Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Stephen Stewart

Frantz Germain

Roger M Bradley

William R Ziegler

Nicholas L DiSalvo

David Herzfeld

David Y Chan

Armando Calixto

Joseph G Justiniano

Steve Campolo

Nichalas L DiSalvo

James Richter

Ross Mernyk

Edward Bazayev

Danilo F Estanislao

Selin Tansi-Glickman

Nicholas L Disalvo

Resettable circuit interrupting devices having self-test and non-resettable or limited resettable power interrupting systems are provided. The permanent power interrupting system activates when a circuit interrupting device is no longer capable of operating in accordance with applicable standards governing such devices or the device is no longer capable of operating in accordance with its design characteristics.

Circuit interrupting device with automatic test

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

Resettable circuit breakers having an independent trip mechanism and a reset lockout are provided. The trip mechanism operates independently of the fault protection operations, and the reset lockout prevents the resetting of the circuit breaker if the fault protection is non-operational or if an open neutral condition exists.

Circuit breaker with independent trip and reset lockout

Resettable circuit interrupting devices using a center latch are provided. The circuit interrupting devices include those with a reset lockout, reverse wiring protection, and/or an independent trip portion.

Reset lockout for sliding latch GFCI

Located within a GFCI is a movable contact bearing arm which cooperates with at least one fixed contact. When the movable arm is moved up to allow the at least one contact on the arm to close with at least one fixed contact, the GFCI is in a conducting state and current flows from a source of electricity through the closed contacts to a load and to the contacts of a receptacle. When the movable arm is moved down to open the contacts, the GFCI is in a non-conducting state and current cannot flow from the source of electricity to either the load or the receptacle contacts. In this invention, the up and down movement of the movable contact bearing arm is harnessed to move a blocking member located within the housing of the GFCI to a first position to block at least one opening of the receptacle as the movable arm is moved down or to a second position to allow the prongs of a plug to enter the openings of the receptacle as the movable arm is moved up. The downward movement of the movable contact bearing arm occurs when the GFCI goes into a non-conducting state. Resetting the GFCI by pressing in and then releasing a reset button causes the movable contact bearing arm to move up to make contact with the at least one fixed contact. As the movable arm moves up, the blocking member moves to the first or non-blocking position to allow the prongs of a plug to freely enter the openings in the face of the receptacle. GFCI's normally have two separate sets of internally located contacts known as bridge contacts where one set is used to connect a load to the source of electricity and the second set is used to connect a user accessible load to the source of electricity. The bridge contacts provide isolation between the conductors to the load and the conductors to the contacts of the GFCI receptacle when the GFCI is in a non-conducting state. In the GFCI here disclosed, the blocking member prevents the prongs of a plug from entering the receptacle when the GFCI is in a non-conducting state and, therefore, the need for the bridge contacts is diminished.

Ground fault circuit interrupter with blocking member

Resettable circuit interrupting devices, such as GFCI devices that include a reset lockout mechanism are provided. The GFCI comprises a reset button which is selectively blocked from resetting the GFCI.

Pivot point reset lockout mechanism for a ground fault circuit interrupter

This invention relates to a circuit interrupting device having a trip button for disconnecting a load from a source of electrical power and a reset button for resetting the device after it has tripped. When the device is operating in its reset state, a source of electrical power is connected to a load through a set of contacts located within the device. The contacts are held closed by the spring loaded reset button which holds captive and urges a latch plate to move up to close normally open contacts. In the preferred mechanical trip mechanism, depressing the trip button causes the latch plate to move forward and be released from the reset button. The latch plate, upon being released from the reset button moves down to allow the contacts, which are biased to be normally open, to assume their normally open position. At this time, pressing the reset button initiates an electrical cycle which causes the normally open contacts to close only if the device is operating properly and there is no fault on the line. The device described is mechanically tripped and electrically reset, and it can be tripped without power being supplied to the device.

Reset lockout and trip for circuit interrupting device

GFCI without bridge contacts and having means for automatically blocking a face opening of a protected receptacle when tripped

A typical duplex GFCI receptacles has two buttons, a test button that, when pressed, shuts off power to the receptacle and down stream devices, and a reset button that, when pressed, restores power to the GFCI and down stream devices. Generally, the test button is pressed to verify that the GFCI will interrupt power to the conductive paths and the reset button is pressed to reset the GFCI. In operation, the test portion of the GFCI will automatically break electrical continuity in one or more conductive paths (i.e., open the conductive path) between line and load sides upon the detection of a fault such as a reverse wiring condition, a ground fault, an open neutral and/or a defective GFCI device. When this happens the reset button in the typical GFCI receptacle is then pressed in an to attempt to restore power. The GFCI here disclosed has only one button which is used for both the test and reset operation. It is pressed to test the GFCI and its associated circuitry for operability and, only if all circuits are operable, upon release it resets the GFCI by closing open conductive paths. If, during operation, the test portion of the GFCI detects a fault and operates to shut off power to the receptacle and down stream devices, the pressing and releasing of the single button will reconnect power to the receptacle and down stream devices only if the GFCI is operational, if an open neutral condition does not exists and/or if the device is not reversed wired.

Circuit interrupting device with single throw, double mode button for test-reset function

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

Located within a GFCI device having receptacle openings in its face is a movable contact bearing arm held in either a closed or open position by a latching member connected to a spring loaded reset button. The reset button assumes a first depressed position when the GFCI is in a conducting state, and a second extended position when the GFCI is in a non conducting state. A blocking member located within the body of the GFCI is adapted to be moved to a first position to blocks at least one opening of each receptacle, or to a second position to allow the prongs of a plug to enter the receptacle openings. When the GFCI is in the conducting state, the reset button is in its first position and holds the blocking member in its first position to permit the prongs of a plug to be inserted into the receptacle openings. When the GFCI is in a non-conducting state or is defective, the reset button and the blocking member are in their second positions and the prongs of a plug are prevented from entering the receptacle.

GFCI receptacle having blocking means

Located within a GFCI device having a receptacle is a movable contact bearing arm which is held in either a closed or open position with a fixed contact by a latching member that is connected to the spring loaded reset button. The reset button assumes a first or a second position which is determined by the conductive state of the GFCI. When the GFC is in a conducting state, the reset button is substantially fully depressed within the housing of the GFCI. When the GFCI is in a non-conductive state, the reset button projects outward beyond the top surface of the housing of the GCFI. Thus, the movable contact bearing arm, acting through a latching member, determines the position of the reset button. A blocking member located within the body of the GFCI is positioned by the reset button to allow free access of the prongs of a plug into the openings of the receptacle when the reset button is depressed or to block at least one opening of the receptacle to prevent a plug from entering the openings of the receptacle when the reset button projects out beyond the surface of the housing. Thus, when the GFCI is in a conducting state, the reset button is recessed within the GFCI housing and positions the blocking member to the first position to allow the prongs of a plug to be inserted into the receptacle openings. When the GFCI is in a non-conducting state, the reset button protrudes outward from the housing of the GFCI to position the blocking member to the second position to block at least one opening of the receptacle to prevent the prongs of a plug from entering the receptacle. GFCI's normally have two separate sets of internally located contacts known as bridge contacts where one set is used to connect a load to the source of electricity and the second set is used to connect a user accessible load to the source of electricity. The bridge contacts provide isolation between the conductors to the load and the conductors to the contacts of the GFCI receptacle when the GFCI is in a fault state. In the GFCI here disclosed, the blocking member prevents the prongs of a plug from entering the receptacle when the GFCI is in a fault state and, therefore, can eliminate the need for the bridge contacts.

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Berrien Springs, MI, United States of America

Stephen Stewart