Patent ID: 8902026

Claim:
An electric current switching apparatus having a fixed-side electrode unit and a movable-side electrode unit that are arranged to align central axes thereof with each other and to face each other, in which a movable contact provided in the movable-side electrode unit reciprocates on the central axis to contact or separate from a fixed-side contact provided in the fixed-side electrode unit, thereby switching electric current flowing between the fixed-side electrode unit and the movable-side electrode unit, the electric current switching apparatus comprising a plurality of permanent magnets that are permanently fixed relative to each other within the fixed-side electrode unit or the movable-side electrode unit, are arranged to have magnetizing directions thereof aligned with a direction of the central axis, are arranged within a cylindrical area having a radius defined by an outer diameter of the movable contact around the central axis, and are arranged to cause same poles of adjacent permanent magnets to face each other in a direction of the central axis as if butting with each other.