US 12,066,304 B2
Switching assembly and method for measuring a position of a contact bridge in a switching assembly
Christian Lindner, Bensheim (DE); Bernd Rahn, Bensheim (DE); Peter Sandeck, Bensheim (DE); Matthias Kroeker, Bensheim (DE); and Harry Koch, Bensheim (DE)
Assigned to TE Connectivity Germany GmbH, Bensheim (DE)
Filed by TE Connectivity Germany GmbH, Bensheim (DE)
Filed on Sep. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/482,732.
Claims priority of application No. 102020124802.4 (DE), filed on Sep. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0090941 A1, Mar. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G01D 5/14 (2006.01); H01H 71/04 (2006.01); H03K 17/97 (2006.01)
CPC G01D 5/145 (2013.01) [H01H 71/04 (2013.01); H03K 17/97 (2013.01); H01H 2071/048 (2013.01); H01H 2205/016 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A switching assembly comprising:
a pair of fixed contacts;
a contact bridge movable between a bridging position in which the contact bridge electrically connects the contacts to one another and a separated position in which the contacts are electrically separated from one another; and
a detector including:
at least one sensor for detecting the presence of the contact bridge in at least one of the separated position or the bridging position; and
a switching controller operatively connected to the sensor, the controller having a first switching point and a second switching point at which the controller switches between a first output signal representing an electrical connection between the contacts and a second output signal representing an electrical separation of the contacts, one of the switching points being associated with a position of the contact bridge between the bridging position and the separated position and creating a hysteresis in the first output signal or the second output signal output by the controller, the one of the switching points is spaced apart from the bridging position and the separated position by a distance greater than the contact bridge can move in the case of a fault.