The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 25, 1983
Filed:
Jul. 13, 1981
Carl E Wellman, Jr, Louisville, KY (US);
Richard E Hornung, Louisville, KY (US);
General Electric Company, Louisville, KY (US);
Abstract
A ground fault interrupter type device for protecting an electrical load device such as a range which has conductors supplied from a power source including overcurrent interruption means for interrupting the power source when a predetermined current threshold is exceeded. The electrical load device is subject to a first class of failure characterized by excessive current flow between at least one of the conductors and a ground reference point, with circuit current remaining at or below the predetermined current threshold; and to a second class of failure characterized by current through at least one of the conductors being above the predetermined current threshold. Failures of the second class include ground fault failures. In order to reduce the current interruption capability requirement for the ground fault interrupter device, there is included a means for preventing conductor interruption thereby in the event a failure of the second class occurs. Accordingly, the current-interrupting capability is at least as high as the predetermined current threshold but less than the maximum current which may flow during a failure of the second class. In the illustrated embodiments, the means for preventing conductor interruption in the event a failure of the second class occurs is a time delay which delays the activation of the ground fault interrupter for an interval sufficient to allow the overcurrent interruption means to interrupt the power source in the event a failure of the second class occurs.