Schneider Electric Usa, Inc.

Other

Square D Company

Randall James Gass

Dennis William Fleege

Jason D Potratz

Issa V Drame

Chad Raymond Mittelstadt

Paul Andrew Reid

Joseph R Beierschmitt

Gary W Scott

Brett E Larson

Jeremy D Schroeder

Douglas P Vanwaart

Rodney Powell

Jerry Scheel

Issa Vignon Dramé

Roger L Wolf

Steve M Meehleder

Robert Erger

Timothy John Luksetich

Nick Campbell

Brennan T Lentz

Chad Mittelstadt, I

Issa Vignon Drame

Issa V DramÉ

A method for identifying a type of fault condition with a circuit breaker includes detecting by the circuit breaker a fault condition of a plurality of fault conditions, storing in a memory device a trip code representing a type of the detected fault condition, interrupting current flow through the branch circuit in response to detecting the fault condition, and receiving a reset of the circuit breaker. The trip code may then be displayed in response to a momentary press of a test button that is a short duration press, and activating an LED interface in the circuit breaker to indicate the trip code representing the type of the detected fault condition.

Electronic miniature circuit breaker with enhanced diagnostic user interface

The line power and neutral conductors for a circuit interrupter such as a miniature circuit breaker, using ground fault sensing via a current transformer, are arranged as a rigid conductor formed from a flat plate and surrounding and holding an insulated flexible conductor when passing through the Ground Fault Interrupter current transformer. The rigid conductor can provide a shaped current path to maximize the effectiveness of the current transformer.

Differential current sensing bussing method

The line power and neutral conductors for an arc fault sensing circuit interrupter such as in a miniature circuit breaker are arranged as a rigid conductor surrounding and holding an insulated flexible conductor when passing through the Ground Fault Interrupter current transformer. Voltage metering takes place across the rigid conductor to enable arc fault detection and ground fault detection in the miniature circuit breaker within the space of a single current transformer.

Integrated arc fault and ground fault current sensing package

Systems and methods for auto-monitoring a trip solenoid and a switching semiconductor in a circuit breaker comprises determining whether the trip solenoid or the switching semiconductor is open-circuited or otherwise non-operational. The trip solenoid has multiple windings therein and the switching semiconductor has multiple semiconductor switches therein. The circuit breaker automatically performs a designated action if one of the multiple windings or one of the semiconductor switches is determined to be open-circuited or otherwise non-operational. In some embodiments, the circuit breaker is a miniature circuit breaker.

Auto-monitoring redundancy for enhanced miniature circuit breaker reliability

Method and system for implementing multiple user-initiated self-test sequences in a multifunction circuit breaker device uses a single test input to initiate both arc fault and ground fault testing while at the same time allowing the multifunction circuit breaker device to continue detecting actual arc faults and ground faults in near real time. Having one test input for multiple self-test sequences significantly reduces the number of mechanical and electrical components required by the circuit breaker device. The multifunction circuit breaker device also distinguishes between a simulated ground fault and an actual ground fault and avoids automatically tripping upon successful completion of the ground fault self-test sequence unless and until all self-test sequences have passed. In this way, users are not given a potentially incorrect indication that the multifunction circuit breaker device is working properly.

Multifunction circuit breaker with single test button

Method and system for performing arc fault and ground fault detection in a dual function CAFI/GFCI circuit breaker uses two analog-to-digital converters (ADC), one for performing arc fault sampling and one for performing ground fault sampling. Each ADC operates independently of the other ADC and may be accessed as needed by the microcontroller without interfering with the operation of the other ADC. Such simultaneous use of multiple ADCs minimizes or eliminates the need for complex time slicing and similar control schemes, thus freeing up the microcontroller for other operations and fault detection related tasks.

Arc fault and ground fault interrupter using dual ADC

Sampling for arc-fault detection, ground-fault detection, and grounded-neutral fault detection uses a single analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The arc-fault and ground-fault sampling occurs at regular sampling periods that are relatively short com pared to the time between them, thus allowing grounded-neutral fault sampling to occur before and/or after one of these sampling periods. A predefined event may be used to ensure the grounded-neutral fault sampling occurs immediately before and/or after one of the periodic sampling periods. The predefined event may be the expiration of a timer or the time for a sinusoidal signal in a ground fault sense circuit to make a predefined number of zero-crossings. This avoids interference between the arc-fault sampling, the ground-fault sampling and grounded-neutral fault sampling, allowing a single ADC to perform all samplings concurrently. The timing of the predefined event may be periodically reset to compensate for any changes due to temperature and/or over time.

