CIRCUIT BREAKER DEVICE AND METHOD

A circuit breaker has line-side terminals and load-side terminals for conductors of a low-voltage circuit. A mechanical break contact system is connected to the line-side terminals for indirect-coupling of the low-voltage circuit, and the other end of the break contact system is connected to an electronic interruption unit which has, by use of semiconductor-based switching elements, a high-impedance state of the switching elements to prevent current from flowing and a low-impedance state of the switching elements to allow current to flow in the low-voltage circuit. The electronic interruption unit is connected to the load-side terminals at the other end. The mechanical break contact system can be manually actuated such that contacts of the mechanical break contact system can be manually closed to allow current to flow and be manually opened to interrupt the flow of current in the low-voltage circuit.