Overload circuit interrupter capable of electrical tripping and circuit breaker with the same

• US 6,577,478 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seochang Electric Communication Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Cheon-Youn Kim, Human El-Tech, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Dong-Sub, Kim, Cheon-Youn, Ban, Gi-Jong, Kim, Jeong-Wan
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US09/908,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42, 361/93.9, 361/101, 361/111, 361/115, 361/62, 361/78, 361/86
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0015 Using arc detectors
• 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

Abstract

An overload circuit interrupter (OLCI), and a circuit breaker with the same, which diminish erroneous operation from being caused by a dimmer. The OLCI detects overload in an AC electrical wiring system and produces an overload trip signal that shuts the AC source off. The OLCI includes a current transformer that produces the overload voltage in accordance with current variations in phase and neutral conductors. The OLCI also includes a rectifier for rectifying of the overload voltage, a level controller for limiting the rectified overload voltage, an integrator for charging the limited overload voltage and for providing overload indicative signal, and a comparator. The comparator compares the overload indicative signal with a reference overload voltage and produces the overload trip signal that shuts the AC source off. The circuit breaker may further include an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) and a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).

Claims

1. An overload circuit interrupter (OLCI) for use in an electrical wiring system that can shut off an AC (Alternating Current) source from a phase conductor and a neutral conductor when an overload occurs in the AC source, the OLCI comprising:

a current transformer for producing an overload voltage in accordance with current variations in the phase conductor and the neutral conductor;

a rectifier for half-wave or full-wave rectifying the overload voltage;

a level controller for limiting the rectified overload voltage to a specified level;

an integrator for charging the limited overload voltage from the level controller and providing an overload indicative signal;

a comparator for comparing the overload indicative signal with a reference overload voltage and producing an overload trip signal that shuts the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor; and

a reference voltage generator for generating the reference overload voltage.

2. An overload circuit interrupter (OLCI) for use in an electrical wiring system that can shut off an AC (Alternating Current) source from a phase conductor and a neutral conductor when an overload occurs in the AC source, the OLCI comprising:

a current transformer for producing an overload voltage in accordance with current variations in the phase conductor and the neutral conductor;

a rectifier for half-wave or full-wave rectifying the overload voltage;

a level controller for limiting the rectified overload voltage to a specified level;

an integrator for charging the limited overload voltage from the level controller and providing an overload indicative signal;

a comparator for comparing the overload indicative signal with a reference overload voltage and producing an overload trip signal that shuts the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor; and

a bias generator for generating a bias to be received by the comparator together with the overload indicative signal.

3. An overload circuit interrupter (OLCI) for use in an electrical wiring system that can shut off an AC (Alternating Current) source from a phase conductor and a neutral conductor when an overload occurs in the AC source, the OLCI comprising:

a current transformer for producing an overload voltage in accordance with current variations in the phase conductor and the neutral conductor;

a rectifier for half-wave or full-wave rectifying the overload voltage;

a level controller for limiting the rectified overload voltage to a specified level;

an integrator for charging the limited overload voltage from the level controller and providing an overload indicative signal;

a comparator for comparing the overload indicative signal with a reference overload voltage and producing an overload trip signal that shuts the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor; and

a discharge controller for discharging voltage of said integrator when the AC source shuts off.

4. A circuit breaker in an electrical wiring system that can shut an AC source off from a phase conductor and a neutral conductor when an overload occurs in the AC source, said circuit breaker comprising:

an overload circuit interrupter (OLCI) coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor for detecting an overload and producing an overload trip signal, the OLCI comprising

a current transformer for producing an overload voltage in accordance with current variations in the phase conductor and the neutral conductor,

a rectifier for half-wave or full-wave rectifying the overload voltage,

a level controller for limiting the rectified overload voltage to a specified level,

an integrator for charging the limited overload voltage from the level controller and for providing overload indicative signal, and

a comparator for comparing the overload indicative signal with a reference overload voltage and for producing an overload trip signal, which shuts the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor;

a display circuitry for indicating the overload corresponding with the overload trip signal; and

a trip circuitry coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor, for shutting the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor corresponding with the overload trip signal.

5. An arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) in an electrical wiring system that can shut an AC (Alternating Current) source off from a phase conductor and a neutral conductor when an arc fault occurs in the AC source, said AFCI comprising:

a first current transformer for producing an arc fault voltage in accordance with the variation of current in the phase conductor and in the neutral conductor;

a rectifier for half-wave or full-wave rectifying the arc fault voltage;

a first buffer for delaying the rectified arc fault voltage;

a first comparator for comparing the rectified arc fault voltage with a first reference voltage and producing an arc fault indicative signal;

an integrator for charging the arc fault indicative signal from the first comparator; and

a second comparator for comparing the arc fault indicative signal with a second reference voltage and producing an arc fault trip signal.

6. A circuit breaker in an electrical wiring system that can shut an AC source off from a phase conductor and a neutral conductor when an overload occurs in the AC source, said circuit breaker comprising:

an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor for detecting an arc fault and producing an arc fault trip signal, the AFCI comprising

a first current transformer for producing an arc fault voltage in accordance with the variation of current in the phase conductor and in the neutral conductor,

a rectifier for half-wave or full-wave rectifying the arc fault voltage,

a first buffer for delaying the rectified arc fault voltage,

a first comparator for comparing the rectified arc fault voltage with a first reference voltage and producing an arc fault indicative signal,

an integrator for charging the arc fault indicative signal from the first comparator, and

a second comparator for comparing the arc fault indicative signal with a second reference voltage and producing an arc fault trip signal;

a display circuitry for indicating the arc fault corresponding with the arc fault trip signal; and

a trip circuitry coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor, for shutting the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor corresponding with the arc fault trip signal.

7. A circuit breaker in an electrical wiring system that can shut an AC source off from a phase conductor and a neutral conductor when an overload occurs in the AC source, said circuit breaker comprising:

an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor for detecting an arc fault and producing an arc fault trip signal, the AFCI comprising

a first current transformer for producing an arc fault voltage in accordance with the variation of current in the phase conductor and in the neutral conductor,

a rectifier for half-wave or full-wave rectifying the arc fault voltage;

a first buffer for delaying the rectified arc fault voltage,

a first comparator for comparing the rectified arc fault voltage with a first reference voltage and producing an arc fault indicative signal,

an integrator for charging the arc fault indicative signal from the first comparator, and

a second comparator for comparing the arc fault indicative signal with a second reference voltage and producing an arc fault trip signal;

an overload circuit interrupter (OLCI) coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor for detecting an overload and producing an overload trip signal, the OLCI comprising

a current transformer for producing an overload voltage in accordance with the current variations in the phase conductor and in the neutral conductor,

a rectifier for half-wave of full-wave rectifying he overload voltage;

a level controller for limiting the rectified overload voltage to a specified level,

an integrator for charging the limited overload voltage from the level controller and for providing an overload indicative signal, and

a comparator for comparing the overload indicative signal with a reference overload voltage and producing an overload trip signal, which shuts the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor;

a display circuitry for indicating the arc fault or overload corresponding with the arc fault trip signal or overload trip signal; and

a trip circuitry coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor, for shutting the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor corresponding with the arc fault trip signal or overload trip signal.

8. A circuit breaker in an electrical wiring system that can shut an AC source off from a phase conductor and a neutral conductor when an overload occurs in the AC source, said circuit breaker comprising:

an arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor for detecting an arc fault and producing an arc fault trip signal, the AFCI comprising

a first current transformer for producing an arc fault voltage in accordance with the variation of current in the phase conductor and in the neutral conductor,

a rectifier for half-wave or full-wave rectifying the arc fault voltage,

a first buffer for delaying the rectified arc fault voltage,

a first comparator for comparing the rectified arc fault voltage with a first reference voltage and producing an arc fault indicative signal,

an integrator for charging the arc fault indicative signal from the first comparator, and

a second comparator for comparing the arc fault indicative signal with a second reference voltage and producing an arc fault trip signal;

an overload circuit interrupter (OLCI) coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor for detecting an overload and producing an overload trip signal, the OLCI comprising

a current transformer for producing an overload voltage in accordance with current variations in the phase conductor and in the neutral conductor,

a rectifier for half-wave of full-wave rectifying the overload voltage,

a level controller for limiting the rectified overload voltage to a specified level,

an integrator for charging the limited overload voltage from the level controller and for providing an overload indicative signal, and

a comparator for comparing the overload indicative signal with a reference overload voltage and producing an overload trip signal, which shuts the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor;

a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor for detecting a ground fault and producing a ground fault trip signal;

a display circuitry for indicating the arc fault, ground fault or overload corresponding with at least one signal selected from the group consisting of the arc fault trip signal, the ground fault trip signal and the overload trip signal; and

a trip circuitry coupled to the phase conductor and the neutral conductor, for shutting the AC source off from the phase conductor and the neutral conductor corresponding with the at least one signal selected from the group consisting of the arc fault trip signal, the ground fault trip signal and overload trip signal.