Patent ID: 6417604
Filing Date: 2002-07-09
Classification: H01H,H01J

Abstract:
A low-pressure discharge switch, comprising:main electrodes arranged at a distance from each other, the main electrodes having disk-shaped bottoms, the disk-shaped bottoms having substantially radial slots for avoiding eddy current effects; an arcing chamber, the main electrodes being positioned within the arcing chamber and forming a cathode and an anode of a discharge path for a low-pressure gas discharge, the cathode having an aperture, the discharge being triggered by increasing an electron density in the at least one aperture of the cathode, the anode including an aperture, the aperture of the anode and the aperture of the cathode being opposite and aligned with each other; a magnetic field generator assigned to the main electrodes, the magnetic field generator generating a magnetic field superimposed on the discharge, the magnetic field being substantially parallel with respect to a direction of current in the discharge; and an auxiliary electrode associated with the cathode, the auxiliary electrode electrically triggering a switching process.