Electric socket control device

• US 6,940,272 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2002
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Green Socket Ltd.
• Inventors: Niv, Nehemia
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vinh P.
• Application Number:
  US10/268,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20040070275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 324/103.R, 324/99.D, 324/142, 324126-127, 324508-510, 340/310.08, 340/870.17, 340/310.01, 340/538, 340/656, 340/635, 361/93, 361/100, 361/104, 361/626, 361/213, 361/119
• US Class Current: 307/31
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/06 Controlling transfer of power between connected networks; Controlling sharing of load between connected networks

Abstract

An apparatus that controls the supply of electrical power including one or more monitors adapted to sense a state of current flow supplied to a device, one or more controlled sockets, a power input; and a logic circuit. The logic circuit controls the supply of electrical power to at least one of the controlled sockets responsive to the sensed state of current flow supply to the sensed device.

Claims

1. Apparatus that controls the supply of electrical power comprising:

one or more monitors adapted to sense a state of current flow supplied to a device;

one or more controlled sockets;

a power input; and

a logic circuit, which controls the supply of electrical power from the power input to at least one of said controlled sockets responsive to said sensed state of current flow supplied to the device.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising sockets, wherein said monitors comprise current sensors in said sockets.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said one or more monitors comprise a sensor which senses the state of current flow in power cables.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, comprising monitors shaped as slots adapted to receive power cables in which current is to be sensed.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, comprising a common housing for controlled sockets and monitored slots.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said sensor senses common mode currents.

7. Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a common housing for controlled sockets and monitored sockets.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said housing is in the form of a strip of sockets.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said controlled sockets and said monitored sockets are visually different.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising a surge protector for at least one of the sockets.

11. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising an on/off switch for at least one of the sockets.

12. Apparatus according to claim 7, comprising a central on/off switch for all the sockets.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said logic circuit introduces a time delay between the time of sensing the status by said one or more monitors and controlling one or more controlled sockets.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the time delay is a fixed time delay.

15. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said one or more sockets comprise a plurality of controlled sockets and wherein said logic circuit provides at least two different controlled sockets with different time delays.

16. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said logic circuit comprises a user input for controlling said logic circuit.

17. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said user input includes a dial to select said time delay for at least one of the controlled sockets.

18. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power input is alternating current.

19. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power input is at a voltage above 24 Volts.

20. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein to power input is at a standard household voltage of between 110 Volt to 250 Volt.

21. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the power input is at a voltage different from a voltage present at the monitored power cables.

22. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said monitor does not substantially drain current from the socket being monitored.

23. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is adapted to disconnect the electrical power of at least one of the controlled sockets, responsive to the sensed state of the current flow.

24. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the logic circuit is adapted to disconnect the electrical power after a time delay.

25. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is adapted to connect the electrical power of at least one of the controlled sockets, responsive to the sensed state of the current flow.

26. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the logic circuit is adapted to connect the electrical power after a time delay.

27. A method of controlling the supply of electric current to controlled sockets comprising:

placing a non contact electric sensor adjacent to an electric cable;

sensing a current flow state of electric current in the electric cable using said sensor; and

selectively enabling the supply of electric current to one or more controlled sockets responsive to said sensed state.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein said sensor comprises a slot to hold said electric cable.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein said current flow state, is responsive to a current flow greater than or less than a user controllable threshold value.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein said selectively enabling includes a user controllable delay to said response to said sensed state.