Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

Eaton Corporation

David Raymond Rohn

Robert William Mueller

James Leo Lagree

Paul Richard Rakus

James I Wise

Xin Zhou

Theodore James Miller

Li Yu

Hongbin Wang

Andrew A Rockhill

Patrick Martinez Garcia

Andrew R Smith

Todd Shaak

Brianna Groden

Kevin Sippel

Richard Paul Malingowski

Steven Zhenghong Chen

Craig Joseph Puhalla

James Patrick Sisley

Harry James Carlino

Kelly Julia McCarthy

Patrick Thomas Walsh

Jason Kohei Okerman

Deborah Kaltwasser Mort

Edward Anthony Prince

John E Downs

Michael J Morgan

Yibo Chen

Robert Frederick Brooks

Jon E Hymel

Dhananjay Lal

Joseph DeAngelis

Andrew Jay Foerster

Ruben G Herrera

Sandy Omar Gonzalez

Paul Richard Bakus

Systems and methods are provided for monitoring the effects of conductive dust deposits that compromise the ability of a trip unit to accurately detect AC current in a circuit interrupter. When a Rogowski coil is used as a current sensor in the circuit interrupter and the trip unit processes the output of the Rogowski coil using a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) processing circuit, the DC component of the processing circuit output signal can be analyzed to determine whether any conductive dust has formed unintended electrical pathways on the PCBA and compromised the ability of the PCBA to accurately measure AC current in the circuit interrupter. It can be determined that such unintended electrical pathways have formed when the DC component of the processing circuit output either exceeds a predetermined threshold or has increased by a significant amount after opening of the separable contacts.

Method to detect signal corruption from conductive dust in a circuit breaker

Circuit interrupter cover

A smart accessory device is designed to be used with a circuit breaker so as to be able to actuate an operating mechanism of the circuit breaker in order to either open or close the separable contacts of the circuit breaker. The accessory device can be one of a shunt trip, spring release, or under voltage release device. The accessory device continually executes diagnostics to determine whether the power being supplied by an external power source is sufficient to enable the accessory device to actuate the operating mechanism of the associated circuit breaker. If the accessory device determines that the power being supplied by the external source is insufficient, the device triggers an alarm in order to notify a user that the power source is not meeting the power requirements of the device.

Smart circuit interrupter accessories applied power diagnostics

A smart accessory device includes an actuator and is designed to be used to actuate an operating mechanism of a circuit breaker in order to either open or close the separable contacts of the circuit breaker. The accessory can be one of a shunt trip, spring release, or under voltage release device. The actuator includes a solenoid and plunger. The accessory determines the operating condition of the actuator based on how much current flows through the coil when the power source provides power to the accessory device, and continually executes a coil diagnostic to determine the operating condition of the coil while power is being provided to the accessory device. If the accessory fails to trip the circuit breaker when required, the accessory can determine whether the failure was due to either of the solenoid or the plunger.

Smart circuit interrupter accessories internal component diagnostics

Circuit breakers with a housing with a line side and a load side and an electronically controlled lock-out lock member coupled to the housing configured to electronically controllably travel between a first position and a second position. In the second position, the lock member is in a lock-out position and prevents the handle from moving to an ON position associated with electrical current conduction and in the first position the lock member is translated to a position that allows the handle to move to the ON position.

Circuit interrupters with electronically controlled lock out tag out systems and related electrical distribution systems and methods

A stored energy-type circuit breaker includes a sensor that operates as a full open sensor, and that is used to prevent the circuit breaker from closing in response to either a closing signal or a manual operation. The full open sensor exhibits a first output condition when the moveable contact is in a fully open position and a second output condition when the moveable contact begins to leave the fully open position. An electronic trip unit (ETU) is electrically connected to the sensor and, when in a close break mode, blocks the circuit breaker from closing. The ETU does this by, upon detecting that the sensor is in the second output condition, generating a signal that will cause the breaker's opening spring to return the moveable contact to the fully open position.

Switching device with improved closing prevention

A vacuum chamber contact assembly includes a vacuum housing assembly, a conductor assembly, and an operating mechanism. The vacuum housing assembly defines a sealed enclosed space. The conductor assembly includes a first stationary conductor assembly, a second stationary conductor assembly, and a movable conductor assembly. The operating mechanism includes a number of stationary components, a number of movable components and an actuator/latch assembly. The movable conductor assembly and the operating mechanism movable components are disposed entirely within the vacuum housing assembly enclosed space. The actuator/latch assembly includes an open, first latch unit and a close, second latch unit. The actuator/latch assembly is structured to maintain the movable conductor assembly in both the first position and the second position.

Thomson coil integrated moving contact in vacuum interrupter

A molded case circuit interrupter advantageously employs a circuitry component that is situated adjacent a rear exterior surface of the molded case of the molded case circuit interrupter. Previous circuit interrupters have sometimes employed a non-conductive backsheet of a nominal thickness of 0.062 inches that was adhered to the rear surface of the molded case circuit interrupter in order to electrically isolate screws, posts, and the like that were mounted to and that were exposed on the rear portion of a molded case thereof. The disclosed and claimed concept provides a circuitry component in place of or in addition to the back sheet, with the circuitry component including flexible ribbons having electrical conductors that extend through holes formed in the molded case and that are electrically connected with electronic components that are situated within the interior of the molded case.

Molded case circuit interrupter having circuitry component situated adjacent rear exterior surface

A circuit interrupter system includes a vacuum circuit interrupter having a vacuum chamber that contains a fixed contact and a moveable contact. A non-conductive rod extends from the moveable contact. One or more Thomson coils are wound around the rod, and one or more armatures are connected to the rod. When a driver energizes one of the Thomson coils, a corresponding armature will be repelled from that Thomson coil and move the rod to open or close the contacts of the vacuum circuit interrupter. The system also may include a damper that provides an active damping force rod when the rod is moved to open and/or close the vacuum circuit interrupter.

Vacuum circuit interrupter with actuation having active damping

A frame module for a circuit breaker includes a first interface structured to connect to a trip unit, a second interface structured to connect to a frame, and a current rating storage unit structured to store a current rating associated with the frame and to provide the stored current rating to the trip unit when the trip unit is connected to the first interface.

Frame module, circuit breaker including the same and associated method

A circuit protection apparatus includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism, an electronic trip unit storing a plurality of trip parameter combinations, wherein each of the trip parameter combinations specifies a certain value for each of a plurality of individual trip parameters, and a multi-position selector moveable among a plurality of predetermined positions and configured to enable selection of one of the predetermined positions. Each of the positions corresponds to a respective one of the trip parameter combinations, wherein the electronic trip unit is structured to, responsive to a chosen one of the plurality of predetermined positions being selected by the multi-position selector, cause the one of the trip parameter combinations corresponding to the chosen one of the plurality of predetermined positions to be used by the electronic trip unit to determine whether to cause the operating mechanism to trip open the separable contacts.

Circuit protection apparatus and method of setting trip parameters thereof

An electrical switching apparatus includes a transductor circuit that senses a direct current between at least one input terminal and at least one output terminal and outputs an alternating current proportional to the direct current between the input terminal and the output terminal. The electrical switching apparatus also includes a current sensor configured to sense an alternating current component of the direct current. The electrical switching apparatus further includes an alternating current electronic trip circuit including an arc fault detection circuit configured to detect an arc fault based on the sensed alternating current component. The alternating current electronic trip circuit is also configured to control pairs of separable contacts to trip open based on the alternating current output from the transductor circuit or the detected arc fault.

Electrical switching apparatus including alternating current electronic trip circuit with arc fault detection circuit

An electrical distribution system wherein information is communicated to and/or from an electrical component of the electrical distribution system using near-field communications. The information may be communicated to and/or from the electrical component using an electronic device such as a dedicated near-field device, a smartphone or a configuration card device. Also, a method of obtaining information from an electrical component of an electrical distribution system, such as a circuit interrupter, includes generating a machine readable element that comprises first information in encoded form, the first information relating to the operation and/or status of the circuit interrupter, displaying the machine readable element on the circuit interrupter, capturing an image of the machine readable element, obtaining the first information based on the image, and displaying second information based on the obtained first information.

System and method for providing information to and/or obtaining information from a component of an electrical distribution system

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Venetia, PA, United States of America

David Raymond Rohn