Circuit interrupting device with reverse wiring protection

• US 6,864,766 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2004
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• 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): DONOVAN, LINCOLN D
• Application Number:
  US10/827,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20040196600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 335/18, 361 42- 50
• US Class Current: 335/18
• 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 3/335 the main function being self testing of the device
• 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 reverse wiring protection, and optionally an independent trip portions and/or a reset lockout portion are provided. The reverse wiring protection operates at both the line and load sides of the device so that in the event line side wiring to the device is improperly connected to the load side, fault protection for the device remains. The trip portion operates independently of a circuit interrupting portion used to break the electrical continuity in one or more conductive paths in the device. The reset lockout portion prevents the reestablishing of electrical continuity in open conductive paths if the circuit interrupting portion is non-operational or if an open neutral condition exists.

Claims

1. A circuit interrupting device comprising:

a first electrical conductor capable of being electrically connected to a source of electricity;

a second electrical conductor capable of conducting electrical current to a load when electrically connected to said first electrical conductor;

a third electrical conductor capable of being electrically connected to user accessible plugs and/or receptacles where the first, second and third electrical conductors are electrically isolated from each other;

at least one movable bridge electrically connected to the first electrical conductor, said at least one movable bridge capable of electrically connecting the first, second and third electrical conductors to each other;

a circuit interrupting portion configured to cause electrical discontinuity between said first, second and third electrical conductors upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition; and

a reset portion configured to reestablish electrical continuity between the first, second and third electrical conductors after said predetermined condition occurs.

2. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 where the movable bridge is positioned so as to connect the first electrical conductor to the second and third electrical conductors when the device is reset and the at least one movable bridge is positioned so as to disconnect the first electrical conductor from the second and third electrical conductors when the device is in a trip condition.

3. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 where the condition comprises a ground fault, an arc fault, an appliance leakage fault, an equipment leakage fault or an immersion detection fault.

4. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 further comprising a trip portion that is configured to cause electrical discontinuity between the first, second and third electrical conductors.

5. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 further comprising a sensing circuit for detecting an occurrence of a predetermined condition.

6. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 where the circuit interrupting portion comprises a coil and plunger assembly at least one movable bridge and a sensing circuit used to detect a predetermined condition.

7. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 where the at least one movable bridge has:

a pair of contacts attached thereto where such pair is electrically connected to the first electrical conductor and positioned so as to make electrical contact with a corresponding pair of load contacts electrically connected to the second electrical conductor; and

another pair of contacts attached thereto where such pair is electrically connected to the first electrical conductor and positioned so as to make electrical contact with a corresponding pair of user accessible contacts electrically connected to the third electrical conductor.

8. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 where the first electrical conductor comprises a contact connected to electric conducting material.

9. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 where the second electrical conductor comprises a contact connected to electric conducting material.

10. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 where the third electrical conductor comprises a contact connected to a conducting frame forming a receptacle that is accessible to a user of the device.

11. A circuit interrupting device comprising:

a first pair of terminals capable of being electrically connected to a source of electricity;

a second pair of terminals capable of conducting electrical current to a load when electrically connected to said first pair of terminals;

a third pair of terminals capable of being electrically connected to user accessible plugs and/or receptacles where the first , second and third pair of terminals are electrically isolated from each other;

at least one movable bridge electrically connected to the first pair of terminals, said at least one movable bridge being capable of electrically connecting the first, second and third pairs of terminals to each other;

a circuit interrupting portion configured to cause electrical discontinuity between said first, second and third pairs of terminals upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition; and

a reset portion configured to reestablish electrical continuity between the first, second and third pairs of terminals after said predetermined condition occurs.

12. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 where the at least one movable bridge is positioned so as to connect the first pair of terminals to the second and third pairs of terminals when the device is reset and the movable bridge is positioned so as to disconnect the first pair of terminals from the second and third pairs of terminals when the device is in a trip condition.

13. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 where the condition comprises a ground fault, an arc fault, an appliance leakage fault, equipment leakage fault or an immersion detection fault.

14. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 further comprising a trip portion that is configured to cause electrical discontinuity between the first, second and third pairs of terminals.

15. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 further comprising a sensing circuit for detecting an occurrence of a predetermined condition.

16. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 where the circuit interrupting device portion comprises a coil and plunger assembly, at least one movable bridge and a sensing circuit used to detect a predetermined condition.

17. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 where the circuit interrupting portion comprises a coil and plunger assembly and a mechanical switch assembly for engaging a sensing circuit used to detect the condition.

18. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 where the at least one movable bridge has:

a pair of contacts attached to the at least one movable bridge where such pair is electrically connected to the first pair of terminals and positioned so as to make electrical contact with a corresponding pair of load contacts electrically connected to the second pair of terminals; and

another pair of contacts attached to the movable bridge where such pair is electrically connected to the first pair of terminals and positioned so as to make electrical contact with a corresponding pair of user accessible contacts electrically connected to the third pair of terminals.

19. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 where the first pair of terminals comprises a pair of contacts connected to electrical conductors.

20. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 where the second pair of terminals comprises a pair of contacts connected to electrical conductors.

21. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 where the third pair of terminals comprises a pair of contacts connected to a conducting frame forming a pair of receptacles that is accessible to a user of the device.

22. The circuit interrupting device of claim 11 where the device is a GFCI device comprising:

a housing where the first pair of terminals is a pair of line terminals, the second pair of terminals is a pair of load terminals and the third pair of terminals is a pair of face terminals and the first, second and third pair of terminals each is disposed at least partially within said housing where the pair of face terminals is connected to a pair of user accessible receptacles where each face terminal extends from and is integral with a metallic structure at least partially disposed within said housing and the line, load and face terminals are electrically isolated from each other;

at least one movable bridge having a pair of bridge load contacts and a pair of bridge face contacts attached thereto where the bridge load contact pair and the bridge face contact pair are electrically connected to the pair of line terminals;

a circuit interrupting portion comprising at least one coil and movable plunger assembly, the circuit interrupting portion configured to cause electrical discontinuity between the line, load and face terminals upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition; and

a reset portion comprising a reset button, which when depressed is positioned to engage at least a portion of a sensing circuit causing the coil assembly to be activated resulting in the at least one movable bridge being positioned so that the bridge load contact pair electrically connects to a corresponding pair of load terminal contacts and the bridge face contact pair electrically connects to a corresponding pair of face terminal contacts where the pair of load terminal contacts are electrically connected to the pair of load terminals and the pair of face terminal contacts are electrically connected to the pair of face terminals.