Replaceable electrical protection system for equipment under load
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsJoseph Michael Manahan, Benjamin Avery Freer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to an electrical protection system , including a breaker enclosure and associated terminals, and the methods of use therefor that allow for a circuit breaker or other electrical protection device to be safely added or removed from a circuit while power is supplied to at least one of the terminals. The disclosed enclosure and terminals include a series of interrelated safety features that prevent a user from accidentally completing the circuit from one terminal to another when the electrical protection system would be in an unsafe state. The combination of features described herein allow for a replaceable electrical protection device for equipment under load to be realized, thus improving user safety.
Claims27
An electrical protection system operable to be safely installed and removed with equipment under load, comprising:
- a protection device enclosure including:
- a trip unit, operable to move the electrical protection system between an open state to a closed state;
- a toggle interlock, in physical communication with the trip unit and operable to move laterally in response to the electrical protection system moving between the open state and the closed state;
- a first contact assembly in electrical communication with the trip unit on an anode side of the trip unit and protruding from the protection device enclosure;
- a second contact assembly in electrical communication with the trip unit on a cathode side of the trip unit and protruding from the protection device enclosure;
- wherein the first contact assembly and second contact assembly are operable to rotate between an insertion state and a conductible state;
- wherein the first contact assembly and second contact assembly each define interlock tabs as depressions along the length of the contact assembly, the interlock tabs allowing the toggle interlock to move freely when all contact assemblies are in the conductible state and mechanically preventing the trip unit from being in the closed state via the toggle interlock when at least one of the contact assemblies is in the insertion state;
- a first terminal, in electrical communication with the first contact assembly and an upstream portion of a circuit which the electrical protection system is to protect;
- a second terminal, in electrical communication with the second contact assembly and a downstream portion of the circuit which the electrical protection system is to protect;
- wherein the first terminal and the second terminal each include installation collars, the installation collars preventing insertion or removal of an associated contact assembly in the conductible state;
- and
- wherein the first terminal and the second terminal each include contact blocks, the contact blocks establishing electrical communication between the circuit and the associated contact assembly when the associated contact assembly is in the conductible state.
A method for assembling an electrical protection system, the electrical protection system including a first contact and a second contact rotatable between first and second rotational states, the first contact and second contact electrically connecting to corresponding terminals when in the second rotational state and not electrically connecting to the corresponding terminals when in the first rotational state, and a trip unit for opening and closing an electrical connection between the first contact and the second contact, the method comprising:
- mechanically preventing the first contact and the second contact from being loaded into the electrical protection system unless the trip unit is open and the first contact and the second contact are in the first rotational state;
- inserting the first contact and the second contact into the electrical protection system while the trip unit is open and the first contact and the second contact are in the first rotational state;
- mechanically preventing the trip unit from being closed while the first contact and the second contact are inserted and are in the first rotational state;
- rotating the inserted first contact and the second contact from the first rotational state to the second rotational state;
- closing the trip unit while the inserted first contact and the second contact are in the second rotational state;
- mechanically preventing the inserted first contact and the second contact from being moved from the second rotational state to the first rotational state while the trip unit is closed;
- and
- mechanically preventing the inserted first contact and the second contact from being removed from the electrical protection system while in the second rotational state.
An electrical protection device operable to be safely installed and removed with equipment under load, comprising:
- an enclosure, made of a non-conductive material, having an enclosure body, a cover, and cowls;
- contact assemblies, extending vertically through the enclosure through the cowls, each contact assembly having:
- a shaft having a top and a bottom about which the contact assembly rotates between an insertion state and a conductible state;
- a knob on the top of the shaft, positioned outside of the enclosure;
- contact leads extending perpendicularly from the shaft, located proximate to the bottom of the shaft;
- installation tabs extending perpendicularly from the shaft, located topward from the contact leads and at right angles from the contact leads;
- and
- an interlock tab, defined as a depression on the shaft bottomward from the knob and topward from the installation tabs;
- a trip unit, located centrally to the contact assemblies within the enclosure, in electrical communication with the contact assemblies, operable to carry current from an anode to a cathode when in a closed state and to not carry current when in an open state;
- a toggle interlock, in communication with the trip unit, operable to move horizontally within the enclosure to a first position when the trip unit is in the closed state and to move to a second position when the trip unit is in the open state;
- and
- wherein the toggle interlock is positioned vertically in the enclosure relative to interlock tabs of the contact assemblies such that the first position coincides with the installation tab of at least one contact assembly so that when the at least one contact assembly is in the conductible state, the installation tab of the at least one contact assembly prevents the trip unit from being in the closed state by blocking the toggle interlock from moving to the first position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.