Circuit interrupting device with reset lockout
First Claim
1. A resettable circuit interrupting device comprising:
- an input electrical hot-line connection terminal;
an input electrical neutral-line connection terminal;
an output electrical hot-line connection terminal;
an output electrical neutral-line connection terminal;
a resettable circuit interrupter providing at least one of;
(a) a first interruptible connection along a first electrically conductive path between said input and output hot-line connection terminals, and(b) a second interruptible connection along a second electrically conductive path between said input and output neutral-line connection terminals;
said resettable circuit interrupter having;
(i) a first state in which at least one of said interruptible connections presents a closed electrical circuit condition along its electrically conductive path, (ii) a second state in which said at least one interruptible connection presents an open electrical circuit condition along its electrically conductive path, (iii) an electrically operable circuit which causes transition from said first state to said second state when triggered, and (iv) a manually operable mechanism for resetting from said second state to said first state only if predetermined conditions are satisfied;
a fault-sensing circuit configured and connected to monitor currents flowing along said first and second conductive paths and to automatically trigger said circuit interrupter from said first state to said second state if unequal currents are detected flowing along said first and second conductive paths; and
a control circuit connected to said resettable circuit interrupter and to said fault-sensing circuit, said control circuit being engaged by said manually operable mechanism and configured to prevent resetting of the interrupter from said second state to said first state unless said predetermined conditions are satisfied, said predetermined conditions including at least;
(a) the fault-sensing circuit remains operative, and (b) the electrically operable circuit remains operative.
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Accused Products
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, if an open neutral condition exists or if the device is reverse wired. Methods for ensuring a reset lockout state before shipment are provided.
717 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A resettable circuit interrupting device comprising:
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an input electrical hot-line connection terminal; an input electrical neutral-line connection terminal; an output electrical hot-line connection terminal; an output electrical neutral-line connection terminal; a resettable circuit interrupter providing at least one of; (a) a first interruptible connection along a first electrically conductive path between said input and output hot-line connection terminals, and (b) a second interruptible connection along a second electrically conductive path between said input and output neutral-line connection terminals; said resettable circuit interrupter having;
(i) a first state in which at least one of said interruptible connections presents a closed electrical circuit condition along its electrically conductive path, (ii) a second state in which said at least one interruptible connection presents an open electrical circuit condition along its electrically conductive path, (iii) an electrically operable circuit which causes transition from said first state to said second state when triggered, and (iv) a manually operable mechanism for resetting from said second state to said first state only if predetermined conditions are satisfied;a fault-sensing circuit configured and connected to monitor currents flowing along said first and second conductive paths and to automatically trigger said circuit interrupter from said first state to said second state if unequal currents are detected flowing along said first and second conductive paths; and a control circuit connected to said resettable circuit interrupter and to said fault-sensing circuit, said control circuit being engaged by said manually operable mechanism and configured to prevent resetting of the interrupter from said second state to said first state unless said predetermined conditions are satisfied, said predetermined conditions including at least;
(a) the fault-sensing circuit remains operative, and (b) the electrically operable circuit remains operative. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 21)
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6. A resettable circuit interrupting device comprising:
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an input electrical hot-line connection terminal; an input electrical neutral-line connection terminal; an output electrical hot-line connection terminal; an output electrical neutral-line connection terminal; a resettable circuit interrupter providing at least one of; (a) a first interruptible connection along a first electrically conductive path between said input and output hot-line connection terminals and (b) a second interruptible connection along a second electrically conductive path between said input and output neutral-line connection terminals; a fault-sensing circuit configured and connected (a) to detect an abnormal current condition of current flowing along said first and/or second conductive paths and (b) to change said at least one of the first and second interruptible connections from closed to open electrical circuit conditions if abnormal current condition is detected; and a reset-lockout circuit connected to said resettable circuit interrupter and to said fault-sensing circuit, said reset-lockout circuit being configured to prevent resetting of said at least one of the first and second interruptible connections from open to closed electrical circuit conditions unless said fault-sensing circuit is successfully tested and found operable to detect said abnormal current condition during an attempted resetting operation. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for insuring continued safe operation of a resettable circuit interrupting device having an input electrical hot-line connection terminal, an input electrical neutral-line connection terminal, an output electrical hot-line connection terminal, an output electrical neutral-line connection terminal, a first interruptible connection along a first electrically conductive path between said input and output hot-line connection terminals and a second interruptible connection along a second electrically conductive path between said input and output neutral-line connection terminals, said circuit interrupting device having:
- (i) a first state in which said interruptible connections present a closed electrical circuit condition along each of said first and second electrically conductive paths, (ii) a second state in which said interruptible connections present an open electrical circuit condition along each of said first and second electrically conductive paths, (iii) an electrically operable circuit which causes transition from said first state to said second state when triggered, and (iv) a manually operable mechanism for resetting from said second state to said first state, said method comprising;
monitoring currents flowing along said first and second conductive paths and automatically triggering said circuit interrupting device from said first state to said second state if unequal currents are detected flowing along said first and second conductive paths; and when said manually operable mechanism is used, preventing resetting from said second state to said first state unless said predetermined conditions are satisfied, said predetermined conditions including at least;
(a) the fault-sensing circuit remains operative, and (b) the electrically operable circuit remains operative. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
- (i) a first state in which said interruptible connections present a closed electrical circuit condition along each of said first and second electrically conductive paths, (ii) a second state in which said interruptible connections present an open electrical circuit condition along each of said first and second electrically conductive paths, (iii) an electrically operable circuit which causes transition from said first state to said second state when triggered, and (iv) a manually operable mechanism for resetting from said second state to said first state, said method comprising;
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16. A method for insuring continued safe operation of a resettable circuit interrupting device having an input electrical hot-line connection terminal, an input electrical neutral-line connection terminal, an output electrical hot-line connection terminal, an output electrical neutral-line connection terminal, a first interruptible connection along a first electrically conductive path between said input and output hot-line connection terminals and a second interruptible connection along a second electrically conductive path between said input and output neutral-line connection terminals, said method comprising:
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detecting an abnormal current condition of current flowing along said first and/or second conductive paths and automatically changing said first and second interruptible connections from closed to open electrical circuit conditions if abnormal current condition is detected; and preventing resetting of said first and second interruptible connections from open to closed electrical circuit conditions unless said resettable circuit interrupting device is successfully tested and found operable. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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22. A resettable circuit interrupting device comprising:
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a pair of fixed contact strips, each of the fixed contact strips having a fixed contact; a pair of movable contact strips, each of the movable contact strips having a fixed end and a movable end, each of the movable ends having a movable contact arranged for contacting one of the fixed contacts; a reset component comprising a reset button configured to engage a movable assembly including a latch capable of inhibiting at least one of the movable contact strips from moving from a first state to a second state and from a second state to a first state; and a trip component configured to release the at least one movable contact strip from one of said first and second states upon detecting a predetermined condition. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification