DE29501116U1 - Device for the controlled cashless delivery of electrical energy - Google Patents

Description

Device for controlled cashless delivery of electrical energy

The present invention relates to the field of distribution of electrical energy to end users. It is based on a device for the controlled cashless delivery of electrical energy, as functional blocks comprising an electricity meter, a data reader, a circuit breaker for controlling the energy delivery, a control and evaluation circuit for controlling the circuit breaker in accordance with data read in by the data reader, and a display module for displaying relevant data from the control and evaluation circuit.

• *

Electrical energy is traditionally sold by the EVU (electricity supply company) to the end user via a certified (sealed) electricity meter. For customers who are unable to pay or in special circumstances (such as in a laundromat, dormitory, communal shower, etc., where electrical devices are operated jointly by several unidentified users), it is advisable to use a prepayment device, where the customer first pays and can only then purchase energy according to the amount paid. Up to now, prepayment has been implemented by installing a coin meter at the customer's premises.

However, in addition to the comparatively high acquisition costs, the use of coin counters has the following disadvantages:

there is a risk of break-in because there is cash in the device ,

- emptying the integrated cashbox leads to considerable personnel costs,

- If the electricity price changes, costs will be incurred for the necessary tariff adjustment on each meter.

Due to these disadvantages, coin counters have so far been used very sparingly by energy suppliers.

To overcome these disadvantages, it has now been proposed to replace coin counters in known devices by equipping suitable counter types with an additional device which is mounted on the terminal block of the counter and adjusts the energy output in accordance with

of a stored data set. The data of the data set is read into the additional device from a data key that has been loaded with the relevant data against advance payment. A contactor integrated into the additional device activates the energy delivery after reading in and checking the data and only interrupts the energy delivery again when the prepaid amount has been used up or the delivery is intentionally interrupted in order to transfer any remaining credit back to the key. The amount of energy delivered is measured by the meter and used to calculate the respective remaining credit in the additional device. The respective tariff is stored in the data key and is transferred when the data is read in.

Although the well-known additional device already makes it possible to significantly simplify the prepayment process, new problems arise:

- the installation of an additional device on existing meters enables a comparatively easy separation of the meter and the additional device, so that there is an increased risk of misuse,

Since the additional device is mounted on the meter's terminal block, the control and evaluation electronics are located in the immediate vicinity of the mains power conductors and connections, which are only poorly shielded in this area, which can easily lead to electronic faults or require a high level of shielding effort,

- Once the additional device is installed, it makes it difficult to access the terminal block and the available space is not used optimally.

It is therefore an object of the invention to create a device which, on the one hand, retains the advantages compared to the coin counter, but on the other hand also eliminates the problems mentioned.

The object is solved by the features characterized in claim 1.

The aim is to combine the functional blocks of the device into a single device. By combining them into one device, the use of space can be optimized, access to the connections can be made easier, the electronics can be placed in a convenient location and the separation of the meter and control system can be made considerably more difficult.

The device is particularly compact and safe if, according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the functional blocks of the device are arranged on a common base plate and surrounded by a common housing.

Particularly favorable conditions in terms of interference immunity are achieved if, according to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the device has a connection area with a mains input and a mains output, the connection area is arranged on one side of the electricity measuring device, and the control and evaluation circuit is arranged on the opposite side of the electricity measuring device, and if the data reader and the display module are also arranged on the side of the electricity measuring device opposite the connection area

• s * · ■·

are arranged.

The structure is particularly compact while at the same time providing a high level of interference immunity if, according to a further embodiment of the invention, the space enclosed by the housing is divided into an upper and a lower sub-space that is predominantly located underneath and adjoins the base plate, the electricity measuring device is housed in the upper sub-space, and the circuit breaker is arranged in the lower sub-space near the connection area, and if a mains filter and a power supply, which are provided for the control and evaluation circuit, the data reader and the display module, are arranged in the lower sub-space.

Further preferred embodiments emerge from the dependent claims.

The invention will be explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the figures. They show

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a device according to the invention and

Fig. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a device according to the invention in side view with partially opened housing (a) and in plan view (b).

In Fig. 1, a block diagram of the device according to the invention is shown. The device 100 consists of a device 18 which has an electricity measuring device 11, a

—6—

Circuit breaker 14, a control and evaluation circuit 13, a data reader 15 and a display module 16. The device 18 is also equipped with a mains input 10 and a mains output 17. The individual phases of the network are led from the mains input 10 through the electricity measuring device 11 (e.g. a three-phase meter with pulse output) and via the circuit breaker 14 to the mains output. If the circuit breaker 14 (preferably a power contactor 3 x 63 A/ 40 kW, utilization category AC 1) is switched on, electrical energy can be drawn from the mains output 17, which is measured by the electricity measuring device 11 (e.g. a three-phase meter with pulse output). If the circuit breaker 14 is switched off, however, energy drawing is not possible. A power supply 12 connected to the mains input supplies the electronics (13, 15, 16) with the necessary operating voltage.

The switching position of the circuit breaker 14 is controlled by the control and evaluation circuit 13 (preferably equipped with a microprocessor or controller) in accordance with data that has been read in from an external data carrier by means of the data reader 15. A lock (23 in Fig. 2) is preferably used as the data reader 15, into which a so-called chip key (with built-in data storage) can be inserted.

