Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110115511 | ELECTRICAL DEVICE WITH MISWIRE PROTECTION AND AUTOMATED TESTING - The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes an actuator assembly that is responsive to the fault detection signal. The actuator assembly includes a breaker coil configured to generate an actuation force in response to being energized. A circuit interrupter includes four sets of movable contacts configured to be driven into a reset state in response to a reset stimulus, the four sets of movable contacts being configured to be driven into a tripped state in response to the actuation force. A self-test circuit is coupled to the plurality of line terminals or the at least one sensor. The self-test circuit is configured to automatically generate a test signal from time to time during a predetermined portion of an AC power line cycle. The self-test circuit is configured such that the test signal is sensed by the at least one sensor when the at least one sensor is operational, the sensor output signal being a function of the test signal. A monitor circuit is configured to monitor the fault detection circuit or the actuator assembly; the mechanical actuation force is substantially inhibited when the fault detection circuit or at least a portion of the actuator assembly properly respond to the test signal. The monitor circuit generates an end-of-life response if the fault detection circuit or the actuator assembly do not respond to the test signal within a predetermined period of time. | 05-19-2011 |
20110188160 | PROTECTIVE DEVICE HAVING A THIN CONSTRUCTION - The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes a housing having a front cover member having a front major surface. The front major surface includes at least one set of receptacle openings formed in at least one end thereof. The at least one set of receptacle openings is configured to accommodate at least one plug set including a ground prong, hot plug blade and neutral plug blade. The housing further comprises a front cover member, a back cover member, and an electrically isolating separator member disposed therebetween. The electrically isolating separator member includes at least one ground compartment configured to accommodate and electrically isolate the ground prong. A protective circuit assembly is at least partially disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) that is positioned in the back cover member such that a lower spatial region is formed between the PCB and the at least one ground compartment. The lower spatial region is within a lower plane substantially parallel to the back major surface. The protective circuit assembly includes an actuator assembly and a toroidal sensor having a central toroid aperture. The actuator assembly includes a solenoid coil operatively connected to a latch block assembly. The at least one ground compartment, the toroidal sensor and the solenoid coil are substantially aligned with a central longitudinal plane normal to the front major surface. An end portion of the actuator assembly is substantially adjacent a side wall of the at least one ground compartment and the central toroid aperture is substantially disposed in the lower plane such that a distance from the interior ground strap portion and the back major surface is less than or equal to a predetermined distance. | 08-04-2011 |
20110216451 | PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL SUPPLY FACILITY - The present invention is directed to a protective device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system between a source of electrical power and an electrical load. The electrical distribution system includes at least one line hot conductor, a line neutral conductor, and a line ground conductor. The line neutral conductor is connected to the line ground conductor at a termination point in the electrical distribution system. The electrical load includes at least one load hot conductor, a load neutral conductor, and a load ground conductor, the device comprises a conditioning circuit configured to monitor a differential current flowing through the plurality of line termination elements and configured to generate a conditioning signal in response thereto. The conditioning signal propagates in a path formed by the line neutral conductor and the line ground conductor to thereby reduce a differential current propagating in the at least one line hot conductor and the line neutral conductor. The conditioning circuit also is configured to neutralize a substantial portion of a current associated with a non-fault related electrical perturbation. | 09-08-2011 |
20110216452 | PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL SUPPLY FACILITY - The present invention is directed to an electrical device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system between a source of electrical power and an electrical load. The electrical distribution system includes at least one line hot conductor, a line neutral conductor, and a line ground conductor. The line neutral conductor and the line ground conductor are connected to earth ground at a termination point in the electrical distribution system. The electrical load includes at least one load hot conductor, a load neutral conductor, and a load ground conductor. The device comprises a power supply coupled to the power input mechanism. The power supply comprises at least one DC voltage output terminal and a reference terminal coupled to the line ground termination element. A voltage parameter detection circuit is configured to take a first voltage reading from a first termination element of the plurality of line termination elements and a second voltage reading from a second termination element of the plurality of line termination elements to derive at least one voltage parameter therefrom. The first voltage reading and the second voltage reading are referenced to the reference terminal. The circuit interrupter is driven into the tripped state if the at least one voltage parameter does not meet a predetermined condition, the voltage parameter detection circuit being operational when the reference terminal is not at an earth ground potential. | 09-08-2011 |
