Electricity meter with solid-state circuits

An electricity meter mounted upon a housing carrying a fixed socket connectable with a monitored source of power, comprising:

• a meter socket component having electrical connectors removably connected with said fixed socket component and having a circular base connector porion incorporating latch comopnents and a meter support portin extending therefrom;
• a solid-state meter circuit supported upon said meter socket component meter support portion and electrically coupled with said electrical connectors for evaluating said source of power and providing electrical power parameter outputs including a visual readout display at a readout region forwardly disposed from said meter socket component, said circuit being responsive to switched inputs to carry out corresponding predetermined circuit operation functions;
• a plurality of switch terminals mounted in the vicinity of said readout region, each electrical coupled with said circuit, each including an outwardly biased electrically conductive contact point, and being mutually positioned to define a pattern of said contact points;
• an electrically insulative cover having a generally cylindrical body portion extending from a circular rearward edge portion to a forwardly disposed face, said circular rearward postion being positioned adjacent said meter socket component ciruclar base connector portion to position said body portion over said meter circuit to effect the enclosure thereof while providing visual access to said display;
• annular connector means mounted upon said cover circular rearward edge and rotatable therewith from release to latched positions to effect attachment with said meter socket component by latching engagement with said meter socket component latch components;
• a plurality of electrical contact surfaces mounted internally with said cover at said face, said contact surfaces being mutually spaced in a contact surface pattern corresponding with said contact point pattern such that each said contact surface effects a continuous slideable contact with a correspoding contact point with said cover moved from said releast to said latched positions;
• and
• key actuated switch means mounted upon and extending through said cover face, electrically coupled with said contact surfaces and actuable to multiple positions to effect switched interconnections of selectones of said contact surfaces to derive said meter circuit switched inputs.

An electricity meter mounted with a housing including a conductive path to a neutral reference and connected with a monitored source of electrical power, comprising:

• fixed socket component means supported upon said housing and connectable with said monitored source of electrical power;
• meter socket component means having electrical connectors removably connected with said fixed socket component means, having a circular base connector portion and a meter support portion extending therefrom;
• a meter circuit having solid-state components supported upon said meter socket component means meter support portion and electrically coupled with said electrical connectors for evaluating said source of power and providing electrical power parameter outputs including a visual readout display at a readout region forwardly disposed from said meter socket component, said circuit being responsive to switched inputs to carry out corresponding predetermined circuit developed operations;
• three switch terminal mounted at said readout region, each electricaly coupled with said circuit, each including an outwardly extending, outwardly biased, electrically conductive contact point;
• an electrically insulative transparent cover having a generally cylindrical body portion extending from a circular rearward edge portion to a forwardly disposed face, said circular rearward edge being positioned adjacent said meter socket component means circular base connector portion to position said body over said meter circuit to effect enclosure thereof;
• electrically conductive ring connector means mounted upon said cover at said circular rearward edge and rotatable therewith from release to latched positions to effect attachment with said meter socket component circular base connector portion;
• an electrically conductive barrier comprising an aluminum foil sheet supported by a flexible plastic layer positioned within said cover adjacent said generally cylindrical body portion and having an integrally formed conductive tab secured in electrically conducting relationship with said ring connector means;
• three discrete electrical contact surfaces mounted internally upons aid cover at said face, said contact surfaces being mutually spaced in correspondence with said contact points such that each said contact surface effects a continuous slidable contact with a corresponding contact point said cover moved from said release to said latched positions;
• key actuated momentary, single pole, double throw switch means mounted upon and extending through said cover face, electrically coupled with said contact surfaces and actuable to derive said meter circuit switched inputs;
• and
• electrical conducting means in resilient contact with said ring connector and mounted to said meter socket component means for forming a conductive path therefrom to said neutral reference.