| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20100118451 | MULTIPLE-POLE CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH SHARED CURRENT SENSOR FOR ARCING FAULT DETECTION - 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. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100127691 | Two Pole Circuit Breaker Voltage Monitoring Integration - An apparatus for monitoring line voltage in a circuit breaker includes a controller, a neutral input for receiving a neutral voltage, a first input for receiving a first alternating current (AC) line voltage that periodically changes polarity with respect to the neutral voltage, and a second input for receiving a second AC line voltage that periodically changes polarity with respect to the neutral voltage and is 180 degrees out of phase from the first AC line voltage. The apparatus also includes a first circuit coupled to the first input, the second input, and the controller. The first circuit is configured to output to the controller a first signal representing the voltage difference between the first AC line voltage and the second AC line voltage. The apparatus also includes a second circuit coupled to the neutral input and the controller configured to output to the controller a second signal representing the difference between the neutral input voltage and the AC line voltage of negative polarity. The apparatus also includes a third circuit coupled to the controller configured to output a polarity signal representing an identification of the polarity of one of the AC line voltages with respect to the neutral input. The controller can be configured to calculate a voltage difference value representing the difference between the neutral voltage and the AC line voltage of positive polarity based on the first signal and the second signal and assign, using the 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 voltages is reduced. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100128404 | Improper Voltage Detection for Electronic Circuit Breaker - 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. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100148901 | Current Sensor Assembly - 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. | 06-17-2010 |
