Modular ground fault circuit breaker

A modular ground fault circuit breaker comprising in combination:

• a signal processor module having circuit means arranged for determining the occurrence of a ground fault current and energizing a solenoid to displace a solenoid plunger upon said ground fault current occurrence;
• a ground fault module within a molded case encompassing said signal processor module and said solenoid, said ground fault module further including an operating lever pivotally mounted within said case for interacting between said solenoid plunger and a circuit breaker operating mechanism within a separate circuit breaker module case, whereby a pair of separable contacts within said circuit breaker module case become separated to interrupt said ground fault current;
• and
• a test button arranged on a part of both said ground fault module molded case and said separate circuit breaker module case, said test button being biased to a first position by a test spring arranged within said separate circuit breaker module case and being retained therein by a test spring anchor, said test spring anchor comprising an apertured top part and an angled extension bottom part, said circuit breaker module being electrically connected with said signal processor module by projection of test pin contact extending from a bottom of said ground fault module and captured within said test spring apertured top.

A method of assembling a modular ground circuit breaker comprising the steps of:

• arranging a signal processor module containing ground fault sensing circuit means and a solenoid operated plunger;
• arranging an operating lever within a slotted ground fault module case having line terminal means for external electrical connection and assembling said signal processor module within said case with said solenoid operated plunger proximate one end of said operating lever and with said slot proximate an opposite end of said operating lever;
• arranging a circuit breaker operating mechanism proximate a pair of separable contacts and a trip mechanism within a circuit breaker module case containing a test spring and a line terminal connector extending upward from said circuit breaker module case;
• assembling said ground fault module case to said circuit breaker module case and aligning said operating lever opposite end with said trip mechanism for articulating said trip mechanism upon automatic response of said signal processor ground fault sensing circuit to open said contacts and aligning said line terminal means with said line terminal connector for providing electrical connection between said ground fault module case and said circuit breaker module case;
• and
• arranging an apertured test spring anchor within said group fault module case with an offset extension projecting below said ground fault module case into said circuit breaker module case for securing said test spring within said circuit breaker module case and for capturing a test pin contact extending from a bottom of said signal processor module for providing electrical connection between said signal processor and said test spring.