Remote light indication fault indicator with a timed reset circuit and a manual reset circuit

• US 6,479,981 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2000
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: E.O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Compay, LLC (Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Feight, Laurence V., Schweitzer, Edmund O. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oda, Christine K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/642,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20020008507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 324/133, 324/508, 324/509, 324/512, 324/522, 324/524, 324/541, 324/544, 324/551, 324/555, 324/556, 324/127
• US Class Current: 324/133
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/148 involving the measuring of a magnetic field or electric field G01R15/18, G01R15/20, G01R15/24, G01R15/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72

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 light indication of the fault occurrence may be reset automatically by a timed reset circuit, which includes a timing capacitor, or manually by a manual reset circuit, which includes a magnetically actuated switch housed in the remote light module and connected across the timing capacitor.

Claims

1. A fault indicator for providing indication of a fault current outside the exterior surface of an electrical equipment 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 magnetically actuated switch conditioned to open in response to a magnetic field in one direction and close in response to a magnetic field in the other direction;

a magnetic winding responsive to the current in the monitored conductor for developing a magnetic field in a direction to condition said switch open during normal current flow in the monitored conductor, and for developing a magnetic field in said opposite direction to condition said switch closed upon occurrence of a fault current in the conductor;

said magnetically actuated switch connecting said battery to said light source;

said light source providing a light indication of said occurrence of said fault current; and

a timed reset circuit for maintaining said fault indication for a predetermined period of time and resetting said light source upon expiration of said predetermined period of time.

2. A fault indicator as defined in claim 1 further comprising a second magnetically actuated switch contained within said remote fault indicator light module connecting said battery to said light source.

3. A fault indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein said remote fault indicator light module comprises a bolt-shaped housing.

4. A fault indicator as defined in claim 3 wherein said bolt-shaped housing comprises a transparent head.

5. A fault indicator as defined in claim 1 wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.

6. A fault indicator as defined in claim 5 further comprising a flasher circuit for flashing said light emitting diode.

7. A fault indicator as defined in claim 1 further comprising a manual reset circuit.

8. A fault indicator as defined in claim 7 wherein said manual reset circuit comprises a magnetically actuated manual reset switch contained within said remote fault indicator light module.

9. A fault indicator as defined in claim 8 wherein said magnetically actuated manual reset switch is connected to a timing capacitor included within said timed reset circuit means.

10. A fault indicator as defined in claim 1 further including a magnetic pole piece having a pair of spaced-apart magnetic poles, and said magnetically actuated switch is disposed between said poles.

11. A fault indicator as defined in claim 10 wherein said magnetically actuated switch comprises a reed switch.

12. A fault indicator as defined in claim 11 wherein the axis of said reed switch is aligned generally parallel to the axis of said monitored conductor.

13. A fault indicator as defined in claim 12 wherein said magnetic pole piece is generally U-shaped.

14. A fault indicator for providing indication of a fault current outside the exterior surface of an electrical equipment enclosure, comprising:

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;

a magnetically actuated switch actuated open in response to a magnetic field in said one direction and closed in response to a magnetic field in said other direction;

a magnetic winding responsive to the current in the monitored conductor for developing a magnetic field in said one direction to condition said magnetically actuated switch closed upon occurrence of a fault current in the conductor;

said magnetically actuated switch connecting said battery to said light source;

said light source providing a light indication of said occurrence of said fault current;

a timed reset circuit for maintaining said fault indication for a predetermined period of time and resetting said light source upon expiration of said predetermined period of time; and

a manual reset circuit including a magnetically actuated manual reset switch contained within said remote fault indicator light module.

15. A fault indicator as defined in claim 14 further comprising a second magnetically actuated switch contained within said remote fault indicator light module connecting said battery to said light source.

16. A fault indicator as defined in claim 14 wherein said timed reset circuit comprises a timing capacitor.

17. A fault indicator as defined in claim 16 wherein said magnetically actuated manual reset switch is connected to said timing capacitor.

18. A fault indicator as defined in claim 14 wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.

19. A fault indicator as defined in claim 18 further comprising a flasher circuit for flashing said light emitting diode.

20. A fault indicator as defined in claim 14 further including a magnetic pole piece having a pair of spaced-apart magnetic poles, and said magnetically actuated switch is disposed between said poles.

21. A fault indicator as defined in claim 20 wherein said magnetically actuated switch includes a pair of projecting leads, and said leads are mechanically connected to but electrically isolated from said magnetic poles.

22. A fault indicator as defined in claim 21 wherein said magnetically actuated switch comprises a reed switch.

23. A fault indicator as defined in claim 22 wherein the axis of said reed switch is aligned generally parallel to the axis of said monitored conductor.