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US 7,064,941 B2Granted
Aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter and packaging thereof
AssigneeHydro-Aire, Inc.
InventorRonald A. Bax
Life of this patent
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AssigneeHydro-Aire, Inc.
InventorRonald A. Bax
Estimating the term…
The aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter interrupts an electrical circuit when a current imbalance is sensed. The current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter includes a housing, power supplies, a sensor for sensing a current imbalance at the line side of the electrical circuit, a logic controller and a power controller. In a preferred embodiment, the invention can also include a fault indicator, a press to test switch and a reset switch. The power supplies provide power to the sensor, logic controller, and the power controller. The logic controller receives input from the sensor and the relay control signal, and the power controller receives input from the logic controller, and interrupts power to the load side of the electrical circuit when the sensor senses a current imbalance. Power interruption due to a sensed current imbalance is maintained until the line side power source is cycled. The circuit interrupter is preferably autonomous, requiring no additional signals, inputs, wiring or sources of power. The current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter is packaged in a configuration integral with the power controller, thus easing retrofit with the improved aircraft applicable current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter.
In an aircraft current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter for monitoring and interrupting an electrical power circuit to an electrical load, the electrical power circuit having a line side and a load side supplying power to an external load and a relay control signal line carrying a relay control signal used for activating a power controller used to control the flow of power to the external load, the aircraft current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter having an electrical power supply connected to the line side of the electrical power circuit being monitored or the relay control signal line, a sensor system for sensing a current imbalance in the electrical power circuit and outputting a sensor signal, and a logic controller powered by the power supply for outputting a fault signal representing a fault related to the sensor signal output by the sensor system in response to a current imbalance, the power controller being configured to remove power to the load side of the electrical circuit responsive to the fault signal, the improvement in the current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter comprising:
In an aircraft current imbalance detection and circuit interrupter for interrupting an electrical circuit to an electrical load, the electrical circuit having a line side and a load side, the aircraft current imbalance detection-and circuit interrupter including at least one power supply disposed in the housing and powered by one of the input electrical connections to the current imbalance detection and current interrupter, a sensor system disposed in the housing and configured for sensing a current imbalance in the electrical circuit and for providing a sensor signal indicating the existence of a current imbalance within the electrical circuit based on said sensing of said current imbalance, a logic controller disposed in the housing and configured to be powered by said at least one power supply, to receive an external relay control signal from a relay control signal input connection and the sensor signal from the sensor system, and to compare the sensor signal with a predetermined range for acceptable operation for the electrical circuit and to interrupt the relay control signal when the sensor signal is outside said predetermined range, and a power controller disposed in the housing and configured to be energized by the relay control signal and to remove power to the load side of the electrical circuit when the relay control signal is interrupted, the improvement in said interrupter comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.