Bus plug including remotely operated circuit breaker and electrical system including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11328888-B2
Application number	US-202016779867-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Dec 15, 2017
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A bus plug structured to electrically connect between a busway and a load includes a circuit breaker structured to electrically connect between connectors and the load and to output a first control signal, the circuit breaker including separable contacts structured to open to stop power from the flowing from the busway to the load, a motor operator structured to cause the separable contacts to open or close in response to the first control signal from the circuit breaker, and a wireless communication module structured to wirelessly communicate with an external device and to output a second control signal to the circuit breaker is response to wireless communication received from the external device. The circuit breaker is structured to output the first control signal to the motor operator to open or close the separable contacts in response to receiving the second control signal from the wireless communication module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bus plug structured to electrically connect between a busway and a load, the bus plug comprising:
a circuit breaker structured to electrically connect between the busway and the load, the circuit breaker including separable contacts and an electronic trip unit, the circuit breaker further structured to turn on or off the bus plug via the separable contacts structured to open to stop power from flowing from the busway to the load;
a wireless communication module structured to wirelessly communicate with an external device and to output a control signal to the electronic trip unit in response to information received from the external device, the information comprising at least a user command or settings information; and
an indication unit including a number of visual indicators.

2. The bus plug of claim 1 , wherein the electronic trip unit is structured to adjust settings of the electronic trip unit based on the settings information.

3. The bus plug of claim 2 , wherein the electronic trip unit comprises a maintenance mode comprising maintenance mode settings structured to reduce arc energy.

4. The bus plug of claim 3 , wherein the maintenance mode settings comprise reducing or eliminating a specified delay associated with a zone interlock system.

5. The bus plug of claim 3 , wherein the maintenance mode provides protection to a user performing maintenance on the bus plug during on-state of the bus plug.

6. The bus plug of claim 3 , wherein the information comprises at least the user command, the user command comprises a command to enter the maintenance mode received wirelessly by the wireless communication module from the external device, and the electronic trip unit is further structured to enter the maintenance mode based on the command.

7. The bus plug of claim 3 , wherein the visual indicators comprise an indicator structured to indicate that the electronic trip unit is in the maintenance mode.

8. The bus plug of claim 1 , wherein the electronic trip unit is structured to meter power flowing through the circuit breaker to obtain metering information and communicate at least one of the metering information and status information of the circuit breaker to the wireless communication module; and wherein the wireless communication module is structured to wirelessly communicate at least one of the metering information and the status information to the external device, and at least one of the metering information and the status information is displayed on the external device and accessed by a user at the external device.

9. The bus plug of claim 8 , wherein the user command comprises a command to open or close the circuit breaker received via a control input of the external device based at least in part on the status information displayed on the external device.

10. The bus plug of claim 8 , wherein the metering information comprises information on at least one of voltage, current or power flowing through the circuit breaker.

11. The bus plug of claim 7 , wherein the status information comprises information on the status of the circuit breaker comprising whether the circuit breaker is open, closed or tripped.

12. The bus plug of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicators comprise light emitting diodes.

13. An electrical system comprising:
a busway;
an external device; and
a bus plug electrically coupled between the busway and a load, the bus plug comprising:
a circuit breaker electrically connected between the busway and the load, the circuit breaker including an electronic trip unit and separable contacts, the circuit breaker further structured to turn on or off the bus plug via the separable contacts structured to open to stop power from the flowing from the busway to the load;
a wireless communication module structured to wirelessly communicate with the external device and to output a control signal to the electronic trip unit in response to information received from the external device, the information comprising a user command and settings information; and
an indication unit including a number of visual indicators.

14. The electrical system of claim 13 , wherein the electronic trip unit is structured to meter power flowing through the circuit breaker to obtain metering information, and communicate at least one of the metering information or status information of the circuit breaker to the wireless communication module; wherein the wireless communication module is structured to wirelessly communicate the metering information or the status information to the external device, and wherein the metering information or the status information is displayed on the external device and accessed by a user at the external device.

15. The electrical system of claim 13 , wherein the electronic trip unit communicates at least the status information, and the user command comprises a command to open or close the circuit breaker received via a control input of the external device based at least in part on the status information displayed on the external device.

16. The electrical system of claim 13 , wherein the electronic trip unit includes a maintenance mode comprising maintenance mode settings structured to reduce arc energy, and wherein the user command comprises a command to enter the maintenance mode received wirelessly by the wireless communication module from the external device, and the electronic trip unit is structured to enter the maintenance mode based on the command.

17. The electrical system of claim 13 , wherein the visual indicators comprise an indicator structured to indicate that the electronic trip unit is in the maintenance mode.

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Lagree James L
• Barnes Rufus L
• Dipner Kristen
• Saitwal Meghan
• Pawar Saurabh

Classifications

• H02G5/08 Primary

  Connection boxes therefor · CPC title

• H01H9/168

  making use of an electromagnetic wave communication · CPC title

• H01H71/04

  Means for indicating condition of the switching device {(by means of an auxiliary contact H01H71/46)} · CPC title

• H01H71/12 Primary

  Automatic release mechanisms with or without manual release · CPC title

• H01H9/54

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switching device and for which no provision exists elsewhere · CPC title