Shallow electrical protection device (GFCI, AFCI, and AFCI/GFCI) system and method
US11309667B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 6, 2018 |
| Grant date | Apr 19, 2022 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 20, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01R2103/00
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A resettable switching apparatus, useful in a GFCI receptacle, has a housing with a face plate and at least one sense transformer core positioned to define a current flow direction through a center cavity that is parallel to the face plate. The GFCI receptacle further includes a space-efficient coaxial configuration in which a mechanical latching arrangement for resetting (i.e., closing) main switch contacts is disposed inside the trip solenoid. A movable carriage for the main contacts spans one end of the solenoid and has a latching portion in the solenoid that engages the inner end of a reset plunger in two sequential states (i.e., unlatched and latched). The mechanical latching arrangement comprises a cam surface coupled to a lifting plate, which is connected to the carriage of the GFCI receptacle. The cam surface is responsible for translating a downward movement to a translational movement to engage the carriage to the rest plunger.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.