Circuit breaker locator

A receiver for indicating a circuit interrupter associated with a branch circuit into which a predefined sequence of current pulses has been induced, comprising:

• a pick up coil for generating signals indicative of a rise time and fall time of a detected current pulse induced in a branch circuit;
• a circuit coupled to the pick up coil for producing electronic signals representative of the signals generated by the pick up coil;
• a microprocessor that analyses the electronic signals to determine if at least two sequential electronic signals occur within a predefined time interval and if the electronic signals indicate that detected current pulses have a rise or fall time that equals a predetermined rise or fall time;
• and
• a human perceptible indicator controlled by the microprocessor to alert a user that the receiver is in proximity to a circuit interrupter associated with the branch circuit if at least some two sequential electronic signals are detected within the predefined time interval and if each of the detected current pulses has the predefined rise or fall time.

A system for detecting a circuit interrupter associated with a particular branch circuit, comprising:

• switch means for creating current pulses in a branch circuit with a predefined rise or fall time;
• control means that causes the switch means to create current pulses at predefined time intervals with respect to each other;
• and
• a probe means for detecting the induced current pulses at a circuit interrupter and for alerting a user when the probe means is in proximity to a circuit interrupter associated with the branch circuit in which current pulses are induced if at least some of the detected current pulses of the sequence of current pulses are detected at the predefined time intervals and if each of the detected current pulses has the predefined rise or fall time.

A system for locating a wire into which current pulses are induced, comprising:

• a switch insertable into the branch circuit for creating a current pulse in the branch circuit, wherein each current pulse has a predetermined rise or fall time during which the current magnitude varies linearly;
• and
• a controller that causes the switch to induce a sequence of current pulses in the branch circuit and wherein the time interval between at least two sequential current pulses in the sequence is predetermined;
• and
• a detector circuit for producing an indication that the detector is in proximity to the wire onto which the sequence of current pulses are induced, the detector circuit including:
• a pick up coil for generating signals indicative of a rise time and fall time of a detected current pulse induced in a branch circuit;
• a circuit coupled to the pick up coil for producing electronic signals representative of the signals generated by the pick up coil;
• a microprocessor that analyses the electronic signals to determine if at least two sequential electronic signals occur within a predefined time interval and if the electronic signals indicate that detected current pulses have a rise or fall time that equals a predetermined rise or fall time.