Ground fault interrupter wiring device with improved moveable contact system
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A ground fault interrupter (gfi) wiring device for connection in an electrical circuit, said device comprising:
- a) housing means defining an enclosed space;
b) at least one pair of electrical terminals fixedly supported in spaced relation within said enclosed space;
c) a unitary, electrically conducting member carrying a pair of spaced electrical contacts;
d) mounting means for said conducting member to permit movement thereof between a first position, wherein said pair of contacts are in respective, circuit-making engagement with said pair of terminals, and a second position, wherein both of said pair of contacts are in spaced, circuit-breaking relation to said pair of terminals;
e) biasing means urging said conducting member toward movement to said second position;
f) latching means releasably retaining said conducting member in said first position; and
g) actuating means for releasing said latching means to permit said biasing means to move said conducting member to said second position in response to a predetermined fault condition in said electrical circuit.
1 Assignment
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A ground fault interrupter (gfi) wiring device in the form of a duplex wall receptacle. A pair of electrically conducting members in the form of small buss bars each carry two, spaced contacts. The buss bars are moveable to bring their respective contacts into and out of engagement with fixed contacts on the hot and neutral terminals on the line and load sides of the receptacle. The buss bars are biased toward movement to the circuit-breaking position by respective coil springs extending through openings in a separator member dividing the interior of the receptacle housing into front and rear compartments. One end of each spring rests upon a respective buss bar and the other end is contacted by an integral portion of the front housing section, the springs being compressed to apply a biasing force to the buss bars only upon placing the front housing section in mating engagement with the rear section. The support means for the buss bars permits pivotal movement of the latter to ensure good engagement with the fixed contacts. The line terminals and a separator element within the device housing permits mounting of the terminals with the female contact for receiving a plug blade and the fixed contact in upper and lower compartments defined by the separator.
190 Citations
41 Claims
-
1. A ground fault interrupter (gfi) wiring device for connection in an electrical circuit, said device comprising:
-
a) housing means defining an enclosed space; b) at least one pair of electrical terminals fixedly supported in spaced relation within said enclosed space; c) a unitary, electrically conducting member carrying a pair of spaced electrical contacts; d) mounting means for said conducting member to permit movement thereof between a first position, wherein said pair of contacts are in respective, circuit-making engagement with said pair of terminals, and a second position, wherein both of said pair of contacts are in spaced, circuit-breaking relation to said pair of terminals; e) biasing means urging said conducting member toward movement to said second position; f) latching means releasably retaining said conducting member in said first position; and g) actuating means for releasing said latching means to permit said biasing means to move said conducting member to said second position in response to a predetermined fault condition in said electrical circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A ground fault interrupter (gfi) wiring device comprising:
-
a) front and rear housing sections defining an enclosed space; b) a hot load terminal and a hot line terminal in respective electrical communication with first and second contacts fixedly positioned in spaced relation within said enclosed space; c) a neutral load terminal and a neutral line terminal in respective electrical communication with third and fourth contacts fixedly positioned in spaced relation within said enclosed space; d) a first and a second electrically conducting member, said first member carrying spaced, fifth and sixth contacts and said second member carrying spaced, seventh and eighth contacts; e) a moveable member carrying both said first and second conducting members for concurrent movement thereof between a first position, wherein said fifth and sixth contacts are in respective engagement with said first and second contacts and said seventh and eighth contacts are in respective engagement with said third and fourth contacts, and a second position, wherein said fifth and sixth contacts are in spaced relation to said first and second contacts and said seventh and eighth contacts are in spaced relation to said third and fourth contacts; f) biasing means urging said moveable member toward movement to said second position; g) latching means for releasably retaining said moveable member in said first position against the force of said biasing means; and h) actuating means for releasing said latching means and permitting movement of said moveable member to said second position in response to imbalance of current flow through said hot and said neutral terminals. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A ground fault interrupter (gfi) wiring device comprising:
-
a) housing means of dielectric material defining an enclosed space; b) a first pair of electrical contacts fixedly positioned within said enclosed space; c) a second pair of electrical contacts positioned within said enclosed space for movement between a first position wherein said second pair of contacts are in respective, circuit-making engagement with said first pair of contacts, and a second position, wherein said second pair of contacts are in spaced, circuit-breaking relation to said first pair of contacts; d) latching means for releasably holding said second pair of contacts in said first position thereof; e) actuating means for releasing said latching means to permit movement of said second pair of contacts to said second position thereof; and f) first and second, independent, substantially identical, coil spring members each compressible within said enclosed space to provide biasing forces independently moving respective ones of said second pair of contacts to said second position upon release of said latching means, each of said coil springs having a first end abutting a fixed portion of said device, a second end moveable with said second set of contacts, and a central axis, said springs being mounted with said central axes laterally spaced and substantially parallel to one another. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
-
26. A ground fault interrupter (gfi) wiring device for connection to hot and neutral lines of an electrical circuit, said device comprising:
-
a) first and second housing sections of dielectric material relatively moveable to predetermined, mating relation to define an enclosed space; b) at least one first pair of electrical contacts fixedly mounted within said enclosed space; c) at least one second pair of electrical contacts mounted within said enclosed space for movement between a first position, in respective, circuit-making engagement with said first contacts, and a second position, in spaced, circuit-breaking relation to said first contacts; d) spring means compressible to apply a biasing force urging said second contacts toward said second position; e) latch means for releasably holding said second contacts in said first position; f) actuating means for releasing said latch means to permit said spring means to move said second contacts to said second position in response to an imbalance of current flow through said hot and neutral lines; g) said spring means being positioned in assembled relation, in an uncompressed condition, with said second contacts within said first housing section prior to relative movement of said first and second housing sections to said mating relation; and h) at least one structural portion of said second housing section engaging and at least partially compressing said spring means upon movement of said housing sections to said mating relation. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A ground fault interrupter (gfi) wiring device for connection in an electrical circuit, said device comprising:
-
a) housing means defining an enclosed space; b) at least one pair of electrical terminals fixedly supported in spaced relation within said enclosed space; c) a unitary, elongated, electrically conducting member having opposite surfaces and carrying on one of said surfaces a pair of electrical contacts spaced from one another along the axis of elongation of said member; d) support means of dielectric material contacting said conducting member on the other of said surfaces at a position intermediate of the positions of said pair of contacts to permit pivoting movement of said conducting member upon said support means; and e) means for conjointly moving said support means and said conducting member in a path substantially perpendicular to said axis between first and second positions wherein each of said pair of contacts is in contacting and spaced relation, respectively, with said pair of terminals. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 40)
-
-
39. A ground fault interrupter (gfi) wiring device for connection in an electrical circuit, said device comprising:
-
a) housing means defining an enclosed space and having a plurality of apertures through which blades of an electrical plug may be inserted into said enclosed space; b) a separator element of dielectric material dividing said space into an upper compartment, into which said plug blades are inserted, and a lower compartment; c) an electrically conducting terminal having a female contact on a first portion for receiving one of said plug blades, and a fixed contact on a second portion thereof; d) means for mounting said terminal upon said separator element with said first and second portions of said terminal in said upper and lower compartments, respectively; and e) a moveable contact within said lower compartment for movement into and out of circuit-making and circuit-breaking positions, respectively, with said fixed contact. - View Dependent Claims (41)
-
Specification