Patent ID: 7619861
Filing Date: 2009-11-17
Classification: H01H,H02H

Abstract:
1. A protective wiring device comprising: a housing including a front cover member having a front major surface and a back cover member having a back major surface substantially in parallel with the front major surface, the housing further including an electrically isolating member disposed between the front cover member and the back cover member such that a front interior region is formed between the front cover member and the electrically isolating member and a rear interior region is formed between the back cover member and the electrically isolating member; a ground strap having an interior ground strap portion disposed on the electrically isolating member in the front interior region; a plurality of line terminals configured to be connected to an AC power source and a plurality of load terminals, the plurality of line terminals including a hot line contact and a neutral line contact and the plurality of load terminals including a hot load contact and a neutral load contact, the hot line contact and the neutral line contact being configured to be coupled to the hot load contact and the neutral load contact, respectively, in a reset state and decoupled in a tripped state; a user accessible reset button assembly disposed in the front cover and configured to effect the reset state in response to a user stimulus, the user accessible reset button assembly establishing a plane normal to the major front surface and subdividing the rear interior region into a first rear interior region portion and a second rear interior region portion; and a protective electrical assembly substantially disposed in the rear interior region, the protective electrical assembly including a toroidal sensor assembly disposed in the first rear interior region portion and coupled to the plurality of line terminals, the toroidal sensor assembly being coupled to a fault detection circuit, the fault detection circuit being coupled to a solenoid assembly disposed proximate the toroidal sensor assembly and disposed in the first rear interior region portion such that a vertical distance between the interior ground strap portion and the back major surface is less than or equal to approximately one inch.