US 11,879,911 B2
Terminal sensor array
Nimrod Polonsky, Tel Aviv (IL); Liron Har-Shai, Tel Mond (IL); Yoav Galin, Raanana (IL); Bryon Gomberg, Ness Ziona (IL); and Guy Sella, Bitan Aharon (IL)
Assigned to Solaredge Technologies Ltd., Herzeliya (IL)
Filed by Solaredge Technologies Ltd., Herzeliya (IL)
Filed on Aug. 28, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/005,494.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/893,253, filed on Aug. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0063437 A1, Mar. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. G01R 1/067 (2006.01); G01R 31/327 (2006.01); H01R 9/24 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 1/067 (2013.01) [G01R 31/3271 (2013.01); H01R 9/24 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a conducting probe shaped to couple with an electrical conductor of an electrical terminal of a power device, wherein the conducting probe comprises a recess shaped to couple to a jumper bridge,
wherein the recess comprises an elongated shape and the conducting probe also comprises the elongated shape,
wherein the electrical terminal is incorporated into a terminal block, wherein the terminal block is mechanically coupled to a DIN rail, and the DIN rail has a shape selected from IEC/EN 60715, AS 2756-1997, EN 50035, BS 5825, or DIN 46277-1,
wherein the electrical terminal comprises a terminal lug and the conducting probe is configured to enter a recess in the terminal lug;
a sensor in contact with the conducting probe; and
a controller circuit electrically coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller circuit is configured to monitor values of the sensor, and the controller circuit is configured to initiate an action to mitigate a hazardous condition when the values of the sensor comply with a monitoring rule associated with the hazardous condition;
wherein the power device comprises an inverter, a wind power generator, a solar panel generator, or a combiner box;
wherein when sensor value exceeds a threshold, the controller circuit sends a message to a host system or user interface indicating the exceeded threshold and an identifier of the electrical terminal for assistance in initiating a repair of the electrical terminal;
wherein the threshold includes an over-temperature threshold, an over-resistance threshold, an over/under-voltage threshold, a overpower dissipation threshold, or an abnormal terminal sensor value threshold.