SELF-TESTING CIRCUIT INTERRUPTING DEVICE

• US 20080013227A1
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Mernyk, Ross, Bradley, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 7,852,606 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/466 with remote controlled forced fusing
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/335 the main function being self testing of the device

Abstract

There is disclosed a self-testing circuit interrupting device which provides uninterrupted power to a load during a complete electronic and electromechanical components self test to allow autonomous periodic automated self testing without damaging or resetting connected load equipment.

Claims

1. A circuit interrupting device comprising:

a first electrical conductive path having two or more conductors capable of being electrically connected to a source of electricity;

a second electrical conductive path having two or more conductors capable of conducting current to a load when electrical continuity between said first and second electrical conductive paths is made;

a fault detector coupled to monitor voltage and/or current in the first and/or second electrical conductive paths and produce a fault signal when a fault is detected;

a first relay interposed between said first and second conductive paths; and

a second relay interposed between said first and second conductive paths having its current carrying path coupled in parallel with the current carrying path of said first relay.

2. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 wherein said two or more conductors comprise one phase conductor and one neutral conductor.

3. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 wherein said two or more conductors comprise two or more phase conductors and one or more neutral conductors.

4. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 wherein said first relay is a double pole double throw relay having a first pair of contacts coupled to pass current from said first conductive path to said second conductive path when closed.

5. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 wherein said second relay is a double pole double throw relay having a first pair of contacts coupled to pass current from said first conductive path to said second conductive path when closed.

6. The circuit interrupting device of claim 4 wherein said first relay has a second pair of contacts coupled to a sense circuit to indicate when said first pair of contacts of said first relay are open.

7. The circuit interrupting device of claim 5 wherein said second relay has a second pair of contacts coupled to a sense circuit to indicate when said first pair of contacts of said second relay are open.

8. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 further comprising:

a fault inducer adapted to create a predetermined condition on said first and/or second electrical conductive paths.

9. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 further comprising:

a fault inducer adapted to simulate the occurrence of a predetermined condition in the said fault detector.

10. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 further comprising:

a microcontroller or logic circuit, adapted to receive said fault signal from said fault detector, and adapted to control said first and second relays.

11. The circuit interrupting device of claim 10 further comprising:

a self-destruct mechanism adapted to receive a self-destruct signal from said microcontroller or logic circuit.

12. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 further comprising:

an autonomous self-destruct mechanism capable of detecting a failure in the circuit interrupting device, and capable of disconnecting power from the load when said failure is detected.

13. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 wherein said fault detector is coupled to said first and/or second relays to operate said relay or relays to their open position.

14. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 wherein said first and/or second relay is electromechanically designed such that current carrying members detected to be in an “

off”

position cannot be supplying power to a load.

15. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 wherein said first and/or second relays comprise a disk with one or more current carrying members on one or both sides of it.

16. The circuit interrupting device of claim 15 wherein said disk requires one or multiple actions from a piston in order to rotate it.

17. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 wherein said second relay is smaller than said first relay.

18. The circuit interrupting device of claim 1 wherein energy to close said second relay comes from a reservoir which takes longer to charge than discharge.

19. A circuit interrupting device comprising:

a first electrical conductive path having two or more conductors capable of being electrically connected to a source of electricity;

a second electrical conductive path having two or more conductors capable of conducting current to a load when electrical continuity between said first and second electrical conductive paths is made;

a fault detector coupled to monitor voltage and/or current in the first and/or second electrical conductive paths and produce a fault signal when a fault is detected; and

a relay interposed between said first and second conductive paths, having a first and a second conducting position and a center off position, said first and second conducting positions having their current carrying paths coupled in parallel.

20. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 wherein said two or more conductors comprise one phase conductor and one neutral conductor.

21. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 wherein said two or more conductors comprise two or more phase conductors and one or more neutral conductors.

22. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 wherein said relay is a double pole double throw center off relay.

23. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 wherein said relay additionally comprises one or more sense contacts coupled to a sense circuit to indicate position of the relay.

24. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 further comprising:

a fault inducer adapted to create a predetermined condition on said first and/or second electrical conductive paths.

25. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 further comprising:

a fault inducer adapted to simulate the occurrence of a predetermined condition in the said fault detector.

26. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 further comprising:

a microcontroller or logic circuit, adapted to receive said fault signal from said fault detector, and adapted to control said relay.

27. The circuit interrupting device of claim 26 further comprising:

a self-destruct mechanism adapted to receive a self-destruct signal from said microcontroller or logic circuit.

28. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 further comprising:

an autonomous self-destruct mechanism capable of detecting a failure in the circuit interrupting device, and capable of disconnecting power from the load when said failure is detected.

29. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 wherein said fault detector is coupled to said relay to operate said relay to its open position.

30. The circuit interrupting device of claim 26 further comprising:

zero cross detect circuit coupled to said first and/or second electrical conduction paths to provide powerline voltage timing to said microcontroller or logic circuit.

31. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 further comprising:

relay sense circuit coupled to indicate position of contacts of said relay.

32. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 further comprising:

relay bounce damping means, to minimize contact bounce when changing position of said relay.

33. The circuit interrupting device of claim 19 further comprising:

load loading means to quickly discharge load capacitance allowing a load voltage sense means to accurately measure load voltage.

34. A circuit interrupting device comprising:

a first electrical conductive path having two or more conductors capable of being electrically connected to a source of electricity;

a second electrical conductive path having two or more conductors capable of conducting current to a load when electrical continuity between said first and second electrical conductive paths is made;

a fault detector coupled to monitor voltage and/or current in the first and/or second electrical conductive paths and produce a fault signal when a fault is detected; and

a relay interposed between said first and second conductive paths, having a first conducting position and a second non-conducting position;

wherein, to test the operation of said relay said relay is caused to move briefly from said first conducting position to said second non-conducting position and immediately back to said first conducting position.

35. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 wherein said two or more conductors comprise one phase conductor and one neutral conductor.

36. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 wherein said two or more conductors comprise two or more phase conductors and one or more neutral conductors.

37. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 wherein said relay is a double pole double throw relay.

38. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 wherein said relay additionally comprises one or more sense contacts coupled to a sense circuit to indicate position of the relay.

39. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 further comprising:

a fault inducer adapted to create a predetermined condition on said first and/or second electrical conductive paths.

40. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 further comprising:

a fault inducer adapted to simulate the occurrence of a predetermined condition in the said fault detector.

41. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 further comprising:

a microcontroller or logic circuit, adapted to receive said fault signal from said fault detector, and adapted to control said relay.

42. The circuit interrupting device of claim 41 further comprising:

a self-destruct mechanism adapted to receive a self-destruct signal from said microcontroller or logic circuit.

43. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 further comprising:

an autonomous self-destruct mechanism capable of detecting a failure in the circuit interrupting device, and capable of disconnecting power from the load when said failure is detected.

44. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 wherein said fault detector is coupled to said relay to operate said relay to its open position.

45. The circuit interrupting device of claim 41 further comprising:

zero cross detect circuit coupled to said first and/or second electrical conduction paths to provide powerline voltage timing to said microcontroller or logic circuit.

46. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 further comprising:

relay sense circuit coupled to indicate position of contacts of said relay.

47. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 further comprising:

relay bounce damping means, to minimize contact bounce when changing position of said relay.

48. The circuit interrupting device of claim 34 further comprising:

load loading means to quickly discharge load capacitance allowing a load voltage sense means to accurately measure load voltage.