Watthour meter socket adapter with interface connection

• US 4,977,482 A
• Filed: 08/14/1989
• Issued: 12/11/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ekstrom Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ekstrom Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Lewis, Michael, Williams, John, Robinson, Darrell, Shincovich, John T., Pruehs, Allen V., Goozen, Robert, Learmont, Robert O., Langdon, Albert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Gregory D.
• Application Number:
  US07/393,129
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 324/710, 324/114, 324/142, 324/156, 361/364, 361/366, 361/368, 361/372-374, 363/146
• US Class Current: 361/661
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/04 Housings; Supporting racks; Arrangements of terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/03 for energy meters

Abstract

A watthour meter socket adapter includes a housing with electrical contacts which receive the terminals of a watthour meter and terminals which are insertable into the contacts of an electrical watthour meter socket. First and second seal connectors sealingly connect the adapter housing to the socket and a watthour meter to the adapter housing to control access to the socket, adapter and watthour meter. The interface connection includes an electrical connector mounted in an enclosure and connected to the contacts in the adapter housing to provide electrical power to an external interface. A third seal is connected and attached to the enclosure to control access to the electrical connections housed therein. In one embodiment, the enclosure is separate from and mounted on the adapter housing. In another embodiment, the enclosure is in the form of a sleeve mounted internally within the adapter housing with an open end allowing connection to an external electrical device. A body housing a voltage convertor is removably insertable into the sleeve in the socket adapter housing to convert the electrical power provided to the electrical power connector from AC to DC and to a different voltage level.

Claims

1. A watthour meter socket adapter removably mountable in a watthour meter socket having a plurality of electrical contacts and receiving the terminals of a sockettype watthour meter, and further including a first seal means for sealingly connecting the socket adapter to the watthour meter socket to control access to the watthour meter socket and the socket adapter and a second seal means for sealingly connecting a watthour meter to the socket adapter to control access to the socket-type watthour meter and the socket adapter, the socket adapter comprising:

a first housing, the first housing comprising;

a socket-type watthour meter receiving portion;

a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in the watthour meter receiving portion for removably receiving the electrical terminals of a socket-type watthour meter; and

a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the electrical contacts and extending outward from the first housing, the terminals being removably insertable within the electrical contacts of a watthour meter socket;

electrical connector means electrically connected to the contacts within the first housing for matingly receiving an electrical connector of an electrical device external to the watthour meter socket, the watthour meter socket adapter and the socket-type watthour meter;

a second housing supporting the electrical connector means; and

third means for separately and sealingly closing the second housing to control access to the second housing independently from access to the watthour meter socket, the watthour meter socket adapter and the socket-type watthour meter through the first and second seal means.

2. The watthour meter socket adapter of claim 1 wherein:

the electrical connector means is a female-type electrical receptacle and the electrical connector of the external electrical device is a mating electric plug having male contacts.

3. The watthour meter socket adapter of claim 1 wherein:

the second housing is mounted externally on the first housing;

an opening is formed in the second housing; and

the third means comprises;

cover means removably covering the opening in the second housing; and

latch means for latchingly connecting the cover means to the second housing.

4. A watthour meter socket adapter removably mountable in a watthour meter socket having a plurality of electrical contacts and receiving the terminals of a socket-type watthour meter, the socket adapter comprising:

a first housing, the first housing comprising;

a watthour meter receiving portion;

a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in the watthour meter receiving portion for removably receiving the electrical terminals of a socket-type watthour meter; and

a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the electrical contacts and extending outward from the first housing, the terminals being removably insertable within the electrical contacts of a watthour meter socket;

first means for sealingly connecting the first housing to the watthour meter socket to control access to the watthour meter socket and the socket adapter;

second means for sealingly connecting the watthour meter to the first housing to control access to the watthour meter and the socket adapter;

an electrical connector electrically connected to the contacts within the first housing; and

a second housing and supporting the electrical connector, the second housing including;

a hollow sleeve mounted in the first housing of the socket adapter, the sleeve having an open end opening externally from the first housing;

the electrical connector mounted in the sleeve;

cover means removably covering the open end of the sleeve; and

removable seal means for sealingly connecting the cover means over the open end of the sleeve to control access to the second housing for the connection of an external electrical connector of an external electrical device to the electrical connector in the second housing.

5. The watthour meter socket adapter of claim 4 further including:

a body;

a first electrical connector mounted at one end of the body and removably insertable into the electrical connector in the sleeve in the first housing;

a second electrical connector mounted at the other end of the body; and

electrical power converting means mounted in the body and connected between the first and second electrical connectors for converting electrical power at a first voltage level from the first electrical connector to electric power at a second voltage level at the second electrical connector.

