Device for protecting a user

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9520707-B2
Application number	US-201214394511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2012
Priority date	Apr 20, 2012
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A device for protecting a user includes a first current path including a first and second conduit, and a monitoring device for detecting an imminent overload of the electric user. In an embodiment, the monitoring device includes a first temperature measurement unit, a support, an evaluation unit and a first transducer to produce an electrically conductive connection between the first and second conduits of the first current path. The first temperature measurement unit is, electrically insulated from the first transducer and includes a first temperature sensor. An additional electrically insulating material; is arranged on a first lateral surface of the support between the first transducer and the support and the first temperature sensor is arranged on the support to detect a temperature of the first transducer. The evaluating unit is configured to detect an imminent overload at the user on the basis of temperatures detected by the first temperature sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for protecting a load, comprising
a first current path including a first and a second line; and
a monitoring unit, to determine imminent overloading of the electrical load,
the monitoring unit including
a first temperature measuring unit,
a substrate,
an evaluation unit, and
a first transducer, to establish an electrically conductive connection between the first and second line of the first current path, wherein the first temperature measuring unit is electrically isolated from the first transducer and comprises a first temperature sensor, wherein on a first lateral surface of the substrate, an additional electrically insulating material is disposed between the first transducer and the substrate, and the first temperature sensor is disposed on the substrate so as to be able to measure a temperature of the first transducer, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine imminent overloading of the load by of way measured temperatures of the first temperature sensor.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the additional electrically insulating material is disposed directly between the first transducer and the substrate and the first temperature sensor is disposed on a second lateral surface of the substrate facing away from the first lateral surface.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first temperature measuring unit additionally comprises a second temperature sensor, wherein the second temperature sensor is configured to measure a reference temperature, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine imminent overloading of the load by way of measured temperatures of the first and second temperature sensor.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first temperature measuring unit comprises a third temperature sensor, wherein the second and third temperature sensor are disposed on the second lateral surface of the substrate, wherein the first, second and third temperature sensor of the first temperature measuring unit are each configured to simultaneously measure a temperature of the first transducer, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine imminent overloading of the load on the basis of the measured temperatures of the first temperature measuring unit.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the device is a switching device.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a region of the first lateral surface of the substrate, opposite the first transducer, is completely covered with the additional electrically insulating material.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the additional electrically insulating material has a dielectric strength von 10 kilovolts referred to the overall thickness of the electrically insulating material.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the additional electrically insulating material withstands a temperature of 500° C. for at least ten milliseconds and a temperature of 300° C. for at least one minute without mechanical damage.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine a heating behavior over time of the first transducer by way of measured temperatures of the first temperature measuring unit and is configured to determine imminent overloading of the load by analyzing the determined heating behavior over time of the first transducer.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine imminent overloading of the load on the basis of a comparison of the determined heating behavior of the first transducer with a reference value stored in the evaluation unit.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature measuring unit comprises a second and third temperature sensor, wherein the first, second and third temperature sensor are disposed with respect to the first transducer such that the first temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature at a first measuring point of the first transducer, the second temperature sensor a temperature at a second measuring point of the first transducer and the third temperature sensor a temperature at a third measuring point of the first transducer, and wherein with respect to a first lateral surface of the first transducer, the second measuring point is between the first and third measuring point on the first lateral surface of the transducer.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is no more than 2 mm away from the first transducer.

13. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second current path which comprises a first and a second line, wherein the monitoring unit additionally includes a second temperature measuring unit and a second transducer to establish an electrically conductive connection between the first and the second line of the second current path, wherein the second temperature measuring unit is electrically isolated from the second transducer and comprises a first temperature sensor, wherein, on the first lateral surface of the substrate, the additional electrically insulating material is disposed between the second transducer and the substrate and the first temperature sensor of the second temperature measuring unit is disposed on the substrate to measure a temperature of the second transducer, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine imminent overloading of the load by way of measured temperatures of the first temperature sensor of the second temperature measuring unit.

14. The device of claim 13 , further comprising a third current path which comprises a first and a second line, wherein the monitoring unit additionally comprises a third temperature measuring unit and a third transducer which establishes an electrically conductive connection between the first and the second line of the third current path, wherein the third temperature measuring unit is electrically isolated from the third transducer and comprises a first temperature sensor, wherein, on the first lateral surface of the substrate, the electrically insulating material is disposed between the third transducer and the substrate and the first temperature sensor of the third temperature measuring unit is disposed on the substrate to measure a temperature of the third transducer, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine imminent overloading of the load by way of measured temperatures of the first temperature sensor of the third temperature measuring unit.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first transducer, second and third transducer includes a resistor having a defined heating curve.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a switching device.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the switching device is an overload relay or a circuit breaker.

18. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature measuring unit additionally comprises a second temperature sensor, wherein the second temperature sensor is configured to measure a reference temperature, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to determine imminent overloading of the load by way of measured temperatures of the first and second temperature sensor.

19. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a third current path which comprises a first and a second line, wherein the monitoring unit additionally comprises a third temperature measuring unit and a third transducer which establishes an electrically conductive connection between the first and the second line of the third current path, wherein the third temperature measuring unit is electrically isolated from the third transducer and comprises a first temperature sens

Assignees

• Feil Wolfgang
• Maier Martin
• Pfitzner Klaus
• Rösch Bernhard
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Feil Wolfgang
• Maier Martin
• Pfitzner Klaus
• Rösch Bernhard

Classifications

• H02H5/045

  using a thermal radiation sensor · CPC title

• H01H71/14

  Electrothermal mechanisms {(combined with a electro-thermal time delay relay H01H61/002)} · CPC title

• H02H3/085 Primary

  making use of a thermal sensor, e.g. thermistor, heated by the excess current (also responsive to the temperature of the protected device H02H5/041, thermal images H02H6/00) · CPC title

• H01H2083/206

  with thermal shunt trip · CPC title

• H01H2011/0068

  measuring the temperature of the switch or parts thereof · CPC title