Arc-fault and ground fault interrupter using a single ground fault sensor and single ADC

A circuit breaker includes a housing, a rigid circuit board, and a flexible circuit board. The rigid circuit board is enclosed within the housing and has a main surface for supporting an electronic component. The flexible circuit board has a first end that is directly attached to an edge of the rigid circuit board.

Residential circuit breaker with flexible printed circuit boards

A method of tripping a circuit breaker including sampling an AC line voltage at regular intervals during a first time period to generate a plurality of AC line voltage samples. Each sample of the set of AC line voltage samples is summed to generate a voltage area value. A controller determines whether the voltage area value exceeds a threshold. In response to the voltage area value exceeding the threshold, an amount determined as a function of the voltage area value is added to a count value. The circuit breaker is caused to trip in response to the count value equaling or exceeding a maximum count value. An improper line-to-neutral voltage can be detected by monitoring the line-to-neutral voltage and comparing it to a function such as a trip curve. Thus, components downstream from a circuit breaker, as well as the circuit breaker itself, can be protected from prolonged exposure to improper voltages, which can lead to component failure.

Improper voltage detection for electronic circuit breaker

An electronic circuit breaker includes controllable contacts adapted to connect a power source to at least one load, and a microcontroller for monitoring the flow of power to the load, detecting different types of fault conditions and automatically opening the contacts in response to a fault. A primary power supply of the breaker receives power from the line source when the contacts are closed, and supplies power to the control circuitry. Fault indicators in the microcontroller indicate the type of fault that caused the contacts to open. A secondary power supply provides power to the control circuitry when the contacts are open and a switch is closed.

Circuit breaker with fault indication and secondary power supply

A current-sensing assembly comprising a housing and first and second current transformers contained in and fixed in position by the housing. The assembly includes at least one conducting pin corresponding to each of the first and second current transformers and inserted through the housing to expose a top end and a bottom end. The top end of the pin is electrically coupled to an end of the conducting wire of the corresponding current transformer through a window in the housing coinciding with the current transformer. The top end of a common pin is electrically coupled through the window to the opposite end of the coil conductor. The bottom end of each pin is configured to be coupled to a printed circuit board. The housing includes first and second elongated rings passing substantially through the centers of the current transformers and configured to accept first and second current lines.

Current sensor assembly

An apparatus for monitoring line voltage in a circuit breakor includes a controller configured to calculate a voltage difference between the neutral voltage and the AC line voltage of positive polarity based on a first signal and a second signal and assign, using a polarity signal, the voltage difference value to the AC line voltage of positive polarity and the second signal to the AC line voltage of negative polarity. Because the AC line voltage of positive polarity can be calculated based on the first signal and the second signal, the number of signals requiring A/D conversion is reduced, and the number of circuit components needed to measure the AC line voltage is reduced.

Two pole circuit breaker voltage monitoring integration

A multiple pole arc-fault circuit breaker includes a first pole assembly, a second pole assembly, a microprocessor, and a single test button. At least one of the first pole assembly and the second pole assembly has a trip mechanism. The microprocessor is electrically coupled to the first pole assembly and to the second pole assembly, and, in response to receiving a single test signal, is operative to perform electrical tests for both the first pole assembly and the second pole assembly. In response to successful completion of the electrical tests, the microprocessor is further operative to actuate the trip mechanism. The single test button is mounted to the housing and includes a single test position which causes the sending of the single test signal for initiating the electrical tests.

Multiple pole arc-fault circuit breaker using single test button

A multi-pole circuit breaker for a power distribution system having multiple line conductors carrying AC currents that are out of phase with each other, and a common neutral conductor, comprises first and second current sensors, a ground fault detection circuit, and an arcing fault detection circuit. The first current sensor is adapted to be coupled to both of the line conductors and to the neutral conductor and produces a first output signal indicative of the resultant of the electrical currents flowing in the line and neutral conductors. The ground fault detection circuit receives the first output signal and produces a trip signal in response to the detection of a ground fault. The second current sensor comprises a coil wound on a toroidal core and is adapted to be coupled to both of the line conductors in a manner that the electrical currents in the line conductors flow in opposite directions inside the toroidal core, thus inducing in the coil a second output signal that is a function of the difference of the electrical currents in the line conductors. The arcing fault detection circuit receives the second output signal and includes a processor programmed to analyze the second output signal and produce a trip signal in response to the detection of an arcing fault.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Randall James Gass