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US 10,855,067 B2Granted
Electrical units with onboard electronic monitoring and related methods
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsSaivaraprasad Murahari, Lili Du, Jianguo Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
AFCI and/or GFCI units (10) with onboard trip monitoring and/or wiring error monitoring circuit (100) with an opto-isolator (50) and a controller (60) in electrical communication with the opto-isolator (50). The controller (60) monitors the opto-isolator (50) to identify a TRIP or RESET state of the circuit (100) such as one associated with a receptacle and/or a wiring error of the unit (10), e.g., receptacle.
Claims27
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) unit and/or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) unit, comprising:
- a unit housing with a ground strap, the unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an opto-isolator in electrical communication with the hot and neutral branches;
- and
- a controller in electrical communication with the opto-isolator in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors the opto-isolator to identify a TRIP or RESET state of the unit,
- wherein the opto-isolator is configured to provide one of two binary output alternatives to the controller that the controller uses to identify the TRIP or RESET state of the unit, and wherein one of the two binary output alternatives is 0 volts.
3 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) unit and/or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) unit, comprising:
- a unit housing with a ground strap, the unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an opto-isolator in electrical communication with the hot and neutral branches;
- a controller in electrical communication with the opto-isolator in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors the opto-isolator to identify a TRIP or RESET state of the unit;
- a printed circuit board (PCB) that holds the controller and the opto-isolator;
- a first load contact member that connects the load side hot branch to the PCB;
- a second spaced apart load contact member that connects the load side neutral branch to the PCB;
- and
- isolation apertures extending through the PCB residing between adjacent pins of the opto-isolator and the first and second load contact members.
6 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) unit and/or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) unit, comprising:
- a unit housing with a ground strap held by the unit housing, the unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an opto-isolator in electrical communication with the hot branch of the load side and the ground strap;
- a controller in electrical communication with the opto-isolator in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors the opto-isolator to identify a wiring error;
- a printed circuit board (PCB) that holds the controller and the opto-isolator and a plurality of light emitting diodes in communication with the controller;
- a load contact member that connects the load side hot branch to the PCB;
- and
- a ground strap contact member residing under the ground strap and in electrical communication with a solenoid frame over the PCB, wherein the solenoid frame comprises a tab that extends through the PCB to provide a ground strap input to the opto-isolator.
5 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) unit and/or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) unit, comprising:
- a unit housing with a ground strap held by the unit housing, the unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an opto-isolator in electrical communication with the hot branch of the load side and the ground strap;
- a controller in electrical communication with the opto-isolator in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors the opto-isolator to identify a wiring error;
- a printed circuit board (PCB) that holds the controller and the opto-isolator and at least one light emitting diode in communication with the controller;
- and
- isolation apertures extending through the PCB residing between adjacent pins of the opto-isolator and a load contact member.
4 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) receptacle unit and/or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) unit, comprising:
- a unit housing with a ground strap held by the unit housing, the unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an opto-isolator in electrical communication with the hot and neutral branches and the ground strap;
- a controller in electrical communication with the opto-isolator in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors the opto-isolator to identify (a) a wiring error associated with the receptacle and (b) a TRIP or RESET state of the unit a printed circuit board (PCB) that holds the controller and the opto-isolator and at least one light emitting diode in communication with the controller;
- a first load contact member that connects the load side hot branch to the PCB;
- and
- a second spaced apart load contact member that connects the load side neutral branch to the PCB,
- wherein the PCB comprises isolation apertures extending through the PCB residing between adjacent pins of the opto-isolator and the first and second load contact members.
5 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) receptacle unit and/or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) unit, comprising:
- a unit housing with a ground strap held by the unit housing, the unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an opto-isolator in electrical communication with the hot and neutral branches and the ground strap;
- a controller in electrical communication with the opto-isolator in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors the opto-isolator to identify (a) a wiring error associated with the receptacle and (b) a TRIP or RESET state of the unit;
- a printed circuit board (PCB) that holds the controller and the opto-isolator and at least one light emitting diode in communication with the controller;
- a first load contact member that connects the load side hot branch to the PCB;
- a second load contact member that connects the load side neutral branch to the PCB;
- and
- a ground strap contact member residing under the ground strap and in electrical communication with a conductive solenoid frame over the PCB, wherein the solenoid frame comprises a conductive tab that extends through the PCB to provide a ground strap input to the opto-isolator.
6 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) unit and/or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) unit, comprising:
- a unit housing with a ground strap held by the unit housing, the unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an opto-isolator in electrical communication with the hot branch of the load side and the ground strap;
- and
- a controller in electrical communication with the opto-isolator in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors the opto-isolator to identify a wiring error;
- wherein the unit comprises at least one voltage drop resistor of about 200K Ohms coupled to the hot branch of the load side and to an input of the opto-isolator.
3 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) receptacle unit and/or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) unit, comprising:
- a unit housing with a ground strap held by the unit housing, the unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an opto-isolator in electrical communication with the hot and neutral branches and the ground strap;
- and
- a controller in electrical communication with the opto-isolator in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors the opto-isolator to identify (a) a wiring error associated with the receptacle and (b) a TRIP or RESET state of the unit;
- wherein the opto-isolator is configured to provide one of two binary output alternatives to the controller at any one time that the controller uses to identify the TRIP or RESET state of the unit, and wherein one of the two binary output alternatives is 0 volts.
3 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) unit and/or a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) unit, comprising:
- a unit housing unit with a ground strap, the unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an optocoupler in electrical communication with the hot and neutral branches;
- and
- a controller in electrical communication with the optocoupler in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors the optocoupler to identify a TRIP or RESET state of the unit,
- wherein the optocoupler is a multiple channel optocoupler comprising first and second channels, each providing respective first and second outputs to separate ports of the controller, wherein the first and second channels are each electrically coupled to the hot branch as a respective first input, wherein the first channel has a second input that is electrically coupled to the ground strap, wherein the second channel has a second input that is electrically coupled to the neutral branch, wherein the controller monitors the first output from the first channel to determine if there is a wiring error, and wherein the controller monitors the second output from the second channel to identify the TRIP or RESET state.
3 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) unit comprising:
- a unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an optocoupler in electrical communication with the hot and neutral branches of the load side;
- and
- a controller in electrical communication with the optocoupler in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors an output of the optocoupler to identify a TRIP or RESET state of the AFCI unit,
- wherein the optocoupler provides a single output from two binary output alternatives to the controller to identify the TRIP or RESET state, and wherein one of the two binary output alternatives is 0 volts.
3 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) unit comprising:
- a unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an optocoupler in electrical communication with the hot and neutral branches of the load side;
- a controller in electrical communication with the optocoupler in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors an output of the optocoupler to identify a TRIP or RESET state of the AFCI unit;
- and
- at least one voltage drop resistor of about 200K Ohms coupled to the hot branch and an input of the optocoupler.
3 more elements
An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) unit comprising:
- a unit housing having line and load sides, the load side having hot and neutral branches;
- a circuit interruption device in the unit housing configured to detect a fault and to interrupt power to the load side;
- an optocoupler in electrical communication with the hot and neutral branches of the load side;
- and
- a controller in electrical communication with the optocoupler in the unit housing, wherein the controller monitors an output of the optocoupler to identify a TRIP or RESET state of the AFCI unit,
- wherein the optocoupler is a first optocoupler, wherein the AFCI unit further comprises a second optocoupler electrically coupled to the hot branch of the load side and to a ground strap, wherein the controller monitors an output of the second optocoupler to identify a wiring error associated with a receptacle.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.