Communication interface for bus connected circuit breakers
First Claim
1. A communication interface system for circuit breakers which are connected to a power bus in a circuit breaker distribution panel, the system comprising:
- a plurality of circuit breakers mounted within the circuit breaker distribution panel, wherein each of said circuit breakers is designated by at least one coded signal and each of said circuit breakers includes means for interrupting and establishing an associated current path and includes decoding means for decoding its designated coded signal and returning a response signal;
a data communication bus, arranged adjacent the plurality of circuit breakers and within the distribution panel, for carrying coded signals to and from the associated circuit breaker'"'"'s decoding means; and
a plurality of coupling means, each of said coupling means located within the distribution panel and physically connected to the data communication bus and an associated circuit breaker and arranged for coupling the associated circuit breaker'"'"'s decoding means to the data communication bus.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a circuit breaker control arrangement that is reliable, accurate and cost-effective to manufacture, install and maintain. This circuit breaker arrangement also provides increased modularity by alleviating the need for installing wires to connect each circuit breaker with the control station. The present invention uses circuit breakers that contain internal control technology for interrupting and establishing an associated current path. At least one coded signal designates each circuit breaker, and a communication bus carries these coded signals to each circuit breaker. Decoding technology located on each circuit breaker determines whether the coded signal corresponds to that circuit breaker. If the coded signal does correspond to that circuit breaker, then the decoding technology responds by sending the appropriate response signal over the communication bus, and the circuit breaker'"'"'s internal control technology either interrupts or establishes the associated current path.
33 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A communication interface system for circuit breakers which are connected to a power bus in a circuit breaker distribution panel, the system comprising:
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a plurality of circuit breakers mounted within the circuit breaker distribution panel, wherein each of said circuit breakers is designated by at least one coded signal and each of said circuit breakers includes means for interrupting and establishing an associated current path and includes decoding means for decoding its designated coded signal and returning a response signal; a data communication bus, arranged adjacent the plurality of circuit breakers and within the distribution panel, for carrying coded signals to and from the associated circuit breaker'"'"'s decoding means; and a plurality of coupling means, each of said coupling means located within the distribution panel and physically connected to the data communication bus and an associated circuit breaker and arranged for coupling the associated circuit breaker'"'"'s decoding means to the data communication bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A circuit breaker arrangement, comprising:
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a plurality of mountable circuit breakers wherein each of said circuit breakers is designated by at least one coded signal, includes means for interrupting and establishing an associated current path, and includes decoding means for decoding and the designated coded signal; a distribution panel having means for mounting each of said mountable circuit breakers within said panel; a data communication bus for carrying coded signals to and from the said circuit breakers; a plurality of coupling means, including optical isolation means, for coupling each circuit breaker to the data communication bus, including; a light-emitting diode (LED) and a receiving photo transistor for data communication bus to circuit breaker transmissions where the LED is connected to the data communication bus and the receiving photo transistor connects to the decoding means for decoding the coded signal, an LED and a receiving photo transistor for circuit breaker to data communication bus transmissions where the LED is connected to the decoding means for responding to a designated coded signal and the receiving photo transistor connect to the data communications bus.
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13. A circuit breaker arrangement, comprising:
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a plurality of circuit breakers wherein each of said circuit breakers is designated by at least one coded signal, each of said circuit breakers including means for interrupting and establishing an associated current path and including decoding means for decoding its designated coded signal and for returning a response signal; a distribution panel having means for mounting each of said circuit breakers within said panel; a controller, located proximate the distribution panel, for directing said circuit breakers to interrupt and establish the associated current path by serially transmitting and receiving the designated coded signals; a data communication bus for two-way communication between each decoding means and the controller; and a plurality of coupling means, including optical isolation means, for coupling each circuit breaker'"'"'s decoding means to the data communication bus. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification