Electricity: magnetically operated switches – magnets – and electr – Electromagnetically actuated switches – Automatic circuit-interrupting devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-15
2003-06-17
Barrera, Ramon M. (Department: 2832)
Electricity: magnetically operated switches, magnets, and electr
Electromagnetically actuated switches
Automatic circuit-interrupting devices
C361S042000, C361S093100, C361S102000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06580344
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a receptacle with ground fault interruption function, and more specially, to a receptacle with ground fault interruption function which is suitable to be mounted into ordinary walls.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
With people's living standard continuously rising and household electrical appliances being daily-increasingly popularized, the consumer demands that some electrical receptacles be pre-installed in walls when their houses are being built. However, at the present time, most of the electrical receptacles embedded in the walls are ordinary electrical receptacles and do not have ground fault interruption function. Although some of the electrical receptacles, for example, as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,435 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,840, have ground fault interruption function, they still have the following shortcomings:
(1) The electrical receptacle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,435 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,840 will be cut-off immediately, when some component in operation is damaged. But its power input and output terminals might still be electrically connected to power source when the reset button of the receptacle is pushed down to reset the receptacle.
(2) In installing such an electrical receptacle, the installing worker can wrongfully connect the power source input terminal with the power source output terminal in the receptacle because the installing worker is unable to correctly distinguish between the power input terminal and the power output terminal, thereby connecting the power input terminal with receptacle's output terminal and connecting the power output terminal with receptacle's input terminal. Under such a condition, the receptacle with ground fault interruption function can still connect its input and output terminals with the power source. Under this condition, not only the electrical receptacle is unable to perform ground fault interruption function, it also misguides the users to continuously use this wrongfully connected receptacle. Thus it may cause harm to the users and damages and the household electrical appliances.
The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved receptacle that is suitable to be installed within ordinary walls and ordinary wall outlet boxes. Even when a component in the receptacle is damaged or a wrongful connection, as above described, is made. This receptacle can still prevent the power input from being connected to power output.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above-described objective, the receptacle of the present invention comprises:
an upper housing
2
, a middle supporter
3
and a lower holder
4
;
a metal mounting plate
1
disposed between said middle supporter
3
and said upper housing
2
;
a printed circuit board
18
, thereon are disposed a differential transformer
19
, a reset guide member
28
;
a solenoid
26
within which an iron core is inserted;
a flat spring type of resilient off locking switch
37
made of resilient metal material and disposed between the reset guide member
28
and said printed circuit board
18
;
a contact
38
positioned corresponding to said protruded circular spot
39
.
a longitudinally central through hole
29
formed within said reset guide member
28
;
a movable L-shaped metal latch member
30
disposed under said reset guide member
28
, and a position-limiting pin
32
for limiting the displacement of said L-shaped metal latch member
30
disposed at one end of said latch member
30
;
a central aperture
31
formed at the horizontal part of said latch member
30
;
a locking guide plunger
35
, a flat surface
41
formed at the bottom end of said locking guide plunger
35
, and a locking recess
36
formed near the under part of said locking guide plunger
35
;
a spring member
91
worn over the upper part of said locking guide plunger
35
, and one end of said spring member
91
inserted within a reset button
8
;
one end of said of resilient locking switch
37
is welded or soldered on said printed circuit board
18
and a protruded circular spot
39
, formed by punching, is disposed on the another end of said locking switch
37
; and
a contact
38
placed corresponding to said protruded circular spot
39
; and through said differential
19
, both ends of said off locking switch
37
are connected to their respective the neutral lines of the power-input connectors
9
,
10
and power-output connectors
109
,
110
.
By using the above-described arrangement, the present invention provides more reliable protection to consumer and appliance in installing and using the ground fault interruption receptacle.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4237435 (1980-12-01), Cooper et al.
patent: 5594398 (1997-01-01), Marcou et al.
Barrera Ramon M.
Huang Huadao
Tuo Ying
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