Circuit breaker lockout
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of controlling a circuit breaker having at least one contact, said method comprises:
- generating a lockout signal or an enable signal;
preventing said contact from closing when said circuit breaker receives said lockout signal, thereby causing a lockout state; and
permitting said contact to close when said circuit breaker receives said enable signal, thereby causing an enable state.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A circuit breaker lockout device is provided that prevents the breaker contacts from being closed when the circuit breaker is in a lockout state in response to a lockout signal and permits the breaker contacts to be closed when the circuit breaker is an enable state in response to an enable signal.
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Citations
96 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a circuit breaker having at least one contact, said method comprises:
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generating a lockout signal or an enable signal;
preventing said contact from closing when said circuit breaker receives said lockout signal, thereby causing a lockout state; and
permitting said contact to close when said circuit breaker receives said enable signal, thereby causing an enable state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of controlling a circuit breaker with at least one contact disposed within a circuit, said method comprising:
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detecting a fault in said circuit;
opening said contact in response to said fault;
generating either a lockout signal or an enable signal;
preventing said contact from closing when said circuit breaker receives said lockout signal, thereby causing a lockout state; and
permitting said contact to close when said circuit breaker receives said enable signal, thereby causing an enable state. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of protecting a circuit having a circuit breaker having at least one contact, said method comprising:
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generating a lockout signal or an enable signal at a control processing unit;
communicating said lockout signal or said enable signal over a network to said circuit breaker;
preventing said contact from closing when said circuit breaker receives said lockout signal, thereby causing a lockout state; and
permitting said contact to close when said circuit breaker receives said enable signal, thereby causing an enable state. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A lockout device, responsive to a lockout signal and an enable signal, for a circuit breaker having at least one contact, said device comprising:
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a locking member operably connected to said circuit breaker, said locking member being moveable between a first position preventing said contact from being closed thereby causing a lockout state and a second position permitting said contact to close thereby causing an enable state; and
a locking mechanism operably connected to said locking member for moving said locking member between said first and second positions, wherein said locking mechanism moves said locking member into said first position in response to said lockout signal and wherein said locking mechanism moves said locking member into said second position in response to said enable signal. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A circuit breaker responsive to a lockout signal and an enable signal comprising:
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at least one contact;
an operating mechanism operably connected to said contact for opening and closing said contact;
a locking member operably connected to said operating mechanism, said locking member being moveable between a first position preventing said operating mechanism from closing said contact and a second position permitting said operating mechanism to close said contact; and
a locking mechanism operably connected to said locking member for moving said locking member between said first and second positions, wherein said locking mechanism moves said locking member into said first position in response to said lockout signal and wherein said locking mechanism moves said locking member into said second position in response to said enable signal. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A protection system for a circuit comprising:
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a circuit breaker having at least one contact, said circuit breaker being coupled to said circuit;
a lockout device operably connected to said circuit breaker to prevent said contact from closing thereby causing a lockout state and to permit said contact to be closed thereby causing an enable state;
at least one control processing unit controlling said lockout device; and
a network communicatively coupled to said at least one control processing unit and said lockout device, wherein said at least one control processing unit selectively generates a lockout signal and communicates said lockout signal over said network to said lockout device, said circuit breaker being placed into said lockout state by said lockout device in response to said lockout signal, and wherein said at least one control processing unit selectively generates an enable signal and communicates said enable signal over said network to said lockout device, said circuit breaker being placed into said enable state by said lockout device in response to said enable signal. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. A power distribution system comprising:
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a circuit having a circuit breaker, a power source and a load, said circuit breaker having at least one contact;
a lockout device operably connected to said circuit breaker to prevent said circuit breaker from closing said contact thereby causing a lockout state and to permit said circuit breaker to close said contact thereby causing an enable state;
at least one control processing unit controlling said lockout device and controlling opening and closing of said contact; and
a network communicatively coupled to said at least one control processing unit, said lockout device and said circuit breaker, wherein said at least one control processing unit selectively generates a lockout signal and communicates said lockout signal over said network to said lockout device, said circuit breaker being placed into said lockout state by said lockout device in response to said lockout signal, and wherein said at least one control processing unit selectively generates an enable signal and communicates said enable signal over said network to said lockout device, said circuit breaker being placed into said enable state by said lockout device in response to said enable signal. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
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Specification