Circuit breaker, removable display, and electronic trip unit for a circuit breaker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11990302-B2
Application number	US-202118043382-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2020
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

The invention relates to a circuit breaker for a low-voltage circuit having input and output terminals for conductors of the low-voltage circuit. Within the circuit breaker, the low-voltage circuit can be interrupted or closed. The circuit breaker also has a current sensor which determines the level of the electrical current in the low-voltage circuit and is connected to an electronic trigger unit which has a display for displaying information and interrupts the low-voltage circuit if current limit values or current-time limit values are exceeded. The display is designed to be removable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A circuit breaker for a low-voltage circuit having input connections and output connections for conductors of the low-voltage circuit, the circuit breaker comprising:
a current sensor for determining a level of an electric current in the low-voltage circuit, said current sensor being connected to an electronic trip unit that has a display for displaying information and that is configured to interrupt the low-voltage circuit if current limit values or current/time limit values are exceeded;
said display of said electronic trip unit being a removable display;
said display having a sensor for determining an inclination or an angle of a horizontal or vertical position of said display, and being configured such that a content of displayed information is adjusted depending on a horizontal or vertical mounting of said display, thus enabling the displayed information to be read in a user-friendly manner; and
said display having a display microcontroller, connected to said sensor, for controlling a display of the displayed information.

2. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein said removable display is configured to snap or latch on to said electronic trip unit.

3. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein said display has an input functionality in addition to a display functionality.

4. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor is a sensor selected from the group consisting of an inclination sensor, an angle sensor, and a position sensor.

5. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein said electronic trip unit comprises a first microcontroller and a second microcontroller.

6. The circuit breaker according to claim 5 , wherein said first microcontroller is configured to monitor an exceedance of current limit values or current/time limit values, and said second microcontroller is configured to provide the information to be displayed on said display.

7. The circuit breaker according to claim 5 , wherein said electronic trip unit and said display are configured such that, when the display is connected to said electronic trip unit, the information to be displayed is transmitted from said second microcontroller to said display and displayed thereon in a correct position.

8. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , which comprises a universal serial bus interface for an electrical connection between said electronic trip unit and said display.

9. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein said display has an LCD display.

10. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein said display has a power supply unit.

11. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein said display has a keypad or a touchpad or touch control for an input functionality.

12. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit breaker is configured to enable different orientations with which the information can be displayed.

13. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein said electronic trip unit is configured to enable mutually different menu structures to be programmed, with the menu structures being stored in a second microcontroller of said electronic trip unit and, when said display is connected, to be displayed thereon.

14. The circuit breaker according to claim 1 , wherein said electronic trip unit is configured to enable application tasks assigned to a second microcontroller of said electronic trip unit to be adjusted or changed.

15. A removable display for a circuit breaker, the removable display comprising:
a sensor for determining an inclination or an angle of a horizontal or vertical position of the display, and wherein a content of a displayed information is adjusted depending on a horizontal or vertical mounting of the display, to enable the displayed information to be read in a user-friendly manner; and
a display microcontroller connected to said sensor, for controlling a display of the displayed information.

16. The removable display according to claim 15 , configured for connection by snap or latch onto an electronic trip unit.

17. The removable display according to claim 15 , configured for mutually different types of electronic trip units or circuit breakers.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Gerstner Michael
• Schwinn Bernd
• Venkatramani Anand

Classifications

• H01H71/123 Primary

  using a solid-state trip unit (circuits H02H) · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06F3/147

  using display panels · CPC title

• H01H71/04

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

• H01H9/181

  using a programmable display, e.g. LED or LCD · CPC title