Circuit breaker with single test button mechanism
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsHenry Hall Mason, Jr., Craig B. Williams, Cecil Rivers, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for a circuit breaker having an arc fault detection circuit, a ground fault detection circuit, a signal indicative of an arc fault in a corresponding pole of the circuit breaker; and a trip mechanism including a pair of separable contacts. The trip mechanism is in operable communication with the ground fault detection circuitry so than in response to receiving the signal from the ground fault detection circuitry, the arc fault detection circuitry causes the ground fault detection circuitry to generate a trip signal causing the trip mechanism to separate the pair of separable contacts.
Claims37
A trip circuit for a circuit breaker comprising:
- an arc fault detection circuit;
- a ground fault detection circuit,
- a signal indicative of an arc fault in a corresponding pole of the circuit breaker;
- and
- a trip mechanism including a pair of separable contacts, said trip mechanism in operable communication with said ground fault detection circuitry so that in response to receiving said signal, said arc fault detection circuitry causes said ground fault detection circuitry to generate a trip signal causing said trip mechanism to separate said pair of separable contacts.
A circuit breaker comprising:
- a trip unit including circuitry;
- a pair of separable contacts for interrupting a flow of current;
- and
- an arc fault detection circuit;
- a ground fault detection circuit,
- a signal indicative of an arc fault in a corresponding pole of the circuit breaker;
- and
- a trip mechanism including a pair of separable contacts, said trip mechanism in operable communication with said ground fault detection circuitry so that in response to receiving said signal, said arc fault detection circuitry causes said ground fault detection circuitry to generate a trip signal causing said trip mechanism to separate said pair of separable contacts.
A method of using an arc fault trip signal to generate a ground fault to trip a circuit breaker, the method comprising:
- generating the arc fault trip signal in a current sensing transformer, said arc fault trip signal indicative of an arc fault;
- receiving a current in a GFCI circuit in response to said arc fault, said current indicative of a ground fault;
- and
- generating a trip signal causing a trip mechanism of the circuit breaker to separate a pair of contacts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.