The line power and neutral conductors for an arc fault sensing circuit interrupter such as in a miniature circuit breaker are arranged as a rigid conductor surrounding and holding an insulated flexible conductor when passing through the Ground Fault Interrupter current transformer. Voltage metering takes place across the rigid conductor to enable arc fault detection and ground fault detection in the miniature circuit breaker within the space of a single current transformer.

A circuit interrupter electrically connects a line terminal to a load terminal in a closed condition and electrically disconnects the line terminal from the load terminal in the open condition. A controller includes a fault detector configured to detect a fault in an electrical signal in a load circuit, such that when a fault is detected on the load circuit, the fault detector causes actuation of the interrupter to the open condition. The controller is adapted to receive an off command, and in response to the off command, generate a simulated fault in the load circuit, such that the fault detector causes actuation of the interrupter to the open condition, such that one and the same interrupter is employed for both fault tripping and commanded tripping.

A fault detector test device includes a test switch including a pivotable lever arm having a first end pivotably connected to rotate about an axis and a second end pivotable in an arc around the axis between an active position and an inactive position. A slide member has a first end accessible by an operator and a second end that cooperates with the second end of the lever arm, the slide member being slideable with respect to the axis of the lever arm such that the second end of the slide member slides in a plane that is substantially tangential to the arc in which the second end of the lever arm pivots. The second end of the slide member and the second end of the lever arm cooperate such that generally planar sliding motion of the slide member is translated into pivoting motion of the lever arm.

A plug-in summation current transformer module for insertion into a module-overlapping installation space of a multi-pole rail-mounted device that is formed of a plurality of housing modules has a summation current transformer and primary conductors routed through the tubular summation current transformer. The primary conductors have primary conductor ends. A primary conductor holder for fixing the primary conductor ends is fastened to the summation current transformer and adopts a fixing position for holding the primary conductor ends in an assembling position for insertion into a module-overlapping installation space and a releasing position where the primary conductor ends move transversely into a releasing position allowing the primary conductor ends to join into their contacts in the modules.

A circuit breaker design allows for the circuit breaker to have an overall width (i.e., measured along the circuit breaker's exposed outwardly-facing surface of its housing) that is narrower than achievable with known typical configurations, while at the same time still providing robust arc interruption capabilities. This is achieved in large part by providing a specific orientation of a moveable contact arm assembly and/or by providing a specific configuration of a current path within the housing.

The present invention provides a trip control circuit for a circuit breaker capable of breaking a circuit when a fault current occurs due to a DC current component, as well as an AC current. The trip control circuit comprises a current transformer that has a core allowing a circuit to pass through and a secondary coil for detecting a current flowing on the circuit and providing a current detection signal; an oscillation circuit section that configured to apply an electrical signal to the secondary coil to increase a slope of a hysteresis loop of the current transformer to allow the secondary coil to detect a DC current and an AC current; and a trip determining circuit section that configured to compare a current value indicated by the current detection signal with a predetermined reference current value.

A protective electrical wiring device including: a plurality of line terminals including a first line terminal and a second line terminal; a plurality of load terminals including a first load terminal and a second load terminal, wherein the plurality of line terminals and the plurality of load terminals are configured to be coupled to an AC electrical distribution system; a pair of contacts including a first contact and a second contact; and a latch block being configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the latch block permits the first line terminal and the first load terminal to be in contact with the first contact and the second line terminal and second load terminal to be in contact with the second contact, wherein, when moving from the first position to the second position, the latch block advances at least one of the first line terminal and the first load terminal away from the first contact and at least one of the second line terminal and the second load terminal away from the second contact.

The present invention is directed to electrical wiring device that includes: a housing including a cover and a back body, the housing further including a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of feed-through load terminals, a plurality of receptacle load terminals substantially aligned with a plurality of receptacle openings; a fault protection circuit disposed inside the housing, having sensing components mounted to one side of a first PCB, the fault protection circuit being configured to provide a fault detection signal in response to detecting at least one type of predetermined fault condition; a circuit interrupter disposed inside the housing, the circuit interrupter being configured to couple the plurality respective terminals in response to a reset stimulus being applied to a reset button, the circuit interrupter being configured to decouple the respective plurality of terminals in a second state when the latching element and a reset pin are decoupled in response to the fault detection signal; and an indication circuit having an indicator to alert the user of device status.

A miniature circuit breaker with quick current breaking capability which includes a miniature circuit breaker body, a current transformer CT1, a zero-sequence current transformer CT2 and a smart controller module. The miniature circuit breaker body is internally provided with a main arc extinguishing chamber, a fixed contact, a movable contact, a tripping mechanism, and a magnetic tripping push rod. The tripping mechanism includes a lock catch, a movable contact rocker arm, a jump pin, a connecting rod, and a tension spring. A rotated-hinge repulsive force structure is applied between the fixed contact and the movable contact. The tripping mechanism is further provided with a torsional spring to press the movable contact close to the fixed contact. A shunt tripping device controlling the miniature circuit breaker switch to be turned off is arranged in the smart controller module.

Systems and methods for auto-monitoring a trip solenoid and a switching semiconductor in a circuit breaker comprises determining whether the trip solenoid or the switching semiconductor is open-circuited or otherwise non-operational. The trip solenoid has multiple windings therein and the switching semiconductor has multiple semiconductor switches therein. The circuit breaker automatically performs a designated action if one of the multiple windings or one of the semiconductor switches is determined to be open-circuited or otherwise non-operational. In some embodiments, the circuit breaker is a miniature circuit breaker.