Circuit interrupting system with independent trip and reset lockout

• US 6,282,070 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Ziegler, William R., DiSalvo, Nicholas L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leja, Ronald W.
• Application Number:
  US09/369,759
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42-50, 335/18, 335/21, 335/24, 335/25, 335/26
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2083/045 Auxiliary switch opening testing circuit in synchronism with the main circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2083/201 the other abnormal electrical condition being an arc fault
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/524 the contact arm being pivoted on handle and mechanism spring acting between cradle and contact arm
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/62 with means for preventing resetting while abnormal condition persists, e.g. loose handle arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 83/04 with testing means for indicating the ability of the switch or relay to function properly
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0015 Using arc detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/338 also responsive to wiring error, e.g. loss of neutral, break
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 5/083 responsive to the entry or leakage of a liquid into an electrical appliance moisture alarm G08B21/20

Abstract

Resettable circuit interrupting devices, such as GFCI devices, that include an independent trip mechanism and a reset lockout mechanism are provided. The trip mechanism operates independently of a circuit interrupting mechanism used to break the connection, and the reset lockout mechanism prevents the resetting of electrical connections between input and output conductors if the circuit interrupting mechanism is non-operational or if an open neutral condition exists.

Claims

1. A circuit interrupting device comprising:

a housing;

at least one input conductor disposed at least partially within said housing and capable of being electrically connected to a source of electricity;

at least one output conductor disposed within said housing and capable of conducting electrical current to a load when electrically connected to said at least one input conductor;

a circuit interrupting mechanism disposed within said housing and configured to break said electrical connection between said input and output conductors in response to the occurrence of a predetermined condition;

a reset lockout responsive to the occurrence of said predetermined condition such that said reset lockout is operable between a lockout position wherein said reset lockout inhibits resetting of said electrical connection between said input and output conductors and a reset position wherein said reset lockout does not inhibit resetting of said electrical connection between said input and output conductors;

a reset mechanism operatively associated with said reset lockout and said circuit interrupting mechanism such that activation of said reset mechanism activates said circuit interrupting mechanism which facilitates movement of said reset lockout from said lockout position to said reset position by said reset mechanism; and

a trip mechanism disposed within said housing and accessible from an exterior surface of said housing, said trip mechanism being operable between a trip state where the electrical connection between said input and output conductors is broken and a set state where the electrical connection between said input and output conductors is capable of being made.

2. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 1, wherein said trip mechanism comprises a trip actuator accessible from an exterior of said housing and a trip arm extending from said trip actuator, said trip arm being configured to facilitate mechanical breaking of electrical continuity between said input and output conductors upon actuation of said trip actuator.

3. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 2, wherein said trip actuator comprises a button.

4. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 1, wherein said circuit interrupting mechanism comprises a circuit interrupter that makes and breaks the electrical connections between said input and output conductors and sensing circuitry capable of sensing said predetermined condition.

5. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 4, wherein said circuit interrupter comprises a coil assembly, a movable plunger responsive to energizing of said coil assembly and a banger attached to said plunger such that movement of said plunger is translated to movement of said banger, and wherein movement of said banger causes said reset lockout to operate in said lockout position or said reset position.

6. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 5, wherein at least one input conductor has an electrical contact attached thereto and at least one output conductor has an electrical contact attached thereto, and at least one of said input and output conductors is movable relative to the other such that said electrical connection is made when said input and output contacts are closed.

7. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 6, wherein when said reset lockout is in said lockout position said contacts are inhibited from closing.

8. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 4, wherein said reset mechanism comprises:

a reset button operatively coupled to said reset lockout; and

a reset contact electrically connected to said sensing circuitry, such that depression of said reset button causes one of said input or output conductors to contact said reset contact and activate said circuit interrupting mechanism to break an electrical connection between said input and output conductors.

9. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined condition comprises a ground fault, an arc fault, an appliance leakage fault or an immersion fault.

10. A circuit interrupting device comprising:

a housing;

at least one input conductor disposed at least partially within said housing and capable of being electrically connected to a source of electricity;

at least one output conductor disposed within said housing an capable of conducting electrical current to a load when electrically connected to said at least one input conductor;

a circuit interrupter disposed within said housing and configured to break said electrical connection between said input and output conductors in response to the occurrence of a predetermined condition;

a reset mechanism having a reset lockout responsive to activation of said circuit interrupter so as to be movable between a lockout position wherein said reset lockout inhibits resetting of said electrical connection between said input and output conductors and a reset position wherein said reset lockout does not inhibit resetting of said electrical connection between said input and output conductors, wherein when said reset mechanism is activated said circuit interrupter is activated to facilitate movement of said reset lockout from said lockout position to said reset position by said reset mechanism and resets said electrical connection between said input and output conductors; and

a trip mechanism disposed within said housing and accessible from an exterior surface of said housing, said trip mechanism being operable between a trip state where the electrical connection between said at least one input conductor and said at least one output conductor is broken and a set state where the electrical connection between said at least one input conductor and said at least one output conductor is capable of being made.

11. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 10, wherein said trip mechanism comprises a trip actuator accessible from an exterior of said housing and a trip arm extending from said trip actuator, said trip arm being configured to facilitate mechanical breaking of the electrical connection between said at least one input conductor and said at least one output conductor upon actuation of said trip actuator.

12. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 11, wherein said trip actuator comprises a button.

13. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 10, wherein said circuit interrupter comprises a circuit interrupting mechanism that makes and breaks electrical connections between said input and output conductors and sensing circuitry capable of sensing said predetermined condition.

14. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 13, wherein said circuit interrupter comprises a coil assembly, a movable plunger responsive to energizing of said coil assembly and a banger attached to said plunger such that movement of said plunger is translated to movement of said banger and movement of said banger causes said reset lockout to operate in said lockout position or said reset position.

15. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 10, wherein at least one input conductor has an electrical contact attached thereto and at least one output conductor has an electrical contact attached thereto, and at least one of said input and output conductors is movable relative to the other such that said electrical connection is made when said input and output contacts are closed.

16. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 15, wherein said trip mechanism causes mechanical breaking of said input and output contacts.

17. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 15, wherein when said reset lockout is in said lockout position said contacts are inhibited from closing.

18. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 10, wherein said reset mechanism comprises:

a reset button operatively coupled to said reset lockout; and

at least one reset contact electrically connected to a sensing circuitry, such that depression of said reset button causes one of said at least one input or output conductors to contact said reset contact and activate said circuit interrupter to break said electrical connection.

19. A circuit interrupting device comprising:

housing means;

input conductor means disposed at least partially within said housing means and capable of being electrically connected to a source of electricity;

output conductor means disposed at least partially within said housing means and capable of conducting electrical current to a load when electrically connected to said input conductor means;

circuit interrupting means disposed within said housing means for breaking said electrical connection between said input and output conductor means in response to the occurrence of a predetermined condition;

reset lockout means movable between a lockout position and a reset position and responsive to activation of said circuit interrupting means for inhibiting resetting of said electrical connection between said input and output conductor means after said circuit interrupting means breaks said connection between said input and output conductor means;

reset means disposed at least partially within said housing means for activating said circuit interrupting means so that said lockout means does not inhibit resetting of said electrical connection between said input and output conductor means and for resetting said electrical connection between said input and output conductor means; and

trip means disposed at least partially within said housing means for breaking said electrical connection between said input and output conductor means independently of the operation of said circuit interrupting means.

20. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 19, wherein said circuit interrupting means comprises interrupter means for making and breaking electrical connections between said input and output conductor means and sensing means for sensing said predetermined condition.

21. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 20, wherein said interrupter means comprises coil means, movable plunger means responsive to energizing of said coil means and banger means attached to said plunger means such that movement of said plunger means is translated to movement of said banger means and movement of said banger means causes said reset lockout means to operate in said lockout position or said reset position.

22. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 19, wherein said input conductor means includes electrical contact means and said output conductor means includes electrical contact means, and wherein at least one of said conductor means is movable relative to the other such that said electrical connection is made when said input and output contacts means are closed.

23. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 22, wherein when said reset lockout means is in said lockout position said input and output contact means are inhibited from closing.

24. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 22, wherein said trip means causes said input and output contact means to open when breaking said electrical connection between said input and output conductor means.

25. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 19, wherein said reset means comprises:

a reset button operatively coupled to said reset lockot means; and

reset contact means for activating said circuit interrupting means when said reset button is depressed.

26. The circuit interrupting device according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined condition comprises a ground fault, an arc fault, an appliance leakage fault or an immersion fault.

27. A method for testing the operation of resettable circuit interrupting devices having a housing, an input conductor disposed at least partially within the housing and electrically connected to a source of electricity, and an output conductor disposed at least partially within the housing and capable of conducting electrical current to a load when electrical continuity between the input and output conductors is made, said method comprising:

manually activating a trip portion of the circuit interrupting device to break electrical continuity between the input and output conductors and to enable a reset lockout portion that inhibits reestablishing electrical continuity between the input and output conductors; and

activating a reset portion of the device to perform a reset operation, wherein during said reset operation a circuit interrupting portion is activated, wherein if the circuit interrupting portion is operational, the circuit interrupting portion disables the reset lockout portion and facilitates reestablishing electrical continuity between the input and output conductors, and wherein if the circuit interrupting portion is non-operational, the reset lockout portion remains enabled so that reestablishing electrical continuity between the input and output conductors is inhibited.