System and method for thermal protection for a universal load control cabinet
First Claim
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1. A lighting control system, comprising:
- a plurality of load control modules, wherein each load control module controls a load and includes a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range, and at least one load control module includes a dimmer circuit that includes a microcontroller and circuitry to control a phase control signal;
a thermal shelf mounted between two vertically adjacent load control modules, the thermal shelf having one or more inclined surfaces to disrupt heat flow from a lower vertically adjacent load control module to a higher vertically adjacent load control module; and
a plurality of vents located in a panel of a cabinet, wherein the vents are located proximate to the load control modules.
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Abstract
A universal load control module may include a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range, a microcontroller, and one or more functional control blocks. A functional control block may include a dimmer circuit for controlling a lighting load that provides reverse phase cut mode dimming, forward phase cut mode dimming, and hybrid phase cut mode dimming, as well as thermal protection. One or more universal control modules may be housed in a cabinet that include a cabinet control module. The cabinet may include additional thermal protection measures.
63 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A lighting control system, comprising:
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a plurality of load control modules, wherein each load control module controls a load and includes a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range, and at least one load control module includes a dimmer circuit that includes a microcontroller and circuitry to control a phase control signal; a thermal shelf mounted between two vertically adjacent load control modules, the thermal shelf having one or more inclined surfaces to disrupt heat flow from a lower vertically adjacent load control module to a higher vertically adjacent load control module; and a plurality of vents located in a panel of a cabinet, wherein the vents are located proximate to the load control modules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A control system, comprising:
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a plurality of load control modules, wherein each load control module controls a load and at least one of the load control modules includes a dimmer circuit with a thermistor and is configured to control a corresponding load based on temperature; and a cabinet control module, wherein the cabinet control module receives temperature information from the at least one of the load control modules and, based on the received temperature information, controls the load control modules to maintain operation of the load control modules below a predetermined thermal limit, wherein the load control modules and the cabinet control module are capable of operating over a wide voltage range. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A lighting control system, comprising:
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a plurality of load control modules, wherein each load control module controls a load and at least one load control module is configured to control a corresponding load; a plurality of branch circuit breakers, wherein at least one branch circuit breaker is associated with each of the load control modules, wherein the branch circuit breakers are mounted so that the branch circuit breakers are adjacent to one another with a space between adjacent branch circuit breakers and the branch circuit breakers are mounted below the load control modules; and a cabinet control module, wherein the cabinet control module receives temperature information from the at least one of the load control modules and, based on the received temperature information, controls the load control modules to maintain operation of the load control modules below a predetermined thermal limit, wherein the load control modules and the cabinet control module each include a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the module, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage, and wherein the branch circuit breakers are capable of operating over the wide voltage range. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification