Low-Voltage Breaker Circuit for Multi-Fault Voltage Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing low-voltage protective switching devices require multiple devices for comprehensive protection, increasing installation effort and complexity, and they often completely shut down downstream networks during faults, posing risks to modern systems and data integrity.

Innovation Solution

A single low-voltage protective switching device with a semiconductor circuit and electronic control unit that detects multiple electrical errors and reduces output voltage temporarily to mitigate dangers while allowing data saving or process stopping before complete shutdown.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple protective switching devices are used for comprehensive protection, then protection reliability is improved, but device complexity and installation effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple protective switching devices (residual current circuit breaker, overcurrent circuit breaker, arc detector, surge arrester) into a single integrated device with common housing, electronic control unit, and semiconductor switches, thereby reducing the number of separate devices while maintaining comprehensive protection functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The integrated protective switching device performs multiple protection functions simultaneously - residual current protection, overcurrent protection, arc detection, and surge protection - within a single device, making it a universal protective solution that replaces multiple specialized devices

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If complete shutdown is performed during fault, then safety is improved, but data loss and system disruption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoiddata loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The electronic control unit detects fault conditions and activates semiconductor switches to reduce voltage before complete shutdown occurs, allowing embedded systems to execute emergency routines and save data during the transitional period when voltage is reduced but not yet zero

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The device dynamically transitions from full voltage operation to reduced voltage state and finally to complete shutdown, rather than immediately switching off. This dynamic voltage reduction provides a time window for data preservation while ultimately achieving complete isolation for safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If multiple protective devices are installed, then comprehensive protection is achieved, but installation effort and space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomprehensive protectionVSAvoidinstallation effort
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple protective devices are merged into a single integrated unit with common housing, wiring terminals, and control electronics, reducing the number of separate installation locations and simplifying the overall installation process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single device provides universal protection against multiple fault types (earth faults, short circuits, arcs, surges) that previously required multiple specialized devices, thereby reducing installation complexity while maintaining comprehensive protection coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3552289B1Low-voltage circuit breaker device
Publication Date: 2023.10.04 EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LTD
  • EP3552289B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to a low-voltage circuit breaker device (1) having at least one external conductor section (2) and a neutral conductor section (5), wherein the low-voltage circuit breaker device (1) has an electrical measurement arrangement (12), wherein the low-voltage circuit breaker device (1) has at least one semiconductor circuit arrangement (11) and wherein the low-voltage circuit breaker device (1) has an electronic control unit (13), which is connected to the measurement arrangement (12) and the semiconductor circuit arrangement (11), wherein, according to the invention, the measurement arrangement (12) and/or the electronic control unit (13) is designed for detecting a definable combination of at least two electrical faults, selected from the following group: over-voltage, under-voltage, over-current, in particular short circuit current, fault current and/or electric arc, and the semiconductor circuit arrangement (11) is designed for definable reduction of an output voltage compared to an input voltage.