Patent Document ID: 7675721
Application ID: 11549164
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A circuit interrupter comprising: separable contacts; an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts; a processor including a thermal overload predictive function; a shunt wire in series with said separable contacts and being structured to measure current flowing through said separable contacts for said thermal overload predictive function; a temperature sensor structured to measure the temperature of said shunt wire, wherein said thermal overload predictive function receives said measured current and said measured temperature of said shunt wire, wherein said processor responsive to said thermal overload predictive function is structured to cause said operating mechanism to trip open said separable contacts in response to said measured current and said measured temperature of said shunt wire; and wherein said separable contacts are structured to be electrically connected in series with a power circuit including a power circuit wire having a wire gauge; wherein said shunt wire has about the same wire gauge as said power circuit wire; and wherein said processor responds to said thermal overload predictive function to cause said operating mechanism to trip open said separable contacts when said thermal overload predictive function determines that said measured current is greater than a first predetermined value, and that said measured temperature of said shunt wire is greater than a second predetermined value.