, cost-effective, reliable alternatives to their complex electromagnetic and costly solid-state counterparts. The main parts of the invention rely upon the principles of magnetic attraction and repulsion for the switching of a plurality of electrical contacts contained within the switching device. The flexibility inherent in the design of the invention permits the switching device to be configured in a variety of aspects, including the failsafe and latching designs described herein.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.