Ground fault circuit interrupter with indicator lamp and protective circuit powered from hot bus bar of interrupting contacts

• US 6,856,498 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pass And Seymour Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Pass And Seymour Incorporated (Legrand SA)
• Inventors: Finlay, David A. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Benenson, Boris
• Application Number:
  US09/971,525
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 361 42- 45
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/04 with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/338 also responsive to wiring error, e.g. loss of neutral, break
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

An AC power line protection device which includes a protection circuit which guards against miswiring also has an indicator lamp which lights when the device is in the tripped condition and turns off when the device is reset. If the device is miswired after having been wired properly, the indicator lamp does not light when the device is tripped, and so provides a supplemental indication of miswiring. The protection circuit is powered from the hot line bus bar. The indicator lamp is also powered via the hot line bus bar of the interrupting contacts to meet safety standards.

Claims

1. A protection device connected between hot and neutral conductors of an AC power line, comprising:

a protective circuit including a breaker coil operatively associated with a set of interrupting contacts, wherein said interrupting contacts include a hot bus bar;

an indicator lamp circuit including an indicator lamp connected between said hot conductor on a line side of said interrupting contacts and said hot bus bar; and

said protective circuit is powered from said hot bus bar.

2. A protection device according to claim 1, wherein, when said protection device is properly wired to said AC power line, said indicator lamp lights when said interrupting contacts are opened by said protection device and said indicator lamp goes out when said protection device is reset and said interrupting contacts close.

3. A protection device according to claim 2, wherein said indicator lamp does not light when said interrupting contacts are opened by said protection device if said protection device is miswired even after having been properly wired to said AC power line.

4. A protection device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a switch element in said protective circuit connected to one end of said breaker coil; and

another end of said breaker coil connected to said hot bus bar.

5. A protection device according to claim 4, wherein said indicator lamp lights if said switch element in said protection device is shorted.

6. A protection device according to claim 1, wherein said indicator lamp circuit includes said indicator lamp connected in series with a resistance and a diode.

7. A protection device according to claim 1, wherein said indicator lamp does not light when said interrupting contacts are opened by said protection device if said protection device is miswired even after having been properly wired to said AC power line.

8. A protection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a switch element in said protective circuit connected to one end of said breaker coil; and

another end of said breaker coil connected to said hot bus bar.

9. A protection device according to claim 8, wherein said indicator lamp lights if said switch element in said protection device is shorted.

10. A protection device according to claim 8, wherein said interrupting contacts open if said switch element in said protection device is shorted while either said line side or a load side of said protection device is connected to AC power.

11. A protection device according to claim 8, wherein, when said breaker coil fails by creating an open circuit, said indicator lamp fails to illuminate under all conditions.

12. A protection device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one resistive element connected at one end to a line hot side of said protection device and connected at another end to a line neutral side of said protection device, such that connecting AC power to a load side of said protection device causes said interrupting contacts to open, and connecting AC power to a line side of said protective device permanently clears said at least one resistive element.

13. A protection device connected between hot and neutral conductors of an AC power line, comprising:

protective means for protecting a load side of said AC power line against a ground fault;

said protective means including a breaker coil operatively associated with a set of interrupting contacts, wherein said interrupting contacts include a hot bus bar;

indicator means for indicating a specified condition of said protection device;

said indicator means being connected between said hot conductor on a line side of said interrupting contacts and said hot bus bar; and

said protective means is powered from said hot bus bar.

14. A protection device according to claim 13, wherein said indicator means includes audible means for indicating said specified condition with a signal audible to a human.

15. A protection device according to claim 13, wherein said indicator means includes illumination means for indicating said specified condition with a signal visible to a human.

16. A protection device according to claim 13, further comprising:

first circuit means for preventing interrupting contacts in said protection device from closing when a load side of said protection device is improperly connected to a source of AC power; and

second circuit means for permitting said interrupting contacts to close when a line side of said protection device is properly connected to said source of AC power.

17. A method for protecting against miswiring a protection device connected between hot and neutral conductors of an AC power line, wherein said device includes an interrupter having two contacts on a hot bus bar connected respectively to line hot and load hot terminals and two contacts on a neutral bus bar connected respectively to line neutral and load neutral terminals, wherein said interrupter opens and closes to electrically disconnect and connect said load terminals, respectively, comprising the steps of:

operatively associating a breaker coil of a protective circuit with said interrupter;

connecting an indicator lamp circuit between said hot conductor on a line side of said interrupter and said hot bus bar; and

powering said protective circuit from said hot bus bar.

18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

lighting said indicator lamp when said protection device is properly wired to said AC power line and said interrupting contacts are opened by said protection device; and

extinguishing said indicator lamp when said protection device is properly wired to said AC power line, said protection device is reset, and said interrupting contacts close.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of not lighting said indicator lamp when said interrupting contacts are opened by said protection device if said protection device is miswired even after having been properly wired to said AC power line.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of connecting a switch element in said protective circuit to one end of said breaker coil, and another end of said breaker coil to said hot bus bar.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of lighting said indicator lamp if said switch element in said protection device is shorted.

22. A method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of connecting at least one resistive element at one end to a line hot side of said protection device and connecting at another end to a line neutral side of said protection device, such that connecting AC power to a load side of said protection device causes said interrupting contacts to open, and connecting AC power to a line side of said protective device permanently clears said at least one resistive element.

23. A method for protecting against miswiring a protection device, comprising the steps of:

protecting a load side of said AC power line against a ground fault via said protection device;

operatively associating a breaker coil with a set of interrupting contacts inside said protection device, wherein said interrupting contacts include a hot bus bar;

indicating a specified condition of said protection device with an indicator;

connecting said indicator between said hot conductor on a line side of said interrupting contacts and said hot bus bar; and

powering said protective device from said hot bus bar.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said step of indicating includes indicating said specified condition with a signal audible to a human.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein said step of indicating includes indicating said specified condition with a signal visible to a human.

26. A method according to claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

preventing said interrupting contacts in said protection device from remaining closed when a load side of said protection device is improperly connected to a source of AC power; and

permitting said interrupting contacts to remain closed when a line side of said protection device is properly connected to said source of AC power.