Plug-in power supply

Abstract

A plug-in power supply includes a housing dimensioned to fit into a space designed to accept a circuit breaker in a load center to provide D.C. power from an A.C. main power. The housing encloses a circuit card that has components that are connected between A.C. inlet terminals and D.C. output terminals to provide a peak current for a short duration, limit the output to a D.C. voltage maximum, and interrupt the output current when the output voltage drops below a certain level.

I claim: 
     
       1. A plug-in power supply for a load center distributing electrical power from line terminals to load terminals of at least one branch circuit, said load center having a mounting panel having line and load terminals accessible through said panel and grouped at regularly spaced intervals normally for accepting circuit breakers, and having an A.C. power source in communication with said line terminals, said power supply comprising a housing dimensioned to be inserted into an interval normally occupied by a circuit breaker, said housing having input terminals . .adapted to engage.!. .Iadd.for engaging .Iaddend.said line terminals through said mounted panel to receive said A.C. power, and circuit means within said housing providing a regulated source of D.C. electrical power to output terminals from said A.C. power. 
     
     
       2. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 1, in which said housing has a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls and end walls with said input terminals in said bottom wall and said output terminals in one of said end walls. 
     
     
       3. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 1, in which said circuit means include component means for sourcing a high peak current for a short period and a low current level continuously. 
     
     
       4. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 3, in which said high peak current is approximately two amperes, said period is approximately fifty milliseconds, and said low current is on the order of 100 milliamperes. 
     
     
       5. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 3, in which said circuit means further includes limit means for interrupting said D.C. electrical power supply when the voltage thereof falls below a certain level. 
     
     
       6. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 5, in which said D.C. electrical power supplies approximately 24 volts and said certain level is approximately 12 volts. 
     
     
       7. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 5, in which said limit means include timer means for interrupting said D.C. electrical power supply for a certain length of time when the voltage thereof falls below a certain level. 
     
     
       8. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 7, in which said certain length of time is approximately one second. 
     
     
       9. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 2, in which said panel includes a mounting rail and said bottom wall includes a mounting clip engaging with said rail to positively mount said housing to said panel. 
     
     
       10. A load center for distributing electrical power from an A.C. main circuit to at least one branch A.C. circuit, said load center comprising a mounting panel, line and load terminals grouped together at regularly spaced intervals and accessible through said mounting panel, said line terminals connected to said A.C. main circuit and one group of said load terminals connected to said at least one branch A.C. circuit, breaker means connected across said grouped line terminals and said load terminals of said at least one branch circuit at one interval, said breaker means having D.C. motor means operated by remote switch means for opening and closing an electrical connection between said line and load terminals within said breaker means, and D.C. power supply means connected to said grouped line terminals through said mounting panel at an interval proximate said breaker means, said D.C. power supply means having output terminals operatively connected to said motor means and supplying D.C. electrical power to said motor means from said A.C. main circuit. 
     
     
       11. A load center as defined in claim 10, in which said D.C. power supply means includes a housing dimensioned to be received into said another interval and defining a chamber with a circuit card in said chamber and carrying components for converting A.C. power to D.C. power. 
     
     
       12. A load center as defined in claim 11, in which said housing has a top wall, a bottom wall, side walls and end walls, and in which said bottom wall has terminals for connection to said A.C. main circuit and one of said end walls has output terminals connected to said motor means. 
     
     
       13. A load center as defined in claim 11, in which said components include means for sourcing high peak current for a short period of time and a low current level continuously. 
     
     
       14. A load center as defined in claim 13, in which said components include limit means for interrupting said D.C. electrical power when the voltage thereof falls below a certain level. 
     
     
       15. A load center as defined in claim 11, in which said mounting panel has a grounded mounting rail and said housing has a mounting clip engaging with said rail to mount said housing to said panel. 
     
