Patent Grant
8094424
The present invention relates to power distribution network devices, and in particular, to operation detection devices for cable protectors or “limiters.”
In power distribution networks, there are typically many cable over current protection devices, such as limiters and fuses, that limit and/or even prevent cable damage due to over-current situations that may be caused by circuit overloads, inadvertent short circuit faults and/or the like. The responsible party (such as the utility company) may benefit if they know when these limiting devices operate, e.g., to open the respective electric circuit or link.
Conventional “blown fuse indicators” typically use a small, fusible wire that is electrically connected to a larger, primary fuse element. A spring-loaded flag or other indicia is held in a closed position by the fusible wire. When the fuse element opens a circuit in response to an over-current and/or over-voltage condition, the fusible wire is liquefied, and, consequently, the spring-loaded flag is deployed. However, fusible wires that are electrically integrated with the fuse element and release a spring-loaded indicator may not be easily installed on existing equipment (i.e., retrofitted) and/or may present difficulties with resettability.
According to some embodiments of the invention, an operation detection device for an overcurrent protection component is provided. The overcurrent protection component has a closed state and an open state and outputs a transition event responsive to a transition between the closed state and the open state. The operation detection device includes a housing configured to attach to the overcurrent protection component. A sensor is positioned in the housing at a location selected to allow the sensor to detect the transition event. A switch circuit is operatively coupled to the sensor and is configured to generate an output signal indicating a change in state of the overcurrent protection component responsive to detection of the transition event by the sensor.
In further embodiments of the invention, the sensor is electrically isolated from the overcurrent protection component.
In other embodiments, the transition event includes one of a plurality of transition events having different associated types, and the switch circuit is further configured to identify ones of the associated types of transition events responsive to detection by the sensor. The types of transition events can include a short circuit transition event and/or an overload transition event. In particular embodiments, the sensor includes a plurality of sensors, and the plurality of sensors can include optical sensors, thermal sensors and/or acoustic sensors.
In further embodiments, the transition event includes a light burst emitted by the overcurrent protection component when the overcurrent protection component transitions from the closed state to the open state and the sensor is a photosensor. The sensor can be configured to detect the transition event responsive to the light burst when the light burst has a duration of less than about 500 millisecond.
In other embodiments, the transition event includes radiofrequency (RF) energy produced by an arc from the overcurrent protection component when the overcurrent protection component transitions from the closed state to the open state. The sensor can include an RF detector.
In other embodiments, the transition event includes infrared (IR) radiation produced by heat of an arc from the overcurrent protection component when the overcurrent protection component transitions from the closed state to the open state. The sensor can include an IR detector. In other embodiments, the transition event includes an acoustic impulse produced when the overcurrent protection component transitions from the closed state to the open state. The sensor can include an acoustic detector.
In further embodiments, the switch circuit further includes a transmitter configured to transmit the output signal indicating a change in state of the overcurrent protection component to provide a remote notification of detection of the transition event.
In still further embodiments, the device includes a light emitting device (LED) coupled to the housing. The switch circuit is configured to illuminate the LED responsive to detection of the transition event by the sensor to provide a local notification of detection of the transition event.
According to further embodiments, an overcurrent protection component assembly includes the overcurrent protection component and the operation detection device.
According to some embodiments, an operation detection device for an overcurrent protection component is provided. The overcurrent protection component has a closed state and an open state and outputs a transition event responsive to a transition between the closed state and the open state. A sensor is electrically isolated from the overcurrent protection component and positioned in a location selected to allow the sensor to detect the transition event. A switch circuit is operatively coupled to the sensor and is configured to generate an output signal indicating a change in state of the overcurrent protection component responsive to detection of the transition event by the sensor.
In some embodiments, the device further includes a housing configured to detachably mount the sensor to an overcurrent protection component and to position the sensor at the location selected to allow the sensor to detect the transition event.
In further embodiments, the location of the sensor is displaced from the overcurrent protection component.
According to some embodiments, methods of detecting an operation of an overcurrent protection component are provided. The overcurrent protection component has a closed state and an open state and outputs a transition event responsive to a transition between the closed state and the open state. The transition event is detected using a sensor that is electrically isolated from the overcurrent protection component. An output signal is generated indicating a change in state of the overcurrent protection component responsive to detection of the transition event by the sensor.
The present invention now will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. In the figures, the thickness of certain lines, layers, components, elements or features may be exaggerated for clarity.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on,” “attached” to, “connected” to, “coupled” with, “contacting,” etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled with or contacting the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being, for example, “directly on,” “directly attached” to, “directly connected” to, “directly coupled” with or “directly contacting” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be appreciated by those of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature that is disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap or underlie the adjacent feature.
Spatially relative terms, such as “under,” “below,” “lower,” “over,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both an orientation of “over” and “under.” The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the terms “upwardly,” “downwardly,” “vertical,” “horizontal” and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only unless specifically indicated otherwise.
It will be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Thus, a “first” element discussed below could also be termed a “second” element without departing from the teachings of the present invention. The sequence of operations (or steps, e.g., illustrated in flowcharts) is not limited to the order presented in the claims or figures unless specifically indicated otherwise.
The present invention is described below with reference to block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations of methods, apparatus (systems) and/or computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It is understood that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, and/or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer and/or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams and/or flowchart block or blocks.
As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the invention may be embodied as a method, device, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects all generally referred to herein as a “circuit” or “module.”
As illustrated in the embodiments of
As illustrated in
As shown in
In some embodiments, the sensor 110 can be configured to detect one or more indicia of the electrical arc transition event, including optical indicia, heat, infrared (IR) radiation, radiofrequency (RF) radiation, acoustic energy (such as sound waves) and the like. In particular embodiments and as shown in
For example, the transparent housing 54 can transmit a flash of light from an electrical arc transition event in the fuse element 52, and the sensor 110 can be a photosensor. In some embodiments, the housing 54 may be opaque, and/or the transition event can be detected without requiring an optical sensor, e.g., by using a heat sensor, IR sensor, RF sensor and/or acoustic sensor.
Accordingly, the switch circuit 160 of the operation detection device 100 can generate an output signal indicating a change in state of the overcurrent protection component 50 responsive to detection of the transition event by the sensor 110 when the fuse element 52 opens a circuit. For example, the sensor 110 can be electrically isolated and/or physically displaced from the fuse element 52 before and after the fuse element 52 outputs a transition event that opens a circuit due to an over-current condition. In the configuration illustrated in
For example, as illustrated in
The phototransistor Q1 can have a response time sufficient to detect sub-millisecond light bursts. The activation of the phototransistor Q1 can be used to switch a semiconductor device field effect transistor (FET) Q2, which switches the state of the latching relay RLY. A relay contact signal (output signal) from the latching relay RLY can be used to control local and/or remote notification of the status of the operation control device 100. For example, the latching relay RLY can trigger illumination of the diode D2 (corresponding to the LED 130 of
The latching relay RLY can remain in the “triggered” state until, for example, the latching relay RLY is reset by an operator by pressing the reset switch 140 of
In particular embodiments as shown in
As illustrated in
Although embodiments of the current invention are illustrated with respect to the operation detection device 100 and the overcurrent protection component 50, it should be understood that various modifications to the illustrated embodiments of the operation detection device 100 and the overcurrent protection component 50 may also be provided in some embodiments of the present invention. For example, although the operation detection device 100 is illustrated as a separate device that is detachably mounted to the overcurrent protection component 50, it should be understood that the operation detection device 100 can be integrated with and provided in a single housing with the overcurrent protection component 50 in some embodiments. The operation detection device 100 illustrated in
Although embodiments according to the present invention are described with respect to the photosensor 110 being a phototransistor Q1 in
Although the sensor 110 is illustrated as being positioned adjacent the overcurrent protection component 50 by an aperture 110A, it should be understood that any suitable configuration can be used. If the sensor 110 is an optical sensor, any configuration suitable for the sensor 110 to detect light may be used. For example, the sensor 110 can be positioned inside the housing 54 and light can be transmitted to the sensor 110 via an optical fiber or other suitable light transmitter.
For example, as shown in
Although the controller 290 is illustrated with respect to a plurality of sensors 210, it should be understood that the controller 290 can be operatively connected to a single sensor while still providing operations such as identifying a transition event from a plurality of types of transition events in a overcurrent protection component responsive to detection by one (or more of) the sensor(s) 210.
As further illustrated in
The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/031,513 filed Feb. 26, 2008, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4056816 | Guim | Nov 1977 | A |
| 4673928 | Guim | Jun 1987 | A |
| 4698621 | Masot | Oct 1987 | A |
| 5064998 | Holling | Nov 1991 | A |
| 7791846 | Roscoe et al. | Sep 2010 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 195 14 580 | Oct 1996 | DE |
| 20 2004 002 714 | Jun 2004 | DE |
| WO 0028635 | May 2000 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090213505 A1 | Aug 2009 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61031513 | Feb 2008 | US |
