AU2019101020B4

AU2019101020B4 - An Adaptor for a Meter Device Installation

Info

Publication number: AU2019101020B4
Application number: AU2019101020A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Brad Jacobs; Jason PEREIRA
Original assignee: Landis and Gyr Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Landis and Gyr Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2019-01-18
Filing date: 2019-09-06
Publication date: 2020-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 2027-09-06
Also published as: AU2019101020A4

Abstract

An adaptor for a meter device installation, having a housing arranged to mount a meter or other load monitoring or control device, the housing being arranged for mounting to the meter device installation. The housing front mounting a Meter Protection Device (MPD) arranged for electrical connection with the meter, other load monitoring or control device. The adaptor also being arranged for installation to a mounting socket of a plug-in installation. Figure 3 to accompany the abstract

Description

AN ADAPTOR FOR A METER DEVICE INSTALLATION

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an adaptor for a meter device installation, and, particularly, but not exclusively, to an adaptor that enables installation of an electricity meter or other load monitoring or control device to a socket mounting.

Background of the Invention There are a number of installation options available for electricity meters, both domestic and industrial. These options include:

1) Bottom connect meters, where cable(s) on the switchboard are routed through holes in the board and then connected to terminals provided at the base of the meter.

2) DIN rail-mounted meters, where a mechanical rail is mounted on the switchboard or wall and the meter is mounted on the rail and cabling is connected to terminals of the meter.

3) Socket meters, or pluggable meters, where a socket mounting is attached to the switchboard and meters are plugged into the socket. Connectors at the back of the meter connect to electrical connectors in the sockets. This allows for rapid replacement of a meter and is a less error-prone installation process due to it not being necessary to modify the cabling of the installation.

Electricity meters and meter technology are changing all the time. For example, in the last ten to fifteen years, smart meters have become prevalent. As there are many existing sites that provide socket mountings for socket

15808027_1 meters, adaptors are known for mounting, for example, bottom connect meters to a plug-in installation.

One problem with socket installations, is that often the amount of space for receiving any extra components other than meters of the appropriate size, is very limited. For example, the switchboard for apartment buildings, or factories, may provide a socket installation for many meters, all crowded together on the switchboard.

It is a requirement of many jurisdictions that protection devices, such as service fuses or circuit breakers, be provided on the line (non-load) side of the installation, meter or other device. Currently, these "Meter Protection Devices" (MPD) are mounted and wired adjacent to the meter. A secure fuse may be mounted currently separately on the switchboard, on the pole in the street or in an underground pit, for example. Where meters are replaced, this leads to the requirement for installation of an MPD or isolation device. This leads to the requirements of installation of MPDs plus meters. This can be particularly difficult where a plug-in installation is concerned and space is limited.

Another problem associated with electricity meters, in particular plug-in meters, is the possibility of illicit tampering with the meter. For example, plug-in meters can be removed easily, leaving open the possibility of removing one meter and replacing it with another. The meter could also be tampered with. For example, the tamper could be under the terminal cover or behind the meter/adaptor. It could also be easy to tamper with the socket connections.

Summary of the Invention In accordance with a first aspect, the present invention provides an adaptor for a meter device installation,

15808027_1 comprising a housing arranged to mount a meter or other load monitoring or control device, and arranged for installation to a mounting socket of a plug-in installation and substantially fitting to a footprint of the plug-in installation, the housing being arranged for mounting to the meter device installation, and the housing front mounting a Meter Protection Device (MPD) arranged for electrical connection with the meter, other load monitoring or control device whereby the MPD is independently accessible from the front of the housing without removing the meter or a meter housing.

In this document, the term Meter Protection Device includes any meter protection device or isolation device. For example, in some embodiments the MPD is a fuse, in other embodiments the MPD is circuit breaker. Examples of other types of protection devices which may be used include fuses, circuit breakers, resettable fuses, thermal switches or contactor controlled by overcurrent detection circuitry, etc.

In an embodiment, the adaptor comprises a mounting surface on which the meter or other load monitoring or control device is arranged to be mounted along with the MPD.

In an embodiment, the adaptor is arranged for installation to a mounting socket of a plug-in installation. The plug in installation may be a socket mounting for a plug-in meter. In an embodiment, the area of the adaptor is arranged to fit to the footprint of the socket mounting installation, which may be a pre-existing socket mounting for a plug-in meter. Further, in an embodiment, the depth of the adaptor, meter and MPD combination is sized to fit within the three-dimensional footprint provided by the socket adaptor and meter box.

