Patent ID: 8120883

Claim:
An electrical wiring protection device for use in an AC electrical distribution system, the device comprising: a housing assembly including a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals, the plurality of load terminals including a plurality of feed through load terminals and a plurality of receptacle load terminals; at least one sensor circuit coupled between the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals, the at least one sensor circuit being configured to provide at least one sensor signal based on an AC power signal propagating in the AC electrical distribution system; a fault detection circuit coupled to the at least one sensor circuit and configured to monitor the at least one sensor signal, the fault detection circuit being configured to provide a fault detection signal in response to detecting at least one fault condition in the AC electrical distribution system; a circuit interrupter assembly coupled to the fault detection circuit, the circuit interrupter assembly including four sets of interrupting contacts that are configured to provide electrical continuity between the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals in a reset state and configured to interrupt the electrical continuity in a tripped state, the reset state being effected when the circuit interrupter assembly is engaged by a mechanical linkage in response to a user stimulus, the tripped state being effected when the circuit interrupter assembly is disengaged from the mechanical linkage in response to the fault detection signal; a voltage transient suppression circuit connected between the plurality of line terminals, the voltage transient suppression circuit including a movistor differentially coupled relative to the at least one sensor circuit such that one lead of the movistor is coupled to a first line conductor disposed on a line side of the at least one sensor circuit and another lead of the movistor is coupled to a second line conductor disposed on a load side of the at least one sensor circuit, and a movistor protection circuit coupled in series with the movistor, the movistor protection circuit being configured to limit an amount of electrical energy applied to the movistor as a function of at least one electrical parameter.