Square D Company

Other

George M Horne

Timothy B Phillips

Ronald L Farrington

Barry Noel Rodgers

Michael Baron Carter

George E Burke, Jr

Roger Alan Plemmons

Michael B Carter

A self-powered circuit interrupter arrangement for interrupting current in a circuit path uses a current-blocking component to ensure that an insufficient amount of accumulated power for actuating and completing interruption of the circuit path is not misused in an unwarranted attempt to interrupt the current path. The arrangement includes a current inducer circuit for providing a current signal having a magnitude corresponding to the current in the circuit path and a power supply operating from the current signal to provide a voltage signal of a predetermined value relative to common. A trip command circuit, in response to a fault detected in the circuit path, sends an electrical signal commanding that the circuit path be interrupted by using the voltage signal. The electrical signal is sent to an electrical latch located electrically in series with a coil of a solenoid mechanism. Current from the power supply passing through the coil of a solenoid mechanism causes the interruption of current in the current path. A prevention circuit is constructed and arranged to prevent the electrical signal from engaging the latch, or current from the power supply from passing through the coil until the voltage signal exceeds the predetermined value.

Energy validation arrangement for a self-powered circuit interrupter

A control system (FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 6) and method in which multiple levels, or stages (128, 130, 132), of logical decisions are made by selectively feedforwarding output signals (356) from control modules (72) to the inputs of other modules (80), preferably through use of control modules (233) with selective feedforwarding circuits (239, 240) to logically combine during selected synchronous time slots (351) of a synchronous clock signal (FIG. 11) the result of a plurality of nonconcurrent input signals from a plurality of input devices (28, 30, 32, 34) to control an output device (26).

Feedforward control system, method and control module

A modular circuit interrupter is arranged for interrupting current in a three-phase circuit path providing current from a three-phase source to a three-phase motor. The interrupter includes a contactor unit arranged to interrupt the circuit path in response to a trip command; a current inducer circuit for providing a current signal having a magnitude corresponding to the current in the circuit path; a fault detection circuit responsive to the current signal, for detecting and communicating power faults in the circuit path; and start and stop motor modules. Respective housings are provided for each of the contactor unit, the fault detection circuit, the start motor module and the stop motor module. A data/power communication bus provides a data communication link between each of the contactor unit, the fault detection circuit, the start motor module and the stop motor module. The data/power communication bus also includes power and ground leads for providing power to the contactor unit and the fault detection circuit. The fault detection circuit sends the trip command over the data communication link, and the contactor unit includes decoding circuitry for responding by interrupting the circuit path.

Decentralized, modular tripping arrangement

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

George M Horne