Load Center with Branch-Level Current Sensors Integrated into Power Buses on a Unit with On-Board Circuit Breaker Mounts

• US 20120327563A1
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Darcy Cook
• Original Assignee: Darcy Cook
• Inventors: Cook, Darcy
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/624
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/06 Two-wire systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc

Abstract

A load center comprising a housing and, mounted within the housing as a single pre-fabricated unit of interconnected elements, two power buses, conductive paths branching off from each power bus, respective branch circuit breaker mounting sites each conductively linked to a corresponding one of the two power buses by a respective one of the conductive paths, and current sensors each association with a respective one of the conductive paths branching off from the power buses to provide an output responsive to current passing through said respective conductive path from the corresponding one of the two power buses to the respective branch circuit breaker mounting site. A processor in the housing receives current level signals indicative of the current passing through the conductive paths to produce, and preferably transmit, data for consideration in terms of power consumption by branch circuits fed through the load center.

Claims

1. A load center comprising:

a circuit board;

two power buses carried on the circuit board and each arranged for conductive connection to a respective one of two incoming power lines intended to feed the load center;

conductive paths branching away from each power bus in conductive connection therewith

respective branch circuit breaker mounting sites defined on the circuit board and each conductively linked to a corresponding one of the two power buses by a respective one of the conductive paths, each branch circuit breaker mounting site being arranged to engagingly receive a branch circuit breaker in a position placing said circuit breaker in electrically conductive connection with the respective conductive path; and

current sensors mounted on the circuit board, each in association with a respective one of the conductive paths branching off from the power buses to provide an output responsive to current passing through said respective conductive path from the corresponding one of the two power buses to the respective branch circuit breaker mounting site.

2. The load center of claim 1 further comprising a processor mounted on the circuit board in communication with the current sensors to receive current level signals indicative of the current passing through the conductive paths.

3. The load center of claim 2 further comprising a communication interface located on the circuit board and linked with the processor to transmit data from the processor to remote locations external to the load center.

4. The load center of claim 1 wherein the conductive paths comprise conductive branch traces on the circuit board between the power buses and the branch circuit breaker mounting sites.

5. The load center of claim 4 wherein the current sensors comprise integrated circuit current sensors mounted on the circuit board in conductive connection between the power buses and the conductive branch traces.

6. The load center of claim 1 wherein each power bus comprises a respective power bus trace on the circuit board.

7. The load center of claim 1 further comprising a main circuit breaker mounting site on the circuit board, said main circuit breaker mounting site being arranged to engagingly receive a main circuit breaker in a position placing contacts of said circuit breaker in electrically conductive connection with the power buses.

8. The load center of claim 1 comprising a voltage sensor arranged to produce output responsive to a voltage level between the two incoming power lines to provide voltage level signals indicative of said voltage level to the processor.

9. The load center of claim 1 comprising multiple layers of conductive traces on the circuit board with a layout of the power buses and the conductive paths on said circuit board.

10. The load center of claim 4 wherein the conductive branch traces include branch traces in different layers on the circuit board.

12. The load center of claim 4 wherein the branch circuit breaker mounting sites are arranged in rows comprising two circuit breakers each, the two circuit breakers of each row connecting to a same one of the two power buses via branch traces found among different layers on the circuit board.

13. The load center of claim 12 wherein the branch circuit breaker mounting sites are all arranged to engage the branch circuit breakers on a same side of the circuit board, the respective conductive path of one circuit breaker in each row comprising a conductive trace extending along said row on the same side of the circuit board as on which the branch circuit breaker mounting sites are arranged to engage the branch circuit breakers, and the respective conductive path of the other circuit breaker in each row comprising another conductive trace extending along said row in a different layer of the circuit board.

14. The load center of claim 1 comprising a neutral bus carried on the circuit board and arranged for coupling thereof to an incoming neutral line associated with the two incoming power lines, and for connection to the neutral bus of branch circuit conductors found in branch circuits on sides of branch circuit loads opposite the circuit breakers.

11. The load center of 4 wherein the conductive branch traces include traces on opposing sides of the circuit board.

15. a load center comprising a housing and, mounted within the housing as a single pre-fabricated unit of interconnected elements, two power buses, conductive paths branching away from each power bus in conductive connection therewith, respective branch circuit breaker mounting sites each conductively linked to a corresponding one of the two power buses by a respective one of the conductive paths, and current sensors each association with a respective one of the conductive paths branching off from the power buses to provide an output responsive to current passing through said respective conductive path between the corresponding one of the two power buses and the respective branch circuit breaker mounting site.

16. The load center of claim 15 wherein the pre-fabricated unit comprises a carrier mounted to the housing, and wherein the power buses, conductive paths, branch circuit breaker mounting sites, and current sensors are carried on the carrier.

17. The load center of claim 16 wherein the carrier comprises a single circuit board on which the power buses, conductive paths, branch circuit breaker mounting sites, and current sensors are carried.