     
       16. A plug-in power supply for supplying D.C. power from an A.C. source of power, said power supply comprising a rectangular housing dimensioned to be inserted into an interval of a load center normally mounting circuit breakers at regular intervals, said housing defining a hollow chamber, a circuit card carrying components contained within said chamber, a pair of input terminals supplying said A.C. power mounted on said housing at a distance from one another adapted to engage with line terminals connected to said A.C. source in a load center, a pair of output terminals mounted on said housing and adapted to be accessible when said power supply is mounted on a mounting panel of a load center, and connection means for connecting said input terminals to said components on said circuit card and for connecting said output terminals to said components on said circuit card. 
     
     
       17. A plug-in power supply as deemed in claim 16, in which said components include means for sourcing a high peak current for a short period of time. 
     
     
       18. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 17, in which said components include limit means for interrupting said D.C. power supply when the voltage thereof falls below a certain level. 
     
     
       19. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 18, in which said D.C. power supplies approximately 24 volts and said certain level is approximately 12 volts. 
     
     
       20. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 16, in which said housing includes a pair of housing halves adapted to be separated to receive said circuit card, said output terminals being located in an end wall of said housing and said input terminals being located in a bottom wall of said housing, said output terminals each including a pair of contact plates interconnected by a threaded fastener with a first of said terminals having its fastener extending generally parallel to said end wall and a second of said terminals having its fastener angularly related to said end wall. 
     
     
       21. A plug-in power supply device for electrical wiring systems including plug-in circuit breakers within a load center enclosure, the load center enclosure containing within it: (i) a plurality of branch circuit breakers with operating levers;   (ii) an interior mounting pan having openings through which said branch circuit breakers are mounted;   (iii) a plurality of buses, said buses mounted insulatively from each other upon said interior mounting pan, said branch circuit breakers electrically connected to said buses;   (iv) mounting pan supporting means;   (v) a dead-front panel having apertures aligned with the operating levers of said branch circuit breakers and means securing said dead-front panel to the enclosure; and   (vi) a system neutral and grounding bus in said enclosure, the power supply device comprising: (a) a housing dimensioned to be inserted into an opening normally occupied by a circuit breaker, said housing having connection means connected to said buses and having retention means attached to said mounting pan, and having load side terminals; and   (b) circuit means within said housing for providing D.C. electrical power, said circuit means being connected between said buses and said load side terminals of said device.     
     
     
       22. A plug-in power supply device for electrical wiring systems including plug-in circuit breakers within a load center enclosure, the load center enclosure containing within it: (i) a plurality of branch circuit breakers with operating levers;   (ii) an interior mounting pan having openings through which said branch circuit breakers are mounted;   (iii) a plurality of buses, said buses mounted insulatively from each other upon said interior mounting pan, said branch circuit breakers electrically connected to said buses;   (iv) mounting pan supporting means;   (v) a dead-front panel having apertures aligned with the operating levers of said branch circuit breakers and means securing said dead-front panel to the enclosure; and   (vi) a system neutral and grounding bus in said enclosure, the power supply device comprising: (a) a housing dimensioned to be inserted into an opening normally occupied by a circuit breaker, said housing having connection means connected to said buses and having retention means attached to said mounting pan, and having load side terminals; and   (b) circuit means within said housing for providing power, said circuit means being connected between said buses and said load side terminals of said device, said circuit means including means for sourcing a high peak current for a short period of time.     
     
     
       23. A plug-in power supply device for electrical wiring systems including plug-in circuit breakers within a load center enclosure, the load center enclosure containing within it: (i) a plurality of branch circuit breakers with operating levers;   (ii) an interior mounting pan having openings through which said branch circuit breakers are mounted;   (iii) a plurality of buses, said buses mounted insulatively from each other upon said interior mounting pan, said branch circuit breakers electrically connected to said buses;   (iv) mounting pan supporting means;   (v) a dead-front panel having apertures aligned with the operating levers of said branch circuit breakers and means securing said dead-front panel to the enclosure; and   (vi) a system neutral and grounding bus in said enclosure, the power supply device comprising: (a) a housing dimensioned to be inserted into an opening normally occupied by a circuit breaker, said housing having connection means connected to said buses and having retention means attached to said mounting pan, and having load side terminals; and   (b) circuit means within said housing for providing D.C. electrical power, said circuit means being connected between said buses and said load side terminals of said device, said circuit means including limit means for interrupting said D.C. electrical power when the voltage thereof falls below a certain level.     
     
