Patent ID: 8054595
Filing Date: 2011-11-08
Classification: H01H,H02H

Abstract:
1. A resettable circuit interrupting device comprising: an input electrical hot-line connection terminal; an input electrical neutral-line connection terminal; an output electrical hot-line connection terminal; an output electrical neutral-line connection terminal; a resettable circuit interrupter providing at least one of: said resettable circuit interrupter having: (i) a first state in which at least one of said interruptible connections presents a closed electrical circuit condition along its electrically conductive path, (ii) a second state in which said at least one interruptible connection presents an open electrical circuit condition along its electrically conductive path, (iii) an electrically operable circuit which causes transition from said first state to said second state when triggered, and (iv) a manually operable mechanism for resetting from said second state to said first state only if predetermined conditions are satisfied; a fault-sensing circuit configured and connected to monitor currents flowing along said first and second conductive paths and to automatically trigger said circuit interrupter from said first state to said second state if unequal currents are detected flowing along said first and second conductive paths; and a control circuit connected to said resettable circuit interrupter and to said fault-sensing circuit, said control circuit being engaged by said manually operable mechanism and configured to prevent resetting of the interrupter from said second state to said first state unless said predetermined conditions are satisfied, said predetermined conditions including at least: (a) the fault-sensing circuit remains operative, and (b) the electrically operable circuit remains operative.