PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL SUPPLY FACILITY
First Claim
1. An electrical device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system between a source of electrical power and an electrical load, the electrical distribution system including at least one line hot conductor, a line neutral conductor, and a line ground conductor, the line neutral conductor being connected to the line ground conductor at a termination point in the electrical distribution system, the electrical load including at least one load hot conductor, a load neutral conductor, and a load ground conductor, the device comprising:
- a power input mechanism including a plurality of line termination elements and a line ground termination element, the plurality of line termination elements being configured to terminate the at least one line hot conductor and the line neutral conductor, the line ground termination element being configured to terminate the line ground conductor, the power input mechanism being configured to direct electric power provided by the source of electrical power into the device;
a power output mechanism including a plurality of load termination elements and a load ground termination element, the plurality of load termination elements being configured to terminate the at least one load hot conductor and the load neutral conductor, the load ground termination element being configured to terminate the load ground conductor, the power output mechanism being configured to direct electric power provided by the source of electrical power via the power input mechanism to the electrical load;
a circuit interrupter mechanism coupled to the fault detection circuit, the circuit interrupter mechanism being configured to interrupt electrical continuity between the plurality of line termination elements and the plurality of load termination elements in a tripped state and establish electrical continuity between the plurality of line termination elements and the plurality of load termination elements in a reset state;
a ground relay configured to couple the line ground conductor and the load ground conductor in a closed state and decouple the line ground conductor from the load ground conductor in an open state;
a grounding confirmation circuit coupled to the ground relay and the circuit interrupter mechanism, the grounding confirmation circuit being configured to prevent the ground relay from closing if ground continuity in the line ground conductor is not detected, the grounding confirmation circuit also being configured to subsequently prevent the circuit interrupter from being reset if ground continuity in the load ground conductor is not detected; and
a power supply coupled to the at least one line hot conductor and the line neutral conductor, the power supply being configured to provide DC power to the grounding confirmation circuit and electrically isolate the grounding confirmation circuit from the at least one line hot conductor.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to an electrical device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system between a source of electrical power and an electrical load. The electrical distribution system includes at least one line hot conductor, a line neutral conductor, and a line ground conductor. The line neutral conductor is connected to the line ground conductor at a termination point in the electrical distribution system. The electrical load includes at least one load hot conductor, a load neutral conductor, and a load ground conductor. The device includes a grounding confirmation circuit that includes at least one signal generator that directs at least one test signal into a current path that includes at least the line ground conductor. The grounding confirmation circuit is configured to determine a ground continuity status of the current path based on at least one ground continuity measurement. The circuit interrupter is prevented from entering the reset state if the at least one ground continuity measurement does not meet a predefined quality threshold. The at least one ground continuity measurement being a function of the at least one electrical load parameter after the circuit interrupter is in the reset state.
195 Citations
71 Claims
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1. An electrical device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system between a source of electrical power and an electrical load, the electrical distribution system including at least one line hot conductor, a line neutral conductor, and a line ground conductor, the line neutral conductor being connected to the line ground conductor at a termination point in the electrical distribution system, the electrical load including at least one load hot conductor, a load neutral conductor, and a load ground conductor, the device comprising:
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a power input mechanism including a plurality of line termination elements and a line ground termination element, the plurality of line termination elements being configured to terminate the at least one line hot conductor and the line neutral conductor, the line ground termination element being configured to terminate the line ground conductor, the power input mechanism being configured to direct electric power provided by the source of electrical power into the device; a power output mechanism including a plurality of load termination elements and a load ground termination element, the plurality of load termination elements being configured to terminate the at least one load hot conductor and the load neutral conductor, the load ground termination element being configured to terminate the load ground conductor, the power output mechanism being configured to direct electric power provided by the source of electrical power via the power input mechanism to the electrical load; a circuit interrupter mechanism coupled to the fault detection circuit, the circuit interrupter mechanism being configured to interrupt electrical continuity between the plurality of line termination elements and the plurality of load termination elements in a tripped state and establish electrical continuity between the plurality of line termination elements and the plurality of load termination elements in a reset state; a ground relay configured to couple the line ground conductor and the load ground conductor in a closed state