INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC DEVICE HAVING A TERMINAL ASSEMBLY FOR COUPLING TO A METER MOUNTING SOCKET

• US 20100090680A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EI Electronics LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electro Industries/Gaugetech
• Inventors: Banhegyesi, Tibor
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/110
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/065 related to mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/04 Pins or blades for co-operation with sockets
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/20 Pins, blades, or sockets shaped, or provided with separate member, to retain co-operating parts together
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/0256 for soldering or welding connectors to a printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An intelligent electronic device having a terminal assembly for coupling the IED, e.g., a revenue meter, to a meter mounting socket. The assembly includes a housing including a generally planar, rigid base, the base including at least one opening and at least one circuit board having at least one electrically conducting terminal surface mounted thereon, the at least one electrically conducting terminal extending through the at least one opening of the base to mate with at least one matching jaw of a detachable meter mounting device coupled to the electrical circuit.

Claims

1. An assembly for coupling a meter to an electrical circuit, the assembly comprising:

a housing including a generally planar, rigid base, the base including at least one opening; and

at least one circuit board having at least one electrically conducting terminal surface mounted thereon, the at least one electrically conducting terminal extending through the at least one opening of the base to mate with at least one matching jaw of a detachable meter mounting device coupled to the electrical circuit.

2. The assembly as in claim 1, wherein the at least one electrically conducting terminal includes a generally rectangular stab having a upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a first perpendicularly projecting tab configured to mate with a land of the at least one circuit board.

3. The assembly as in claim 2, wherein the at least one electrically conducting terminal includes at least one mounting prong extending from the lower portion of the stab and the at least one circuit board includes at least one opening adjacent the land adapted to receive the at least one mounting prong.

4. The assembly as in claim 3, wherein the at least one electrically conducting terminal includes a second projecting tab centrally located on the generally rectangular stab, the second projecting tab contacts a surface of the base after the at least one electrically conducting terminals extends through the at least one opening of the base and locks the at least one circuit board to the base.

5. The assembly as in claim 4, wherein the at least one circuit board includes at least one electrical connection extending from the land to at least one electrical component.

6. The assembly as in claim 5, wherein the at least one electrical component is at least one voltage sensor.

7. The assembly as in claim 5, wherein the at least one electrical component is at least one current sensor.

8. The assembly as in claim 1, further comprising at least one second electrically conducting terminal including a generally rectangular stab having a upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a downwardly projecting leg extending through at least one opening in the at least one circuit board and the upper potion extending through the at least one opening of the base to mate with at least one matching jaw of the detachable meter mounting device coupled to the electrical circuit.

9. The assembly as in claim 8, further comprising at least one current sensor disposed around the downwardly projecting leg.

10. The assembly as in claim 9, further comprising at least one third electrically conducting terminal including a generally rectangular stab having a upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a downwardly projecting leg extending through at least one opening in the at least one circuit board and the upper portion extending through the at least one opening of the base to mate with at least one matching jaw of the detachable meter mounting device coupled to the electrical circuit,

wherein the downwardly projecting leg of the at least one second electrically conducting terminal is electrically coupled to the downwardly projecting leg of the at least one third electrically conducting terminal.

11. The assembly as in claim 10, wherein the downwardly projecting legs of the at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals is coupled by an electrically conducting bar.

12. The assembly as in claim 11, wherein the at least one electrically conducting terminal includes a generally rectangular stab having a upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a first perpendicularly projecting tab configured to mate with a land of the at least one circuit board, the at least one circuit board includes at least one electrical connection extending from the land to at least one voltage sensor.

13. An electrical meter for sensing electrical parameters from an electric circuit, the meter comprising:

a housing including a generally planar, rigid base, the base including at least one opening;

at least one circuit board having at least one first electrically conducting terminal surface mounted thereon, the at least one first electrically conducting terminal extending through the at least one opening of the base to mate with at least one matching jaw of a detachable meter mounting device coupled to the electrical circuit, the at least one circuit board includes at least one electrical connection extending from the at least one first electrically conducting terminal to at least one voltage sensor;

at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals, each of the at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals including a generally rectangular stab having a upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a downwardly projecting leg extending through at least one opening in the at least one circuit board and the upper potion extending through the at least one opening of the base to mate with at least one matching jaw of the detachable meter mounting device coupled to the electrical circuit; and

at least one current sensor disposed around one of the downwardly projecting legs, wherein the downwardly projecting leg of the at least one second electrically conducting terminal is electrically coupled to the downwardly projecting leg of the at least one third electrically conducting terminal.

14. The electrical meter as in claim 13, further comprising:

at least one digital sampler coupled to each of the current sensor and voltage sensor for sampling the electrical parameters of the electrical circuit; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one digital sampler for calculating power parameters of the electrical circuit.

