Plug-in power supply
AssigneeSquare D Company
InventorsKenneth W. Erickson, Henry J. Zylstra
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A plug-in power supply includes a housing dimensioned to fit into a space designed to accept a circuit breaker in a load center to provide D.C. power from an A.C. main power. The housing encloses a circuit card that has components that are connected between A.C. inlet terminals and D.C. output terminals to provide a peak current for a short duration, limit the output to a D.C. voltage maximum, and interrupt the output current when the output voltage drops below a certain level.
Claims32
A plug-in power supply for a load center distributing electrical power from line terminals to load terminals of at least one branch circuit, said load center having a mounting panel having line and load terminals accessible through said panel and grouped at regularly spaced intervals normally for accepting circuit breakers, and having an A.C. power source in communication with said line terminals, said power supply comprising a housing dimensioned to be inserted into an interval normally occupied by a circuit breaker, said housing having input terminals adapted to engage said line terminals through said mounting panel to receive said A.C. power, and circuit means within said housing providing a regulated source of D.C. electrical power to output terminals from said A.C. power.
A load center for distributing electrical power from an A.C. main circuit to at least one branch A.C. circuit, said load center comprising a mounting panel, line and load terminals grouped together at regularly spaced intervals and accessible through said mounting panel, said line terminals connected to said A.C. main circuit and one group of said load terminals connected to said at least one branch A.C. circuit, breaker means connected across said grouped line terminals and said load terminals of said at least one branch circuit at one interval, said breaker means having D.C. motor means operated by remote switch means for opening and closing an electrical connection between said line and load terminals within said breaker means, and D.C. power supply means connected to said grouped line terminals through said mounting panel at an interval proximate said breaker means, said D.C. power supply means having output terminals operatively connected to said motor means and supplying D.C. electrical power to said motor means from said A.C. main circuit.
A plug-in power supply for supplying D.C. power from an A.C. source of power, said power supply comprising a rectangular housing dimensioned to be inserted into an interval of a load center normally mounting circuit breakers at regular intervals, said housing defining a hollow chamber, a circuit card carrying components contained within said chamber, a pair of input terminals supplying said A.C. power mounted on said housing at a distance from one another adapted to engage with line terminals connected to said A.C. source in a load center, a pair of output terminals mounted on said housing and adapted to be accessible when said power supply is mounted on a mounting panel of a load center, and connection means for connecting said input terminals to said components on said circuit card and for connecting said output terminals to said components on said circuit card.
A plug-in power supply device for electrical wiring systems including plug-in circuit breakers within a load center enclosure, the load center enclosure containing within it:
- (i) a plurality of branch circuit breakers with operating levers;
- (ii) an interior mounting pan having openings through which said branch circuit breakers are mounted;
- (iii) a plurality of buses, said buses mounted insulatively from each other upon said interior mounting pan, said branch circuit breakers electrically connected to said buses;
- (iv) mounting pan supporting means;
- (v) a dead-front panel having apertures aligned with the operating levers of said branch circuit breakers and means securing said dead-front panel to the enclosure;
- and
- (vi) a system neutral and grounding bus in said enclosure, the power supply device comprising:
- (a) a housing dimensioned to be inserted into an opening normally occupied by a circuit breaker, said housing having connection means connected to said buses and having retention means attached to said mounting pan, and having load side terminals;
- and
- (b) circuit means within said housing for providing D.C. electrical power, said circuit means being connected between said buses and said load side terminals of said device.
A plug-in power supply device for electrical wiring systems including plug-in circuit breakers within a load center enclosure, the load center enclosure containing within it:
- (i) a plurality of branch circuit breakers with operating levers;
- (ii) an interior mounting pan having openings through which said branch circuit breakers are mounted;
- (iii) a plurality of buses, said buses mounted insulatively from each other upon said interior mounting pan, said branch circuit breakers electrically connected to said buses;
- (iv) mounting pan supporting means;
- (v) a dead-front panel having apertures aligned with the operating levers of said branch circuit breakers and means securing said dead-front panel to the enclosure;
- and
- (vi) a system neutral and grounding bus in said enclosure, the power supply device comprising:
- (a) a housing dimensioned to be inserted into an opening normally occupied by a circuit breaker, said housing having connection means connected to said buses and having retention means attached to said mounting pan, and having load side terminals;
- and
- (b) circuit means within said housing for providing power, said circuit means being connected between said buses and said load side terminals of said device, said circuit means including means for sourcing a high peak current for a short period of time.
A plug-in power supply device for electrical wiring systems including plug-in circuit breakers within a load center enclosure, the load center enclosure containing within it:
- (i) a plurality of branch circuit breakers with operating levers;
- (ii) an interior mounting pan having openings through which said branch circuit breakers are mounted;
- (iii) a plurality of buses, said buses mounted insulatively from each other upon said interior mounting pan, said branch circuit breakers electrically connected to said buses;
- (iv) mounting pan supporting means;
- (v) a dead-front panel having apertures aligned with the operating levers of said branch circuit breakers and means securing said dead-front panel to the enclosure;
- and
- (vi) a system neutral and grounding bus in said enclosure, the power supply device comprising:
- (a) a housing dimensioned to be inserted into an opening normally occupied by a circuit breaker, said housing having connection means connected to said buses and having retention means attached to said mounting pan, and having load side terminals;
- and
- (b) circuit means within said housing for providing D.C. electrical power, said circuit means being connected between said buses and said load side terminals of said device, said circuit means including limit means for interrupting said D.C. electrical power when the voltage thereof falls below a certain level.
A plug-in power supply for supplying D.C. power from an A.C. source of power, said supply comprising a rectangular housing having dimensions adapted to fit an interval of a load center normally mounting circuit breakers at regular intervals, said housing including a pair of mating members adapted to be interconnected to define a chamber, a circuit card carrying components contained within said chamber and having a pair of A.C. input terminals in one wall of said housing and a pair of D.C. output terminals in an adjacent wall of said housing.
A power management system comprising a load center for distributing electrical power from a main A.C. circuit to a plurality of branch A.C. circuits, said center including a mounting panel, line and load terminals grouped together at regularly spaced intervals and accessible through said mounting panel, said line terminals being connected to said main circuit and said load terminals being connected to said branch circuits, at least one control means connected across said grouped line terminals and said load terminals at one interval, said at least one control means requiring D.C. power for controlling the electrical connection between said line and load terminals within said control means, and D.C. power supply means connected to at least said line terminals at another interval, said supply means having output terminals operatively connected to said at least one control means so that D.C. power is supplied to said control means from said D.C. power supply means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.