US 6,703,938 B1 · Electrical panel safety monitor

Abstract

An electrical safety monitor (20) includes a housing (50) with a display face (70) and a securing section (54) that connects with an electrical panel (62). Electrical circuitry (30) is contained in the housing (50). The electrical circuitry (30) communicates with electrical lines (L1, L2, L3, GND) of the panel (62), and defines high impedance electrical paths between pairs of electrical lines (L1, L2, L3, GND). Each high impedance path includes a positive light emitting diode (D1, D2, D3, D4) arranged to draw current from a line carrying a positive electrical energy potential and a negative light emitting diode (D5, D6, D7, D8) arranged to draw current from a line carrying a negative electrical energy potential relative to the positive electrical energy potential. The positive and negative light emitting diodes are disposed on the display face (70) of the housing (50). Each light emitting diode produces light responsive to current flow in a high impedance path that includes the light emitting diode.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An electrical safety monitor for monitoring electrical energy potentials of a plurality of electrical power input lines of an a.c. circuit, the electrical safety monitor including:

a plurality of capacitors including:
a plurality of positive capacitors corresponding to the plurality of electrical power input lines, each positive capacitor arranged to charge responsive to a positive electrical energy potential on the corresponding line, and
a plurality of negative capacitors corresponding to the plurality of electrical power input lines, each negative capacitor arranged to charge responsive to a negative electrical energy potential on the corresponding line;
a discharge circuit electrically communicating with the plurality of capacitors to cause a capacitor discharge at a predetermined capacitor voltage;
and
a plurality of solid-state light-emitting devices disposed in a human-viewable arrangement, each light emitting device electrically communicating with a selected capacitor and producing a light output responsive to capacitor discharge of the corresponding capacitor.

3 more elements

An electrical safety monitor for providing warning of a hazardous electrical voltage on a circuit powered by a plurality of electrical power input lines, the safety monitor including:

a plurality of first high impedance rectifying paths corresponding to the plurality of electrical power input lines, each first high impedance rectifying path arranged to conduct current from the corresponding electrical power input line to a common electrical node;
a plurality of second high impedance rectifying paths corresponding to the plurality of electrical power input lines, each second high impedance rectifying path arranged to conduct current from the common electrical node to the corresponding electrical power input line;
a plurality of first light emitting devices corresponding to the plurality of first high impedance rectifying paths, each first light emitting device electrically communicating with the corresponding first high impedance rectifying path to emit light responsive to a current flowing through the corresponding first high impedance rectifying path;
and
a plurality of second light emitting devices corresponding to the plurality of second high impedance rectifying paths, each second light emitting device electrically communicating with the corresponding second high impedance rectifying path to emit light responsive to a current flowing through the corresponding second high impedance rectifying path.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electrical panel safety monitor

Life of this patent

Electrical panel safety monitor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24