Overload detection for electrical wiring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9620950-B1
Application number	US-201615253472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Apr 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A method includes sensing by multiple overload detection sensors connected to a power cord, a type of overload detection. The type of overload detection includes: thermal detection, voltage drop detection, and current reading detection. The method further includes powering the overload detection sensors from a same power supply as the electrical power cord by direct wiring or inductive coupling. An overload detection is triggered by one or more actionable events including: a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) trip, a visual signal, an audible alarm, radio frequency identification (RFID) communication signaling, a wired or wireless communication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
sensing, by multiple overload detection sensors coupled to a power cord, a type of overload detection, wherein the type of overload detection comprises one or more of: thermal detection, voltage drop detection, and current reading detection,
powering the overload detection sensors from a same power supply as the power cord by direct wiring or inductive coupling;
for a thermal detection type of overload detection, sensing by the multiple overload detection sensors within insulation of the power cord, wherein the multiple overload detection sensors comprise thermal sensors configured to detect an overload upon sensing a temperature in excess of a thermal rating for the insulation of the power cord;
for a voltage drop detection type of overload detection, sensing by the multiple overload detection sensors across power supply lines, wherein the multiple overload detection sensors comprise voltage drop sensors that perform:
communicating signals on the power supply lines, via separate wires, or wirelessly for measuring and comparing voltage readings;
determining a maximum predetermined voltage drop based on a rated supply voltage and current handling capabilities of the power cord; and
detecting an overload upon a voltage drop occurring in excess of the maximum predetermined voltage drop; and
for a current reading detection type of overload detection, sensing by the multiple overload detection sensors across power supply lines or in individual sockets in the power cord, wherein the multiple overload detection sensors comprise current reading sensors that perform detecting an overload based on current reading exceeding a predetermined current threshold; and
triggering overload detection by one or more actionable events powered by the power cord, the actionable events comprising: a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) trip, a visual signal, an audible alarm, radio frequency identification (RFID) communication signaling, a wired or wireless communication.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Auvenshine John J
• Will Iv Henry C

Classifications

• H02H3/105

  responsive to excess current and fault current to earth · CPC title

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G08B21/185

  Electrical failure alarms · CPC title

• H02H3/24

  responsive to undervoltage or no-voltage {(H02H3/207 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title