An advantage of having an MPD integrated with the adaptor

15808027_1 is that no separate installation or wiring of the MPD is required. The MPD being provided with the adaptor ensures that the MPD will always be present when the meter or other device is installed with the adaptor. A further advantage of the front mounting of the MPD is accessibility of the MPD, and ability to access the MPD for reset or replacement without having to remove the meter or meter cover.

In an embodiment, the adaptor comprises a tamper detection arrangement which, is arranged in operation to detect when a meter or other load monitoring or control device mounted on the adaptor housing is interfered with.

Particularly with plug-in meter installations, it is quite easy to remove meters. Tampering with meters can therefore be quite an issue. An advantage of having a tamper detection arrangement is that a notification can be provided that a meter has been interfered with or removed. This is an advantage over mechanical sealing of meters, where visual inspection is required to determine tampering. Visual inspection is infrequent, and can be prone to error if visual appearance of the meter is made to look similar to the legitimate state.

In an embodiment, the tamper detection arrangement comprises a fastener arranged to secure the adaptor. To remove the adaptor (and, in operation, the meter or other device mounted on the adaptor), the fastener must be accessed. Accessing the fastener can trigger the interference notification.

In an embodiment, the fastener is located, in operation, underneath a terminal cover of a meter mounted on the adaptor. To access the fastener, the terminal cover must be removed, and can be arranged such that a notification is provided upon removal of the terminal cover.

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In accordance with a second aspect, the present invention provides an adaptor for a meter device installation, comprising a housing arranged to mount a meter or other load monitoring or control device, the housing being arranged for mounting to the meter device installation, and a tamper detection arrangement having at least one sensor, which, in operation, is arranged to detect removal of a cover, indicating when a meter or other load monitoring or control device mounted to the housing, is interfered with.

In an embodiment, the meter device installation is an installation for a plug-in meter, and comprises a socket mounting.

In an embodiment, the tamper detection arrangement comprises a fastener arranged to secure the adaptor. In operation, the fastener may be positioned under a terminal cover of a meter mounted to the adaptor, so that access must be had to the fastener by removing the terminal cover, in order to remove the adaptor. In an embodiment, removal of the terminal cover of the meter leads to a notification being provided that the meter terminal cover has been removed.

Brief Description of the Drawings Features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view from the below of an adaptor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, mounting a meter;

Figure 2 is a front view of the adaptor and meter of

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Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view from the below of an adaptor and meter arrangement in accordance with a further embodiment (with a fuse fitted as the MPD);

Figure 4 is a further view of the embodiment of Figure 3, with the cover of an MPD removed (with an MCB fitted as the MPD);

Figure 5 is a front view of an adaptor in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a rear view of the adaptor of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a front view of a front plate of an adaptor housing of the embodiment of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a rear view of the front plate of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a front view of a rear plate of the adaptor of Figure 5;

Figure 10 is a rear view of the rear plate of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a further front view of the rear plate of Figure 9, illustrating an MPD in position;

Figure 12 is a side section view on line X-X of Figure 5;

Figure 13 is a front perspective view of the adaptor of Figure 5 illustrating a meter mounted thereto;

Figure 14 is a rear perspective view of the adaptor of Figure 13,

Figure 15 is a detail on Figure 13 to illustrate an

15808027_1 embodiment of a tamper detection arrangement,

Figure 16 is an underneath view of the adaptor of Figure 1, illustrating blade connectors, and

Figure 17 is a connection diagram for an adaptor in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of Embodiment

Figures 1 to 4 illustrate an adaptor for a meter device installation, in this example particularly arranged for a plug-in meter installation. In Figures 1 to 4, the adaptor, generally designated by reference numeral 1, is shown mounted to a socket mounting 10 of the type which might be utilised in a plug-in installation for mounting a plug-in meter.

The adaptor 1 comprises a housing 2 which has mounted to it a Meter Protection Device (MPD) 3, so that the MPD is provided as, (in this example) an integrated part of the adaptor 1. In the embodiments shown the MPD 3 is front mounted. Front mounting offers a significant advantage in accessibility of the MPD. This is particularly convenient where the MPD is a circuit breaker or other type of protection device with a resetting switch, as the switch can be made easily accessible to a user. A further advantage of front mounting is the ability to access the MPD for reset or replacement without having to remove the meter or meter cover.

