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US 11,309,669 B2Granted
Lug assemblies and related electrical apparatus and methods
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsMichael Jerome Whipple, David Wayne Stiffler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Lug assemblies include a housing with at least one internal printed circuit board with electronics and lugs. The lugs attach to cables providing power/current. The printed circuit board includes at least one electrical ground connector and at least one electrical contact connector. The lug assemblies include terminals that indirectly electrically couple the cables to terminals of switching devices such as circuit breakers.
Claims18
A method of monitoring power consumption and/or power outage, comprising:
- providing an electrical distribution apparatus that provides power to first and second units of a building and/or to first and second residences, the electrical distribution apparatus comprising an enclosure with (i) a first lug assembly comprising a first housing with a first printed circuit board inside the first housing and (ii) a second lug assembly comprising a second housing with a second circuit board inside the second housing, wherein the first printed circuit board is electrically connected to one or more lugs of the first lug assembly and is positioned adjacent a first circuit breaker, and wherein the second printed circuit board is electrically connected to one or more lugs of the second lug assembly and is positioned adjacent a second circuit breaker;
- electronically monitoring power usage of the first unit or the first residence using a first power monitoring circuit provided at least in part by the first printed circuit board;
- electronically monitoring power usage of the second unit or the second residence using a second power monitoring circuit provided at least in part by the second printed circuit board;
- and
- electronically transmitting a power outage alert to at least one remote device when a power outage is detected by the first power monitoring circuit and/or the second power monitoring circuit.
2 more elements
A method of monitoring power consumption and/or power outage, comprising:
- electronically monitoring power usage and/or power outage of a unit of a building and/or a residence using a printed circuit board comprising a power usage monitoring circuit positioned adjacent a tenant main circuit breaker of an electrical distribution apparatus that provides power to the unit of the building and/or the residence;
- and
- electronically transmitting a power outage alert to at least one remote device associated with the unit of the building and/or the residence when a power outage is detected based on the electronically monitored power usage,
- wherein the printed circuit board is part of a lug assembly, wherein the lug assembly comprises:
- a housing residing adjacent the tenant main circuit breaker and having an interior compartment and an outer wall, the outer wall comprising at least one cable channel, wherein the printed circuit board is held in the housing;
- at least one lug held in the interior compartment of the housing adapted to attach to a power cable, the lug having an open channel aligned with the cable channel in the outer wall of the housing;
- at least one ground connector coupled to the printed circuit board;
- at least one contact connector coupled to the printed circuit board, spaced apart from the at least one ground connector;
- and
- a cover attached to the housing,
- wherein a top edge of the printed circuit board is coupled to an inner surface of the cover, and wherein the printed circuit board is orthogonal to a primary body of the cover,
- wherein the power usage monitoring circuit of the printed circuit board couples to the at least one contact connector, and
- wherein the electronically transmitting is carried out by a wireless transceiver of the power monitoring circuit.
10 more elements
A method of monitoring power consumption and/or power outage, comprising:
- electronically monitoring power usage and/or power outage of a unit of a building and/or a residence using a printed circuit board comprising a power usage monitoring circuit positioned adjacent a tenant main circuit breaker of an electrical distribution apparatus that provides power to the unit of the building and/or the residence;
- and
- electronically transmitting a power outage alert to at least one remote device associated with the unit of the building and/or the residence when a power outage is detected based on the electronic monitoring,
- wherein the printed circuit board has a perimeter having a width dimension and a height dimension, wherein the perimeter comprises opposing sides across the width dimension with one side being shorter and the other side being longer than the other in the height dimension, wherein a lug assembly comprises a curvilinear ground connector that extends laterally outward from the printed circuit board, and wherein the lug assembly further comprises a first contact connector and a second contact connector that are curvilinear and that are spaced apart from the ground connector.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.