and decouple the line ground conductor from the load ground conductor in an open state; a grounding confirmation circuit coupled to the ground relay and the circuit interrupter mechanism, the grounding confirmation circuit being configured to prevent the ground relay from closing if ground continuity in the line ground conductor is not detected, the grounding confirmation circuit also being configured to subsequently prevent the circuit interrupter from being reset if ground continuity in the load ground conductor is not detected; and a power supply coupled to the at least one line hot conductor and the line neutral conductor, the power supply being configured to provide DC power to the grounding confirmation circuit and electrically isolate the grounding confirmation circuit from the at least one line hot conductor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. An electrical device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system between a source of electrical power and an electrical load, the electrical distribution system including at least one line hot conductor, a line neutral conductor, and a line ground conductor, the line neutral conductor being connected to the line ground conductor at a termination point in the electrical distribution system, the electrical load including at least one load hot conductor, a load neutral conductor, and a load ground conductor, the device comprising:
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a power input mechanism including a plurality of line termination elements and a line ground termination element, the plurality of line termination elements being configured to terminate the at least one line hot conductor and the line neutral conductor, the line ground termination element being configured to terminate the line ground conductor, the power input mechanism being configured to direct electric power provided by the source of electrical power to the protective device; a power output mechanism including a plurality of load termination elements and a load ground termination element, the plurality of load termination elements being configured to terminate the at least one load hot conductor and the load neutral conductor, the load ground termination element being configured to terminate the load ground conductor, the power output mechanism being configured to direct electric power provided by the source of electrical power via the power input mechanism to the electrical load; a circuit interrupter mechanism coupled to the fault detection circuit, the circuit interrupter mechanism being configured to interrupt electrical continuity between the plurality of line termination elements and the plurality of load termination elements in a tripped state and establish electrical continuity between the plurality of line termination elements and the plurality of load termination elements in a reset state; a load sensing element configured to sense at least one electrical load parameter associated with the electric load; and a grounding confirmation circuit including at least one signal generator that directs at least one test signal into a current path that includes at least the line ground conductor, the grounding confirmation circuit being configured to determine a ground continuity status of the current path based on at least one ground continuity measurement, the circuit interrupter being prevented from entering the reset state if the at least one ground continuity measurement does not meet a predefined quality threshold, the at least one ground continuity measurement being a function of the at least one electrical load parameter after the circuit interrupter is in the reset state. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. An electrical device configured to be disposed in an electrical distribution system between a source of electrical power and an electrical load, the electrical distribution system including at least one line hot conductor and a line ground conductor, the electrical load including at least one load hot conductor and a load ground conductor, the device comprising:
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a power input mechanism including at least one line termination element and a line ground termination element, the at least one line termination element being configured to terminate the at least one line hot conductor, the line ground termination element being configured to terminate the line ground conductor, the power input mechanism being configured to direct electric power provided by the source of electrical power to the protective device; a power output mechanism including at least one load termination element and a load ground termination element, the at least one load termination element being configured to terminate the at least one load hot conductor, the load ground termination element being configured to terminate the load ground conductor, the power output mechanism being configured to direct electric power provided by the source of electrical power via the power input mechanism to the electrical load; a circuit interrupter mechanism coupled to the fault detection circuit, the circuit interrupter mechanism being configured to interrupt electrical continuity between the plurality of line termination elements and the plurality of load termination elements in a tripped state and establish electrical continuity between the plurality of line termination elements and the plurality of load termination elements in a reset state; and a grounding confirmation circuit comprising plurality of signal generators including at least one first signal generator configured to direct at least one first test signal into a current path that includes the line ground conductor and a second signal generator configured to direct a second test signal into the current path, the grounding confirmation circuit being configured to determine a ground continuity status of the current path in accordance with a relatively low sensitivity ground continuity measurement based on the at least one first test signal or a relatively high ground continuity measurement based on the second test signal, the circuit interrupter being prevented from entering the reset state if the relatively low sensitivity ground continuity measurement or the relatively high ground continuity measurement do not meet a predefined quality threshold. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification