Arc fault detector with circuit interrupter

An arc fault detecting circuit operatively coupled to a line side and a load side of at least one conductor of an electrical wiring system, comprising:

• line detection means for sensing high frequency signals on said line side of said at least one conductor;
• load detection means for sensing high frequency signals on said load side of said at least one conductor;
• line circuit means for generating a line output signal in accordance with the output of said line detection means;
• load circuit means for generating a load output signal in accordance with the output of said load detection means;
• and
• arc detect means for generating said arc fault trigger signal when said load output signal is greater than said line output signal.

An arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) device electrically connected to an electrical wiring system between a source of electrical power including line side phase and neutral conductors and load including phase and neutral conductors, said device comprising:

• arc fault circuit means for detecting arc faults occurring on said electrical wiring system, said arc fault circuit means for distinguishing between arc faults occurring on said line side and said load side of said device, said arc fault circuit means operative to generate an arc fault trigger signal in response to the detection of an arc fault;
• trigger means for generating a switching signal upon receipt of said arc fault trigger signal;
• switching means electrically connected in series between said line side phase and neutral conductors and said load side phase and neutral conductors, said switching means for disconnecting said source of electrical power to said load side phase and neutral conductors in response to said switching signal;
• and
• timer means for partially disabling arc detection for a finite period of time, the disabling of arc detection providing a user with the ability to use an electrical device exhibiting arcing, said timer means enabling arc detection after use of said electrical device has been discontinued.

An arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) device electrically connected to an electrical wiring system between a source of electrical power including line side phase and neutral conductors and a load side including phase and neutral conductors, said device comprising:

• line detection means for sensing high frequency signals on said electrical wiring system on the line side of said device;
• load detection means for sensing high frequency signals on said electrical wiring system on the load side of said device;
• line circuit means for generating a line output signal in accordance with the output of said line detection means, said line output signal being indicative of an arc fault on said line side on said electrical wiring system;
• load circuit means for generating a load output signal in accordance with the output of said load detection means, said load output signal being indicative of an arc fault on said load side on said electrical wiring system;
• arc detect means for generating an arc fault trigger signal upon the occurrence of a load side arc fault;
• trigger means for generating a switching signal upon receipt of said arc fault trigger signal;
• and
• switching means electrically connected in series between said line side phase and neutral conductors and said load side phase and neutral conductors, said switching means for disconnecting said source of electrical power to said load side phase and neutral conductors in response to said switching signal.

In an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) device connected to an electrical wiring system via line side phase and neutral conductors and load side phase and neutral conductors, a method of detecting arc faults, comprising the steps of:

• detecting high frequency signals on said line side of said device and processing said high frequency signals to generate a line output signal if said high frequency signals include an arc fault;
• detecting high frequency signals on said load side of said device and processing said high frequency signals to generate a load output signal if said high frequency signals include an arc fault;
• and
• disconnecting said source of electrical power from at least one of said load side phase and neutral conductors when said load output signal exceeds said line output signal.

In an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) device connected to an electrical wiring system via line side phase and neutral conductors and load side phase and neutral conductors, a method of detecting arc faults and ground faults, comprising the steps of:

• detecting high frequency signals on said line side of said device and processing said high frequency signals to generate a line output signal if said high frequency signals include an arc fault;
• detecting high frequency signals on said load side of said device and processing said high frequency signals to generate a load output signal if said high frequency signals include an arc fault;
• detecting ground faults associated with said conductors, and generating a ground fault trigger signal in response to the detection of a ground fault;
• disconnecting said source of electrical power from at least one of said load side phase and neutral conductors when said load output signal exceeds said line output signal or in response to said ground fault trigger signal.

An arc fault circuit interrupter device for installation in electrical wiring systems having phase and neutral conductors, said device being capable of being electrically connected at a line side to a source of electrical power and at a load side to at least one load, said device comprising:

• a first arc fault detector operatively associated with at least one of the line side phase and neutral conductors to detect arc faults occurring on the line side of the electrical wiring system and to output a first arc fault signal indicative of a line side arc fault;
• a second arc fault detector operatively associated with at least one of the load side phase and neutral conductors to detect arc faults occurring on the load side of the device and to output a second arc fault signal indicative of a load side arc fault;
• a signal processing circuit coupled to the outputs of the first and second arc fault detectors, the processing circuitry being responsive to at least one of said first and second arc fault signals to distinguish between arc faults occurring on the line side and the load side of the device, and to output an arc fault trigger signal at least when an arc fault occurs on said load side of the device;
• a trigger circuit coupled to the output of the signal processing circuit, the trigger circuit being responsive to the arc fault trigger signal so as to output a switching signal upon receipt of said arc fault trigger signal;
• and
• a switch electrically connected in series between at least one of the line and load side phase conductors and the line and load side neutral conductors, and responsive to said switching signal from the trigger circuit, such that said switch interrupts power between the line side and load side of said device in response to said switching signal.

An arc fault detecting circuit operatively coupled to a line side and a load side of at least one conductor of an electrical wiring system, comprising:

• a line sensor operatively associated with the at least one conductor of the electrical wiring system at the line side, which senses high frequency signals on the at least one conductor at the line side and outputs a line arc fault sense signal;
• a line output signal generator coupled to the output of said line sensor, and responsive to said line arc fault sense signal to generate a line output signal if said sensed high frequency signal includes an arc fault;
• a load sensor operatively associated with the at least one conductor of the electrical wiring system at the load side, which senses high frequency signals on the at least one conductor at the load side and outputs a load arc fault sense signal;
• a load output signal generator coupled to the output of said load sensor, and responsive to said load arc fault sense signal to generate a load output signal if said sensed high frequency signal includes an arc fault;
• and
• an arc detector coupled to said line and load output signal generators which generates said arc fault trigger signal when said load output signal is greater than said line output signal.