Protection device with a sandwiched cantilever breaker mechanism
First Claim
1. An electrical wiring device comprisinga plurality of line terminals;
- a plurality of load terminals;
a plurality of receptacle load terminals;
a circuit interrupter coupled to the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals, the circuit interrupter including a latch mechanism configured to electrically couple the plurality of line terminals to the plurality of load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals in a reset state and decouple at least one line terminal of the plurality of line terminals, at least one load terminal of the plurality of load terminals, and at least one receptacle load terminal of the plurality of receptacle load terminals in a tripped state such that there is no electrical continuity between any of the at least one line terminal, the at least one load terminal and the at least one receptacle load terminal; and
a reset assembly coupled to the latch mechanism, the reset assembly including a reset button assembly configured to engage the latch mechanism to thereby close a line contact coupled to the at least one line terminal, a load contact coupled to the at least one load terminal and a receptacle load contact coupled to the at least one receptacle load terminal to thereby drive the circuit interrupter from the tripped state into the reset state by applying one make force (M) to one of either the line contact, the load contact or the receptacle load contact such that the line contact, the load contact and the receptacle load contact are closed and in the reset state.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring device that includes a plurality of line terminals, a plurality of load terminals, and a plurality of receptacle load terminals. A circuit interrupter is coupled to the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals. The circuit interrupter includes a latch mechanism configured to electrically couple the plurality of line terminals to the plurality of load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals in a reset state and decouple at least one of the plurality of line terminals from at least one of the plurality of load terminals and at least one of the plurality of receptacle load terminals from each other in a tripped state. A reset assembly is coupled to the latch mechanism. The reset assembly includes a substantially non-metallic reset button assembly configured to engage the latch mechanism to thereby drive the circuit interrupter from the tripped state into the reset state.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An electrical wiring device comprising
a plurality of line terminals; -
a plurality of load terminals; a plurality of receptacle load terminals; a circuit interrupter coupled to the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals, the circuit interrupter including a latch mechanism configured to electrically couple the plurality of line terminals to the plurality of load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals in a reset state and decouple at least one line terminal of the plurality of line terminals, at least one load terminal of the plurality of load terminals, and at least one receptacle load terminal of the plurality of receptacle load terminals in a tripped state such that there is no electrical continuity between any of the at least one line terminal, the at least one load terminal and the at least one receptacle load terminal; and a reset assembly coupled to the latch mechanism, the reset assembly including a reset button assembly configured to engage the latch mechanism to thereby close a line contact coupled to the at least one line terminal, a load contact coupled to the at least one load terminal and a receptacle load contact coupled to the at least one receptacle load terminal to thereby drive the circuit interrupter from the tripped state into the reset state by applying one make force (M) to one of either the line contact, the load contact or the receptacle load contact such that the line contact, the load contact and the receptacle load contact are closed and in the reset state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An electrical wiring device comprising
a hot line conductor and a hot load conductor; -
a neutral line conductor and a neutral load conductor; a hot receptacle load conductor and a neutral receptacle load conductor; a circuit interrupter including a hot contact structure having a hot line contact coupled to the hot line conductor, a hot load contact coupled to the hot load conductor, and a hot receptacle contact coupled to the hot receptacle load conductor, the hot contact structure being closed when the hot line contact, the hot load contact and the hot receptacle contact are coupled and electrically continuous, the hot contact structure being open when the hot line contact, the hot load contact and the hot receptacle contact are completely decoupled and electrically discontinuous, the circuit interrupter also including a neutral contact structure having a neutral line contact coupled to the neutral line conductor, a neutral load contact coupled to the neutral load conductor, and a neutral receptacle contact coupled to the neutral receptacle load conductor, the neutral contact structure being closed when the neutral line contact, the neutral load contact and the neutral receptacle contact are coupled and electrically continuous, the neutral contact structure being open when the neutral line contact, the neutral load contact and the neutral receptacle contact are completely decoupled and electrically discontinuous, each of the hot contact structure and the neutral contact structure being opened in a tripped state in response to at least two (2) break forces, one break force being the force required to open a pair of contacts; a latch mechanism configured to apply one (1) make force to close each of the hot contact structure and the neutral contact structure to drive the circuit interrupter from the tripped state to the reset state, the one make force being applied to one of either the hot line contact, the hot load contact or the hot receptacle load contact such that the hot line contact, the hot load contact and the hot receptacle load contact are closed such that the hot contact structure is in the reset state, the one make force also being applied to one of either the neutral line contact, the neutral load contact or the neutral receptacle load contact such that the neutral line contact, the neutral load contact and the neutral receptacle load contact are closed such that the neutral contact structure is in the reset state; and a reset assembly coupled to the latch mechanism, the reset assembly engaging the latch mechanism to drive the circuit interrupter from the tripped state into the reset state. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification