Grounding fault circuit interrupter

• US 7,271,987 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suzhou Songbao Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Suzhou Songbao Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lin, Songling, Zhang, Kuiyang
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrera; Ramon M.
• Application Number:
  US11/395,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 335/6, 335/18, 335/21, 335/25, 335/26, 361 42- 50
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 73/20 Terminals; Connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 83/14 operated by imbalance of two or more currents or voltages, e.g. for differential protection

Abstract

A grounding fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), including a housing, a trip means, a pair of static contact pieces fixed on the housing, a pair of load contact pieces fixed on the housing, a pair of slide frames, a pair of movable contact pieces fixed on the slide frames respectively, which is resiliently movable, said trip means including a trip coil, a plunger provided in the trip coil, a trip spring abutted against the plunger, a balance frame, a latch, a reset pull rod, wherein said plunger is provided with an annular groove, the plunger movably connected to the latch through the annular groove, wherein the latch has an arc-shaped opening thereon and is movably provided on the balance frame, said balance frame having two wedge sides, the wedge sides in contact with the slide frames; wherein when the reset pull rod is connected with the latch, the static contact pieces are in contact with the movable contact pieces. The grounding fault circuit interrupter has a reverse wiring protection function, the receptacle inlet openings in the face portion of which will not be energized when it'"'"'s reverse wired.

Claims

1. A grounding fault circuit interrupter, including a housing, a trip means, and a control circuit, characterized in that it further comprises

a pair of static contact pieces fixed on the housing;

a pair of load contact pieces fixed on the housing;

a pair of slide frames;

a pair of movable contact pieces fixed on the slide frames respectively, which are resiliently movable and each has one end connected to conductive pieces through conductive strips, the conductive pieces welded on the circuit board respectively and passing through a sensing transformer and a neutral transformer, said pair of slide frames resiliently and movably mounted on a coil bracket;

wherein when the static contact pieces are in contact with the movable contact pieces, the static contact pieces are electrically connected to the load contact pieces; and

wherein when the static contact pieces are separated from the movable contact pieces, the static contact pieces are electrically disconnected from the load contact pieces.

2. The grounding fault circuit interrupter of claim 1, wherein the trip means comprises a trip coil, a plunger provided in the trip coil, a trip spring abutted against the plunger, a balance frame, a latch, a reset pull rod slidably provided in the balance frame, said plunger having an annular groove through which the plunger is able to slidably connect with the latch, said latch having an arc-shaped opening and slidably provided on the balance frame, said balance frame having two wedge sides, the wedge sides in contact with the slide frames;

wherein when the reset pull rod is connected with the latch, the static contact pieces are in contact with the movable contact pieces;

when the reset pull rod is separated from the latch, the static contact pieces are withdrawn contact with the movable contact pieces.

3. The grounding fault circuit interrupter of claim 2, wherein the reset pull rod has a lock groove, when the reset pull rod connects with the latch, the latch is lodged in the lock groove.

4. A grounding fault circuit interrupter, including a housing, a trip means, a pair of static contact pieces fixed on the housing, a pair of load contact pieces fixed on the housing, characterized in that the grounding fault circuit interrupter further comprises

a pair of slide frames;

a pair of movable contact pieces fixed on the slide frames respectively, which is resiliently movable;

said trip means including a trip coil, a plunger provided in the trip coil, a trip spring abutted against the plunger, a balance frame, a latch, a reset pull rod, said plunger provided with an annular groove through which the plunger is movably connected to the latch, wherein the latch has an arc-shaped opening and is movably provided on the balance frame, said balance frame having two wedge sides, the wedge sides in contact with the slide frames;

wherein when the reset pull rod is connected with the latch, the static contact pieces are in contact with the movable contact pieces; and

wherein when the reset pull rod is separated from the latch, the static contact pieces are withdrawn contact with the movable contact pieces.

5. The grounding fault circuit interrupter of claim 4, wherein the reset pull rod has a lock groove, and when the reset pull rod connects with the latch, the latch is lodged in the lock groove.

6. The grounding fault circuit interrupter of claim 4, wherein respective one ends of each said movable contact pieces are connected with conductive strips, and the conductive strips are connected with conductive pieces, and the conductive pieces are welded on the circuit board respectively, and the pair of slide frames are resiliently movable respective to the housing, wherein when the static contact pieces are in contact with the movable contact pieces, the static contact pieces are electrically connected with the load contact pieces;

and wherein when the static contact pieces are separated from the movable contact pieces, the static contact pieces are electrically disconnected from the load contact pieces.