Abstract:
The present invention provides a single housing assembly for a reduced voltage motor starter assembly. The housing assembly has a medium voltage compartment and a low voltage compartment. In this configuration the housing assembly ins structured to enclose both the medium voltage portion and the low voltage portion of the starter assembly.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a medium voltage solid-state reduced voltage starter and, more specifically, to a single housing assembly for a medium voltage solid-state reduced voltage starter.  
         [0003]     2. Background Information  
         [0004]     Electrical motors typically require a starter assembly structured to bring the motor up to an operating speed. Formerly, starter assemblies utilized air-break switches and vacuum contactors which evolved into, or were replaced by, solid state starter assemblies. The typical solid state starter assembly includes a low voltage portion, which is in electrical communication with the motor, and a medium voltage portion, which is in electrical communication with a power source. Such starter assemblies were either permanently coupled to the motor or a portable floor mounted starter assembly. This invention relates to starter assemblies which are permanently coupled to the motor.  
         [0005]     In the prior art, the low voltage portion was enclosed by a first housing assembly and the medium voltage portion was enclosed by a second housing assembly. Both housing assemblies were mounted on the motor or the use device. That is, the motor typically provided power to a powered device which was part of a larger use device, such as, but not limited to, a chiller. The chiller, or other use device, had a body to which the motor, the powered device, the low voltage portion housing assembly, and the medium voltage portion housing assembly were attached. In this configuration, the starter assembly housing assemblies required multiple installation procedures and required an external cable to connect the low voltage portion and the medium voltage portion.  
         [0006]     There is, therefore, a need for a single housing assembly for a starter assembly that is structured to enclose both the low voltage portion and the medium voltage portion.  
         [0007]     There is a further need for a single housing assembly for a starter assembly that is structured to enclose both the low voltage portion and the medium voltage portion that is structured to be mounted on the starter motor or the associated use device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     These needs, and others, are met by the present invention which provides a single housing assembly having a medium voltage compartment and a low voltage compartment. In this configuration the housing assembly is structured to enclose both the medium voltage portion and the low voltage portion of the starter assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the housing assembly includes a barrier assembly that defines the enclosed space. The barrier assembly includes a generally rectangular sidewall assembly which is coupled to a generally planar top member and a generally planar bottom member. The bottom member typically includes a mounting assembly structured to couple the housing assembly to the motor and/or the use device. The housing assembly includes a line opening adjacent to the medium voltage portion and a load opening adjacent to the low voltage portion. The connection between the medium voltage portion and a low voltage portion is within the housing assembly. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     A full understanding of the invention can be gained from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is an isometric front view of a housing assembly for a reduced voltage motor starter coupled to a motor and disposed on a use device.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is an isometric back view of a housing assembly for a reduced voltage motor starter coupled to a motor and disposed on a use device.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the housing assembly for a reduced voltage motor starter. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a use device  10 , as shown, a chiller  11 , includes a body  12 , a powered device  14 , as shown, a compressor  15 , a motor  16  and a reduced voltage motor starter assembly  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the motor starter assembly  20  includes a plurality of medium voltage components  22 , a plurality of low voltage components  24 , and a housing assembly  30 . The medium voltage components  22  preferably include, but are not limited to, one or more line terminals  26 , which are structured to be coupled to a power source (not shown), an isolating switch, fuses, and contactors. The plurality of low voltage components  24  preferably include, but are not limited to, a transformer, a solid state control module, and the motor contactor(s) or load terminal(s)  28 . The medium voltage components  22  and the low voltage components  24  are coupled together, and in electrical communication, via one or more internal conductors. The housing assembly  30  includes a medium voltage compartment  32  and a low voltage compartment  34 . The medium voltage components  22  are, generally, disposed in the medium voltage compartment  32  and the low voltage components  24  are, generally, disposed in the low voltage compartment  34 .  
         [0014]     The housing assembly  30  includes a barrier assembly  36  and may include a mounting assembly  38 . The barrier assembly  36  is structured to define an enclosed space  39  that is divided into the medium voltage compartment  32  and a low voltage compartment  34 . While the barrier assembly  36  may be shaped as required for a particular use device  10 , the barrier assembly  36  typically has a generally planar top member  40 , a generally planar bottom member  42  and a sidewall assembly  44 . The top member  40  and the bottom member  42  are maintained in a spaced, generally parallel configuration by the sidewall assembly  44 . That is, the sidewall assembly  44  extends between, and generally perpendicular to, both the top member  40  and the bottom member  42 . In the preferred embodiment, the sidewall assembly  44  includes four generally planar sidewall sections, a first section  50 , a second section  52 , a third section  54  and a fourth section  56 . The first section  50  and the third section  54  are disposed in a spaced and generally parallel configuration. The second section  52  and the fourth section  56  are also disposed in a spaced and generally parallel configuration. Additionally, the first section  50  and the second section  52  are generally perpendicular to each other. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, the barrier assembly  36  is a generally rectangular box-like assembly.  
         [0015]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the housing assembly  30  may include a mounting device  38 . The mounting assembly  38  is structured to support the entire motor starter assembly  20 . The mounting device  38  is further structured to couple the housing assembly  30  to the use device  10 . Thus, where the mounting assembly  38  is coupled to a flat surface, the mounting assembly  38  may simply include at least one flange  60 . Where, however, the use device body  12  does not have a generally flat surface to which the entire motor starter assembly  20  may be coupled, the mounting assembly  38  may include at least one support member  62  such as, but not limited to, legs  64 .  
         [0016]     In this configuration, the housing assembly  30  may be mounted on the use device  10  while enclosing all of the medium voltage components  22  and low voltage components  24 . As such, the medium voltage components  22  and low voltage components  24  may be coupled to each other without an external coupling device, such as, but not limited to, and external cable. Further, the total space or volume of a single housing assembly  30  is less than the combined space or volume of the separate medium voltage housing and low voltage housings. Preferably, the housing assembly  30  is sized to be about fifty-two inches high, fifty-nine inches wide, and twenty-five and a half inches deep. The cost and time for assembling the single housing assembly  30  is less than the cost of assembling a separate medium voltage housing and low voltage housing. For example, where there are multiple housing assemblies  30 , each medium voltage and low voltage housing assembly must have various openings, removable sections and replaceable doors, collectively hereinafter “access panels,” each of which incur a manufacturing cost as well as requiring additional hardware. Where there is a single housing assembly  30 , the number of access panels  70  may be reduced. For example, there is a line side access panel  70 A, structured to allow line conductors (not shown) to be coupled to the line terminals  26 , and a load terminal access panel  70 B structured to allow the load terminals  28  to be coupled to the motor line conductors (not shown). However, if there were separate medium voltage and low voltage housing assemblies, the medium voltage housing assembly would need, for example, a conductor outlet access panel for a conductor coupling the medium voltage and low voltage components  22 ,  24 . Preferably, the housing assembly  30  has only three access panels  70 .  
         [0017]     While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of invention which is to be given the full breadth of the claims appended and any and all equivalents thereof.