Protective electrical wiring device and system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A protective wiring device comprising:
- a housing including a front cover member having a user-accessible front major surface and a back cover member having a back major surface arranged substantially in parallel with the front major surface, the user-accessible front major surface including at least one set of plug blade apertures configured to accept a set of plug blades from a corded plug, the back cover member including a power input receptacle formed at a first housing end, the power input receptacle being configured to receive a power input plug configured to be coupled to a source of AC power;
a set of receptacle terminals disposed within the front cover member, the set of receptacle terminals including a set of receptacle contacts that are accessible via the at least one set of plug blade apertures;
a power input assembly including a set of power input contacts disposed in the back cover member within the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being configured to mate with the power input plug when the power input plug is inserted into the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being connected to a plurality of conductive paths, the plurality of conductive paths being coupled to the set of receptacle terminals in a reset state and decoupled from the set of receptacle terminals in a tripped state; and
a protective electrical circuit assembly including a toroidal sensor assembly coupled to the power input assembly, the protective electrical assembly further including a printed circuit board disposed adjacent the set of power input contacts in a plane substantially parallel to the back major surface, the printed circuit board including a fault detection circuit, a solenoid assembly, and at least a portion of a circuit interrupter mounted thereon, the set of power input contacts, the solenoid assembly and the toroidal sensor assembly being arranged within a plane disposed between the printed circuit board and the set of receptacle terminals.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring system that includes a plug device having a plurality of wires configured to be connected to an electrical distribution circuit. An electrical wiring device includes an input receptacle and at least one electrical element. The input receptacle is configured to receive the plug device to thereby establish electrically a continuous path between the at least one electrical element and the plurality of wires when the plug device is inserted into the input receptacle, the electrical wiring device including no external terminal connection elements.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A protective wiring device comprising:
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a housing including a front cover member having a user-accessible front major surface and a back cover member having a back major surface arranged substantially in parallel with the front major surface, the user-accessible front major surface including at least one set of plug blade apertures configured to accept a set of plug blades from a corded plug, the back cover member including a power input receptacle formed at a first housing end, the power input receptacle being configured to receive a power input plug configured to be coupled to a source of AC power; a set of receptacle terminals disposed within the front cover member, the set of receptacle terminals including a set of receptacle contacts that are accessible via the at least one set of plug blade apertures; a power input assembly including a set of power input contacts disposed in the back cover member within the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being configured to mate with the power input plug when the power input plug is inserted into the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being connected to a plurality of conductive paths, the plurality of conductive paths being coupled to the set of receptacle terminals in a reset state and decoupled from the set of receptacle terminals in a tripped state; and a protective electrical circuit assembly including a toroidal sensor assembly coupled to the power input assembly, the protective electrical assembly further including a printed circuit board disposed adjacent the set of power input contacts in a plane substantially parallel to the back major surface, the printed circuit board including a fault detection circuit, a solenoid assembly, and at least a portion of a circuit interrupter mounted thereon, the set of power input contacts, the solenoid assembly and the toroidal sensor assembly being arranged within a plane disposed between the printed circuit board and the set of receptacle terminals. - 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)
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24. A protective wiring device comprising:
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a housing including a front cover member having a front major surface and a back cover member having a back major surface arranged substantially in parallel with the front major surface, the housing further including an electrically isolating separator member disposed between the front cover member and the back cover member such that a front interior region is formed between the front cover member and the electrically isolating separator member and a rear interior region is formed between the back cover member and the electrically isolating member, the front major surface including at least one set of plug blade apertures configured to accept a set of plug blades from a corded plug, the back cover member including a power input receptacle formed at a first housing end, the power input receptacle being configured to receive a power input plug configured to be coupled to a source of AC power such that the protective wiring device includes no external terminal connection elements; a set of receptacle terminals disposed in the electrically isolating separator member within the first interior region, the set of receptacle terminals including a set of receptacle contacts that are accessible via the at least one set of plug blade apertures; a power input assembly including a set of power input contacts disposed in the rear interior region within the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being configured to mate with the power input plug when the power input plug is inserted into the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being connected to a plurality of conductive paths, the plurality of conductive paths being coupled to the set of receptacle terminals in a reset state and decoupled from the set of receptacle terminals in a tripped state; a protective electrical assembly substantially disposed in the rear interior region and coupled to the power input assembly, the protective electrical assembly including a toroidal sensor assembly, a fault detection circuit, a solenoid assembly, and a circuit interrupter, the toroidal sensor assembly and the solenoid assembly being disposed in the rear interior region portion at a second housing end opposite the first housing end, the circuit interrupter being configured to effect the tripped state in response to a fault detect signal provided by the fault detection circuit; and a reset button assembly including a user accessible reset button disposed in the front cover and a reset mechanism coupled to the circuit interrupter, the reset button assembly being configured to effect the reset state in response to a user stimulus, the reset mechanism being disposed between the set of power input contacts, and the toroidal sensor assembly and the solenoid assembly. