Ground fault electrical panel

• US 5,142,646 A
• Filed: 05/29/1991
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl Nachtigall
• Original Assignee: Carl Nachtigall
• Inventors: Nachtigall, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US07/707,332
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42, 361/46, 361/47, 361/49, 361/50
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/16 responsive to fault current to earth, frame or mass with balanced or differential arrangement H02H3/26 ; monitoring earth connection H02H5/105

Abstract

A circuit breaker panel system supplies power to plural circuits that are ground fault protected and plural circuits that are not ground fault protected. The panel system has two sections. One section, which is not ground fault protected, contains a ground fault circuit breaker that supplies power to the second section, so that the entire second section is ground fault protected.

Claims

1. A circuit breaker panel apparatus for supplying power to a plurality of first load circuits and plurality of a second load circuits, and for providing ground fault protection for the second load circuits, said apparatus comprising:

first circuit breaker panel means having main supply terminal means for connection to a single power supply line, for receiving line power and a plurality of first circuit breaker receptacles for receiving plural standard circuit breakers and a single ground fault circuit breaker for distributing the power to the first load circuits through respective standard circuit breakers and to a ground fault circuit breaker;

second circuit breaker panel means having second supply terminal means connected to the ground fault circuit breaker for receiving line power from the ground fault circuit breaker of the first panel means and a plurality of second circuit breaker receptacles for receiving plural standard circuit breakers for distributing the power from the ground fault circuit breaker to the second load circuits through respective standard circuit breakers whereby a ground fault in any of the second load circuits will trip the ground fault circuit breaker.

2. A panel apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first circuit breaker panel means includes a first neutral connector means for connection to a neutral conductor of the single power supply line and to a neutral line of each first load circuit.

3. A panel apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the second circuit breaker panel means includes a second neutral connector means for connection to a neutral line of each second load circuit, the second neutral connector means being electrically isolated from the first neutral connector means.

4. A panel apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the first circuit breaker panel means includes first ground connector means for connection to a ground line of each first load circuit.

5. A panel apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the second circuit breaker panel means includes second ground connector means for connection to a ground line of each second load circuit.

6. A panel apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the first and second ground means are electrically coupled.

7. A panel apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first and second circuit breaker panel means comprise independent sections of a common panel.

8. A panel apparatus according to claim 1 including alarm means connected to the ground fault circuit breaker for generating an alarm when the ground fault circuit breaker is tripped.

9. A circuit breaker panel apparatus for supplying electrical power to a plurality of first load circuits and a plurality of second load circuits, and for providing ground fault protection for the second load circuits, said panel apparatus comprising:

circuit breaker panel;

a plurality of first circuit breaker receptacles in the panel;

first bus means electrically connected to the first circuit breaker receptacles;

input means for connecting the first bus means to hot conductors of a power supply line;

first neutral connector means for connection to a neutral conductor of the power supply line and to neutral conductors of the first load circuits;

first circuit breakers mounted in respective ones of the first circuit breaker receptacles, connected to the first bus means and connectable to hot conductors of the respective first load circuits;

a ground fault circuit breaker mounted in a first circuit breaker receptacle and connected to the first bus means, the ground fault circuit breaker having a line neutral terminal, a load neutral terminal and load hot terminal means;

neutral connector means electrically connecting the line neutral terminal of the ground fault circuit breaker to the first neutral connector means;

a plurality of second circuit breaker receptacles in the panel;

second bus means electrically connected to the second circuit breaker receptacles;

ground fault load connector means connecting the second bus means to the hot load terminal means of the ground fault circuit breaker;

second neutral connector means, electrically isolated from the first neutral connector means for connection to the load neutral terminal of the ground fault circuit breaker and to neutral conductors of the second load circuits;

second circuit breakers mounted in respective ones of the second circuit breaker receptacles;

connected to the second bus means and connectable to hot conductors of the second load circuits; and

ground means for connection to ground conductors of the load circuits.

10. A panel apparatus according to claim 9 including alarm means connected to the ground fault circuit breaker for generating an alarm when the ground fault circuit breaker is tripped.