20110216453 | PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL SUPPLY FACILITY - The present invention is directed to an electrical device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system between a source of electrical power and an electrical load. The electrical distribution system includes at least one line hot conductor, a line neutral conductor, and a line ground conductor. The line neutral conductor is connected to the line ground conductor at a termination point in the electrical distribution system. The electrical load includes at least one load hot conductor, a load neutral conductor, and a load ground conductor. The device includes a grounding confirmation circuit that includes at least one signal generator that directs at least one test signal into a current path that includes at least the line ground conductor. The grounding confirmation circuit is configured to determine a ground continuity status of the current path based on at least one ground continuity measurement. The circuit interrupter is prevented from entering the reset state if the at least one ground continuity measurement does not meet a predefined quality threshold. The at least one ground continuity measurement being a function of the at least one electrical load parameter after the circuit interrupter is in the reset state. | 09-08-2011 |
20110261490 | PROTECTION DEVICE WITH A SANDWICHED CANTILEVER BREAKER MECHANISM - The present invention is directed to a protective electrical wiring device that includes a housing assembly having a plurality of receptacle terminals comprising hot user-accessible terminal structure and a neutral user-accessible terminal structure accessible via at least one user-accessible receptacle. A circuit interrupting assembly is coupled to a fault detection circuit. The circuit interrupting assembly is configured to establish electrical continuity between the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of load terminals and the plurality of receptacle terminals in a reset state and interrupt the electrical continuity in a tripped state. The circuit interrupting assembly includes at least one first circuit interrupter member and at least one second circuit interrupter member, the at least one first circuit interrupter member being configured to drive the at least one second circuit interrupter member into the reset state in response to a make force. The at least one first circuit interrupter member and the at least one second circuit interrupter member are counter-driven into the tripped state by a break force. At least one stop member is disposed in a substantially fixed position relative to the housing assembly. The at least one stop member is configured to limit the movement of the at least one second circuit interrupter member such that a gap between the at least one first circuit interrupter member and the at least one second circuit interrupter member is substantially equal to a predetermined distance in the tripped state. | 10-27-2011 |
20120154972 | ELECTRICAL WIRING DEVICE WITH PROTECTIVE FEATURES - The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device for use in an electrical distribution system. The device includes a plurality of line terminals configured to terminate the plurality of line conductors and a plurality of load terminals configured to terminate the plurality of load conductors. The protective circuit assembly includes at least one fault detector configured to generate a fault detection signal based on electrical perturbations propagating on at least one of the plurality of line terminals or at least one of the plurality of load terminals. A device integrity evaluation circuit includes a timing circuit coupled to the source of AC power by way of the plurality of load terminals and configured to generate a time measurement. The device integrity evaluation circuit is configured to reset the time measurement if the protective circuit assembly generates the fault detection signal during a predetermined test interval in the properly wired condition. The device integrity evaluation circuit is configured to generate a device integrity fault signal when the time measurement exceeds a predetermined threshold. A circuit interrupter assembly includes movable contacts configured to be latched into a reset state in response to a reset stimulus. The movable contacts are configured to be driven into a tripped state in response to the fault detection signal or the device integrity fault signal. | 06-21-2012 |
20120188668 | PROTECTION DEVICE WITH A SANDWICHED CANTILEVER BREAKER MECHANISM - The present invention is directed to a protective electrical wiring device that includes a circuit assembly that has a fault detection circuit coupled to the plurality of line terminals, the fault detection circuit being configured to detect perturbations corresponding to a fault condition or a simulated fault condition, the fault detection circuit being configured to provide a fault detection signal in response to detecting the perturbations corresponding to the fault condition or the simulated fault condition. An interrupting contact assembly is coupled to the fault detection circuit, the interrupting contact assembly including a contact assembly configured to provide electrical continuity between the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of feed-through load terminals, and the plurality of receptacle load terminals in a reset state, and interrupt the electrical continuity in a tripped state in response to the fault detection signal, the contact assembly including a hot contact mechanism and a neutral contact mechanism configured to move in unison between the reset state and the tripped state, the hot contact mechanism including a first hot contact disposed at an end portion of a first hot arm, a second hot contact disposed at an end portion of a second hot arm, and a third hot contact disposed at an end portion of a third hot arm, the neutral contact mechanism including a first neutral contact disposed at an end portion of a first neutral arm, a second neutral contact disposed at an end portion of a second neutral arm, and a third neutral contact disposed at an end portion of a third neutral arm. | 07-26-2012 |
