Abstract: An electrical receptacle affording ground fault protection includes a movable latch block having spaced surfaces supporting the free ends of a pair of parallel, electrically conducting arms. The arms are anchored at their opposite ends and are held in a flexed position, with a pair of contacts mounted on the movable, free ends of the arms in engagement with a pair of fixed contacts when the block is in a first, latched position. The latch is released in response to a sensed ground fault in the circuit, permitting movement of the block and free ends of the arms to disengage the movable contacts from the fixed contacts and open the circuit. The movable latch block is of dielectric material and includes a medial wall portion separating the two pairs of movable and fixed contacts, as well as the free ends of the arms. An end wall portion extends upwardly from and laterally across the forward edges of the spaced surfaces, perpendicular and integrally attached to the forward side of the medial wall portion.

Abstract: A principal aspect of the disclosure concerns housing means for an electrical receptacle comprising front and rear sections which are retained in assembled relation by snap fit coupling of terminal ends of post members on one section with edges of wall portions on the other section. The housing is disclosed in the context of a receptacle having ground fault circuit interrupting capability. Other disclosed features include snap-fit connection means for other components of a ground fault receptacle, a wiring board having solid state components of a ground fault circuit mounted on one surface and electro-mechanical components on the other, and a ground fault receptacle having both screw-type and push wire terminations. The foregoing features are made possible by a unique design and arrangement of parts which facilitates automated assembly of the entire receptacle.

Abstract: A duplex wall receptacle having ground fault current interrupting capability includes an internal switch operable by manual depression of a button accessible on the front of the receptacle to test the device for proper operation. A blade of conducting material includes a first end portion which is held in contact with, but physically unattached to, one of the terminals to which one of the hot and neutral lines is attached on one side of the fault sensing means. A medial portion of the blade extends laterally across the interior of the receptacle, and a second end portion is positioned in normally spaced relation to a conducting member which is electrically connected to the terminal to which the other of the hot and neutral lines is attached on opposite side of the fault sensing element. Depression of the test button moves the medial portion and second end portion of the blade, placing the latter in contact with the conducting member to simulate a fault condition.

Abstract: A ground fault receptacle having novel mechanical members for latching and moving the movable, circuit-breaking contacts, and for protecting against line-to-line arcing as the contacts make and break. The movable contacts are carried on a pair of conducting, self-biasing, spring arms which are held in a flexed position by a latch block which moves with the arms and is retained in position by a stem on the reset button and cooperating latch member. The parts are constructed and arranged to permit the use of relatively large test and reset buttons which are centrally arranged on the front of a duplex receptacle housing.