The customer purchases a data storage device (in this example the chip key) from his energy supplier against payment (prepayment) with the following data:

Customer number
Meter number
- Credit

- Credit

- Daily price

- KWh price (high tariff)

- KWh price (low tariff)

The data carrier is inserted into the prepayment device (18) and after a plausibility check the data is transferred to the device 18, i.e. into the control and evaluation circuit 13, and recorded on the data carrier. After the data has been transferred, the circuit breaker 14 is activated, which releases the electrical energy. The credit is reduced depending on the applicable tariff and the electrical energy taken, measured by the electricity plant 11. If the credit is zero, the circuit breaker interrupts the energy supply. A granted credit can also be activated (e.g. at the weekend), which is immediately deducted from a later credit. If the delivery is based on the daily price, the daily price is debited every 2-4 hours and the energy is then released for 24 hours. Since the actual consumption is not included in the control system, a connection between the control and evaluation circuit 13 and the electricity measuring device 11 (e.g. an SO interface) can be dispensed with in this case.

The utility company can lock or unlock the prepayment device using data carriers with special functions (master key, service key, etc.).

The device 18 from Fig. 1 preferably has the structure shown schematically in the embodiment of Fig. 1 (a): On a common base plate 19,

All components of the device (marked by hatching) are housed in a common housing 20. The space enclosed by the housing 20 is divided into an upper part 31 and a lower part by a chassis 26, which is attached at a distance from the base plate 19 by means of posts (spacers) 27a, b. The electricity measuring device 11 is housed in the upper part 31. In the lower part 32 below the electricity measuring device 11 (from right to left) the circuit breaker in the form of a contactor 24, a line filter 25 and the voltage supply 12 are arranged.

On the far right in the drawing plane, i.e. when assembled, below the electricity meter 11, is the connection area 28 with the mains input and the mains output. The contactor 24 is arranged in its immediate vicinity. Due to the above-mentioned order of arrangement, the power supply 12 is on the opposite side of the meter 11, i.e. on the far left. The same applies to the control and evaluation circuit 13, the lock 23 (the data reader) and the display module 16 (e.g. an LCD display). In this way, the interference-sensitive electronics, including their power supply, are as far away from the mains connections as possible without taking up additional space.

As can be seen in the top view of Fig. 2 (b), the lock 23 is accessible from above for the chip key. The display module 16 and the electricity meter 11 equipped with counter display 29 are also visually accessible, by means of two windows 21 and 22 set in the housing 20. The authentication of the device 18 can be set up in two different ways: Firstly,

the electricity meter 11 can be an independently certified alternating current or three-phase meter, such that the certification of the device does not expire when the housing 20 is opened. On the other hand, the entire device 18 can be certified as a unit.

Overall, the invention results in a prepayment device with a compact, simple design and a high level of security against malfunctions and intentional or unintentional incorrect operation.

•♦

- 10 -

List of reference symbols

10 Net input 11 Electricity measuring device 12 Power supply 13 Control and evaluation circuit 14 Circuit breaker 15 Data reader 16 Display module 17 Mains output 18 Device 19 Base plate 20 Housing 21, 22 Window 23 Lock 24 Schütz 25 Line filter 26 chassis 27a, b post 28 Connection area 29 Counting display 31 upper subspace 32 lower subspace 100 contraption

Claims (1)

- 11 - Expectations: Device (100) for the controlled cashless delivery of electrical energy, comprising as functional blocks an electricity meter (11), a data reader (15), a circuit breaker (14) for controlling the energy delivery, a control and evaluation circuit (13) for controlling the circuit breaker in accordance with data read in by means of the data reader (15), and a display module (16) for displaying relevant data from the control and evaluation circuit (13), characterized, that the functional blocks (11, 13, 14, 15, 16) of the device are combined in a single device (18). Device according to claim 1,
characterized, that the functional blocks (11, 13, 14, 15, 16) of the device (18) are arranged on a common base plate (19) and surrounded by a common housing (20). Device according to claim 2,
characterized, that the device has a connection area (28) with a mains input (10) and a mains output (17), that the connection area (28) is arranged on one side of the electricity measuring device (11), and the control and evaluation circuit (13) is arranged on the opposite side of the electricity measuring device (11). 4. Device according to claim 3,
dardu cn gekenn &zgr; ei chnet, that the data reader (15) and the display module (16) are also arranged on the side of the electricity measuring unit (11) opposite the connection area (28). 5. Device according to one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that that the space enclosed by the housing (20) is divided into an upper and a lower sub-space (31 or 32) which is predominantly located underneath and adjoins the base plate, that the electricity measuring device (11) is housed in the upper sub-space (31), and that the circuit breaker (14) is arranged in the lower sub-space (32) near the connection area (28). 6. Device according to claim 5,
characterized, that a mains filter (25) and a power supply (12) are provided for the control and evaluation circuit (13), the data reader (15) and the display module (16), and that the mains filter (25) and the power supply (12) are arranged in the lower subspace (32). 7. Device according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the electricity measuring device (11) is a certified alternating current or three-phase meter such that when the housing (20) is opened, the - 13 - Certification of the device does not expire. 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the entire device (18) is certified as a unit. 9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the data reader (15) has the form of a lock (23) that can be operated by a chip key, and that the circuit breaker (14) is a contactor (24).