Abstract: A method provides electronic overload protection having a thermal trip level. The method executes a function by a processor; provides the electronic overload protection by the function executed by the processor; and adjusts the thermal trip level by the function executed by the processor in order to mimic adjusting a physical thermal characteristic of a thermal time constant of a fixed mechanical system.

Abstract: A circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, and a trip circuit including a trip coil and a fault detector. The fault detector energizes the trip coil to cause the operating mechanism to open the separable contacts. A test circuit is structured to test the trip coil and determine an open circuit condition thereof. An annunciation circuit is structured to annunciate the open circuit condition of the trip coil.

Abstract: A circuit interrupter includes first, second and third electrical conductors, a planar conductive member having first, second and third contacts, and an operating mechanism structured to move the planar conductive member toward the electrical conductors to electrically connect the first, second and third electrical conductors to the respective first, second and third contacts, and to move the planar conductive member away from the electrical conductors to electrically disconnect the electrical conductors from the contacts upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition, such that the electrical conductors are electrically isolated from each other. When one of the electrical conductors is welded to one of the contacts, the operating mechanism and the planar conductive member cooperate to electrically disconnect the other two of the electrical conductors from the other two of the contacts upon the occurrence of the predetermined condition.

Abstract: A system includes a number of electrical switching apparatus having separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, a trip mechanism cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts, a test circuit structured to test the trip mechanism and determine a failure to protect condition thereof, and a communication circuit structured to communicate the failure to protect condition. The system also includes an electrical distribution panel having a housing housing the number of electrical switching apparatus, and a communication interface structured to receive the failure to protect condition from the communication circuit and annunciate the failure to protect condition.

Abstract: An operational amplifier circuit is for an arc fault circuit interrupter including a current sensor having a secondary and an envelope detector circuit having an input. The operational amplifier circuit includes a band pass filter having an input structured to be electrically interconnected with the secondary of the current sensor and an output; and a rectifier circuit. The rectifier circuit includes an operational amplifier having an input electrically interconnected with the output of the band pass filter and an output, a half-wave rectifier having an input electrically interconnected with the output of the operational amplifier, an output, and a forward voltage between the input and the output of the half-wave rectifier, the half-wave rectifier output being structured to be electrically interconnected with the input of the envelope detector circuit, and a voltage compensation circuit cooperating with the input and the output of the operational amplifier to compensate for the forward voltage.

Abstract: An arc fault circuit interrupter includes line and load terminals, separable contacts in series between the terminals, a neutral conductor, and an operating mechanism opening and closing the contacts and tripping open the contacts in response to a trip signal. A current transformer senses current flowing through the contacts. A voltage sensor detects voltage zero crossings between the load terminal and the neutral conductor. A processor detects a resistive series arc in series with the contacts. A processor routine determines, for each half cycle, samples of the sensed current, an offset value from an average of sensed current samples proximate the voltage zero crossings for the corresponding half cycle, adjusted sensed current samples as adjusted by the offset value, a profile corresponding to a resistive series arc as a function of the sensed current samples and the adjusted samples, and the trip signal in response to occurrences of the profile.

Abstract: A system includes a number of electrical switching apparatus having separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, a trip mechanism cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts, a test circuit structured to test the trip mechanism and determine a failure to protect condition thereof, and a communication circuit structured to communicate the failure to protect condition. The system also includes an electrical distribution panel having a housing housing the number of electrical switching apparatus, and a communication interface structured to receive the failure to protect condition from the communication circuit and annunciate the failure to protect condition.

Abstract: A miniature circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, a microprocessor including a thermal overload predictive function, and a shunt wire in series with the separable contacts. The shunt wire is structured to measure current flowing through the separable contacts for the thermal overload predictive function and an arc fault protective function.

Abstract: A receptacle includes a housing, an input connection, an output connection, separable contacts structured to electrically connect the input connection and the output connection, an operating mechanism structured to open the separable contacts responsive to a trip signal, and a trip circuit. The trip circuit is structured to generate the trip signal responsive to current flowing to or from the output connection. The trip circuit includes a trip detection circuit and a semiconductor switching device. The semiconductor switching device is mounted within the housing and is located within about 0.25 inch of the input connection or the output connection. The semiconductor switching device is structured to generate the trip signal responsive to the trip detection circuit and responsive to overheating of the input connection or the output connection, respectively.

Abstract: A circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, and a trip mechanism. The trip mechanism includes a sensor structured to sense current flowing through the separable contacts, a processor cooperating with the sensor to determine a plurality of different trip conditions responsive to the sensed current, a nonvolatile memory operatively associated with the processor, and a trip actuator cooperating with the processor and the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts responsive to one of the different trip conditions from the processor. The processor is structured to save in and retrieve from the nonvolatile memory cause-of-trip information for the different trip conditions including the one of the different trip conditions.

Abstract: An arc fault circuit interrupter includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism, a current sensor sensing current flowing through the contacts and outputting a sensed current, and a processor determining and storing peak values of the sensed current for plural half-cycles. The processor provides arc fault detection, determines whether a first predetermined plurality of half-cycles occur in succession and correspond to non-unity power factor, and responsively inhibits the detection for a first predetermined time, and whether a second predetermined plurality of half-cycles occur in succession, each with smaller peak amplitude than that of an immediately preceding half-cycle of like or differing polarity, and responsively inhibits the detection for a second predetermined time.

