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:
Nov. 10, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 24, 1996
Stanley J Brooks, Rockvale, TN (US);
Charles E Reneau, Murfreesboro, TN (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus for demonstrating and testing the operation of an arcing fault detector. The apparatus comprises an electrical circuit including line and neutral conductors connected between a power source and a load. A selector switch is movable between a first position and a second position in order to selectively route load current across either an arcing fault detector or standard circuit breaker. A pair of electrodes is positioned between said selector switch and the load for producing an arcing condition on the line conductor. The arcing fault detector preferably comprises a sensor for monitoring the rate of change of electrical current on the line conductor and producing a rate-of-change signal, a means for producing a pulse each time the rate-of-change signal exceeds a selected threshold, a means for filtering the rate-of-change signal and/or pulse to eliminate signals or pulses representing changes in electrical current outside a selected frequency range, a means for producing a count signal representing a number of unfiltered pulses occurring within a selected time interval, and a means for generating a trip signal in response to the count signal exceeding a trip threshold level indicative of an arcing fault condition.