20130057990 | ELECTRICAL DEVICE WITH MISWIRE PROTECTION AND AUTOMATED TESTING - The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes a plurality of line terminals configured to be coupled to a source of AC power, a plurality of feed-through load terminals, and at least one set of receptacle load terminals configured to provide the AC power to a user load via an AC power plug. A circuit interrupter assembly includes a plurality of movable interconnection members. Each movable interconnection member includes a first interconnecting contact disposed on a first side thereof and a second interconnecting contact disposed on a second side thereof. The first interconnecting contact and the second interconnecting contact are offset from one another in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction of movement. The movable interconnection members are movable in the direction of movement between a reset position wherein the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of feed-through load terminals and the at least one set of receptacle load terminals are electrically connected, and a tripped position wherein the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of feed-through load terminals and the at least one set of receptacle load terminals are electrically disconnected. | 03-07-2013 |
20130250459 | PROTECTION DEVICE WITH A SANDWICHED CANTILEVER BREAKER MECHANISM - The present invention is directed to a protective electrical wiring device that includes at least one first stop member disposed proximate at least one first conductor. The at least one first stop member is configured to limit the movement of the at least one first conductor when the circuit interrupting assembly moves between the reset position and the tripped position such that a gap is established between the plurality of circuit interrupting contacts in the tripped state, the gap being substantially greater than or equal to a predetermined distance. | 09-26-2013 |
20130293990 | PROTECTIVE DEVICE WITH AUTOMATED SELF TEST - The present invention is directed to a circuit interrupting device including an actuator that provides an actuator stimulus upon the occurrence of the fault actuation signal. A circuit interrupter is positioned to electrically disconnect the first, second and third electrical conductors from each other upon the occurrence of the actuator stimulus. An automated test circuit is coupled to the circuit interrupting assembly. The automated test circuit is configured to automatically produce the simulated fault condition during a predetermined portion of an AC line cycle to determine whether the fault detection assembly is operational such that the fault detection assembly provides a fault detection signal without the circuit interrupter electrically disconnecting the first, second and third electrical conductors from each other. The automated test circuit is further configured to provide a device failure mode signal such that a plurality of the first, second or third electrical conductors are disconnected from each other if the fault detection signal is not detected within a predetermined time frame. | 11-07-2013 |
20130301169 | PROTECTIVE DEVICE HAVING A THIN CONSTRUCTION - The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes a front cover assembly having a front major surface. The front major surface includes a button disposed between first and second sets of receptacle openings. A test circuit is coupled to the button, and the button is coupled to an elongated switch actuator. The elongated switch actuator includes a first switch contact and a second switch contact which contact a first test circuit portion and a second test circuit portion in the switch closed position. The first switch contact contacts a first test circuit portion and the second switch contact contacts a second test circuit portion in the switch closed position, the first switch contact and the first test circuit portion forming a first air gap and the second switch contact and the second test circuit portion forming a second air gap in the switch open position. | 11-14-2013 |
20130335866 | Electrical Wiring Device - The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes a detection assembly coupled to a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals, the detection assembly being configured to detect a wiring state associated with the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals. The detection assembly includes a primary wiring state detection circuit coupled to the plurality of line terminals, and a secondary wiring state detection circuit coupled to the plurality of load terminals. | 12-19-2013 |
20140254050 | PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL SUPPLY FACILITY - The present invention is directed to a protective device configured to be coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load. A ground continuity monitor is coupled to the ground conductor, the ground continuity monitor being configured to detect a ground discontinuity condition in the ground conductor. A circuit interrupter mechanism is configured to interrupt electrical continuity in a tripped state and establish electrical continuity in a reset state. A self-test circuit is coupled to the ground continuity monitor and configured to perform a simulated ground continuity test that simulates the ground discontinuity condition. The self-test circuit provides a test failure signal when the ground continuity monitor fails to provide an output signal in response to the simulated ground continuity test. The test failure signal is configured to trip the circuit interrupter mechanism. | 09-11-2014 |
20150043109 | Electrical Wiring Device With Protective Features - The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes an automatic test circuit configured to commence an automatic test at a predetermined time such that a test current propagates on a test conductor. The sensor assembly provides a sensor test output responsive to the test current only if both the differential transformer and the grounded neutral transformer are operative. A fault detector circuit is configured to generate a test detection signal in response to the sensor test output only if the fault detector circuit is operable and the at least one power supply is substantially charged. A device integrity evaluation circuit includes a timer that effects a tripped state when a time measurement exceeds a threshold, the test detection signal resetting the time measurement when properly wired before the time measurement exceeds the predetermined threshold but does not reset the time measurement when miswired. | 02-12-2015 |