Schneider Electric Usa, Inc.

John B McConnaughey

Barry Noel Rodgers

Gerald Benjamin Carson

Craig S Wallace, Ii

Craig S Wallace Ii

A contact wear detector includes an electrical contacthaving a base layercomposed of a first material and a contacting layercomposed of a second material, to electrically contact an opposing contact in the circuit. The base layer is capable of having portions exposed through worn areasof the contacting layer. The first material of the base layer is configured to form an arcbetween the portions of the base layer exposed through the worn areas and the opposing contact when the contacts separate. The arc thus formed emits lighthaving a characteristic optical spectrum of the first material. An optical detectoris proximate to the electrical contacts, to detect the characteristic optical spectrum of the light emitted by the arc between the portions of the base layer exposed through the worn areas and the opposing contact.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

John B McConnaughey