Patent attributes
An apparatus and method for protecting against electrocution hazards that arise when an appliance is electrically connected to a miswired single-phase AC electrical source are described. Protection is provided against miswiring conditions that causes the putative ground line of the electrical source to be either electrically energized or to be electrically open. The apparatus includes one or more sensors that detect if the electrical source is miswired and operate one or more devices which physically interrupt electrical continuity to one or more of the electrical lines of the appliance if a miswiring is detected. The method includes the steps of detecting if the putative ground of the electrical source is electrically equivalent to the putative hot line of the source, and if it is, then interrupting electrical continuity between the electrical source and the appliance.
