Plug-in power module incorporating ground-fault detection and reporting

• US 6,002,563 A
• Filed: 09/03/1998
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electronic Theatre Controls Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Theatre Controls Incorporated
• Inventors: Cunningham, David W., Esakoff, Gregory F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W
• Application Number:
  US09/146,616
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42, 361/45, 361/115, 361/87, 361/93.1
• US Class Current: 361/87
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/04 with warning or supervision in addition to disconnection, e.g. for indicating that protective apparatus has functioned watching of pilot wires H02H1/0084; protection of protective arrangements H02H7/008; indication of the state of electronic switches H03K17/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/33 using summation current transformers H02H3/347 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/334 with means to produce an artificial unbalance for other protection or monitoring reasons or remote control H02H3/338 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/00 Circuit arrangements or apparatus for operating incandescent light sources structurally associated with the incandescent lamps H01K1/62

Abstract

An improved plug-in power module for providing a controlled amount of electrical power to one or more remote lighting fixtures or other load is disclosed, the module being configured to sense a ground fault or other current imbalance at the load and, in response, both to trigger the module'"'"'s circuit breaker to open and to report the occurrence of such a ground fault to a central location. The power module achieves these important functions without adding unduly to the module'"'"'s complexity or size.

Claims

1. A dimmer module for providing controlled electrical power to one or more remote loads, the dimmer module comprising:

a housing having a rear side and a front side, opposite the rear side;

first and second plug-in electrical contacts mounted at the rear side of the housing, for connecting to input power and to power return, respectively;

a circuit breaker located within the housing and electrically connected to the first electrical contact;

a residual current device located within the housing, configured to open the circuit breaker and to generate a reporting signal when it senses an imbalance in the electrical current carried by the first and second contacts exceeding a specified threshold;

a toroidal inductor located within the housing and electrically connected to the residual current device; and

a power device located within the housing and including

a dimmer circuit electrically connected to the toroidal inductor,

third and fourth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for connecting to a load, and

one or more fifth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for carrying control signals and the reporting signal generated by the residual current device;

wherein the dimmer module is configured such that it can be slid into a rack and automatically engage the plug-in electrical contacts.

2. A dimmer module for providing controlled electrical power to one or more remote loads, the dimmer module comprising:

a housing having a rear side and a front side, opposite the rear side, and a first end and a second end, opposite the first end;

first and second plug-in electrical contacts mounted at the rear side of the housing, for connecting to input power and to power return, respectively;

a circuit breaker located within the housing, adjacent to the first end of the housing, and electrically connected to the first electrical contact;

a residual current device located within the housing, for sensing an imbalance in the electrical current carried by the first and second contacts and for opening the circuit breaker when it senses an imbalance exceeding a specified threshold;

a toroidal inductor located within the housing, and electrically connected to the residual current device; and

a power device located within the housing, adjacent to the second end of the housing, and including

a dimmer circuit electrically connected to the toroidal inductor,

third and fourth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for connecting to a load, and

one or more fifth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for carrying control signals;

wherein the residual current device and the toroidal inductor are located between the circuit breaker and the power device, and the dimmer module is configured such that it can be slid into a rack and automatically engage the plug-in electrical contacts.

3. A dimmer module for providing controlled electrical power to one or more remote loads, the dimmer module comprising:

a housing having a rear side and a front side, opposite the rear side;

first and second plug-in electrical contacts mounted at the rear side of the housing, for connecting to input power and to power return, respectively;

a circuit breaker located within the housing and electrically connected to the first electrical contact;

a residual current device located within the housing, for sensing an imbalance in the electrical current carried by the first and second contacts, and for producing a trip signal when it senses a current_-- imbalance exceeding a specified threshold;

an optical isolator device, responsive to the trip signal received from the residual current device, for opening the circuit breaker;

a toroidal inductor located within the housing and electrically connected to the residual current device; and

a power device located within the housing and including

a dimmer circuit electrically connected to the toroidal inductor,

third and fourth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for connecting to a load, and

one or more fifth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for carrying control signals;

wherein the dimmer module is configured such that it can be slid into a rack and automatically engage the plug-in electrical contacts.

