Remote disconnect switch assembly

• US 8,996,144 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aclara Meters LLC (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: LaFrance, Ryan Marc, Shill, Scott Michael, Bietz, Steven Lee, Chamarti, Subramanyam Satyasurya
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sivanesan, Sivalingam
• Application Number:
  US13/267,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20130090748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: 700/67
• US Class Current: 700/67
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/02 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/20 Bridging contacts for circuit breakers H01H73/045
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 11/0062 Testing or measuring non-electrical properties of switches, e.g. contact velocity monitoring contacts H01H1/0015; monitoring gas density H01H33/563; monitoring vacuum H01H33/668; calibrating H01H69/01; adjusting H01H71/74; testing of electrical properties G01R31/333
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2011/0068 measuring the temperature of the switch or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/546 for contactors having bridging contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/125 characterised by sensing elements, e.g. current transformers for differential protection H01H83/144
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/54 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switching device and for which no provision exists elsewhere

Abstract

Described herein are embodiments of a remote disconnect switch assembly. In one embodiment, the remote disconnect switch assembly comprises: an actuator; a shuttle that is operably moved by the actuator; one or more disconnect switches that are opened or closed by movement of the shuttle; one or more sensors; a communication interface; and a processor, wherein the processor is operably connected with the actuator, the one or more sensors and the communication interface, and wherein the processor is configured to: communicate with one or more other computing devices over a network using the communication interface; receive signals from the one or more sensors; and cause the actuator to operate in accordance with the signals received from the one or more sensors or the communications with the one or more other computing devices.

Claims

1. A remote disconnect switch assembly comprised of:

an actuator;

a shuttle that is operably moved by the actuator;

one or more disconnect switches that are opened or closed by movement of the shuttle;

one or more sensors;

a communication interface;

a processor, wherein the processor is operably connected with the actuator, the one or more sensors and the communication interface, and wherein the processor is configured to;

communicate with one or more other computing devices over a network using the communication interface;

receive signals from the one or more sensors; and

cause the actuator to operate in accordance with the signals received from the one or more sensors or the communications with the one or more other computing devices; and

a memory operably connected with the processor, wherein information about the remote disconnect switch assembly is stored on the memory, wherein the processor configured to receive signals from the one or more sensors and cause the actuator to operate in accordance with the signals received from the one or more sensors comprises the processor receiving information about an actual state of at least one of the one or more disconnect switches from the one or more sensors, comparing the actual state to a desired state of the at least one of the one or more disconnect switches, wherein the desired state is stored in the memory, and causing the at least one of the one or more disconnect switches to open or close in accordance with the desired state if the actual state of the at least one of the one or more disconnect switches is different than the desired state.

2. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a magnetic sensor, a limit switch, and a humidity sensor.

3. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the communication interface comprises a wireless communication interface.

4. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises an MSP430™

microcontroller.

5. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the information about the remote disconnect switch assembly stored on the memory comprises one or more of a state of the one or more disconnect switches, temperature information, vibration information, humidity information, tamper detection information and actuation information about the one or more disconnect switches.

6. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 1, further comprising a utility revenue meter, wherein the remote disconnect switch assembly is integrated into the utility revenue meter.

7. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 1, wherein the utility revenue meter is an electric utility revenue meter.

8. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure, wherein the actuator, shuttle, one or more disconnect switches, one or more sensors, communication interface, and processor are located substantially within the enclosure.

9. A remote disconnect switch assembly comprised of:

an enclosure;

an actuator;

a shuttle that is operably moved by the actuator;

one or more disconnect switches that are opened or closed by movement of the shuttle;

one or more sensors;

a communication interface;

a memory; and

a processor, wherein the processor is operably connected with the actuator, the one or more sensors, the memory and the communication interface, and wherein the processor is configured to;

communicate with one or more other computing devices over a network using the communication interface;

receive signals from the one or more sensors; and

cause the actuator to operate in accordance with the signals received from the one or more sensors or the communications with the one or more other computing devices, and

wherein the actuator, shuttle, one or more disconnect switches, one or more sensors, communication interface, and processor are located substantially within the enclosure, wherein the processor configured to receive signals from the one or more sensors and cause the actuator to operate in accordance with the signals received from the one or more sensors comprises the processor receiving information about an actual state of at least one of the one or more disconnect switches from the one or more sensors, comparing the actual state to a desired state of the at least one of the one or more disconnect switches, wherein the desired state is stored in the memory, and causing the at least one of the one or more disconnect switches to open or close in accordance with the desired state if the actual state of the at least one of the one or more disconnect switches is different than the desired state.

10. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a magnetic sensor, a limit switch, and a humidity sensor.

11. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 9, wherein the communication interface comprises a wireless communication interface.

12. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 9, wherein the processor comprises an MSP430™

microcontroller.

13. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 9, wherein information about the remote disconnect switch assembly is stored on the memory.

14. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 13, wherein the information about the remote disconnect switch assembly stored on the memory comprises one or more of a state of the one or more disconnect switches, temperature information, vibration information, humidity information, tamper detection information and actuation information about the one or more disconnect switches.

15. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 9, wherein the enclosure comprises a base of a utility revenue meter and the remote disconnect switch assembly is integrated into the base of the utility revenue meter.

16. The remote disconnect switch assembly of claim 15, wherein the utility revenue meter is an electric utility revenue meter.