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US 11,769,997 B1Granted
Automatic ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) reset system and apparatus and method therefor
OwnerKenneth McCoyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automatic ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) circuit reset system and apparatus which attaches to a faceplate of an electrical outlet and includes a linear actuator. The linear actuator faces directly at a reset button on a GFCI outlet circuit and automatically actuates to depress the reset button after a predetermined amount of time after the GFCI outlet circuit becomes tripped and no longer transmits electrical power therefrom.
Claims4
A system to automatically reset a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet, comprising:
- a U-shaped bracket with opposing ends thereof including wings extending perpendicularly outward, each of the opposing ends having a slot formed at a center thereof to receive therein corresponding faceplate screws of an electrical outlet face plate;
- a linear actuator attached to an inner surface of the bracket such that a retractable tip thereof faces a reset button on a GFCI outlet when face plate screws of an electrical outlet face plate are received in the corresponding slots of the bracket;
- an outlet plug configured to be inserted into the GFCI outlet to receive electrical power;
- a first conductor connector connected to the outlet plug to receive electrical power therefrom and separately connected to the linear actuator;
- and
- an external electrical housing electrically connected to the first conductor connector to receive electrical power therefrom and including an 18 volt DC battery and delay/relay circuitry, wherein when the electrical power thereto is terminated the delay/relay circuitry is configured to delay for a predetermined amount of time and then enable the 18 volt DC battery power to be provided to the linear actuator through the first conductor connector to actuate the retractable tip to extend outward and depress the reset button on the GFCI outlet and then reverse polarity to the linear actuator to cause the retractable tip to retract away from the reset button on the GFCI outlet.
3 more elements
A system to automatically reset a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet, comprising:
- a bracket with opposing ends thereof extending perpendicularly outward, each of the opposing ends having a slot formed at a center thereof to receive therein corresponding face plate screws of an electrical outlet face plate;
- a linear actuator attached to an inner surface of the bracket such that a retractable tip thereof faces a reset button on a GFCI outlet when the screws of the face plate are received in the corresponding slots of the bracket;
- a connector connected to the linear actuator and having a DC port to receive a DC power;
- an external DC battery disposed outside the bracket to supply DC power to the connector;
- and
- a control unit connected to the DC battery to enable the DC power from the DC battery to be supplied to the linear actuator through the connector when power to the GFCI outlet is tripped to extend the retractable tip of the actuator and depress the reset button on the GFCI outlet, and then to enable a DC reverse polarity from the DC battery to the linear actuator through the connector to retract the retractable tip of the actuator.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.