Patent ID: 7781918

Claim:
Electrical switch circuitry comprising: a relay including a coil and first and second contacts to a switchable current path therethrough, the switchable current path controlled by a control signal supplied to the coil; a first control circuit electrically connected to the coil of the relay, the first control circuit generating the control signal that is supplied to the coil for controlling the switchable current path of the relay; a transistor defining a current path therethrough, the current path of the transistor electrically connected to the first and second contacts of the relay; a load electrically connected to one of the first and second contacts of the relay; and a second control circuit, operably coupled to the load and the transistor without electrical connection to the first control circuit, for switching the transistor into an ON state in response to a voltage drop across the load reaching a predetermined value, such that in use, electrical current is caused to flow through the current path of the transistor while the contacts of the relay are closing or opening, thereby diverting current flow away from the contacts of the relay while the contacts of the relay are closing or opening and reducing electrical arcing across the contacts of the relay.