Circuit and Method for Denying Power to a Solenoid in a Wiring Device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020014201-A1
Application number	US-201916504968-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2019
Priority date	Jul 6, 2018
Publication date	Jan 9, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrical wiring device having a solid-state switch element positioned between the fault detection switch element and the solenoid coil to prevent the solenoid coil from being energized when the circuit interrupter is in the tripped state. The solid-state switch element may have a gate that receives a gate signal that turns the solid-state switch element on when the circuit interrupter is in the reset state and does not receive the gate signal so that the second switch element is turned off when the circuit interrupter is in the tripped state. The gate may be connected to the line terminals and to ground by a mechanical switch responsive to the circuit interrupter state or by another solid-state switch driven by a processor that is programmed to detect whether the circuit interrupter is in the reset state or the tripped state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrical wiring device, comprising:
a fault protection circuit configured to provide a fault detection signal in response to detecting at least one type of predetermined fault condition; a circuit interrupter configured to couple a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals in a reset state, and to decouple the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals in a tripped state; a first solid-state switch electrically coupled to receive the fault detection signal at a first gate, the first solid-state switch turning ON in response to receiving the fault detection signal at the first gate; a solenoid electrically coupled to the first solid-state switch, such that the solenoid energizes when the first solid-state switch turns ON, the solenoid, when energized, generating a magnetic field that moves the circuit interrupter into the tripped state; a second solid-state switch serially connected with the first solid-state switch and the solenoid, wherein the second solid-state switch is turned OFF when the circuit interrupter is in the tripped state, such that the solenoid is prevented from being energized.

2 . The electrical wiring device of claim 1 , wherein the second solid-state switch includes a second gate, wherein the second solid-state switch receives a gate signal, such that the second solid-state switch is ON, when the circuit interrupter is in the reset state, wherein the second solid-state switch does not receive the gate signal, such that the second solid-state switch is OFF, when the circuit interrupter is in the tripped state.

3 . The electrical wiring device of claim 2 , further comprising a mechanical switch positioned to manage the gate signal input to the second gate of the second solid-state switch.

4 . The electrical wiring device of claim 2 , further comprising a third solid-state switch positioned to manage the gate signal input to the second gate of the second solid-state switch.

5 . The electrical wiring device of claim 4 , wherein the third solid-state switch has a third gate that receives a third gate signal from a processor that is programmed to determine when the circuit interrupter is in the reset state and when the circuit interrupter is in the tripped state.

6 . The electrical wiring device of claim 1 , wherein the first solid-state switch is a silicon controlled rectifier.

7 . The electrical wiring device of claim 1 , wherein the second solid-state switch is a silicon controlled rectifier.

8 . The electrical wiring device of claim 1 , wherein the second solid-state switch is a bipolar junction transistor

9 . The electrical wiring device of claim 4 , wherein the third solid-state switch is a bipolar junction transistor.

10 . The electrical wiring device of claim 4 , wherein the third solid-state switch is field effect transistor.

11 . A method of denying power to an electrical wiring device in an end-of-life condition, comprising the steps of:
providing a first solid-state switch serially connected with a solenoid and a second solid-state switch, wherein the second solid-state switch is turned on in response to a fault detection signal in order to energize the solenoid to cause a circuit interrupter to move from a reset state to a tripped state, wherein, in the reset state, a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals are coupled together, wherein, in the tripped state, the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals are decoupled; turning the first solid-state switch on when the circuit interrupter is in the reset state to allow current to flow through the solenoid and the second solid-state switch; and turning the first solid-state switch off when the circuit interrupter is in the tripped state so that power does not flow through the solenoid and the second solid-state switch.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of using a mechanical switch coupled to the circuit interrupter to selectably turn the first solid-state switch ON in the reset state and OFF in the tripped state.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of using a third solid-state switch coupled to a gate of the first solid-state switch to selectably turn the first solid-state switch ON in the reset state and OFF in the tripped state.

14 . The electrical wiring device of claim 11 , wherein the first solid-state switch is a silicon controlled rectifier.

15 . The electrical wiring device of claim 11 , wherein the second solid-state switch is a silicon controlled rectifier.

16 . The electrical wiring device of claim 11 , wherein the second solid-state switch is a bipolar junction transistor

17 . The electrical wiring device of claim 13 , wherein the third solid-state switch is a bipolar junction transistor.

18 . An electrical wiring device, comprising:
a fault protection circuit configured to provide a fault detection signal in response to detecting at least one type of predetermined fault condition; a circuit interrupter configured to couple a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals in a reset state, and to decouple the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals in a tripped state; a first solid-state switch electrically coupled to receive the fault detection signal at a first gate, the first solid-state switch turning ON in response to receiving the fault detection signal at the first gate; a solenoid electrically coupled to the first solid-state switch, such that the solenoid energizes when the first solid-state switch turns ON, the solenoid, when energized, generating a magnetic field that moves the circuit interrupter into the tripped state; a second solid-state switch disposed in parallel with the solenoid, wherein the second solid-state switch is turned ON when the circuit interrupter is in the tripped state, such that current is shunted from the solenoid.

19 . The electrical wiring device of claim 18 , wherein the second solid-state switch includes a second gate, wherein the second solid-state switch receives a gate signal, such that the second solid-state switch is OFF, when the circuit interrupter is in the reset state, wherein the second solid-state switch does not receive the gate signal, such that the second solid-state switch is ON, when the circuit interrupter is in the tripped state.

20 . The electrical wiring device of claim 19 , further comprising a mechanical switch positioned to manage the gate signal input to the second gate of the second solid-state switch.

Assignees

• Pass & Seymour Inc

Inventors

• Haines Joshua P
• Mcmahon Michael F

Classifications

• H02H3/02 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• H02H11/00 Primary

  Emergency protective circuit arrangements for preventing the switching-on in case an undesired electric working condition might result · CPC title

• H02H1/0007

  concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445) · CPC title