Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc.

David Y Chan

Roger M Bradley

Frantz Germain

Paul Gernhardt

Stephen Stewart

James Richter

Eugene Shafir

William R Ziegler

Serge P Krzyzanowski

Steve Campolo

Mario Angelides

Nichalas L DiSalvo

Saul Rosenbaum

James A Porter

David Herzfeld

John J Power

Armando Calixto

Michael Kamor

Bernard J Gershen

John Libretto

Gerald N King

John LiBretto

Benjamin Moadel

Sergius P Krzyzanowski

Paul D Gernhardt

Thomas Keating

A circuit interrupter includes a current transformer, phase conductor and neutral conductor. The phase conductor and the neutral conductor are each configured to pass through the transformer from line side to load side that are defined by the current transformer. The circuit interrupter generates a continuous test current by continuous current imbalance established between the load side of the phase conductor and the line side of the neutral conductor, or between the line side of the phase conductor and the load side of the neutral conductor. A continuous test conductor may be coupled correspondingly to establish the current imbalance. Alternatively, an integrated circuit coupled correspondingly receives power and is energized by a quiescent current thereby. The current imbalance is established by the quiescent current. The current transformer detects the quiescent current as the continuous test current. Corresponding methods are also disclosed.

Circuit interrupter with continuous self-testing feature

A ground fault circuit interrupter device having a feedthrough capacitor for substantially reducing interference from radio frequency signals such as those emitted from cell phones and 2-way radios. The ground fault circuit interrupter device includes a printed circuit board having a system ground terminal and a detection terminal for receiving a fault detection signal. A chip is provided having a ground pin connected to the system ground terminal and an input pin for receiving the fault detection signal. The feedthrough capacitor has a through conductor connected between the input pin and the detection terminal and a capacitor coupled between the through conductor and the system ground terminal.

Ground fault circuit interrupter with enhanced radio frequency interference suppression

A circuit interrupting device is disclosed that includes a first conductor, a second conductor, a switch between the first conductor and the second conductor wherein the switch is disposed to selectively connect and disconnect the first conductor and the second conductor, a circuit interrupter disposed to generate a circuit interrupting actuation signal, a solenoid coil and plunger assembly disposed to open the switch wherein the solenoid coil and plunger assembly is actuatable by the circuit interrupting actuation signal wherein movement of the plunger causes the switch to open, and a test assembly that is configured to enable a test of the circuit interrupter initiating at least a partial movement of the plunger in a test direction, from a pre-test configuration to a post-test configuration, without opening the switch.

Detecting and sensing actuation in a circuit interrupting device

A bi-directional fault circuit interrupter system having mis-wiring protection via numerous different poles. There are at least three different transformers wherein at least two of the transformers are differential transformers and at least one transformer is a neutral transformer. There is also at least one actuator which is used to switch the switches back and forth to selectively connect the electrical current to the fault circuit.

Fault circuit interrupter with bi-directional sensing

An LCDI device comprising a first switching element coupled to a second switching element. A shield conductor coupled to the first switching element form a system that monitors output conductors of the device for faults. The second switching element is coupled to a relay that electrically connects input conductors of the device to output conductors of the device when the relay is energized by the second switching element. When a fault occurs, the first switching element generates a signal to the second switching element which de-energizes the relay causing said relay to electrically disconnect the input conductors from the output conductors.

Leakage current detector interrupter with continuous duty relay

A GFCI device which has reverse wiring protection is provided where no power is present at the face terminals even when the device is reverse wired. The device has a pair of movable bridges connected to its terminals. The terminal bridge pair makes contact with the load and face terminals providing power to these terminals when the device is reset. The device also has a reset lockout feature that prevents it from being reset after having been tripped if the circuit interrupting portion of the device is non-operational.

Circuit interrupting device and system utilizing bridge contact mechanism and reset lockout

An overvoltage device that is formed from a MOV device that is coupled in parallel with a spark gap. This device is coupled upstream from electronic components to protect these components from damage. For example, in one embodiment, the overvoltage device is coupled to a fault circuit interrupter such as a GFCI, across the phase and neutral lines to protect components of the GFCI from an overvoltage condition. In one embodiment the overvoltage device is formed as an MOV physically coupled to a spark gap wherein the MOV and the spark gap are electrically coupled across the phase line and the neutral line in parallel.

Overvoltage device with enhanced surge suppression

A circuit interrupting device such as a GFCI having a network of feed-through capacitors and other passive elements for providing enhanced Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) suppression where the feed-through capacitors and the other passive elements are integrated into a multilayer capacitor chip, also referred to as a Network Capacitor which is located between a differential transformer and at least one input terminal of an operational amplifier on an integrated circuit chip of the GFCI circuit.

Circuit interrupting device having integrated enhanced RFI suppression

A resettable circuit interrupting device having a switch and timer circuit connected to the line side of the interrupting device to cause a leakage current to flow for a defined interval of time when power is applied. The timer and switch circuit comprises a timer powered by current from the phase leg of the device which is designed to operate for a defined interval of time. The timer starts operating when power is applied to the circuit interrupting device and normally continues to operate for the defined interval to time. Upon completion of the timed interval, the timer turns itself off and stays off until power is again applied to the device after an interruption. When power is first applied to the interrupting device, the timer is energized from the phase leg and causes the switch to close which connects the neutral leg on the line side of the interrupting device to a ground terminal. If the device is not reverse wired, the timer continues to operate and the switch remains closed until the timer completes its cycle, at which time the switch opens and the neutral leg of the device is no longer connected to the ground terminal. If the device is reverse wired, then at some instant after the switch is closed the device will sense a reverse wired fault, the switches SWand SWwill open, and line power will be disconnected from the interrupting device.

Reverse wiring detect in circuit interrupting devices

A resettable circuit interrupting device such as a GFCI that, when reverse wired during installation, will trip and prevent power being applied to the load side of the GFCI when powered up. A current limiting circuit is connected between the phase and a ground terminal on the line side of the differential transformer of the GFCI. When the GFCI is connected correctly, the current through the current limiting circuit will have no significant effect on the GFCI, and it will operate normally. When, however, the line conductors are connected to the load terminals of the GFCI and the load conductors are connected to the line terminals of the GFCI, the current through the current limiting circuit will appear as a ground fault and cause the GFCI to trip.

Circuit interrupting device line load reversal sensing system

Resettable circuit interrupting devices, such as GFCI devices, that include a reset lockout mechanism, an independent trip mechanism and reverse wiring protection. A conical reset plunger is notched to force a successful test before reset.

Reset lockout mechanism and independent trip mechanism for center latch circuit interrupting device

A suppression and protection circuit is used in conjunction with a circuit interrupter. In one configuration, a voltage clamping device such as a metal oxide varistor is utilized in a ground fault circuit interrupter product for handling transient surges and overvoltage conditions and is placed in series with a solenoid coil. The suppression and protection circuit includes a crowbar device across the line such as a header spark gap to prevent overvoltages, and a low pass filter such as an LC filter for suppressing transient surges.

Circuit interrupter with improved surge suppression

Circuit interrupting device and system utilizing electromechanical reset

Resettable circuit interrupting devices, such as GFCI devices, that include neutral fault test simulation.

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Bellerose, NY, United States of America

David Y Chan