Patent ID: 7915985

Claim:
A switching device for direct-current applications, comprising: a housing having a first wall and a second wall disposed opposite each other; at least three receiving areas configured for respective mutually substantially parallel current paths, the receiving areas being disposed next to each other in the housing successively between the first and second walls, at least two of the receiving areas each including a respective one of the current paths, each of the current paths having a respective stationary switching contact element and a respective movable switching contact element, the movable switching element being actuatable into a closed position so that the movable switching element is in contact with the respective stationary switching contact, and into an open position so as to form a respective air break so that an arc extending along the air break is formable, the respective movable switching contact elements being actuatable simultaneously between the open position and the closed position; a plurality of arc-quenching devices associated with the current paths and disposed next to each other between the first and the second walls; and at least one magnet disposed on an outside of at least one of the first and second walls, the at least one magnet being configured to generate a magnetic field having magnetic field lines in a direction crosswise to the respective air breaks so as to generate a deflection force on each of the arcs so as to deflect the respective arcs toward at least one of the respective arc-quenching devices.