Fault indicator having remote light indication of fault detection
First Claim
1. A fault indicator for providing indication of a fault current outside the exterior surface of an electrical equipment enclosure following the occurrence of a fault current in an electrical conductor within the enclosure, comprising:
- a circuit monitoring module;
a remote fault indicator light module operatively connected to said circuit monitoring module and mounted to said exterior surface of said enclosure;
a battery contained within said circuit monitoring module;
a light source contained within said remote fault indicator light module operable from said battery;
a magnetic circuit including a magnetic pole piece, a magnetically actuated switch and a bias magnet, said bias magnet having a magnetic polarity which opposes a magnetic field in said magnetic pole piece in one direction, and reenforces a magnetic field in said magnetic pole piece in the other direction, whereby said magnetically actuated switch is conditioned to open in response to a magnetic field in said one direction and close in response to a magnetic field in said other direction;
circuit means including a magnetic winding in magnetic communication with said magnetic pole piece and responsive to the current in the monitored conductor for developing a magnetic field in said pole piece in a direction to condition said switch open during normal current flow in the monitored conductor, and for developing a magnetic field in said pole piece in said opposite direction to condition said switch closed upon occurrence of a fault current in the conductor; and
said magnetically actuated switch connecting said battery to said light source.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fault indicator contained within a protective equipment closure of the type used to house pad-mounted components of a power distribution system detects the occurrence of a fault current in a monitored conductor and provides a light indication thereof. The fault indicator includes a circuit monitoring module, having an integral fault indicator flag module, and a remote fault indicator light module. A status-indicating flag is rotatably mounted in the integral fault indicator flag module. The flag is positioned in either a reset indicating position or a fault indicating position by a magnetic pole piece, which is magnetized in one magnetic direction or the other by momentary application of a current in one direction or the other to an actuator winding on the pole piece. A magnetically actuated reed switch in an auxiliary magnetic circuit comprising an auxiliary pole piece magnetized by the actuator winding and a bias magnet magnetically aligned to oppose the reset magnetic orientation and reenforce the trip magnetic orientation of the magnetic pole piece closes upon occurrence of the fault current to connect an internal battery to an LED contained within the remote fault indicator light module so that the LED is visible from the exterior of the protective equipment enclosure. The sufficiency of the energy level of the battery may be tested by actuating a magnetically actuated reed switch contained within the remote fault indicator light module, which likewise connects the battery to the LED.
99 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A fault indicator for providing indication of a fault current outside the exterior surface of an electrical equipment enclosure following the occurrence of a fault current in an electrical conductor within the enclosure, comprising:
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a circuit monitoring module; a remote fault indicator light module operatively connected to said circuit monitoring module and mounted to said exterior surface of said enclosure; a battery contained within said circuit monitoring module; a light source contained within said remote fault indicator light module operable from said battery; a magnetic circuit including a magnetic pole piece, a magnetically actuated switch and a bias magnet, said bias magnet having a magnetic polarity which opposes a magnetic field in said magnetic pole piece in one direction, and reenforces a magnetic field in said magnetic pole piece in the other direction, whereby said magnetically actuated switch is conditioned to open in response to a magnetic field in said one direction and close in response to a magnetic field in said other direction; circuit means including a magnetic winding in magnetic communication with said magnetic pole piece and responsive to the current in the monitored conductor for developing a magnetic field in said pole piece in a direction to condition said switch open during normal current flow in the monitored conductor, and for developing a magnetic field in said pole piece in said opposite direction to condition said switch closed upon occurrence of a fault current in the conductor; and said magnetically actuated switch connecting said battery to said light source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A fault indicator for providing indication of a fault current outside the exterior surface of an electrical equipment enclosure following the occurrence of a fault current in an electrical conductor within the enclosure, comprising:
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a circuit monitoring module having an integral fault indicator flag module; a remote fault indicator light module operatively connected to said circuit monitoring module; a battery contained within said circuit monitoring module; a light source contained within said remote fault indicator light module and operable from said battery; an indicator flag assembly including a status indicating flag rotatably mounted within said integral fault indicator-flag module and viewable from the exterior of the integral fault indicator flag module and a first magnetic pole piece, said status indicating flag being magnetized and in magnetic communication with said first magnetic pole piece whereby said status indicating flag is actuated to a reset-indicating position by a magnetic field in said first magnetic pole piece in one direction, and is actuated to a fault-indicating position by a magnetic field in said first magnetic pole piece in the opposite direction; a magnetic circuit including a second magnetic pole piece, a magnetically actuated switch and a bias magnet, said bias magnet having a magnetic polarity which opposes a magnetic field in said second magnetic pole piece in one direction, and reenforces a magnetic field in said second magnetic pole piece in the other direction, whereby said magnetically actuated switch is actuated open in response to a magnetic field in said one direction and closed in response to a magnetic field in said other direction; circuit means including a magnetic winding in magnetic communication with said first and second magnetic pole pieces and responsive to the current in the monitored conductor for developing a magnetic field in said one direction in said pole pieces to position said status indicating flag to said reset indicating position and condition said magnetically actuated switch open during normal current flow in the monitored conductor, and for developing a magnetic field in said opposite direction in said pole pieces to position said status indicating flag in said fault indicating position and condition said magnetically actuated contacts closed upon occurrence of a fault current in the conductor; said magnetically actuated switch connecting said battery to said light source; and said remote fault indicator light module including a bolt-shaped housing having a transparent head. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A fault indicator for providing indication of a fault current outside the exterior surface of an electrical equipment enclosure following the occurrence of a fault current in an electrical conductor within the enclosure, comprising:
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a circuit monitoring module having an integral fault indicator flag module; a remote fault indicator light module operatively connected to said circuit monitoring module and mounted to said exterior surface of said enclosure; a battery contained within said circuit monitoring module; a light source contained within said remote fault indicator light module and operable from said battery; an indicator flag rotatbly mounted in said integral fault indicator flag module and viewable from the exterior of said flag module; a first magnetic pole piece having magnetic poles in magnetic communication with said indicator flag, said flag assuming a reset-indicating position in response to a magnetic field in said first magnetic pole piece in one direction and a trip-indicating position in response to a magnetic field in said first magnetic pole piece in the other direction; a magnetically actuated switch; a second magnetic pole piece having magnetic poles in magnetic communication with said magnetically actuated switch, and a bias magnet opposing a magnetic field in said second magnetic pole piece in said one direction and reenforcing a magnetic field in said second magnetic pole piece in said other direction whereby said magnetically actuated switch is actuated to open in response to a magnetic field in said one direction and is actuated closed in response to a magnetic field in said second magnetic pole piece in said other direction; circuit means including a magnetic actuator widning in magnetic communication with said first and second magnetic pole pieces for inducing magnetic field in said one direction in each of said pole pieces when said fault indicator is in a reset state, and in said other direction when said fault indicator is in a trip state; said magnetically actuated switch connecting said battery to said light source; and a second magnetically actuated switch contained within said remote fault indicator light module connecting said battery to said light source. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification