# US 8,786,386 B2 · Meter disconnect relay > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,786,386 B2 - Document ID: US8786386B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/711,046 - Filed: 2012-12-11 - Published: 2013-07-04 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Steven Lee Bietz; Rathindra Nahar; Bruce Joni Tomson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786386B2 ## CPC - H01H 50/648: {intermediate part being rigidly combined with armature (H01H50/66 - H01H50/74 take precedence)} - G01R 21/00: Arrangements for measuring electric power or power factor (G01R7/12 takes precedence) - H01H 1/2008: {Facilitate mounting or replacing contact bridge and pressure spring on carrier (H01H11/0012 takes precedence)} - H01H 1/502: {the action of the contact pressure spring becoming active only after engagement of the contacts} - H01H 50/546: {for contactors having bridging contacts} - H01H 1/023: having a noble metal as the basic material - H01H 1/0233: and containing carbides - H01H 50/56: Contact spring sets - H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00) - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract In one aspect, a modular meter disconnect relay is described. One embodiment of the relay is comprised of a base; a solenoid situated within the base, wherein the base maintains a portion of the solenoid stationary and allows a plunger of the solenoid to move within the base; a shuttle, wherein the shuttle is operably connected to and moved by the plunger of the solenoid and wherein the shuttle can be moved within the base; and, one or more disconnect switches that are opened or closed by movement of the shuttle, wherein the solenoid comprises a solenoid body, a spring and a magnet, wherein the spring is used to provide additional force to the plunger when moving out of the solenoid body and the magnet is used to latch the plunger when the plunger is forced to within close proximity of the magnet within the solenoid body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A meter disconnect relay, comprising: a base; a shuttle comprising: one or more tabs configured to fit within one or more grooves of the base, and wherein the shuttle is configured to move linearly relative to the base; and one or more windows; a solenoid situated within the base, wherein the solenoid comprises: a stationary portion comprising a solenoid body, a spring, and a magnet; a plunger coupled to the shuttle, wherein the plunger is configured move linearly relative to the base and the solenoid body thereby causing the shuttle to move linearly relative to the base, wherein the magnet is configured to latch the plunger when the plunger is forced to move within the solenoid body, and wherein the magnet is positioned adjacent to a first end of the plunger when the plunger is latched; and one or more disconnect switches coupled to the one or more windows of the shuttle, wherein the one or more disconnect switches are opened or closed by movement of the shuttle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The meter disconnect relay of claim 1, wherein each disconnect switch comprises: a bridging section comprising one or more contacts; and a conductive source portion having one or more source contacts, wherein at least one of the one or more contacts of the bridging portion are configured to couple to the one or more source contacts by movement of the shuttle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The meter disconnect relay of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the one or more source contacts or the one or more contacts of the bridging portion are at least partially comprised of silver-tin materials. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The meter disconnect relay of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the one or more source contacts or the one or more contacts of the bridging portion are at least partially comprised of silver refractory materials. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The meter disconnect relay of claim 4, wherein of the silver refractory materials comprises one or more of silver tungsten, silver tungsten carbide, silver molybdenum, silver titanium, or titanium carbide. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The meter disconnect relay of claim 1, further comprising a utility revenue meter, wherein the meter disconnect relay is integrated into the utility revenue meter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The meter disconnect relay of claim 6, wherein the utility revenue meter is an electric utility revenue meter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The meter disconnect relay of claim 1, wherein the plunger latching is configured to provide overcurrent protection for devices connected to a conductive load portion of the meter disconnect relay. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The meter disconnect relay of claim 1, wherein the plunger comprises a ferromagnetic material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The meter disconnect relay of claim 1, wherein the spring is disposed between the magnet and the first end of the plunger. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The meter disconnect relay of claim 1, wherein the spring is configured to provide additional force to the plunger when moving out of the solenoid body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The meter disconnect relay of claim 1, comprising one or more bridging sections having the one or more disconnect switches, wherein each bridging section comprises a first disconnect switch disposed on a first face of a first window of the shuttle and a second disconnect switch disposed on a second face of the first window, wherein the first face is opposite to the second face. ### Claim 13 A system comprised of: a meter; and a meter disconnect relay integrated with the meter, wherein the meter disconnect relay comprises: a base; a shuttle comprising: one or more tabs configured to fit within one or more grooves of the base, and wherein the shuttle is configured to move linearly relative to the base; and one or more windows; a solenoid situated within the base, wherein the solenoid comprises: a stationary portion comprising a solenoid body, a plunger, a spring, and a magnet; and a plunger coupled to the shuttle, wherein the plunger is configured move linearly relative to the base and the solenoid body thereby causing the shuttle to move linearly relative to the base, wherein the magnet is configured to latch the plunger when the plunger is forced to move within the solenoid body, and wherein the magnet is positioned adjacent to a first end of the plunger when the plunger is latched; and one or more disconnect switches coupled to the one or more windows of the shuttle, wherein the one or more disconnect switches are opened or closed by movement of the shuttle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 further comprising a network, wherein the network is connected with the meter and signals received by the meter over the network is configured to control the meter disconnect relay. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the meter comprises a meter base and at least a portion of the base comprises a portion of the meter base. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the meter is an electric utility revenue meter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the plunger latching is configured to provide overcurrent protection for devices connected to a conductive load portion of the meter disconnect relay. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein each disconnect switch comprises a bridging section comprising one or more contacts; and a conductive source portion having one or more source contacts, wherein at least one of the one or more contacts of the bridging portion are configured to couple to the one or more source contacts by movement of the shuttle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the bridging section is configured to couple to a first side of a first window of the one or more windows, and wherein the conductive source portion is configured to couple to a second side of the second window. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the plunger comprises a ferromagnetic material.