US 7,154,718 B1Granted

Protection device with power to receptacle cut-off

AssigneePass & Seymour, Inc.

InventorsDavid A. Finlay, Sr., Kent Morgan, Patrick J. Murphy, Dejan Radosavljevic, Jeffrey C. Richards, Gerald R. Savicki, Jr., Richard Weeks, Gary Wilson

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring protection device that includes a housing assembly having at least one receptacle. The receptacle is configured to receive plug contact blades inserted therein. The housing assembly includes a hot line terminal, a neutral line terminal, a hot load terminal, and a neutral load terminal. A set of receptacle contacts is disposed in the housing assembly and in communication with the receptacle. The receptacle contacts includes a hot user-accessible load contact and a neutral user accessible load contact. A fault detection circuit is coupled to the test assembly. The fault detection circuit is configured to detect at least one fault condition and provide a fault detect signal in response thereto. A four-pole interrupting contact assembly is coupled to the fault detection circuit and includes a set of four-pole interrupting contacts. A reset mechanism is coupled to the four-pole interrupting contact assembly. The reset mechanism includes a reset button and a reset actuator configured to reestablish electrical continuity between the first pair of hot contacts, the second pair of hot contacts, the first pair of neutral contacts, and the second pair of neutral contacts in response to a reset stimulus.

Claims63

Dependent claims

An electrical wiring protection device comprising:

a housing assembly including at least one receptacle, the at least one receptacle being configured to receive plug contact blades inserted therein, the housing assembly including a hot line terminal, a neutral line terminal, a hot load terminal, and a neutral load terminal;
at least one set of receptacle contacts disposed in the housing assembly and in communication with the at least one receptacle, the at least one set of receptacle contacts including a hot user-accessible load contact and a neutral user accessible load contact;
a fault detection circuit coupled to the hot line terminal and the neutral line terminal, the fault detection circuit being configured to detect at least one fault condition and provide a fault detect signal in response thereto;
a four-pole interrupting contact assembly coupled to the fault detection circuit and including,
at least one solenoid coupled to the fault detection circuit,
an armature coupled to the at least one solenoid, the armature being configured to move in only a first direction in response to any force generated by the at least one solenoid, and
a set of four-pole interrupting contacts having a first pair of hot contacts coupling the hot line terminal and the hot load terminal, a second pair of hot contacts coupling the hot line terminal to the hot user-accessible load contact, a first pair of neutral contacts coupling the neutral line terminal and the neutral load terminal, and a second pair of neutral contacts coupling the neutral line terminal to the neutral user-accessible load contact, the set of four-pole interrupting contacts being configured to provide electrical continuity between the first pair of hot contacts, the second pair of hot contacts, the first pair of neutral contacts, and the second pair of neutral contacts in a coupled state, the set of four-pole interrupting contacts being driven by the armature movement in the first direction to thereby interrupt electrical continuity between the first pair of hot contacts, the second pair of hot contacts, the first pair of neutral contacts, and the second pair of neutral contacts in a tripped state;
and
a reset mechanism coupled to the four-pole interrupting contact assembly, the reset mechanism including a reset button and a reset actuator that selectively provides a reset stimulus in response to an actuation of the reset button, the first pair of hot contacts, the second pair of hot contacts, the first pair of neutral contacts, and the second pair of neutral contacts being necessarily driven into the coupled state by the reset stimulus.

6 more elements

An electrical wiring device comprising:

a housing assembly including at least one user-accessible receptacle, the at least one user-accessible receptacle being configured to receive plug contact blades inserted therein, the housing assembly including a hot line terminal, a neutral line terminal, a hot load terminal, and a neutral load terminal;
at least one set of receptacle contacts disposed in the housing assembly and in communication with the at least one user-accessible receptacle, the at least one set of receptacle contacts including a hot user-accessible load contact and a neutral user accessible load contact;
a test assembly coupled to the hot line terminal and the neutral line terminal, the test assembly being configured to generate a simulated fault condition;
a fault detection circuit coupled to the test assembly, the fault detection circuit being configured to detect at least one fault condition and provide a fault detect signal in response thereto, the at least one fault condition including the simulated fault condition;
a set of four-pole interrupting contacts coupled to the fault detection circuit, the set of four-pole interrupting contacts including a set of four-pole interrupting contacts having a first pair of hot contacts coupling the hot line terminal and the hot load terminal, a second pair of hot contacts coupling the hot line terminal to the hot user-accessible load contact, a first pair of neutral contacts coupling the neutral line terminal and the neutral load terminal, and a second pair of neutral contacts coupling the neutral line terminal to the neutral user-accessible load contact, the set of four-pole interrupting contacts being configured to provide electrical continuity between the first pair of hot contacts, the second pair of hot contacts, the first pair of neutral contacts, and the second pair of neutral contacts in a coupled state and cause electrical discontinuity between the first pair of hot contacts, the second pair of hot contacts, the first pair of neutral contacts, and the second pair of neutral contacts in a tripped state;
and
an end-of-life mechanism coupled to the test assembly, the end-of-mechanism including an end-of-life circuit, a third pair of hot contacts coupling the hot line terminal and the hot load terminal, and a third pair of neutral contacts coupling the neutral line terminal and the neutral load terminal, the end-of-life circuit being configured to decouple the third pair of hot contacts and the third pair of neutral contacts if the fault detection circuit fails to transmit the fault detection signal within a predetermined period of time after the simulated fault condition is generated, the end-of-life mechanism being independent of the set of four-pole interrupting contacts.

