Abstract: This trip device comprises a permanent magnet of cobalt-rare earth material and a plunger which is normally held in a withdrawn position by the permanent magnet. A tripping coil surrounds the plunger and, upon energization, develops tripping flux that opposes the holding flux from the permanent magnet, thereby to effect release of the plunger. In a position between the tripping coil and the permanent magnet, flux-diverting structure of highly permeable magnetic material is provided for shunting a portion of the tripping flux through a shunt path bypassing the permanent magnet. This shunt path contains a relatively large non-magnetic gap for limiting the tripping flux through the shunt path sufficiently to cause 30 percent or more of the tripping flux to pass through the permanent magnet in a direction opposite to the direction of the holding flux.