Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Safety and protection of systems and devices – With specific current responsive fault sensor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-09
2002-05-14
Sherry, Michael J. (Department: 2836)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Safety and protection of systems and devices
With specific current responsive fault sensor
C307S141000, C307S141400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06388854
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a switch-on control circuit system and method and, in particular, to a load balancing and distributing switch-on control for a circuit breaker, an appliance, a device, or an apparatus wherein each switch-on device on a circuit breaker, appliance, device, or apparatus generates and provides a turn-on time delay up to a maximum turn-on time delay so that the turn-on times and respective loads after a power failure from all circuit breakers, appliances, devices, and/or apparatuses are distributed and/or balanced over a turn-on period.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a power failure occurs, power to circuit breakers at residences and commercial buildings and to appliances, devices, or apparatuses is cut off and ceases to exist. These power consuming appliances, devices, and apparatuses all shut off during the power failure. At the time that the power failure is rectified and power is restored, all appliances, devices, apparatuses begin to turn back on and start consuming power. Thus, an extremely large load spike is created and generated during the time the various residences and commercial buildings are being restored with power wherein various appliances, devices, or apparatuses at the various residences and commercial buildings begin to again consume power.
One main problem when power is restored by a power company is that many appliances, devices, and apparatuses all begin to initiate and consume power at the same initial time. With reference now to the figures and in particular with reference to
FIG. 1
, a prior art power load and consumption diagram
10
is shown.
FIG. 1
shows that an extremely large power load and consumption spike
12
is created at the time power is restored by the power company and at the time various appliances, devices, and apparatuses begin to consume power all at the same initial time. Such a spike is or can be very problematic for a power company(ies).
With reference to
FIG. 2
, a conventional circuit breaker
14
for a residence or commercial building is shown. Such circuit breakers are well known in the art for controlling power and power overloads at various location within a residence or commercial building.
It would be advantageous and desirable to distribute and balance the load consumption by various appliances, devices, and apparatuses at the time of initial power up after a power failure. It would also be advantageous and desirable to distribute the turn-on times of the various appliances, devices, and apparatuses at the initial power up time. It would further be advantageous and desirable to provide circuits for generating and providing various random power-up delay times for the appliances, devices, and apparatuses. It would still further be advantageous and desirable to provide such power-up delay circuits in circuit breakers or within the appliances, devices, and apparatuses themselves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore one object of the present invention to distribute and balance the load and consumption by various appliances, devices, and apparatuses at the time of initial power up after a power failure.
It is another object of the present invention to distribute the turn-on times of the various appliances, devices, and apparatuses at the initial power up time.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide circuits for generating and providing various random power-up delay times for the appliances, devices, and apparatuses.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide such power-up delay circuits in circuit breakers or within the appliances, devices, and apparatuses themselves.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. The present invention is a load balancing and distributing switch-on/turn-on control for a circuit breaker, an appliance, a device, or an apparatus wherein each switch-on device on a circuit breaker, appliance, device, or apparatus generates and provides a turn-on time delay up to a maximum turn-on time delay so that the turn-on times and respective loads after a power failure from all circuit breakers, appliances, devices, and/or apparatuses are distributed and/or balanced over a turn-on period. The present invention distributes and balances the load and consumption by various appliances, devices, and apparatuses at the time of initial power up after a power failure. The present invention also distributes the turn-on times of the various appliances, devices, and apparatuses at the initial power up time. A circuit system and method for load balancing and distributing switch-on control of an operating device are also disclosed herein. A micro-controller is able to couple to the operating device and to a power-in bus for receiving power from a power source. A relay switch system is coupled to the micro-controller for controlling the power from the power-in bus. The relay switch system is able to couple to a power-out bus to control the power to the operating device. The micro-controller generates a power-up delay time through which the micro-controller must wait and control the relay switch system to hold the power to the power-out bus before the relay switch is released to supply the power to the power-out bus for operation of the operating device.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.
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Berstis Viktors
Smith Joel Leslie
Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Leeuwen Leslie A. Van
Sherry Michael J.
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