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:
Feb. 20, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 29, 1999
Robert Henry Clunn, Richardson, TX (US);
Other;
Abstract
A novel toroidal core current sensor for an AFCI/GFCI Circuit Breaker and a test circuit configuration based thereon is disclosed. The current sensor has a plurality of load current conductors extending therethrough. One of the conductors carrying a load current has a portion of the load current shunted outside the core through a shunt conductor which is connected in parallel with one of the load current conductors. The secondary of the transformer outputs a current value proportional to and substantially less than the load current which may be, for example, detected by a control circuit which compares the current value against predetermined stored criteria and operates a circuit breaker accordingly. In the test circuit a power source and a waveform generator are provided for operating an AFCI\GFCI circuit breaker having the shunted current sensor and injecting test signals into a terminal of the circuit breaker. The unique properties of the shunted current sensor permit a wide range of fault conditions to be applied at low signal power because of the relatively high sensitivity the shunted current sensor provides to the AFCI\GFCI circuit breaker.