Abstract: A receptacle includes a line conductor, a load conductor, a neutral conductor, a load neutral conductor, a ground conductor, first separable contacts electrically connected between the line and load conductors, and second separable contacts electrically connected between the neutral and load neutral conductors. An operating mechanism is structured to open and close the first and second separable contacts. A number of voltages are input from at least some of the conductors. An electronic trip mechanism automatically detects: (a) an arc fault trip condition, and (b) a second different miswiring condition from the voltages and cooperates with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts in response to the automatically detected miswiring condition.

Abstract: A receptacle includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, and two trip circuits. A first microprocessor-based trip circuit includes a first output having a first arc fault/ground fault trip signal, and a second output having a periodic pulsed signal. A second failsafe trip circuit includes an input having the periodic pulsed signal and an output having a second trip signal. The second failsafe trip circuit is structured to output the second trip signal responsive to failure of the first microprocessor-based trip circuit to provide the periodic pulsed signal. A third circuit responds to the first trip signal and the second trip signal and cooperates with the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts.

Abstract: An arc fault circuit interrupter includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism, a current sensor sensing current flowing through the contacts and outputting a sensed current, and a processor determining and storing peak values of the sensed current for plural half-cycles. The processor provides arc fault detection, determines whether a first predetermined plurality of half-cycles occur in succession and correspond to non-unity power factor, and responsively inhibits the detection for a first predetermined time, and whether a second predetermined plurality of half-cycles occur in succession, each with smaller peak amplitude than that of an immediately preceding half-cycle of like or differing polarity, and responsively inhibits the detection for a second predetermined time.

Abstract: An arc fault circuit breaker includes line and load terminals, separable contacts electrically connected between the terminals, a current sensor adapted to sense current associated with a load and flowing between the terminals and through the separable contacts. An arc fault detection circuit provides series arc protection and generates a trip signal responsive to the sensed current. The arc fault detection circuit collects a plurality of samples of the sensed current over plural line cycles, determines that the load is a dimmer-controlled load, determines a phase angle at which the sensed current begins conduction within one of the line cycles, and determines that the phase angle consistently moves in a forward direction or a reverse direction. If so, then series arc protection is responsively inhibited. An operating mechanism opens the separable contacts responsive to the trip signal.

Abstract: An arc fault circuit interrupter includes line and load terminals, separable contacts, a current sensor sensing current flowing between the terminals and associated with one type of load, and a first arc fault detection circuit generating a first trip signal responsive to the sensed current. A second arc fault detection circuit collects a plurality of sensed current samples for a current line cycle and also for a previous line cycle, determines a total current value from a peak current of the current line cycle samples, employs the total current value and some of the samples to determine the type of load, and generates a second trip signal responsive to the sensed current and the determined type of load. A trip circuit generates a third trip signal responsive to the first and second trip signals. An operating mechanism opens the contacts responsive to the third signal.

Abstract: A miniature circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, a microprocessor including a thermal overload predictive function, and a shunt wire in series with the separable contacts. The shunt wire is structured to measure current flowing through the separable contacts for the thermal overload predictive function and an arc fault protective function.

Abstract: A leakage-current detection and interruption apparatus includes a plug adapted to receive an alternating current voltage, pairs of separable contacts adapted to receive the AC voltage from the plug, and an operating mechanism adapted to open and close the contacts. A power cord includes line and neutral power conductors adapted to conduct the AC voltage from the contacts to the load, a ground conductor, and two non-load carrying, non-ground conductors. One or both of the conductors do not shield one or both of the power conductors. A detection circuit is adapted to detect cord faults. The detection circuit includes a ground fault detection circuit having a current transformer with an opening through which the power conductors pass. The ground fault detection circuit cooperates with the non-load carrying, non-ground conductors to detect one or more of the cord faults and with the operating mechanism to interrupt the detected faults.

Abstract: An arc fault circuit interrupter includes a line terminal, a load terminal, separable contacts electrically connected between the line terminal and the load terminal, and a current sensor structured to sense current associated with the load and flowing between the line terminal and the load terminal and through the separable contacts. The sensed current includes a plurality of line cycles. An arc fault detection circuit is structured to provide series arc protection and to generate a trip signal responsive to the sensed current from the current sensor. The arc fault detection circuit collects a plurality of samples of the sensed current over the line cycles, determines a single current transient associated with energization of the load, and responsively inhibits the series arc protection. An operating mechanism is structured to open the separable contacts responsive to the trip signal.

Abstract: A circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, and a trip mechanism. The trip mechanism includes a sensor structured to sense current flowing through the separable contacts, a processor cooperating with the sensor to determine a plurality of different trip conditions responsive to the sensed current, a nonvolatile memory operatively associated with the processor, and a trip actuator cooperating with the processor and the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts responsive to one of the different trip conditions from the processor. The processor is structured to save in and retrieve from the nonvolatile memory cause-of-trip information for the different trip conditions including the one of the different trip conditions.