摘要 |
All switching devices which have the purpose of protecting people or objects from the harmful effects of electric current include at least triggering elements which trigger the appropriate switching mechanisms whenever predetermined threshold values are exceeded. This opens the main current contacts in the switching device, thus usually stopping current flow. However, such switching devices occasionally fail in an emergency situation because, for example, the trigger elements stick, the switching mechanisms jam, the contacts become welded together, or because of other faults. For such eventualities, a device is proposed for forcibly interrupting the appropriate mains or main current lines with a work storage unit. The latter produces a force along a pathway and is kept in an inactive state by a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism can easily be released by a trigger controlled by the switching device and the work storage unit can thus be freed to switch to its active state. A separator device driven by the work storage unit then forcibly separates the current lines. The device is especially suitable for incorporation in or combination with protective switches such as fault current protective switches, automatic cut-outs, bus protection switches, motor protection switches, power protection switches and the like. |