Patent ID: 7852607
Filing Date: 2010-12-14
Classification: H01H,H02H

Abstract:
1. A protective device comprising: a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals; a detection circuit coupled to the plurality of line terminals, the detection circuit being configured to generate a sensor signal in response to an electrical perturbation propagating on the plurality of line terminals and/or the plurality of load terminals; a fault detection circuit coupled to detection circuit, the fault detection circuit being configured to generate a fault detection signal when the electrical perturbation exceeds a predetermined level; an actuation assembly coupled to the fault detection circuit, the actuation assembly being configured to generate a trip actuation in response to the fault detection signal; a circuit interrupter assembly coupled to the fault detection circuit, the circuit interrupter assembly including a set of movable contacts configured to be driven into a tripped state in response to the trip actuation and driven into a reset state in response to a reset actuation; a reset mechanism coupled to the circuit interrupter assembly, the reset mechanism being configured to provide the reset actuation in response to a user reset input; and a test assembly coupled to the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals, the detection circuit, the actuation circuit and the reset mechanism, the test assembly including a test circuit configured to generate a simulated electrical perturbation exceeding the predetermined level in response to a user test input, the test assembly also including a test timing mechanism coupled to the reset mechanism, the test timing mechanism being configured to drive the circuit interrupter into the tripped state and disable the reset mechanism if any one of the detection circuit, fault detection circuit, actuation assembly, or circuit interrupter assembly fail before a predetermined time elapses such that the device is permanently inoperable.