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An electrical wiring system for use in an electrical distribution system including at least one electric circuit, the at least one electric circuit including a plurality of electric power transmitting wires disposed between an electric power distribution point and a device box disposed at an electrical device location, the device box having a wiring ingress aperture, an interior device box volume and an open side, the plurality of electric power transmitting wires being routed through the wiring ingress aperture and accessible at the open side after a rough-in phase of installation, the system comprising:
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a power input plug assembly including a plurality of plug connector contacts disposed within a power input plug housing, the power input plug assembly including a termination interface configured to terminate the plurality of electrical power transmitting wires such that electrical continuity is established between the plurality of plug connector contacts and the electric power distribution point; and a protective wiring device comprising, a housing including a front cover member having a front major surface and a back cover member having a back major surface arranged substantially in parallel with the front major surface, the front major surface including at least one set of plug blade apertures configured to accept a set of plug blades from a corded plug, the back cover member including a power input receptacle formed at a first housing end, the power input receptacle being configured to receive the power input plug housing configured to be coupled to a source of AC power such that the protective wiring device includes no external terminal connection elements, a set of receptacle terminals disposed within the front cover member, the set of receptacle terminals including a set of receptacle contacts that are accessible via the at least one set of plug blade apertures, a power input assembly including a set of power input contacts disposed in the back cover member within the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being configured to be coupled to the plurality of plug connector contacts when the power input plug housing is inserted into the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being further connected to a plurality of conductive paths, the plurality of conductive paths being coupled to the set of receptacle terminals in a reset state and decoupled from the set of receptacle terminals in a tripped state, and a protective electrical circuit assembly including a toroidal sensor assembly coupled to the power input assembly, the protective electrical assembly further including a printed circuit board disposed adjacent the set of power input contacts in a plane substantially parallel to the back major surface, the printed circuit board including a fault detection circuit, a solenoid assembly, and at least a portion of a circuit interrupter mounted thereon, the set of power input contacts, the solenoid assembly and the toroidal sensor assembly being arranged within a plane disposed between the printed circuit board and the set of receptacle terminals. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for installing an electrical wiring device within an electrical distribution circuit, the electrical distribution circuit including a plurality of electrical conductors coupled to a source of electrical power, the method comprising:
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providing a power input plug including a plurality of conductive elements; providing a protective wiring device comprising, a housing including a front cover member having a front major surface and a back cover member having a back major surface arranged substantially in parallel with the front major surface, the front major surface including at least one set of plug blade apertures configured to accept a set of plug blades from a corded plug, the back cover including a power input receptacle formed at a first housing end, the power input receptacle being configured to receive the power input plug, a set of receptacle terminals disposed within the front cover member, the set of receptacle terminals including a set of receptacle contacts that are accessible via the at least one set of plug blade apertures, a power input assembly including a set of power input contacts disposed in the back cover member within the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being configured to mate with the power input plug when the power input plug is inserted into the power input receptacle, the set of power input contacts being connected to a plurality of conductive paths, the plurality of conductive paths being coupled to the set of receptacle terminals in a reset state and decoupled from the set of receptacle terminals in a tripped state, and a protective electrical circuit assembly including a toroidal sensor assembly coupled to the power input assembly, the protective electrical assembly further including a printed circuit board disposed adjacent the set of power input contacts in a plane substantially parallel to the back major surface, the printed circuit board including a fault detection circuit, a solenoid assembly, and at least a portion of a circuit interrupter mounted thereon, the set of power input contacts, the solenoid assembly and the toroidal sensor assembly being arranged within a plane disposed between the printed circuit board and the set of receptacle terminals; connecting the plurality of conductive elements to the plurality of electrical conductors; and inserting the power input plug into the power input receptacle to establish electrical continuity between the plurality of conductive paths and the plurality of conductive elements. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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Specification