Enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus including an external disconnect handle

• US 8,913,354 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Jeffrey L., Occhipinti, Matthew D., Gehlbach, James L., Van Fossen, Andrew L., Welsh, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAI, TIEN HUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/450,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20130279049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42, 200/43.14
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0069 relating to the isolation, e.g. ground fault or leak current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/31 Charging columns specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/51 Photovoltaic means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2083/206 with thermal shunt trip
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/22 for interlocking between casing, cover, or protective shutter and mechanism for operating contacts explosion-proof cases H01H9/045; built-in fuses and interlocking mechanisms H01H9/104; by automatic release of circuit breakers H01H71/126
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/03 for energy meters
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/50 Pedestal- or pad-mounted casings; Parts thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 Remote or cooperative charging

Abstract

An enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus includes an enclosure, a meter socket within the enclosure structured to input a power circuit and to engage a power meter, and a circuit interrupter within the enclosure including an operating handle and a trip mechanism. The circuit interrupter is structured to output the power circuit from the meter socket to a load and to interrupt the power circuit. A neutral current sensor within the enclosure is structured to detect a ground fault operatively associated with the power circuit and responsively cause the trip mechanism of the circuit interrupter to interrupt the power circuit. A disconnect handle substantially external to the enclosure includes linkage extending within the enclosure and cooperating with the operating handle of the circuit interrupter to open and close the circuit interrupter.

Claims

1. An enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus comprising:

an enclosure;

a meter socket within said enclosure, said meter socket being structured to input a power circuit and to engage a power meter;

a circuit interrupter within said enclosure, said circuit interrupter comprising an operating handle and a circuit breaker trip mechanism, said circuit interrupter being structured to output the power circuit from said meter socket to a load and to interrupt the power circuit;

a neutral current sensor within said enclosure, said neutral current sensor being structured to detect a ground fault operatively associated with the power circuit and responsively cause the circuit breaker trip mechanism of said circuit interrupter to interrupt the power circuit; and

a disconnect handle substantially external to said enclosure, said disconnect handle comprising a linkage extending within said enclosure, said linkage cooperating with the operating handle of said circuit interrupter to open and close said circuit interrupter.

2. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the load is a plurality of electric vehicle charging stations.

3. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuit breaker trip mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a circuit breaker electronic trip unit and a thermo-magnetic trip circuit.

4. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure and said disconnect handle cooperatively provide an interlocking mechanism structured to lock said circuit interrupter from operation.

5. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein the circuit breaker trip mechanism comprises a shunt trip input;

and wherein said neutral current sensor comprises an output structured to actuate the shunt trip input.

6. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure further encloses a surge protector structured to protect the power circuit from power surges.

7. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure further encloses a plurality of access points to the power circuit.

8. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure further encloses a plurality of circuits downstream of said circuit interrupter.

9. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure further encloses a plurality of tap lugs electrically coupled to the power circuit.

10. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure comprises a door structured to open and provide access to said circuit interrupter and said neutral current sensor;

and wherein said door and said disconnect handle cooperatively provide an interlocking mechanism structured to lock the door closed when said circuit interrupter is closed and can energize the load.

11. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said disconnect handle is elongated and is not a low profile handle.

12. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said meter socket is a test block meter socket for an electric vehicle charger.

13. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said meter socket is a lever bypass meter socket for an electric vehicle charger.

14. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said enclosure includes a plurality of sides defining an interior and an opening to the interior;

wherein said enclosure further includes a door pivotally mounted to said enclosure proximate the opening;

wherein said door includes an interlock member coupled to said door and extending into the interior of said enclosure when said door closes the opening of said enclosure;

wherein the linkage of said disconnect handle engages the interlock member of said disconnect handle in a closed position of said circuit interrupter in order to prevent opening of said door; and

wherein the linkage of said disconnect handle disengages from the interlock member of said disconnect handle in an open position of said circuit interrupter in order to permit opening of said door.

15. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 14 wherein the opening has an upper portion;

and wherein the door is pivotally mounted to said enclosure proximate the upper portion of the opening.

16. An enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus comprising:

an enclosure;

a meter socket within said enclosure, said meter socket being structured to input a power circuit and to engage a power meter;

a circuit interrupter within said enclosure, said circuit interrupter comprising an operating handle and a trip mechanism, said circuit interrupter being structured to output the power circuit from said meter socket to a load and to interrupt the power circuit;

a neutral current sensor within said enclosure, said neutral current sensor being structured to detect a ground fault operatively associated with the power circuit and responsively cause the trip mechanism of said circuit interrupter to interrupt the power circuit; and

a disconnect handle substantially external to said enclosure, said disconnect handle comprising a linkage extending within said enclosure, said linkage cooperating with the operating handle of said circuit interrupter to open and close said circuit interrupter,

wherein said disconnect handle comprises a securing mechanism, an elongated handle member having a number of first holes, and a handle shroud having a number of second holes;

wherein a number of the number of second holes is structured to align with a number of the number of first holes in a number of different positions of said elongated handle member; and

wherein said securing mechanism is structured to secure said elongated handle member in one of said number of different positions.

17. The enclosed metering and protective electrical apparatus of claim 16 wherein said elongated handle member has an on position and an off position;

and wherein said elongated handle member is structured to be secured by said securing mechanism in both of the on position and the off position.