Separable Trip Unit Adapter for Circuit Breaker Settings Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing circuit breakers with trip units face challenges in preserving and transferring settings, making it difficult to retrieve and re-enter settings when a trip unit fails, and requiring laborious manual reconfiguration of settings in replacement units.
Innovation Solution
A trip unit design featuring a separable communication adapter module (CAM) that stores and restores trip unit settings, allowing for easy transfer and preservation of settings between trip units, including a processor and memory for both the trip unit and the CAM, enabling seamless setting transfer and backup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If trip unit settings are stored only in the trip unit memory, then the trip unit can operate independently, but the settings are lost when the trip unit fails and cannot be easily transferred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a duplicate copy of the trip unit settings in the separable communication adapter module's memory. This copy serves as a backup that can be transferred to a replacement trip unit, eliminating the need for manual reconfiguration and ensuring settings are preserved even when the original trip unit fails.
Solution Approach 2:
The separable communication adapter module acts as an intermediary between the trip unit and the external environment. It provides a dedicated interface for settings transfer, allowing seamless communication and data exchange between the trip unit, portable devices, and replacement units without requiring manual intervention.
2Device complexity
If trip unit settings are stored in a non-separable memory, then the system structure is simpler, but manual re-entry of settings is laborious when trip units are replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the trip unit system into separable components: the main trip unit and the communication adapter module. The adapter module can be detached and transferred to a replacement trip unit, carrying the settings with it. This segmentation allows the settings to be preserved and transferred automatically, eliminating manual reconfiguration time.
Solution Approach 2:
The settings are automatically transferred to the replacement trip unit before operational testing begins. The separable adapter module ensures that all configuration data is already in place, so the replacement unit is ready for immediate use without requiring time-consuming manual setup or programming.
3Adaptability or versatility
If electronic settings adjustment is implemented, then the number of adjustable settings can be large, but retrieving and transferring settings becomes difficult when trip units fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a redundant digital copy of all electronic settings in the separable communication adapter module. This copy mechanism ensures that regardless of how complex or numerous the settings are, they can be automatically transferred to a replacement unit, preventing any loss of information during trip unit replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication adapter module serves as an intermediary that manages the transfer of electronic settings. It provides structured interfaces for automatic data exchange, ensuring that complex settings are transferred accurately and completely without requiring manual intervention or risking information loss.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit breaker includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism to open and close the contacts, and a trip unit cooperating with the operating mechanism to trip open the contacts. The trip unit includes a first component having a processor and a first memory storing a first set of a plurality of trip unit settings, and a second component of the trip unit. The second component is separable from the first component or the trip unit, and includes a second memory storing a second set of a plurality of trip unit settings. The second component saves the first set of the plurality of trip unit settings as the second set of the plurality of trip unit settings in the second memory, and restores the second set of the plurality of trip unit settings in the first memory of the first component or of another first component of another trip unit.