Recloser Position Indicator with Rotating Color Disc
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing recloser systems lack effective visual indicators for status changes, particularly in overhead power distribution systems, which can hinder maintenance and operation efficiency, especially under varying lighting conditions and from multiple angles.
Innovation Solution
A position indicator system for reclosers incorporating a rotating multi-colored display disc and a lighting unit, allowing for color-coded status indications from any angle, using a lens unit with opaque and non-opaque sections to reveal either green or red sections, and illuminated by LEDs for night visibility, driven by a mechanism translating linear forces into rotational movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If no visual indicator is provided, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in identifying recloser status
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs color-coded sections (green for closed position, red for open position) on a rotatable display disc to provide intuitive visual status indication. This allows operators to quickly identify recloser status at a glance without complex instrumentation, resolving the contradiction by enhancing ease of operation through simple color-based visual feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The display disc is segmented into multiple colored sections corresponding to different recloser positions. This segmentation allows the single indicator mechanism to convey multiple status states through rotational positioning of the colored segments, providing clear visual information while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
2Reliability
If a simple indicator is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates due to poor visibility under varying lighting conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a rotatable display disc that can be dynamically repositioned to different angular orientations corresponding to various recloser positions. This dynamic rotation mechanism allows the indicator to reliably display status information across different operating conditions and viewing angles, enhancing visibility reliability without requiring complex electronic systems.
Solution Approach 2:
By using distinct colors (green for closed, red for open) that maintain high contrast and visibility under varying lighting conditions including nighttime, the indicator achieves reliable status communication. The color-based system ensures consistent readability regardless of ambient light levels.
3Loss of information
If a single-color indicator is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the loss of information increases due to inability to indicate multiple status states
Solution Approach 1:
The display disc is divided into multiple colored segments (green, red, and potentially other colors) that can be rotated into viewing position to indicate different recloser status states. This segmentation enables a single mechanical component to convey multiple pieces of status information, reducing information loss while maintaining simple device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable display disc serves multiple functions: it indicates different status positions through rotation, provides color-coded information for quick identification, and can be viewed from multiple angles due to its circumferential color arrangement. This multi-functionality reduces information loss without proportionally increasing device complexity.
4Ease of operation
If the indicator is only visible from one angle, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to limited viewing accessibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a linear or planar indicator to a three-dimensional rotatable disc with colors arranged circumferentially around its perimeter. This dimensional change allows the indicator to be viewed from multiple angles simultaneously, as different colored sections can be positioned in the viewer's line of sight through rotation, greatly enhancing viewing accessibility without adding complex multi-directional indicator systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable nature of the display disc provides dynamic viewing capability, allowing the indicator to present information to operators approaching from different directions. The disc can be rotated to bring the appropriate colored section into view based on the operator's position, ensuring ease of operation from multiple angles while maintaining a simple mechanical structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances maintenance visibility and operational efficiency by providing clear, angle-independent status indications during both day and night, facilitating quicker identification of recloser positions and operations.
Implementation Method 1
illuminated by LEDs for night visibility
Data Source
AI summary
A status indicator includes a display disc with a pin located within a central portion if the display disc, a first colored section, and a second colored section. The status indicator also includes a lens unit with an opaque section and a non-opaque section to alternately reveal the first colored section or the second colored section such that either the first or the second colored section is visible from any angle within a hemisphere below the status indicator. The status indicator also includes an indicator cam configured to receive a linear force initiated by an actuator component and to translate the linear force to a rotational force on the pin. The rotational force causes the display disc to rotate from a first position to a second position that aligns the second colored section with the non-opaque section.