Patent ID: 7116191

Claim:
A circuit interrupter comprising: a pair of fixed contact strips, each of the fixed contact strips having a fixed contact; a pair of load contact strips, each of the load contact strips having a load contact; a pair of movable contact strips, each of the movable contact strips having a fixed end and a movable end, the movable end of each movable contact strip split into two sub-strips, each of the movable ends having a first movable contact disposed on one sub-strip arranged for contacting one of the corresponding load contacts and a second movable contact disposed on the other sub-strip arranged for contacting one of the corresponding fixed contacts; a reset component; a tripping component comprising a reset contact; a movable component disposed to sustain the movable ends of the movable contact strips, the movable component capable of either being latched with or released from the reset component to move between a first position where the first movable contacts are separated from the load contacts, and the second movable contacts are separated from the fixed contacts, and the movable contact strips are not electrically coupled to the reset contact, a second position where the first movable contacts are separated from the load contacts, and the second movable contacts are separated from the fixed contacts, and at least one of the movable contact strips is electrically coupled to the reset contact, and a third position where the first movable contacts make contact with the corresponding load contacts, and the second movable contacts make contact with the corresponding fixed contacts, and the movable contact strips are not electrically coupled to the reset contact; wherein the tripping component capable of latching the reset component with the movable component for the movable component to move to the third position upon detection of a reset request and capable of releasing the reset component from the movable component for the movable component to move to the first position upon detection of a fault condition.