Patent ID: 7978032
Filing Date: 2011-07-12
Classification: H01H

Abstract:
1. A locking mechanism for protecting a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) from being faultily reset, wherein the GFCI has a movable assembly movable from a first position to a second position along a first direction and from the second position to the first position along a second direction opposite to the first direction, such that when the GFCI is tripped, the movable assembly is in the first position, and when the GFCI is reset, the movable assembly is in the second position, comprising: (a) a blocking member secured onto a lateral side of the movable assembly; (b) a resilient member configured to have an expanding force along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction; and (c) a locking member having a first end portion positioned against the resilient member, a second end portion positioned in relation to the blocking member, and a body portion defined between the first end portion and the second end portion, each end portion bended from the body portion, wherein when the movable assembly is in the first position, the expanding force of the resilient member applied to the first end portion of the locking member causes the second end portion of the locking member to be positioned against the blocking member so that no movement of the movable assembly from the first position to the second position is allowed.