Electrical device with circuit protection component and light
US7586718B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 29, 2004 |
| Grant date | Sep 8, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 9, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H71/04
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electrical wiring device includes a housing, and a circuit protection component and a light source operably mounted within the housing. In various aspects, the circuit protection component is a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) or an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI). The light source can function to provide increased illumination in an environment surrounding the electrical wiring device (e.g., a darkened bathroom or a darkened kitchen), or to indicate the status of the circuit protection component (e.g., tripped or normal). The light source may be one or more LEDs, neon sources, incandescent sources, etc. Embodiments of the invention include, in addition, a sensor for controlling the on/off state of the light source and/or a trip indicator separate from the light Source for indicating a status condition of the circuit protection component. The device is illustratively represented by a grounded plug receptacle, but may be embodied in a switch, a dimmer, or other application device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.