Patent ID: 7439469

Claim:
An electrical switching device comprising: a housing having interrupting chambers; a cover capable of closing the housing; and externally accessible terminal contacts being secured in position in the housing; each interrupting chamber having disposed therein an arc quenching device and a stationary switching contact for a cooperating movable switching contact, the housing and the cover having formed therein guide and retaining elements configured to retain the arc quenching device, wherein the arc quenching device is, alternatively, one of an arc splitter stack and a cooling plate, the arc splitter stack being interchangeable with the cooling plate wherein the guide and retaining elements include inner walls of the housing laterally bounding the interrupting chambers, first retaining elements of the cover, and pocket-like formations in the bottom of the housing, the inner walls being configured to support outer legs of the arc quenching device and the first retaining elements configured to further hold down the arc quenching device.