Circuit breaker panel

• US 8,681,463 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unilectric, LLC
• Original Assignee: Edison Global Circuits, LLC
• Inventors: Franks, Jeffrey L., Williams, Stephen E., Cole, Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comber, Kevin J
• Application Number:
  US13/574,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20120300348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 361/93.2
• US Class Current: 361/93.2
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/123 using a solid-state trip unit circuits H02H
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/74 Means for adjusting the conditions under which the device will function to provide protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0015 Using arc detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/0061 concerning transmission of signals transmission of measured quantities or switching orders; sectionalised protection involving signal transmission between at least two stations H02H7/261; comparison of the voltage or current values at two spaced portions of a single system H02H3/28; transferring the output of a sensing member to another variable G01D5/00; electrical measuring arrangements using modulation of electromagnetic waves, e.g. light beams G01R15/24, G01R15/26
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/006 Calibration or setting of parameters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/08 responsive to excess current responsive to abnormal temperature caused by excess current H02H5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/10 additionally responsive to some other abnormal electrical conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/105 responsive to excess current and fault current to earth
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/32 involving comparison of the voltage or current values at corresponding points in different conductors of a single system, e.g. of currents in go and return conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/263 involving transmissions of measured values comparison of currents or voltages using pilot wires H02H3/30

Abstract

In at least some embodiments, a system includes a plurality of circuit breakers and trip control logic external to and coupled to the circuit breakers. The trip control logic enables a plurality of different tripping options to be selected for each of the circuit breakers.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of circuit breakers, each circuit breaker comprising circuitry for detecting faults on a corresponding electrical circuit and in response generate a fault signal identifying a detected fault as an overload, an arc fault circuit interrupt (AFCI), or ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI); and

trip control logic external to and coupled to the circuit breakers for receiving a fault signal from a selected circuit breakers and in response selectively enabling tripping of the selected circuit breaker in accordance with a tripping option preselected for the selected circuit breaker from among default overload, AFCI, GFCI and AFCI/GFCI tripping options.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising utility metering logic coupled to the plurality of circuit breakers, wherein the utility metering logic determines power consumption information for the system and formats the information for transmission to a utility metering collection site.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface in communication with the trip control logic, wherein the user interface enables a user to preselect one of the plurality of different tripping options for each of the plurality of circuit breakers.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the user interface comprises a touch screen.

5. The system of claim 3 further comprising an endpoint communication interface coupled to the user interface, wherein the endpoint communication interface enables a user to communicate with electrical appliances or with electrical receptacles via the user interface.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a communication interface coupled to the trip control logic, wherein the communication interface enables an electric utility provider to remotely trip each of the plurality of circuit breakers separately.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a communication interface that enables multimedia transmissions to be received via a circuit breaker panel for the system.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuit breakers connect directly to both a line-side bus bar and to a neutral side bus bar without use of wires for the connection.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the trip control logic:

in accordance with the default overload tripping option, enables tripping of the selected circuit breaker when the received fault signal identifies a detected fault as an overload on the corresponding electrical circuit;

in accordance with the AFCI tripping option, enables tripping of the selected circuit breaker when the received fault signal identifies a detected fault as either an AFCI or a overload on the corresponding electrical circuit;

in accordance with the GFCI option, enables tripping of the selected circuit breaker when the received fault signal identifies a detected fault as either a GFCI or a overload on the corresponding electrical circuit; and

in accordance with the AFCI/GFCI option, enables tripping of the corresponding circuit breaker when the received fault signal identifies a detected fault as either an AFCI, a GFCI, or an overload on the corresponding electrical circuit.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the circuitry for detecting faults comprises:

a power sensor circuit for detecting overload events on the corresponding electrical circuit;

a GFCI/AFCI sensor for detecting AFCI and GFCI events on the corresponding electrical circuit; and

logic for identifying an overload, AFCI, or GFCI event detected by the power and GFCI/AFCI sensors and in response generating a corresponding fault signal for transmission to the trip control logic.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising high signal-to-noise ratio, low impedance interface circuitry coupling the GFCI/AFCI sensor and the logic for identifying.

12. A circuit breaker panel, the circuit breaker panel comprising:

fault detection logic within each of a plurality of circuit breakers associated with the circuit breaker panel for generating a fault detection signal identifying a fault detected on a corresponding electrical circuit as an overload, an arc fault circuit interrupt (AFCI) or ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI); and

trip control logic coupled to each fault detection logic and located exterior to the plurality of circuit breakers, wherein the trip control logic enables tripping of a corresponding circuit breaker in response to a received fault detection signal in accordance with one of a plurality of different tripping options selected for the corresponding circuit breaker, the plurality of different tripping options including default overload, AFCI, GFCI and AFCI/GFCI tripping options.

13. The circuit breaker panel of claim 12 further comprising a line-side bus bar and a neutral side bus bar, wherein the plurality of circuit breakers connect directly to the line-side bus bar and the neutral side bus bar without use of wires.

14. The circuit breaker panel of claim 12 further comprising a user interface coupled to the trip control logic, wherein the user interface enables a user to view power consumption information for the circuit breaker panel and to select one of the different tripping options for each of the plurality of circuit breakers.

15. The circuit breaker panel of claim 12 further comprising a networking interface that provides multimedia features for a home area network (HAN) and an endpoint communications interface that enables communications between appliances and a user.

16. The circuit breaker panel of claim 12, wherein the trip control logic:

in accordance with the default overload option, enables tripping of the selected circuit breaker when the received fault signal identifies a detected fault as an overload event on the corresponding electrical circuit;

in accordance with the AFCI tripping option, enables tripping of the selected circuit breaker when the received fault signal identifies a detected fault as either an AFCI or a overload on the corresponding electrical circuit;

in accordance with the GFCI option, enables tripping of the selected circuit breaker when the received fault signal identifies a detected fault as either a GFCI or an overload on the corresponding electrical circuit; and

in accordance with the AFCI/GFCI option, enables tripping of the corresponding circuit breaker when the received fault signal identifies a detected fault as either an AFCI, a GFCI, or an overload on the corresponding electrical circuit.

17. The circuit breaker panel of claim 12, wherein the fault detection logic comprises:

a power sensor circuit for detecting overload events on the corresponding electrical circuit;

a GFCI/AFCI sensor for detecting AFCI and GFCI events on the corresponding electrical circuit; and

logic for identifying an overload, AFCI, or GFCI event detected by the power and GFCI/AFCI sensors and in response generating a corresponding fault signal for transmission to the trip control logic.

18. The circuits breaker panel of claim 17, further comprising high signal-to-noise ratio, low impedance interface circuitry coupling the GFCI/AFCI sensor and the logic for identifying.