Circuit interrupter with reset mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10312679-B2
Application number	US-201615236846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2016
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A circuit interrupter including a first set of separable contacts, a second set of separable contacts, a first operating mechanism structured to open the first set of separable contacts, a second operating mechanism structured to open and close the second set of separable contacts, and an electronic trip unit including a routine structured to detect a fault condition and a type of the fault condition, to control the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts in response to detecting a first type of fault condition, and to control the second operating mechanism to close the second set of separable contacts a predetermined amount of time after controlling the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit interrupter comprising:
a first set of separable contacts;
a second set of separable contacts;
a first operating mechanism structured to open the first set of separable contacts;
a second operating mechanism structured to open and close the second set of separable contacts; and
an electronic trip unit including a routine structured to detect a fault condition and a type of the fault condition, to control the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts in response to detecting a first type of fault condition, and to control the second operating mechanism to close the second set of separable contacts a predetermined amount of time after controlling the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts,
wherein the routine is structured to determine whether a predetermined number of faults have occurred within a second predetermined amount of time and to control the first operating mechanism to open the first set of separable contacts in response to determining that the predetermined number of faults have occurred within the second predetermined amount of time.

2. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the first type of fault condition is an arc fault.

3. A circuit interrupter comprising:
a first set of separable contacts;
a second set of separable contacts;
a first operating mechanism structured to open the first set of separable contacts;
a second operating mechanism structured to open and close the second set of separable contacts; and
an electronic trip unit including a routine structured to detect a fault condition and a type of the fault condition, to control the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts in response to detecting a first type of fault condition, and to control the second operating mechanism to close the second set of separable contacts a predetermined amount of time after controlling the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts, wherein the routine is further structured to control the first operating mechanism to open the first set of separable contacts in response to detecting a second type of fault condition.

4. The circuit interrupter of claim 3 , wherein the second type of fault condition is an overcurrent fault.

5. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 , further comprising:
an indicator structured to provide an indication when activated,
wherein the electronic trip unit is structured to activate the indicator in response to determining that the a predetermined number of fault conditions have occurred within the second predetermined amount of time.

6. A circuit interrupter comprising:
a first set of separable contacts;
a second set of separable contacts;
a first operating mechanism structured to open the first set of separable contacts;
a second operating mechanism structured to open and close the second set of separable contacts;
an electronic trip unit including a routine structured to detect a fault condition and a type of the fault condition, to control the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts in response to detecting a first type of fault condition, and to control the second operating mechanism to close the second set of separable contacts a predetermined amount of time after controlling the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts;
a line conductor electrically connected to a power source, wherein the first and second sets of separable contacts are disposed along the line conductor; and
a power circuit electrically connected to the line conductor between the second set of separable contacts and the power source,
wherein the power circuit is structured to leech power from the power source and to provide said power for the second operating mechanism to close the second set of separable contacts.

7. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time is stored in the electronic trip unit.

8. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the electronic trip unit is structured to derive the predetermined amount of time from a lookup table based on one or more characteristics of power flowing through the circuit interrupter when the fault condition was detected.

9. The circuit interrupter of claim 1 , wherein the second operating mechanism includes a solenoid.

10. A circuit interrupter comprising:
a first set of separable contacts;
a second set of separable contacts;
a first operating mechanism structured to open the first set of separable contacts;
a second operating mechanism structured to open and close the second set of separable contacts; and
an electronic trip unit including a routine structured to detect a fault condition and a type of the fault condition, to control the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts in response to detecting a first type of fault condition, and to control the second operating mechanism to close the second set of separable contacts a predetermined amount of time after controlling the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts, wherein the second set of separable contacts have a lower interruption rating than the first set of separable contacts.

11. A method for controlling a circuit interrupter including a first operating mechanism structured to open a first set of separable contacts and a second operating mechanism structured to open and close a second set of separable contacts, the method comprising:
detecting a fault condition;
determining a type of the fault condition;
controlling the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts in response to detecting a first type of fault condition;
controlling the second operating mechanism to close the second set of separable contacts a predetermined amount of time after controlling the second operating mechanism to open the second set of separable contacts;
determining whether a predetermined number of faults have occurred within a second predetermined amount of time; and
controlling the first operating mechanism to open the first set of separable contacts in response to determining that the predetermined number of faults have occurred within the second predetermined amount of time.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first type of fault condition is an arc fault.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
controlling the first operating mechanism to open the first set of separable contacts in response to detecting a second type of fault condition.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second type of fault condition is an overcurrent fault.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
activating an indicator in response to determining that the predetermined number of faults have occurred within the second predetermined amount of time.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
deriving the predetermined amount of time from a lookup table based on one or more characteristics of power flowing through the circuit interrupter when the fault condition was detected.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second operating mechanism includes a solenoid.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second set of separable contacts have a lower interruption rating than the first set of separable contacts.

Assignees

• Eaton Corp
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Okerman Jason

Classifications

• H02H3/16

  responsive to fault current to earth, frame or mass (with balanced or differential arrangement H02H3/26 {; monitoring earth connection H02H5/105}) · CPC title

• H02H3/10 Primary

  additionally responsive to some other abnormal electrical conditions · CPC title

• H02H1/0015

  Using arc detectors · CPC title

• B60L3/04

  Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions (protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H) · CPC title

• H01H2083/201

  the other abnormal electrical condition being an arc fault · CPC title