Switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement

• US 6,549,127 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rittal-Werk Rudolf Loh Gmbh & Co. Kg
• Original Assignee: Rittal-Werk Rudolf Loh Gmbh & Co. Kg
• Inventors: Kreiling, Jörg, Strackbein, Heinrich, Hain, Markus, Seelbach, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THOMAS K
• Application Number:
  US09/526,018
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/23, 713/321, 361/605, 340/506
• US Class Current: 340/506
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25006 Interface connected to fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

A switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement having a base monitoring device which is arranged or intended to be arranged in a switchgear cabinet and has at least one bus connection, several sensor connections and at least one triggering connection, for monitoring, controlling and/or regulating switchgear cabinet functions. Various monitoring and control functions of several different switchgear cabinets, along with a relatively simple construction, are achieved because a further monitoring device arranged or to be arranged in a respective further switchgear cabinet is assigned to the base monitoring device, which is connected to the base monitoring device by a field bus. The further monitoring device also has several sensor connections and at least one triggering connection and is designed for monitoring, controlling and/or regulating switchgear cabinet functions.

Claims

1. In a switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement having a base monitoring device (2) arranged in a switchgear cabinet and having at least one bus connection (2.2), a plurality of sensor connections (S) and at least one triggering connection (AST), for at least one of monitoring, controlling and regulating switchgear cabinet functions, the improvement comprising:

at least one further monitoring device (3) arranged in a respective further switchgear cabinet being assigned to the base monitoring device (2), the at least one further monitoring device (3) connected to the base monitoring device (2) by a field bus (FB), wherein a data exchange via the field bus (FB) is provided between the at least one flier monitoring device (3) and the base monitoring device (2);

the at least one further monitoring device (3) having the sensor connections (S) and the at least one triggering connection (AST) and designed for at least one of monitoring, controlling and regulating functions of the respective further switchgear cabinet;

the sensor connections (S) of the base monitoring device (2) and the at least one further monitoring device (3) selected from a group consisting of temperature sensors, smoke detectors, vibration sensors, door position sensors, humidity sensors, and combinations thereof; and

only the base monitoring device (2) having a network connection unit (2.1) for making a network connection (NW) and data received from the at least one further monitoring device (3) being processed and at least one of evaluated and transmitted via the network connection unit (2.1) to the network in a control device (2.3) of the base monitoring device (2).

2. In the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of pre-processing and complete processing of sensor signals can be performed in the at least one further monitoring device (3).

3. In the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one further monitoring device (3) is connected to a voltage supply via the base monitoring device (2).

4. In the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein several switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangements (1) are connected via the network connection (NW) and at least one switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement (1) is connected with a master computer.

5. In the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement in accordance with claim 2, wherein the at least one further monitoring device (3) is connected to a voltage supply via the base monitoring device (2).

6. In the switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement in accordance with claim 5, wherein several switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangements (1) are connected via the network connection (NW) and at least one switchgear cabinet monitoring arrangement (1) is connected with a master computer.