     
       24. A plug-in power supply for supplying D.C. power from an A.C. source of power, said supply comprising a rectangular housing having dimensions adapted to fit an interval of a load center normally mounting circuit breakers at regular intervals, said housing including a pair of mating members adapted to be interconnected to define a chamber, a circuit card carrying components contained within said chamber and having a pair of A.C. input terminals in one wall of said housing and a pair of D.C. output terminals in an adjacent wall of said housing. 
     
     
       25. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 24, in which said housing has a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls with said A.C input terminals located in said bottom wall and said D.C. output terminals in one of said end walls. 
     
     
       26. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 25, in which said mating members define a recess at one corner of said housing with a terminal support bracket received into said recess, said mating members and said terminal support bracket cooperating to hold said pair of A.C. input terminals in spaced fixed relation to each other. 
     
     
       27. A plug-in power supply as defined in claim 26, in which said pair of D.C. output terminals are angularly positioned with respect to each other to be accessible from adjacent said top wall. 
     
     
       28. A power management system comprising a load center for distributing electrical power from a main A.C. circuit to a plurality of branch A.C. circuits, said center including a mounting panel, line and load terminals grouped together at regularly spaced intervals and accessible through said mounting panel, said line terminals being connected to said main circuit and said load terminals being connected to said branch circuits, at least one control means connected across said grouped line terminals and said load terminals at one interval, said at least one control means requiring D.C. power for controlling the electrical connection between said line and load terminals within said control means, and D.C. power supply means connected to at least said line terminals at another interval, said supply means having output terminals operatively connected to said at least one control means so that D.C. power is supplied to said control means from said D.C. power supply means. 
     
     
       29. The energy management system of claim 28, including power distribution means for connecting said supply means to said at least one control means. 
     
     
       30. The energy management system of claim 29, in which there are plural control means requiring D.C. power and said supply means connect to said plural control means in parallel. 
     
     
       31. The energy management system of claim 30, in which said control means include a circuit breaker for opening and closing the connection between said line and load terminals. 
     
     
       32. The energy management system of claim 28, in which said control means include a circuit breaker operating under direction of a remote switch for opening and closing the connection between said line and load terminals. .Iadd. 
     
     
       33.  A power management system comprising a load center for distributing electrical power from a main A.C. circuit to a plurality of branch A.C. circuits via associated branch remotely-controlled circuit breakers; said load center including an enclosure, a mounting panel secured to the enclosure and for mounting the remotely-controlled circuit breakers, and line terminals electrically connected to the main circuit and secured adjacent the mounting panel; control means for controlling the remotely-controlled circuit breakers; and circuit interface means for electrically connecting the control means with the remotely-controlled circuit breakers so that the control means can control the remotely-controlled branch circuit breakers. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. The system of claim 33, further comprising a D.C. power supply electrically connected to at least said line terminals and having an output terminal electrically connected to said remotely-controlled circuit breakers, for supplying D.C. power to said circuit breakers. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. The system of claim 34, wherein the D.C. power supply is dimensioned to be mounted to said mounting panel like one of said remotely-controlled circuit breakers. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36. The system of claim 35, wherein the D.C. power supply removably plugged into at least one of said line 
     
     
        terminals. .Iaddend. .Iadd.37.  The system of claim 34, wherein the D.C. power supply includes means for selectively sourcing high peak current for a short period of time in response to an input from a control device. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38. The system of claim 33, wherein said circuit interface means includes a plurality of terminals for distributing signals from the control means to the remotely-controlled circuit breakers. .Iaddend.