4 more elements

An electrical wiring protection device comprising:

a housing assembly including at least one user-accessible receptacle, the at least one user-accessible receptacle being configured to receive plug contact blades inserted therein, the housing assembly including a hot line terminal, a neutral line terminal, a hot load terminal, and a neutral load terminal;
at least one set of receptacle contacts disposed in the housing assembly and in communication with the at least one user-accessible receptacle, the at least one set of receptacle contacts including a hot user-accessible load terminal and a neutral user accessible load terminal;
a fault detection circuit coupled to the hot line terminal and the neutral line terminal, the fault detection circuit being configured to detect at least one fault condition and provide a fault detect signal in response thereto;
and
a four-pole interrupting contact assembly coupled to the fault detection circuit, the four-pole interrupting contact assembly including,
a first cantilever connected to the hot line terminal at a first end and including a first cantilever contact disposed thereon at a second end, the first cantilever contact and a hot load terminal contact forming a first contact pair of hot contacts configured to couple the hot line terminal and the hot load terminal,
a second cantilever connected to the hot line terminal at the first end and including a second cantilever contact disposed thereon at the second end, the second cantilever contact and a hot user-accessible load contact forming a second contact pair of hot contacts configured to couple the hot line terminal and the hot user-accessible load terminal,
a third cantilever connected to the neutral line terminal at a first end and including a third cantilever contact disposed thereon at the second end, the third cantilever contact and a neutral load terminal contact forming a first contact pair of neutral contacts configured to couple the neutral line terminal and the neutral load terminal,
a fourth cantilever connected to the neutral line terminal at the first end and including a fourth cantilever contact disposed thereon at the second end, the fourth cantilever contact and a neutral user-accessible load contact forming a second contact pair of neutral contacts configured to couple the neutral line terminal and the neutral user-accessible load terminal, and
a pivoting latch mechanism configured to drive the first cantilever, the second cantilever, the third cantilever, and the fourth cantilever between a coupled state and a tripped state, whereby the first pair of hot contacts, the second pair of hot contacts, the first pair of neutral contacts, and the second pair of neutral contacts are tripped in response to the fault detect signal.

7 more elements

An electrical wiring protection device comprising:

a housing assembly including at least one user-accessible receptacle, the at least one user-accessible receptacle being configured to receive plug contact blades inserted therein, the housing assembly including a hot line terminal, a neutral line terminal, a hot load terminal, and a neutral load terminal;
at least one set of receptacle contacts disposed in the housing assembly and in communication with the at least one user-accessible receptacle, the at least one set of receptacle contacts including a hot user-accessible load terminal and a neutral user accessible load terminal;
a fault detection circuit coupled to the test assembly, the fault detection circuit being configured to detect at least one fault condition and provide a fault detect signal in response thereto, the at least one fault condition including the simulated fault condition;
and
a four-pole interrupting contact assembly coupled to the fault detection circuit, the four-pole interrupting contacts including a hot tri-contact member configured to provide electrical continuity between the hot line terminal, the hot load terminal, and the hot user-accessible load terminal in a coupled state and cause electrical discontinuity between the hot line terminal, the hot load terminal, and the hot user-accessible load terminal in a tripped state, the four-pole interrupting contacts also including a neutral tri-contact member configured to provide electrical continuity between the neutral line terminal, the neutral load terminal, and the neutral user-accessible load terminal in a coupled state and cause electrical discontinuity between the neutral line terminal, the neutral load terminal, and the neutral user-accessible load terminal in a tripped state.

2 more elements

An electrical wiring protection device comprising:

a housing assembly including at least one user-accessible receptacle, the at least one user-accessible receptacle being configured to receive plug contact blades inserted therein, the housing assembly including a hot line terminal, a neutral line terminal, a hot load terminal, and a neutral load terminal;
at least one set of receptacle contacts disposed in the housing assembly and in communication with the at least one user-accessible receptacle, the at least one set of receptacle contacts including a hot user-accessible load terminal and a neutral user accessible load terminal;
a fault detection circuit coupled to the test assembly, the fault detection circuit being configured to detect at least one fault condition and provide a fault detect signal in response thereto, the at least one fault condition including the simulated fault condition;
and
a four-pole interrupting contact assembly coupled to the fault detection circuit, the four-pole interrupting contacts including,
a hot cantilever assembly including a hot line cantilever connected to the hot line terminal and including a first hot contact disposed thereon, a fixed second hot contact coupled to the hot user-accessible load terminal, and a hot load cantilever connected to the hot load terminal and including a third hot contact disposed thereon, the first hot contact, the second hot contact, and the third hot contact being aligned and configured to provide electrical continuity between the hot line terminal, the hot load terminal, and the hot user-accessible load terminal in a coupled state and cause electrical discontinuity between the hot line terminal, the hot load terminal, and the hot user-accessible load terminal in a tripped state, and
a neutral cantilever assembly including a neutral line cantilever connected to the neutral line terminal and including a first neutral contact disposed thereon, a fixed second neutral contact coupled to the neutral user-accessible load terminal, and a neutral load cantilever connected to the neutral load terminal and including a third neutral contact disposed thereon, the first neutral contact, the second neutral contact, and the third neutral contact being aligned and configured to provide electrical continuity between the neutral line terminal, the neutral load terminal, and the neutral user-accessible load terminal in a coupled state and cause electrical discontinuity between the neutral line terminal, the neutral load terminal, and the neutral user-accessible load terminal in a tripped state.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.