In this example, the MPD 3 is a Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB) 3. The MPD may be any protection device and is not limited to being a circuit breaker. It may be a fuse or other protection and isolation device, for example.

In this particular example, the MPD 3 is a type (D)80,

15808027_1 produced by Hongfa (KGT)TM. Any type of circuit breaker or MPD may be used.

In Figures 1 to 4, the adaptor 1 is shown mounting an electricity meter 4. In this example, the electricity meter 4 is an E420 bottom connect meter. This may be used for a domestic installation (e.g. domestic house, apartment, etc). Any other types of meters may be mounted, given size constraints. The invention is not limited to mounting the E420 meter.

Figures 1 and 2 show the meter 4 with the terminal cover 5 attached. Figures 3 and 4 show the terminal cover removed to reveal the bottom connect terminals 6. The bottom connect terminal 6 may be wired via through-hole (see description later on) to blade connecters 60 (see Figure 16) provided on the underside of the adaptor 1. The blade connectors connect to conductive connectors (not shown) in mounting socket 2.

Note that any type of meter may be used, including a traditional plug-in meter, with different connectors other than bottom connect. Using a bottom connect meter such as this, however, has the advantage that only one type of meter need to be provided for different installations. The adaptor makes the bottom connect meters suitable for plug-in mounts and the meter can be used separately as a stand alone bottom connect meter where the installations are not plug in.

In operation, the socket mounting will be mounted in a plug-in installation. This may be a single plug-in installation for a domestic dwelling, or it may be an array of socket mountings with rear conductors, for an apartment building, for example.

In this embodiment, the "footprint" of the adaptor is

15808027_1 designed to fit within the socket mounting footprint, as shown. The MPD and meter can therefore be placed together on the adaptor and the adaptor can fit into the space which may previously have been taken up by a conventional socket mounting meter.

This embodiment has the advantage that the MPD 3 is provided with the adaptor 1, and is installed at the same time as the meter 4 and adaptor 1. This avoids the need for cabling changes, or the provision of a separate MPD, with flow on benefits on cost, safety and minimised disruption when changing meters.

In Figures 1, 2 and 4 the MPD 3 is an MCB. Note that in operation it may have a cover over it.

In Figure 3, the MPD 3 is a fuse. Examples of other types of protection devices which may be used include fuses, circuit breakers, resettable fuses, thermal switches or contactor controlled by overcurrent detection circuitry, etc.

This embodiment also has the advantage that it is not necessary to make any changes to the plug-in meter installation. For example, if a conventional bottom connected meter needs to be installed, it will be necessary to remove the socket mounting of the meter socket and install the conventional bottom connect meter. This takes time and is prone to error. In some installations, it is not possible to use any other solution than a plug-in adaptor, due to the internal bus bar connections between meter sockets of the installation.

Another alternative is to use a conventional plug in meter and then wire in a separate MPD. Again, this is disadvantageous, as requiring cabling, labour and prone to error.

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Although not limited this is arrangement, in the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 the MPD 3 is arranged to the left side of the meter 4. Positioning to the side of the meter is advantageous given physical constraints and the need for a small footprint. It is advantageous to have the MPD on the side of the meter rather than top or bottom as meters are typically longer than they are wide. A further advantage of positioning the MPD 3 on the left of the meter 4 is because typically power supply terminals are on the left and load terminal are on the right. It should be appreciated that putting an MPD in a sub-optimal position can lead to longer primary conduction paths. In turn this may result in higher cost for materials. Another potential disadvantage of longer primary conductor paths is increased internal heating (such that device may not pass thermal performance regulations) and more complex manufacturing.

An adaptor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to Figures 5 through 12.

The adaptor 1 is an open construction formed of two separate "plates" fastened together. The adaptor comprises a front plate 20 and a rear plate 21. The rear 21 and front plates 20 are secured together by screws (not shown) seated in screw mounts 22 (rear plate 21) and 23 (front plate 20). The screw mounts 22 and 23 are provided with metallic threaded barrels (e.g. brass) to receive the screws.

