Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Safety and protection of systems and devices – Ground fault protection
Patent
1999-11-05
2000-09-19
Jackson, Stephen W.
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Safety and protection of systems and devices
Ground fault protection
361 45, H02H 300
Patent
active
061221554
ABSTRACT:
A miniature appliance leakage current interrupter (ALCI) interrupts the flow of current through a pair of lines extending between a source of power and a load. The ALCI comprises a circuit breaker having a pair of normally closed switches, one switch being located in each of the pair of lines between the source of power and the load. The circuit breaker is connected to a relay circuit which selectively opens the pair of normally closed switches. The relay circuit is connected to a fault detection circuit which detects the presence of a ground fault condition in the pair of lines. When the ground fault condition detected exceeds a predetermined value, an integrated circuit chip in the fault detection circuit causes the relay circuit to open the circuit breaker. The ALCI further includes a housing having a top, a bottom, a front end and a rear end. A prong assembly for supplying power from the source of power to the remainder of the ALCI is in line mounted on the housing. In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing is permanently mounted on an electrical cord connected to the load and the prong assembly includes a line contact prong and a neutral contact prong. In another embodiment of the present invention, the housing is constructed so that it can be removably mounted on an electrical cord connected to the load and the prong assembly includes a line contact prong, a neutral contact prong and a ground contact prong.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5943199 (1999-08-01), Aromin
Aromin Victor V.
MacKay Peter
Jackson Stephen W.
Tower Manufacturing Corporation
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