15. The electrical meter as in claim 13, wherein the at least one first electrically conducting terminal includes a generally rectangular stab having a upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a first perpendicularly projecting tab configured to mate with a land of the at least one circuit board.

16. The electrical meter as in claim 15, wherein the at least one first electrically conducting terminal includes at least one mounting prong extending from the lower portion of the stab and the at least one circuit board includes at least one opening adjacent the land adapted to receive the at least one mounting prong.

17. The electrical meter as in claim 16, wherein the at least one first electrically conducting terminal includes a second projecting tab centrally located on the generally rectangular stab, the second projecting tab contacts a surface of the base after the at least one first electrically conducting terminals extends through the at least one opening of the base and locks the at least one circuit board to the base.

18. The electrical meter as in claim 13, wherein the downwardly projecting legs of the at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals is coupled by an electrically conducting bar.

19. The electrical meter as in claim 14, further comprising a display mounted on the housing for displaying at least one sampled electrical parameter or power parameter.

20. The electrical meter as in claim 19, wherein the display is a multi-media graphic user interface.

21. The electrical meter as in claim 19, further comprising a cover configured to be disposed over the housing and mate with the meter mounting device.

22. The electrical meter as in claim 21, wherein the cover is configured to allow access to the display without removing the cover.

23. The electrical meter as in claim 21, further comprising a seal for securing the cover to the meter mounting device and operative to prevent removal of the meter and indicate tampering with the meter.

24. The electrical meter as in claim 14, further comprising a communication device for enabling communications with at least one other device.

25. The electrical meter as in claim 24, wherein the communication device communicates using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

26. The electrical meter as in claim 24, wherein the communication device communicates using File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

27. The electrical meter as in claim 24, wherein the communication device communicates using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

28. The electrical meter as in claim 24, wherein the communication device communicates using an electronic mail (e-mail) protocol.

29. The electrical meter as in claim 24, wherein the communication device communicates using a wireless transmission protocol.

30. The electrical meter as in claim 24, wherein the communication device communicates using wireless GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) data protocol.

31. The electrical meter as in claim 24, wherein the communication device communicates using a wireless 3G protocol.

32. The electrical meter as in claim 21, further comprising a communication device for enabling communications with at least one other device.

33. A method for manufacturing an electrical meter for sensing electrical parameters from an electrical circuit, the method comprising:

providing a generally planar, rigid base, the base including at least one opening;

surface mounting at least one electrically conducting terminal to at least one circuit board; and

extending through the at least one opening of the base the at least one electrically conducting terminal to mate with at least one matching jaw of a detachable meter mounting device coupled to the electrical circuit.

34. The method as in claim 33, wherein the at least one electrically conducting terminal includes a generally rectangular stab having a upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a first perpendicularly projecting tab and the surface mounting further comprises soldering the first perpendicularly projecting tab to a land of the at least one circuit board.

35. The method as in claim 34, wherein the at least one electrically conducting terminal includes at least one mounting prong extending from the lower portion of the stab and the at least one circuit board includes at least one opening adjacent the land adapted to receive the at least one mounting prong.

36. The method as in claim 35, wherein the at least one electrically conducting terminal includes a second projecting tab centrally located on the generally rectangular stab, and the method further comprises locking the at least one circuit board to the base when the second projecting tab contacts a surface of the base after the at least one electrically conducting terminals extends through the at least one opening of the base.

37. The method as in claim 36, wherein the at least one circuit board includes at least one electrical connection extending from the land to at least one electrical component.

38. The method as in claim 37, wherein the at least one electrical component is a voltage sensor.

39. The method as in claim 33, further comprising

providing at least two openings in the at least one circuit board;

providing at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals, each of the at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals including a generally rectangular stab having a upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a downwardly projecting leg;

before the extending step, inserting the downwardly projecting leg of the at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals through the at least one opening of the at least one circuit board; and

extending the upper potion of the at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals extending through the at least one opening of the base to mate with at least one matching jaw of the detachable meter mounting device coupled to the electrical circuit.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising disposing at least one current sensor around one of the downwardly projecting legs of the at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising electrically coupling the downwardly projecting leg of the at least one second electrically conducting terminal electrically coupling to the downwardly projecting leg of the at least one third electrically conducting terminal.

42. The method as in claim 41, wherein the downwardly projecting legs of the at least one second and third electrically conducting terminals is coupled by an electrically conducting bar.

43. The method as in claim 42, wherein the at least one electrically conducting terminal includes a generally rectangular stab having a upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a first perpendicularly projecting tab configured to mate with a land of the at least one circuit board, the at least one circuit board includes at least one electrical connection extending from the land to at least one voltage sensor.