US 12,227,083 B2
Annunciating or power vending circuit breaker for an electric load
Ronald L. Thompson, Knoxville, TN (US); Jason-David Nitzberg, Cincinnati, OH (US); David Austin Eldridge, Knoxville, TN (US); and Brandon J. Rogers, Knoxville, TN (US)
Assigned to EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Filed by EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/207,872.
Application 15/983,810 is a division of application No. 13/753,793, filed on Jan. 30, 2013, abandoned.
Application 18/207,872 is a continuation of application No. 15/983,810, filed on May 18, 2018, granted, now 11,712,966.
Prior Publication US 2023/0331089 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. H02H 3/00 (2006.01); B60L 3/00 (2019.01); B60L 3/04 (2006.01); B60L 53/18 (2019.01); B60L 53/30 (2019.01); B60L 53/51 (2019.01); B60L 53/66 (2019.01); B60L 53/68 (2019.01); H01H 9/54 (2006.01); H01H 83/02 (2006.01); H02H 1/00 (2006.01); H02H 3/33 (2006.01); H02H 9/08 (2006.01); H02J 3/00 (2006.01); H02J 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60L 3/00 (2013.01) [B60L 3/0069 (2013.01); B60L 3/04 (2013.01); B60L 53/18 (2019.02); B60L 53/305 (2019.02); B60L 53/51 (2019.02); B60L 53/665 (2019.02); B60L 53/68 (2019.02); H01H 9/548 (2013.01); H01H 83/02 (2013.01); H02H 1/0061 (2013.01); H02H 3/006 (2013.01); H02H 3/33 (2013.01); H02J 3/008 (2013.01); H02J 13/00 (2013.01); Y02T 10/70 (2013.01); Y02T 10/7072 (2013.01); Y02T 90/12 (2013.01); Y02T 90/14 (2013.01); Y02T 90/16 (2013.01); Y02T 90/167 (2013.01); Y04S 30/12 (2013.01); Y04S 30/14 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A circuit breaker system for an electric load, said circuit breaker system comprising:
a power vending circuit breaker including:
a plurality of first terminals structured to electrically connect to a power source;
a plurality of termination points;
a first expansion port having a plurality of pins;
a number of separable contacts, at least one of said number of separable contacts being electrically connected between one of said first terminals and one of said termination points;
a thermal-magnetic protection circuit electrically connected in series with said at least one of said number of separable contacts between said one of said first terminals and said one of said termination points;
a metering circuit operatively associated with power flowing through at least one of said number of separable contacts;
a mechanism structured to open or close said number of separable contacts;
a first processor structured to cause said mechanism to open or close said number of separable contacts, to input a plurality of power values from said metering circuit and to determine a plurality of energy values; and
a communication mechanism cooperating with said first processor to communicate said energy values to the first expansion port;
an add-on module directly connected to the power vending circuit breaker and structured to expand functionality of the power vending circuit breaker, the add-on module including:
a plurality of stabs directly connected to the plurality of termination points and structured to receive power from the power source;
a second expansion port having a plurality of receptacles directly connected to the plurality of pins and structured to receive the plurality of energy values; and
a plurality of second terminals electrically connected to the plurality of stabs and structured to electrically connect to the electric load and provide power from the power source to the electric load,
wherein the circuit breaker system has a form factor of a miniature circuit breaker or a molded case circuit breaker.