Ground fault receptacle with compact component arrangement

Claim 2

A ground fault receptacle comprising: an insulative housing including a base and a cover, said cover having plug blade receiving apertures therein, said housing containing internal contacts for engaging with the blades of a plug inserted in said cover apertures and also containing components of a ground fault interrupter; said ground fault interrupter comprising a sensor transformer core and a grounded neutral transformer core each of which has a pair of conductors extending through a central aperture therein, said pair of conductors being connected with wiring terminals accessible on the exterior of said housing, said ground fault interrupter also comprising a sense amplifier and trip circuit connected with a sensing winding on said sensor transformer core and a varistor conductively engaged between two of said internal contacts, said varistor being in the form of a disk with opposing major surfaces respectively engaging individual ones of spring fingers of said internal contacts, said varistor disk also having an edge surface extending between said major surfaces, said cover having an inner surface with a protrusion extending therefrom bearing against said varistor disk edge surface and maintains said varistor disk securely in place in said housing between said spring fingers.

Claim 3

A ground fault receptacle in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said varistor major surfaces make conductive engagement with said spring fingers by pressure contact without bonding.

Claim 4

A ground fault receptacle in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said ground fault interrupter further comprises a switch for controlling conduction through said conductors, a solenoid plunger and a solenoid trip coil related with said sense amplifier and trip circuit to respond to a sensed ground fault to operate said switch, and a component carrier separable from and fitting within said housing and having interrelated insulative mounting means holding said cores, said circuit, said solenoid plunger and said solenoid trip coil in a unit.

Claim 5

A ground fault receptacle in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said base includes walls that together with said protrusion of said cover electrically isolate said internal contacts from each other except through said varistor disk.

Claim 6

A ground fault receptacle component subassembly comprising: a molded plastic carrier member with sensor and grounded neutral transformer cores on a generally cylindrical barrel portion with selectively sized portions accommodating and retaining said sensor and grounded neutral transformer cores, said barrel portion having a hollow center for line and neutral conductors to extend therethrough; a bulkhead portion of said carrier member encompassing a cross-sectional portion of said barrel portion and having a portion for joining a solenoid bobbin subcarrier thereto; a circuit mounting portion of said carrier member extending on the side of said barrel portion away from said bulkhead portion for joining a solenoid bobbin subcarrier and having apertures aligned and receiving parallel leads of an electronic circuit supported thereby.

Claim 7

A ground fault receptacle component subassembly comprising: a molded plastic carrier member with sensor and grounded neutral transformer cores on a generally cylindrical barrel portion with selectively sized portions accommodating and retaining said sensor and grounded neutral transformer cores, said barrel portion having a hollow center for line and neutral conductors to extend therethrough; a bulkhead portion of said carrier member encompassing a cross-sectional portion of said barrel portion and having a portion for joining a solenoid bobbin subcarrier thereto; a circuit mounting portion of said carrier member extending on the side of said barrel portion away from said bulkhead portion for joining a solenoid bobbin subcarrier and having apertures aligned and receiving parallel leads of an electronic circuit supported thereby.

Claim 8

A ground fault receptacle component subassembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein: said hollow center of said barrel portion has a central longitudinal partition forming two channels for conductors extending therethrough with electrical isolation therebetween.

Claim 9

A ground fault receptacle component subassembly in accordance with claim 5 wherein: a solenoid bobbin subcarrier is joined with said carrier and comprises a molded plastic piece separate from said carrier member and having a solenoid barrel portion between a pair of end walls that have clip portions that fit on and are retained by notches on said bulkhead portion of said carrier member.

Claim 10

A ground fault receptacle comprising: an insulative housing including a base and a cover, said cover having plug blade receiving apertures therein, said housing containing internal contacts for engaging with the blades of a plug inserted in said cover apertures and also containing components of a ground fault interrupter; said ground fault interrupter comprising a sensor transformer core and a grounded neutral transformer core each of which has a pair of conductors extending through a central aperture therein, said pair of conductors being connected with wiring terminals accessible on the exterior of said housing, said ground fault interrupter also comprising a sense amplifier and trip circuit connected with a sensing winding on said sensor transformer core and a varistor conductively engaged between two of said internal contacts; said insulative mounting means of said component carrier comprising (a) a generally cylindrical barrel portion on which said cores are accommodated and retained, said barrel portion having a hollow center through which said pair of conductors extend; (b) a bulkhead portion encompassing a cross-sectional portion of said barrel portion; (c) a solenoid bobbin subcarrier jointed to a portion of said bulkhead portion; and (d) a circuit mounting portion extending on the side of said barrel portion away from said bulkhead portion and having apertures aligned with and receiving leads of an electric circuit supported thereby.

Claim 11

A ground fault receptacle comprising: an insulative housing including a base and a cover, said cover having plug blade receiving apertures therein, said housing containing internal contacts for engaging with the blades of a plug inserted in said cover apertures and also containing components of a ground fault interrupter; said ground fault interrupter comprising a sensor transformer core and a grounded neutral transformer core each of which has a pair of conductors extending through a central aperture therein, said pair of conductors being connected with wiring terminals accessible on the exterior of said housing, said ground fault interrupter also comprising a sense amplifier and trip circuit connected with a sensing winding on said sensor transformer core and a varistor conductively engaged between two of said internal contacts; said insulative mounting means of said component carrier comprising (a) a generally cylindrical barrel portion on which said cores are accommodated and retained, said barrel portion having a hollow center through which said pair of conductors extend; (b) a bulkhead portion encompassing a cross-sectional portion of said barrel portion; (c) a solenoid bobbin subcarrier jointed to a portion of said bulkhead portion; and (d) a circuit mounting portion extending on the side of said barrel portion away from said bulkhead portion and having apertures aligned with and receiving leads of an electric circuit supported thereby.

Claim 12

A ground fault receptacle in accordance with claim 8 wherein: said hollow center of said barrel portion through which said pair of conductors extend has a central longitudinal partition electrically isolating said pair of conductors from each other; and a solenoid bobbin subcarrier is joined with said carrier and comprises a molded plastic piece separate from said carrier member and having a solenoid barrel portion between a pair of end walls that have clip portions that fit on and are retained by notches on said bulkhead portion of said carrier member.