A circuit interrupter including a first electrical conductor, a second electrical conductor, separable contacts, an operating mechanism configured to open and close said separable contacts, a trip circuit configured to trip open said separable contacts, a ground fault detection circuit configured to sense a difference between a current through the first electrical conductor and a current through the second electrical conductor and to output an output signal based on said sensed difference, a power supply, a confirmation circuit structured to input a confirmation signal to the power supply, and a processor configured to receive said direct current power and said output signal. The processor is configured to determine whether a characteristic of said confirmation signal is present in said output signal and to control the trip circuit based on said determination.

A circuit interrupter includes separable contacts, a trip actuator structured to cause the separable contacts to trip open, a conductor structured to carry power through the circuit interrupter, a sensor having a forward bias voltage drop inversely proportional to temperature and being disposed proximate the conductor, an amplifier circuit electrically connected to the sensor and being structured to amplify the forward bias voltage drop of the sensor, and a comparator circuit structured to compare the amplified forward bias voltage drop with a predetermined reference voltage and to output a signal to the trip actuator when the amplified forward bias voltage drop is less than or equal to the predetermined reference voltage. The signal causes the trip actuator to cause the separable contacts to trip open.

A circuit interrupter for protecting a protected circuit includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to trip open the separable contacts, a current sensor structured to sense a current flowing through the protected circuit, a temperature sensor structured to sense a temperature of the protected circuit proximate the current sensor, and a processor configured to select a trip time based on the sensed current, to adjust the selected trip time based on the sensed temperature, and to cause the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts when the adjusted selected trip time is reached.

A method for diagnosing the cause of tripping of an electrical protection device includes, after detection by the auxiliary device of a loss of electrical power, determining a type of electrical fault on the basis of recorded values, the determining operation including: comparing, with a first threshold value, the largest value of the maximum intensity of the current from the recorded values for a plurality of measurement intervals preceding the loss of power, a short circuit being diagnosed if the largest value of the maximum intensity is greater than a first threshold value; comparing, with a second threshold value, the largest RMS value of the current from the recorded values, an overload being diagnosed if the largest RMS value is greater than a second threshold value.

A ground fault circuit interrupter device includes a switch module having a reset switch, a control switch mechanically linked to the reset switch, a ground fault detection module, a self-testing module and a tripping module. The switch module controls the electrical connection between the input and output ends of the device. The ground fault detection module detects a leakage current signal at the output end. The self-testing module is coupled to the ground fault detection module and periodically generates a self-test pulse signal which simulates the leakage current signal. The tripping module is electrically coupled to the ground fault detection module and mechanically coupled to the switch module and the control switch, to control the movement of the switch module and the control switch. The control switch, which opens and closes at the same time as the reset switch, controls the power supply to the self-testing module.

A circuit breaker is for interrupting an electric current circuit when current and/or current time period thresholds are exceeded. The circuit breaker includes at least one control unit, to which energy is supplied by an energy converter. A primary winding of the energy converter is formed by a conductor of the electric current circuit. The core of the energy conductor surrounding the electric current circuit conductor is used as the primary winding. A secondary winding surrounds a section of the core. The secondary winding additionally surrounds an inductor core, arranged relative to the core using an insulating spacer element. The secondary winding and the inductor core are at least party magnetically shielded from the primary winding by a shielding plate guided through the core.

In one embodiment, there is a fault interrupter device comprising at least one sensor comprising at least one first transformer having at least one outer region forming an outer periphery and at least one inner hollow region. There is also at least one second transformer that is disposed in the inner hollow region of the at least one first transformer. The transformers can be substantially circular in configuration, and more particularly, ring shaped. In another embodiment there is a rotatable latch which is used to selectively connect and disconnect a set of separable contacts to selectively disconnect power from the line side to the load side. The rotatable latch is in one embodiment coupled to a reset button. In at least one embodiment there is a slider which is configured to selectively prevent the manual tripping of the device.

A circuit interrupter including a line conductor, a neutral conductor, a printed-circuit board coil, and a test circuit. The printed-circuit board coil has an aperture configured to receive the line conductor. The test circuit is electrically connected to the printed-circuit board coil. The test circuit is configured to determine an arc fault condition based on a signal of the printed-circuit board coil.

At least one example embodiment provides a low-voltage circuit breaker for interrupting a low-voltage circuit. The low-voltage circuit breaker includes at least one first current sensor configured to determine a magnitude of an electrical current of the low-voltage circuit, an interruption unit with contacts configured to interrupt the low-voltage circuit, an electronic trip unit connected to the first current sensor and the interruption unit and configured in such a way that an interruption of the low-voltage circuit is instigated upon current or/and current period limit values being exceeded, and a power supply unit configured to supply power to the electronic trip unit and to at least one additional component of the low-voltage circuit breaker, wherein a second current sensor is between the power supply unit and the at least one additional component, said second current sensor configured to determine the magnitude of the current of the additional component.

The application relates to a power switch for breaking an electrical circuit when current and/or current time span threshold values are exceeded, including an energy converter, which on the primary side is connected to the electrical circuit, and on the secondary side provides an energy supply for at least one control unit of the power switch. A choke is connected between the secondary-side output of the energy converter and the control unit of the power switch.