Protective device having a thin construction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10476254-B2
Application number	US-201815876270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2018
Priority date	Sep 29, 2004
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

An electrical wiring device including: a housing, a plurality of terminals electrically connected to a contact structure including a conductive member having at least one contact, wherein in response to a make-force each contact structure is configured to perform a first movement to electrically connect each of the contacts on each contact structure to one of the contacts on a different one of the fixed contact structures in the reset state, thereby electrically connecting the terminals in the reset state; a circuit interrupting assembly being configured to perform a first linear movement in response to a break-force in order to cause each contact structure to perform a second movement in a direction opposite the first movement to decouple each of the contacts on each contact structure from one of the contacts on a different one of the fixed contact structures thereby decoupling the terminals to effect a tripped state; a protective electrical assembly, and a latching element configured to restrain the circuit interrupting assembly in a reset state and to disengage the circuit interrupting assembly in a tripped state, the latching element positioned to impart and angular force on a catch pin.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An electrical wiring device comprising:
a housing including a front cover having a front major surface and a back body having a back major surface substantially parallel to the front major surface, a plurality of line terminals, a plurality of feed-through load terminals and a plurality of receptacle load terminals at least partially disposed inside the housing, wherein each of the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of feed-through load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals is electrically connected to a contact structure or to a fixed contact structure comprising a conductive member having at least one contact positioned thereon, wherein in response to a make-force each contact structure is configured to perform a first movement to electrically connect each of the contacts on each contact structure to one of the contacts on a different one of the fixed contact structures in the reset state, thereby electrically connecting the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of feed-through load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals in the reset state;
a circuit interrupting assembly including at least one breaking element at least partially disposed inside the housing and being configured to perform a first linear movement in a first direction, wherein the first linear movement is normal to the front major surface, and the first direction is from the front major surface to the back major surface, in response to a break-force in order to cause each contact structure to perform a second movement in a direction opposite the first movement to decouple each of the contacts on each contact structure from one of the contacts on a different one of the fixed contact structures thereby decoupling the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of feed-through load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals disconnect from each other to effect a tripped state from the reset state;
a protective electrical assembly substantially disposed inside the housing, the protective electrical assembly including a sensor assembly coupled between the plurality of line terminals and a fault detection circuit, the fault detection circuit being coupled to a solenoid assembly configured to provide a tripping stimulus, the solenoid assembly including a bobbin winding and armature, and the sensor assembly including at least one toroid; and
a latch configured to restrain the circuit interrupting assembly in a reset state and to disengage the circuit interrupting assembly in a tripped state, the latch positioned to impart an angular force on a reset pin.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a reset assembly configured to allow a make-force to electrically connect the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of feed-through load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals to effect the reset state, the reset assembly including a reset button accessible via the front major surface, the reset button being responsive to a user stimulus, the reset button also being mechanically coupled to the circuit interrupting assembly.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one breaking element comprises at least one break spring.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one break spring is coupled between the breaking element and an interior surface of the front cover, the at least one break spring being configured to apply the break-force to the breaking element in the first direction when the tripping stimulus is provided to a latch element included in the breaking element.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the contacts on one of the fixed contact structures remains connected to one of the plurality of feed-through load terminals in the tripped state.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the contacts on one of the fixed contact structures remains connected to one of the plurality of line terminals in the tripped state.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of receptacle load terminals includes a hot receptacle load terminal contact element and a neutral receptacle load terminal contact element, and wherein the plurality of line terminals includes at least one hot line terminal contact element and at least one neutral line terminal contact element coupled to the hot receptacle load terminal contact element and to the neutral receptacle load terminal contact element respectively, in the reset state.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of feed-through load terminals includes at least one hot feed-through load contact element coupled to the hot receptacle load terminal contact element and at least one neutral feed-through load contact element coupled to the neutral receptacle load terminal contact element in the reset state.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of line terminals, the plurality of feed-through load terminals and the plurality of receptacle load terminals consist of flexible arms, wherein the flexible arms provide a make force which establishes connection between the plurality of receptacle load terminals, plurality of feed-through load terminals and plurality of line terminals.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the circuit interrupting assembly further includes an auxiliary switch mechanism configured to disconnect at least a portion of the plurality of line terminals from at least a portion of the protective electrical assembly in the tripped state.

11. The device of claim 2 , wherein the reset assembly is configured to allow the make-force only if the user stimulus is accompanied by a predetermined electrical signal.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the reset assembly includes an electrical switch that provides the predetermined electrical signal if the plurality of line terminals are coupled to a source of AC power.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the reset assembly includes an electrical switch coupled to the protective electrical assembly, the predetermined electrical signal being provided if the protective electrical assembly is operational.

14. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an end of life detection circuit coupled to the protective electrical assembly, the end of life detection circuit being configured to automatically and periodically test the device for at least one end of life condition, the end of life detection circuit providing a trip signal to the solenoid assembly to trip the circuit interrupting assembly when the at least one end of life condition is detected.

15. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one toroid and the bobbin winding are substantially disposed between one end of the housing and a plane normal to the front major surface and bisecting that passes the reset button.

16. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrical isolating member disposed between an interior surface of the front cover member and an interior surface of the back body member so that a first interior region is formed between the interior surface of the front cover member and the electrical isolating member and a second interior region is formed between the interior surface of the back body member and the electrically isolating member, the plurality of receptacle load terminals being disposed in the first interior region, and the plurality of feed-through load terminals and the plurality of line terminals being disposed in the second interior region.

17. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrical isolating member disposed between an interior surface of the front cover member and an interior

Assignees

• Pass & Seymour Inc

Inventors

• Weeks Richard
• Morgan Kent R
• Richards Jeffrey C
• Savicki Jr Gerald R
• Macbeth Bruce F

Classifications

• H01H71/58

  actuated by push-button, pull-knob, or slide · CPC title

• H01H71/10

  Operating or release mechanisms · CPC title

• H01H71/08

  Terminals; Connections · CPC title

• H01H71/02

  Housings; Casings; Bases; Mountings · CPC title

• H02H3/162 Primary

  for AC systems · CPC title