Switching arrangement
US9042063B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 2010 |
| Grant date | May 26, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 2, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H50/021
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A switching arrangement is disclosed comprising: a control circuit; a latching relay controlled by the control circuit for connecting an AC source to an AC load; and a relief circuit in parallel with the relay and controlled by the control circuit. The relief circuit has two modes of operation: an inactive mode in which the relief circuit is non-conductive and an active mode in which the relief circuit is at least partially conductive. The relief circuit is partially conductive when spending both a time period in a conductive state and a time period in a non-conductive state during a half-cycle of the AC. The control circuit is configured to switch the relief circuit from inactive mode to active mode, and upon switching to active mode, to set the relief circuit as partially conductive for at least two half-cycles, wherein the proportion of time the relief circuit is conductive compared to non-conductive is increased for successive ones of the at least two half-cycles.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.