Patent ID: 7432465

Claim:
A switching device configurable to have disconnection and grounding functions, comprising: an encapsulating housing filled with insulating gas; a stationary grounding contact fixed to the housing; a stationary disconnector contact fixed to a first current conductor, to which a high voltage is applicable; a moveable contact element movable along an axis and engagable with at least one of the grounding contact and the disconnector contact; a conductor tube fixed to a second current conductor, to which a high voltage is applicable, said conductor tube accommodating the moveable contact element so as to form a current transfer point; and a drive, which is guided through the housing and drives the moveable contact element with force, wherein: a) the drive has a retaining element movable along the axis and is guided in the conductor tube, and b) the retaining element accommodates two contact tubes, of which a first contact tube forms a mating contact of a grounding device containing the stationary grounding contact, and a second contact tube forms a mating contact of a disconnector containing the disconnector contact, and wherein the switching device is configurable as purely a grounding device, purely a disconnecting device, and a combined disconnecting/grounding device, a) said switching device being configured as the grounding device when the contact element contains only the first contact tube, b) said switching device being configured as the disconnecting device when the contact element contains only the second contact tube, and c) said switching device being configured as the disconnecting/grounding device when the contact element contains the first contact tube and the second contact tube.