Patent ID: 7952842
Filing Date: 2011-05-31
Classification: H02H

Abstract:
1. A circuit interrupter comprising: at least one pair of separable contacts; a load conductor a neutral conductor; an operating mechanism structured to open and close said at least one pair of separable contacts; an arc fault trip circuit cooperating with said operating mechanism, said arc fault trip circuit being structured to trip open said at least one pair of separable contacts responsive to detection of an arc fault condition associated with current flowing through said at least one pair of separable contacts; and a ground fault trip circuit cooperating with said operating mechanism, said ground fault trip circuit being structured to trip open said at least one pair of separable contacts responsive to detection of a ground fault condition associated . with current flowing through said at least one pair of separable contacts, said load conductor and said neutral conductor, wherein said arc fault trip circuit includes a delay circuit, wherein said ground fault trip circuit includes an output to said delay circuit; wherein a portion of said ground fault trip circuit and a portion of said arc fault trip circuit are both located in an application specific integrated circuit; and wherein said delay circuit is an integration capacitor; wherein said application specific integrated circuit includes an output pin, which is said output to said integration capacitor; and wherein said integration capacitor is located external to the output pin of said application specific integrated circuit; wherein a circuit connecting said application specific integrated circuit to said integration capacitor includes a resistor; wherein an RC circuit is formed by said resistor and said integration capacitor to provide a time delay in charging said integration capacitor and tripping open said at least one pair of separable contacts responsive to said ground fault condition; and wherein said capacitor also provides a time delay in tripping open said at least one pair of separable contacts responsive to said arc fault condition.