6. The watthour meter socket adapter of claim 5 wherein the electrical power converting means comprises:

a transformer having primary and secondary windings, the primary winding connected to the first electrical connector mounted in the body; and

bridge rectifier means, connected between the secondary winding of the transformer and the second electrical connector in the body, for converting AC electrical power to DC electrical power.

7. A watthour meter socket adapter removably mountable in a watthour meter socket having a plurality of electrical contacts and receiving the terminals of a sockettype watthour meter, and further including a first seal means for sealingly connecting the socket adapter to the watthour meter socket to control access to the watthour meter socket and the socket adapter and a second seal means for sealingly connecting a watthour meter to the socket adapter to control access to the socket-type watthour meter and the socket adapter, the socket adapter comprising:

a housing, the housing comprising;

a socket-type watthour meter receiving portion;

a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in the watthour meter receiving portion for removably receiving the electrical terminals of a socket-type watthour meter; and

a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the electrical contacts and extending outward from the housing, the terminals being removably insertable within the electrical contacts of a watthour meter socket;

a hollow sleeve mounted in the housing of the socket adapter, the sleeve having an open end opening externally from the socket adapter housing;

an electrical connector mounted within the sleeve and electrically connected to the contacts within the socket adapter housing;

cover means releasably mountable over the open end of the sleeve;

third access controlling means for releasably attaching the cover means to the sleeve to control access to the electrical connector mounted within the sleeve;

a body;

a first electrical connector mounted at one end of the body and removably insertable into the electrical connector mounted in the sleeve in the socket adapter housing;

a second electrical connector mounted on the opposite end of the body for removably receiving an electrical connector attached to an external electrical device; and

electrical power converting means mounted in the body and connected between the first and second electrical connectors for converting electrical power at a first voltage level to electrical power at a second voltage level.

8. A watthour meter assembly comprising:

a watthour meter socket having a plurality of electrical contacts;

a socket-type watthour meter having a plurality of outwardly extending terminals;

a watthour meter socket adapter removably mountable between the watthour meter socket and the socket-type watthour meter;

first seal means for sealingly connecting the watthour meter socket adapter to the watthour meter socket to control access to the watthour meter socket and the watthour meter socket adapter; and

second seal means for sealingly connecting the watthour meter to the watthour meter socket adapter to control access to the watthour meter and the watthour meter socket adapter;

the watthour meter socket adapter including;

a first housing, the first housing comprising

(a) a socket-type watthour meter receiving portion;

(b) a plurality of electrical contacts mounted in the watthour meter receiving portion for removably receiving the electrical terminals of the socket-type watthour meter; and

(c) a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the electrical contacts and extending outward from the first housing, the terminals being removably insertable within the electrical contacts of the watthour meter socket;

electrical connector means electrically connected to the contacts within the first housing, for matingly receiving an electrical connector of an electrical device external to the watthour meter socket, the watthour meter socket adapter and the socket-type watthour meter;

a second housing supporting the electrical connector means; and

third means for separately and sealingly closing the second housing to control access to the second housing independently from access to the watthour meter socket, the watthour meter socket adapter and the socket-type watthour meter.

9. The watthour meter assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the electrical connector means is a female-type electrical receptacle and electrical connector of the external electrical device is a mating electric plug having male contacts.

10. The watthour meter assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the first and second seal means comprise seal rings.

11. The watthour meter assembly of claim 8 wherein:

the second housing is mounted externally on the first housing;

an opening is formed in the second housing; and

the third comprises;

cover means removably covering the opening in the second housing; and

latch means for latchingly connecting the cover means to the second housing.

12. The watthour meter assembly of claim 8 wherein the second housing comprises:

a hollow sleeve mounted in the first housing of the watthour meter socket adapter, the sleeve having an open end opening externally from the first housing;

the electrical connector means mounted in the sleeve;

cover means removably covering the open end of the sleeve; and

removable seal means for sealingly connecting the cover means over the open end of the sleeve in the second housing.

13. The watthour meter assembly of claim 12 further including:

a body slidably insertable into the sleeve;

a first electrical connector mounted at one end of the body and removably insertable into the electrical connector in the sleeve first housing;

a second electrical connector mounted at the other end of the body; and

electrical power converting means mounted in the body and connected between the first and second electrical connectors for converting electrical power at a first voltage level from the first electrical connector to electric power at a second voltage level at the second electrical connector.

14. The watthour meter assembly of claim 13 wherein the electrical power converting means comprises:

a transformer having primary and secondary windings, the primary winding connected to the first electrical connector mounted in the body; and

bridge rectifier means, connected between the secondary winding of the transformer and the second electrical connector in the body, for converting AC electrical power to DC electrical power.