Patent ID: 8445805

Claim:
A three terminal vacuum switch, comprising: a vacuum enclosure; a first contact system includes a moving contact and a stationary contact, said stationary contact is retained inside said vacuum enclosure at substantially at one end thereof; a second contact system includes a moving contact rod, a floating contact rod and a biasing means, said floating contact rod is slidably retained at the other one end of said vacuum enclosure, said biasing means is retained on the other end of said vacuum enclosure, substantially one end of said floating contact rod is retained by said biasing means, the other end of said floating contact rod is biased toward the one end of said vacuum enclosure, said moving contact is retained on said moving contact rod; and a load is electrically connected between said stationary contact and said floating rod, wherein a power source is electrically connected to said moving contact rod, said first and second contact systems are open, said moving contact rod is slid toward said floating contact rod until electrical contact is made therebetween, power from the power source flows through said load, said moving contact rod is pushed further until electrical contact is made between said stationary contact and said moving contact, said impedance load is bypassed after the electrical contact between said stationary contact and said moving contact is made.