Ground fault receptacle

#This invention relates to the field of ground fault protective devices sensitive enough to protect humans from the hazards of electric shock resulting from ground fault currents. In the typical alternating current installation, the neutral conductor is grounded at its source. If electrical contact is made with the electrified or "hot" conductor by a person standing on the ground, part of the current is diverted from its normal circuit through the electrified and neutral conductor and follows a ground path circuit through the person back to the neutral grounded at the source. To protect against such hazard, ground fault interrupting devices have been provided for installation in circuit breakers of branch circuits, and in portable units for temporary field use on construction sites. Attempts have also been made to mount such devices in receptacles for installing in ordinary household outlet boxes where ground fault protection is most needed, such as bathrooms, kitchens and garages. By having the entire ground fault sensing and interrupting mechanism in the receptacles where most needed, the entire branch circuit is not interrupted every time the ground fault mechanism interrupts the receptacle circuit.

#A disadvantage of the receptacle mounted ground fault interrupting devices hitherto known is their size, usually requiring oversize outlet boxes. The ground fault receptacle in accordance with this invention is compact enough to be installed in the same outlet boxes as conventional receptacles without ground fault protection which the receptacles in accordance with this invention replace. It is not necessary to remove the original outlet boxes and install new ones of larger volume in bathrooms, kitchens and garages in order to obtain ground fault protection wherever desired by using the new receptacles disclosed and described herein.

#It is an object of the invention to provide a compact receptacle having complete ground fault interrupting means which may be installed as a replacement for conventional receptacles in their original outlet boxes.

#FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a ground fault receptacle in accordance with this invention.

#FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the receptacle in FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the receptacle in FIG. 1.

#A compact ground fault receptacle 1 in accordance with this invention includes an insulated receptacle case 2 and a receptacle cover 3. A metal mounting strap or yoke 4 is secured to the case 2, and includes grounding terminal 5 formed as an extension thereof.

#The receptacle case 2 includes an intermediate compartment 6, a line-side terminal compartment 7 at one end of the intermediate compartment 6 and a load-side terminal compartment 8 at the opposite end of intermediate compartment 6.

#An open entrance-way 9 leads from intermediate compartment 6 to line-side terminal compartment 7. An open entrance-way 10 leads from intermediate compartment 6 to load-side terminal compartment 8. A mounting pedestal 11 having a deep recess 12 therein opening to the top 13 thereof is positioned at entrance-way 10 centrally thereof and inwardly of intermediate compartment 6. An insulating dividing wall 14 extends from pedestal 11, at the midpoint thereof, into load-side terminal compartment 8 to divide it into two compartment cells 15 and 16. Vertical slots 17 and 18 are formed in exterior side walls 19 and 20, opening to the upper edges 21 and 22 thereof. The dividing wall 14 provides an insulating barrier to electrically insulate compartment cells 15 and 16 from each other.