When the front plate 20 and rear plate 21 are secured together, the screw mounts 23 and 22 abut each other and separate the plates to form a space 25 (see Figure 12) between the plates 20, 21. The space 25 can receive wiring and conductors (26, 27, 28) for wiring in the MPD 3

15808027_1 and meter 4.

The rear plate 21 has slots 30 for mounting plate connectors (not shown) for plugging in to conductors in the socket mounting 10.

The MPD 3, in this case being a circuit breaker 3, is mounted on a seat 32 provided on the upper surface of the rear plate 21. Mounting the body of the MPD 3 on the rear plate 21 facilitates space saving. When the adaptor 1 is assembled, the top portion 35 of the MPD 3 projects through a receiving hole 36 in the front plate 20. The fact that the MPD 3 is mounted on the rear plate 21 and not on the front plate, lowers the profile of the adaptor plus MPD 3 to facilitate fitting within small spaces, such as realised by pre-existing plug-in meter installations.

The rear plate 21 also contains provision for five jaw sockets if needed by other meters or devices.

The open construction of the adaptor, with the space volume 25, allows flexibility with wiring and also simplifies assembly.

The open construction of the adaptor is also modular. For example, the front plate design could be changed and manufactured with different manufacturing tools, without having to change the remainder of the adaptor (and the design/tools for this). Having an open construction also lowers material cost, and the adaptor is lighter so it's easier to handle and ship. There is also the possibility of adding additional circuitry and features within the open volume.

The open construction also allows for easy change of the MCB to use different types of MCB.

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Figures 13, 14 and 15 show the adaptor 1 of Figures 5 to 12 with a meter 4 mounted to the front plate 20. The entire assembly of adaptor 1 and meter 4, with MPD 3) can be easily mounted to a socket mounting of a plug-in meter installation.

The through-hole 60 in the front plate 20 allows conductors to pass from the bottom connect terminals 6 into the space 25 where they can be connected to the blade connectors.

In this embodiment, the front plate 20 is arranged to have a pair of fasteners (in this embodiment screws) arranged for fastening the front plate 20 (and therefore the entire adaptor 1) to the socket mounting 2. This secures the adaptor 1 to the socket mounting 2. In this embodiment, a pair of screw holes 50 and 51 are provided to receive screws to implement the fastening to the socket mounting 2.

Positioning of a screw hole 50 operates to provide a tamper detection function.

The meter shown mounted to the adaptor and the drawings in the above embodiment is a single phase meter. The invention is not limited to single phase and may be applied in multi phase meters.

As can be seen, particularly from Figure 3 and Figure 15, in operation, the screw in the screw hole 50 is covered by the meter terminal cover 5 (see Figure 2). A person wishing to remove the meter 4 must remove the terminal cover 5 and therefore must have access to the screws in holes 50 and 51. To have access to the screw 50, the terminal cover 5 of the meter must be removed. A sensor 55 (which may be a push button activated by the terminal cover) can sense when the terminal cover is removed and

15808027_1 provide an alert, which may be recorded in the meter or may be sent to a remote location, or may be dealt with in any other way. This indicates that the meter has been tampered with.

Figure 17 shows an example of a connection diagram.

In the above embodiment, an electricity meter is mounted to the adaptor. Other devices may me mounted to the adaptor. For example, a plug-in ripple receiver or time clock may be mounted.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

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Claims

1. An adaptor for a meter device installation, comprising a housing arranged to mount a meter or other load monitoring or control device, and arranged for installation to a mounting socket of a plug-in installation and substantially fitting to a footprint of the plug-in installation, the housing being arranged for mounting to the meter device installation, and the housing front mounting a line (non-load) side Meter Protection Device (MPD) arranged for electrical connection with the meter, other load monitoring or control device, whereby the MPD is independently accessible from the front of the housing without removing the meter or a meter housing.

2. An adaptor in accordance with claim 1, comprising a front mounting surface on which the meter or other load monitoring or control device is arranged to be mounted along with the MPD.

3.An adaptor according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the MPD is a fuse or a circuit breaker.

4. An adaptor in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein MPD is located left of the meter device installation.

5. An adaptor in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, comprising a tamper detection arrangement having at least one sensor, arranged, in operation, to detect removal of a cover, indicating when a meter or other load monitoring or control device mounted on the adaptor housing is interfered with.

15808027_1