Diverter switch, a method for operating such a switch and use of such a switch

1. A diverter switch, comprising:

an operating member; and

an electric circuit comprising a main branch and a resistance branch, wherein said main branch comprises a main contact and a main vacuum switch and said resistance branch comprises a resistance contact, a resistance vacuum switch and a resistance, said operating member being arranged, during operation, first to operate the main contact and then the resistance contact, wherein the operating member is arranged, during operation, always to rotate at least the main contact in one direction of rotation,

wherein the operating member comprises an operating shaft, a first movement transfer member configured to transmit rotary motion of the operating shaft to a rotary shaft of the main contact, and a second movement transfer member configured to transmit rotary motion of the operating shaft to a rotary shaft of the resistance contact.

2. The diverter switch according to claim 1 , wherein the operating member is arranged, during operation, always to rotate the resistance contact in one direction of rotation.

3. The diverter switch according to claim 2 , wherein the main contact and the resistance contact are arranged to be rotated in a same direction.

4. The diverter switch according to claim 2 , wherein the main contact and the resistance contact are arranged to be rotated in opposite directions.

5. The diverter switch according to claim 1 , wherein said first movement transfer member and said second movement transfer member are arranged such that rotation of the resistance contact occurs when the operating shaft has been rotated through a predetermined angle from a position when rotation of the main contact occurs.

6. The diverter switch according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first movement transfer member and said second movement transfer member comprises a Geneva mechanism.

7. The diverter switch according to claim 1 , wherein the operating member is arranged to operate also the main vacuum switch and the resistance vacuum switch.

8. The diverter switch according to claim 7 , wherein the operating member comprises a third movement transfer member configured to transform rotary motion of the operating shaft into operating motion for the main vacuum switch, and a fourth movement transfer member configured to transform rotary motion of the operating shaft into operating motion for the resistance vacuum switch.

9. The diverter switch according to claim 8 , wherein at least one of said third movement transfer member and said fourth movement transfer member comprises a cam mechanism.

10. The diverter switch according to claim 8 , wherein said first movement transfer member, said second movement transfer member, said third movement transfer member and said fourth movement transfer member are arranged such that operation of the main contact, the resistance contact, the main vacuum switch and the resistance vacuum switch occurs in a predetermined sequence and at predetermined angles of the movement of the operating shaft.

11. The diverter switch according to claim 1 , wherein the electric circuit further comprises a bypass branch comprising a bypass contact, and wherein the operating member is arranged, during operation, always to rotate the bypass contact in one direction.

12. The diverter switch according to claim 11 , wherein the bypass contact, the main contact and the resistance contact are arranged to be rotated in the one direction.

13. The diverter switch according to claim 12 , wherein two of the bypass contact, the main contact and the resistance contact are arranged to be rotated in a direction opposite to that of the third contact.

14. The diverter switch according to claim 1 , wherein the operating member comprises a drive member in driving connection with the operating shaft via movement transfer member arranged to transform an alternating rotary motion of the drive member into a unidirectional rotary motion of the operating shaft.

15. The diverter switch according to claim 14 , wherein the movement transfer member comprises a mechanical energy accumulation member arranged to receive energy from the rotary motion of the drive member during a first period of time and to deliver energy to the operating shaft during a second period of time, said second period of time being considerably shorter than said first period of time.

16. The diverter switch according to claim 1 , wherein a drive member is mechanically connected to a guide member of a selector cooperating with the diverter switch, said guide member being so connected to the drive member that a rotary motion is imparted to the drive member in different directions depending on whether a transformer is controlled to a higher or lower voltage.

17. A method for operating a diverter switch, said diverter switch comprising an operating member comprising an operating shaft and an electric circuit comprising a main branch and a resistance branch, wherein said main branch comprises a main contact and a vacuum switch and wherein said resistance branch comprises a resistance contact, a resistance vacuum switch and a resistance, the method comprising:

operating the main contact with the operating member then operating the resistance contact with the operating member, wherein during operation, the operating member rotates the main contact in one direction of rotation;

transmitting with a first movement transfer member rotary motion of the operating shaft to a rotary shaft of the main contact; and

transmitting with a second movement transfer member rotary motion of the operating shaft to a rotary shaft of the resistance contact.

18. The method for operating a diverter switch according to claim 17 , wherein said diverter switch further comprises a bypass branch, wherein the bypass branch comprises a bypass contact, the method further comprising:

operating the bypass contact before the main contact during operation, wherein during operation, the bypass contact is always rotated in one direction of rotation.

19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising: utilizing the diverter switch to control a transformer.

20. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising: utilizing the diverter switch to control a reactor.

21. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising: utilizing the diverter switch to control a capacitor.

22. A diverter switch, comprising:

an operating member; and

an electric circuit comprising a main branch and a resistance branch, wherein said main branch comprises a main contact and a main vacuum switch and said resistance branch comprises a resistance contact, a resistance vacuum switch and a resistance, said operating member being arranged, during operation, first to operate the main contact and then the resistance contact,

wherein the operating member is arranged, during operation, always to rotate at least the main contact in one direction of rotation, wherein the electric circuit further comprises a bypass branch comprising a bypass contact,

wherein the operating member is arranged, during operation, always to rotate the bypass contact in one direction, and

wherein the operating member comprises an operating shaft, a first movement transfer member for transmitting rotary motion of the operating shaft to a rotary shaft of the main contact, and a second movement transfer member for transmitting rotary motion of the operating shaft to a rotary shaft of the resistance contact, and a fifth movement transfer member for transmitting rotary motion of the operating shaft to a rotary shaft of the bypass contact.

23. The diverter switch according to claim 22 , wherein said fifth movement transfer member comprises a Geneva mechanism.

24. The diverter switch according to claim 22 , wherein the operating member is arranged to operate also the main vacuum switch, the resistance vacuum switch, whereby the operating member comprises a third movement transfer member for transforming rotary motion of the operating shaft into operating motion for the main vacuum switch, and a fourth movement transfer member for transforming rotary motion of the operating shaft into operating motion for the resistance vacuum switch.

25. The diverter switch according to claim 24 , wherein said first movement transfer member, said second movement transfer member and said third movement transfer member are so arranged that rotation of the resistance contact occurs when the operating shaft has been rotated through a predetermined angle from a position when rotation of the main contact occurs, and rotation of the main contact occurs when the operating shaft has been rotated through a predetermined angle from a position when rotation of the bypass contact occurs.

26. The diverter switch according to claim 24 , wherein said first movement transfer member, said second movement transfer member, said third movement transfer member, said fourth movement transfer member and said fifth movement transfer member are arranged such that operation of the bypass contact, the main contact, the resistance contact, the main vacuum switch and the resistance vacuum switch, respectively, occurs in a predetermined sequence and at predetermined angles of the movement of the operating shaft.