Patent ID: 7679021

Claim:
A switching device, comprising: a first and a second arcing contact piece, lying axially opposite one another; a first and a second rated current contact piece, disposed coaxially with respect to said arcing contact pieces, at least one of said rated current contact pieces having a hollow-cylindrical basic body formed with a substantially continuous outer circumferential wall having a front end; an arc-resistant material covering said front end, said arc-resistant material having an electroplated surface; and contact-making points disposed between said first and second rated current contact pieces and lying axially in a region of said electroplated surface in a switched-on state of the switching device; said electroplated surface making initial contact with said contact-making points and making contact with said contact-making points in the switched-on state of the switching device and wherein said arc-resistant material is made of a plurality of different metals, and said arc-resistant material is fixed to said hollow-cylindrical basic body in a form of a ring so as to cover said front end of said circumferential wall of said hollow-cylindrical basic body, wherein said ring has a smaller radial wall thickness at a further end facing away from said switching path than at an end facing said switching path.