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:
Jun. 29, 2010
Filed:
Aug. 07, 2007
Robert T. Elms, Monroeville, PA (US);
Kevin L. Parker, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Robert T. Elms, Monroeville, PA (US);
Kevin L. Parker, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
An arc fault circuit interrupter includes line and load terminals, separable contacts in series between the terminals, a neutral conductor, and an operating mechanism opening and closing the contacts and tripping open the contacts in response to a trip signal. A current transformer senses current flowing through the contacts. A voltage sensor detects voltage zero crossings between the load terminal and the neutral conductor. A processor detects a resistive series arc in series with the contacts. A processor routine determines, for each half cycle, samples of the sensed current, an offset value from an average of sensed current samples proximate the voltage zero crossings for the corresponding half cycle, adjusted sensed current samples as adjusted by the offset value, a profile corresponding to a resistive series arc as a function of the sensed current samples and the adjusted samples, and the trip signal in response to occurrences of the profile.