4. A dimmer module for providing controlled electrical power to one or more remote loads, the dimmer module comprising:

a housing having a rear side and a front side, opposite the rear side;

first and second plug-in electrical contacts mounted at the rear side of the housing for connecting to input power and to power return, respectively;

a circuit breaker located within the housing and electrically connected to the first electrical contact;

a residual current device located within the housing, for sensing an imbalance in the electrical current carried by the first and second contacts and for opening the circuit breaker when it senses an imbalance exceeding a specified threshold, wherein the residual current device includes a toroid through which passes both a line carrying electrical current supplied on the input power line and a line carrying electrical current returned on the power return line;

a toroidal inductor located within the housing and electrically connected to the residual current device; and

a power device located within the housing and including

a dimmer circuit electrically connected to the toroidal inductor,

third and fourth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for connecting to a load, and

one or more fifth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for carrying control signals;

wherein the dimmer module is configured such that it can be slid into a rack and automatically engage the plug-in electrical contacts.

5. A power module as defined in claim 4, and further comprising a fault test circuit configured to selectively produce an imbalance between the electrical currents carried by the two lines passing through the toroid.

6. A dimmer module for providing controlled electrical power to one or more remote loads, the dimmer module comprising:

a housing having a rear side and a front side, opposite the rear side, and a first end and a second end, opposite the first end;

first and second plug-in electrical contacts mounted at the rear side of the housing, for connecting to input power and to power return, respectively;

a circuit breaker located within the housing, adjacent to the first end of the housing, and electrically connected to the first electrical contact;

a residual current device located within the housing for sensing an imbalance in the electrical current carried by the first and second contacts, wherein the residual current device is configured to trip the circuit breaker and to transmit a reporting signal to a remote location when it senses an imbalance exceeding a specified threshold;

a toroidal inductor located within the housing, and electrically connected to the residual current device; and

a power device located within the housing, adjacent to the second end of the housing, and including

a dimmer circuit electrically connected to the toroidal inductor,

third and fourth plug-in electrical contact facing the rear side of the housing, for connecting to a load, and

one or more fifth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for carrying control signals;

wherein the residual current device and the toroidal inductor are located between the circuit breaker and the power device, and the dimmer module is configured such that it can be slid into a rack and automatically engage the plug-in electrical contacts.

7. A dimmer module for providing controlled electrical power to one or more remote loads, the dimmer module comprising:

a housing having a rear side and a front side, opposite the rear side;

first and second plug-in electrical contacts mounted at the rear side of the housing, for connecting to input power and to power return, respectively;

a circuit breaker located within the housing and electrically connected to the first electrical contact;

a residual current device located within the housing, for sensing an imbalance in the electrical current carried by the first and second contacts, wherein the residual current device is configured to produce a trip signal, and to transmit a reporting signal to a remote location when it senses a current imbalance exceeding a specified threshold;

a toroidal inductor located within the housing and electrically connected to the residual current device;

a power device located within the housing and including

a dimmer circuit electrically connected to the toroidal inductor,

third and fourth plug-in electrical contact facing the rear side of the housing, for connecting to a load, and

one or more fifth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for carrying control signals; and

an optical isolator device, responsive to a trip signal received from the residual current device, for opening the circuit breaker;

wherein the dimmer module is configured such that it can be slid into a rack and automatically engage the plug-in electrical contacts.

8. A dimmer module for providing controlled electrical power to one or more remote loads, the dimmer module comprising:

a housing having a rear side and a front side opposite the rear side;

first and second plug-in electrical contacts mounted at the rear side of the housing, for connecting to input power and to power return, respectively;

a circuit breaker located within the housing and electrically connected to the first electrical contact;

a residual current device located within the housing, for sensing an imbalance in the electrical current carried by the first and second contacts, wherein the residual current device is configured to trip the circuit breaker and to transmit a reporting signal to a remote location when it senses an imbalance exceeding a specified threshold, and wherein the residual current device includes a toroid through which passes both a line carrying electrical current supplied on the input power line and a line carrying electrical current returned on the power return line;

a toroidal inductor located within the housing and electrically connected to the residual current device;

a power device located within the housing and including

a dimmer circuit electrically connected to the toroidal inductor,

third and fourth plug-in electrical contact facing the rear side of the housing, for connecting to a load, and

one or more fifth plug-in electrical contacts facing the rear side of the housing, for carrying control signals;

wherein the dimmer module is configured such that it can be slid into a rack and automatically engage the plug-in electrical contacts.

9. A power module as defined in claim 8, and further comprising a fault test circuit configure to selectively produce an imbalance between the electrical currents carried by the two lines passing through the toroid.