Patent ID: 8614611
Filing Date: 2013-12-24
Classification: H01H,H02H

Abstract:
1. An electrical wiring device comprising: a front cover assembly including a front major surface, the front major surface including a first set of receptacle openings formed in a first end thereof and a second set of receptacle openings formed in a second end thereof, the front cover assembly further including at least one button disposed between the first set of receptacle openings and the second set of receptacle openings; a back cover member including a back major surface substantially in parallel with the front major surface, a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals being at least partially accessible via the back cover member; an electrically isolating separator 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, the electrically isolating separator member accommodating a plurality of user accessible load contacts positioned in operative alignment with the first set of receptacle openings and the second set of receptacle openings; a protective circuit assembly at least partially disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) and coupled to the plurality of line terminals or the plurality of load terminals, the protective circuit assembly including a fault detection circuit configured to detect at least one fault condition and provide a fault detection signal in response thereto, the at least one fault condition including a simulated fault condition; a circuit interrupting assembly coupled to the fault detection circuit, the circuit interrupting assembly including at least one line conductor coupled to the plurality of line terminals and at least one load conductor coupled to the plurality of load terminals, a plurality of circuit interrupting contacts being disposed on and distributed between the at least one line conductor and the at least one load conductor, the circuit interrupting assembly being movable between a reset position and a tripped position such that the plurality of circuit interrupting contacts are electrically coupled in the reset position and electrically decoupled in the tripped position; and a test circuit coupled to the at least one button, the at least one button being coupled to an elongated switch actuator, the elongated switch actuator including a first switch contact disposed at a first end thereof and a second switch contact disposed at a second end thereof, the first switch contact and the second switch contact being configured to move substantially in unison between a switch open position and a switch closed position to close the test circuit, the first switch contact contacting a first test circuit portion and the second switch contact contacting a second test circuit portion in the switch closed position, the first switch contact and the first test circuit portion forming a first test switch air gap and the second switch contact and the second test circuit portion forming a second test switch air gap in the switch open position.