US 11,909,196 B2
Solid state circuit interrupter
Xin Zhou, Wexford, PA (US); Brian E. Carlson, Gibsonia, PA (US); Yanjun Feng, Los Angeles, CA (US); Jianyang Liu, Lake Forest, CA (US); Michael Slepian, Murrysville, PA (US); Andrew L. Gottschalk, Monaca, PA (US); and Santhosh Kumar Chamarajanagar Govinda Nayaka, Moon Township, PA (US)
Assigned to EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Filed by EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED, Dublin (IE)
Filed on Mar. 14, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/121,227.
Application 18/121,227 is a continuation of application No. 17/516,941, filed on Nov. 2, 2021, granted, now 11,646,567.
Application 17/516,941 is a continuation of application No. 16/775,976, filed on Jan. 29, 2020, granted, now 11,239,649, issued on Feb. 1, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0275418 A1, Aug. 31, 2023
Int. Cl. H02H 3/093 (2006.01); H02H 3/00 (2006.01); G01R 15/14 (2006.01)
CPC H02H 3/0935 (2013.01) [G01R 15/14 (2013.01); H02H 3/006 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A circuit interrupter structured to electrically connect between a power source and a load, the circuit interrupter comprising:
a solid state switch module structured to have a closed state to allow current to flow through the circuit interrupter and an open state to interrupt the current flowing through the circuit interrupter;
a current sensor structured to sense current flowing through the circuit interrupter;
an electronic trip unit structured to output a trip signal upon detection of a fault condition based on an output of the current sensor;
a gate driver circuit including an enable input electrically connected to the electronic trip unit and a desaturation (DESAT) input electrically connected to the solid state switch module, the gate driver circuit structured to receive the trip signal at the enable input, implement DESAT function based on a signal received at the DESAT input from the solid state switch module, the DESAT function including monitoring a forward voltage drop of a solid state switch of the solid state switch module and changing from an off state to an on state when the current flowing through the solid state module reaches a predetermined threshold level, and control the state of the solid state switch module;
separable contacts; and
an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts,
wherein the electronic trip unit is structured to control the solid state switch module to change between the open state and the closed state and to control the operating mechanism to open the separable contacts.