Patent ID: 7327052

Claim:
An electrical power distribution system for supplying electrical power to a plurality of consumer loads ( 4 ), comprising: (a) main power supply bus means ( 5 ) for supplying electrical power from a source thereof; (b) a group of consumer distribution modules ( 1 ) associated with a plurality of consumer loads, respectively; and (c) segment distribution means ( 3 ) connecting said group of consumer distribution modules with said main bus means, said segment distribution means including: (1) segment coupling means having input terminals connected with said main power supply bus means, said segment coupling means also including output terminals; and (2) segment bus means ( 7 ) connecting said consumer modules with said segment coupling means output terminals; and (d) each of said customer distribution modules including: (1) a consumer module circuit having a pair of input terminals (a,b) connected with said segment bus means, and a pair of output terminals (c,d) connected with the associated consumer load means; (2) first conductor means ( 30 ) connecting a first one of said input terminals (a) with a first one of said output terminals (b); (3) second conductor means including normally closed gate means ( 13 ) connecting a second one of said input terminals (b) with a second one of said output terminals (d); and (4) current limiting means ( 17 ) responsive to a fault in the supply of power to said consumer load means for opening said gate means, comprising: (a) resistor means ( 14 , 15 , 16 ) connected in series with said gate means in said second connecting means; and (b) voltage responsive means (T 1 ) responsive to the potential drop across said resistor means for opening said gate circuit means when said potential drop exceeds a given threshold value.