Power surge protector

• US 5,457,600 A
• Filed: 07/20/1994
• Issued: 10/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: American Power Conversion Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Bleck, James H., Campbell, Colin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Gregory D.
• Application Number:
  US08/278,544
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 174/38.48, 200/57 R, 307/112, 307/147, 307/150, 361/118, 361/600-601, 361/622, 361/643, 361/679, 361/683, 361/736, 361/752, 361/826-828, 439/4, 439/456-457, 439/501, 439/528, 439/535
• US Class Current: 361/643
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6666 with built-in overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/713 the switch being a safety switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/72 Means for accommodating flexible lead within the holder
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/00 Coupling parts adapted for simultaneous co-operation with two or more identical counterparts, e.g. for distributing energy to two or more circuits supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/88

Abstract

A power director enables a user to apply power through one or more power outlets via one or more switches to a cluster of electrical devices, for example, the components of a desk top computer system. A typical computer system may have a CPU chassis, monitor, printer, CD-ROM and a document scanner each of which may have its own power line cord. The housing of the current power director has internal storage spaces or bays for coiling the excess portions of the power cords of the various computer components to eliminate the tangled mess associated with such systems. The electrical outlets are located in a component bay within the housing separate from but adjacent to the line cord storage bay to be accessible to the plugs of the line cords of the electrical devices sought to be controlled. The component bay contains a first printed circuit board (PCB) which carries the electrical outlets and a second PCB that contains an electrical surge protection circuit, a fault isolation circuit and the switches. The first and second PCBs are initially manufactured as a single PCB having a V-shaped groove which permits the single PCB to be broken into the first and second PCB parts, by hand, prior to installation in the component bay. The power director housing is able to support the weight of a 70 pound electrical device, such as a computer monitor, on its top surface.

Claims

1. A power director with electrical surge protection for selectively connecting an electrical power source to multiple electrical apparatus including computers and computer peripherals comprising in combination

a housing having front and rear walls, left and right walls and top and bottom surfaces,

a plurality of electrical receptacles, each for mating with a power plug of the power cord of an electrical apparatus, located within the housing across the bottom surface between the left and right walls for defining a component bay within the housing between the receptacles and the front wall and a line cord bay within the housing between the receptacles and the rear wall,

said line cord bay for storing coiled portions of line cords of multiple electrical apparatus passing into the housing through one or more aperture toward the rear of the housing and having power plugs for mating with the multiple receptacles inside the housing and

a component printed circuit board located in the component bay having electrical components mounted thereon including multiple electrical switches electrically coupled to certain of the receptacles for switching on and off electrical power to electrical apparatus having a power plug mated with a receptacle and a power surge protection circuit for protecting said electrical apparatus from excessive power variations.

2. The power director of claim 1 wherein the line cord bay is accessible through the top surface of the housing for installation of a coiled line cord and for the mating of its power plug with a receptacle and wherein the component printed board is accessible through the bottom of the housing for installation and removal of the printed circuit boards.

3. The power director of claim 1 further including pillar means located in the line cord bay for defining a plurality of line cord sub-bays between a receptacle and the rear wall each sub-bay for containing a coiled portion of a power cord while its power plug is mated with an electrical receptacle.

4. The power director of claim 3 wherein the pillar means further includes disk means extending laterally to a sub-bay to retain a coiled line cord in the sub-bay from vertical movement.

5. The power director of claim 4 wherein the top surface of the housing includes a lid above the line cord bay for allowing the installation and removal of power line cords into out of the component sub-bays and including a latch means for mechanically coupling the lid to the disk means.

6. The power director of claim 5 wherein the housing is capable of supporting on the top surface an electrical apparatus weighing at least 70 pounds.

7. The power director of claim 1 wherein the multiple receptacles are electrically coupled to a receptacle printed circuit board for electrically coupling each receptacle to an electrical power source.

8. The power director of claim 7 wherein the housing includes a bottom cover on the bottom surface of the housing below the component bay for allowing the installation and removal of the component and receptacle printed circuit boards into out of the housing.

9. The power director of claim 8 wherein the bottom cover, while positioned in the plane of the bottom surface of the housing, supports the Component and receptacle printed circuit boards against movement within the housing.

10. The power director of claim 7 wherein the two printed boards are manufactured as a single printed board with said electrical components and electrical receptacles mounted thereon which is separated into said component and receptacle printed circuit boards for installation into the housing.

11. The power director of claim 10 wherein multiple electrical conductors are coupled, at the first of each conductor'"'"'s two ends, at first locations on the receptacle printed circuit board region of the single printed circuit board and, at the second end of each conductor, at second locations on the component printed circuit board region of the single printed circuit board to maintain electrical conducting paths between the two printed circuit boards after the separation of the single printed circuit board into the receptacle printed circuit board and the component printed circuit board.

12. The power director of claim 7 including a frame for mechanically coupling the multiple receptacles to the receptacle printed circuit board.

13. The power director of claim 1 wherein the multiple electrical switches include switch covers that extend through apertures in the front wall of the housing for actuation outside the housing.

14. The power director of claim 13 wherein the component printed circuit board is angled upward from the bottom surface of the housing with the switches and switch covers are mounted on the surface of the board facing the bottom of the housing.

15. The power director of claim 1 wherein the rear wall of the housing includes multiple apertures for the passage therethrough of the line cords of multiple electrical apparatus.

16. The power director of claim 1 further including a convenience receptacle, mechanically coupled to a side wall for mating, outside the housing, with a power plug of a line cord of an electrical apparatus and adapted to be coupled to an electrical power source.

17. The power director of claim 1 further including a flying lead receptacle, located outside the housing, connected to a flying receptacle lead passing through the rear wall of the housing into the line cord bay and extending through the line cord bay to the component bay and adapted to be coupled to an electrical power source.

18. The power director of claim 1 further including a master power line cord including hot, neutral and ground leads extending through a master line cord bay within the housing, passing through an aperture in the rear wall and terminating at a master cord plug for mating with a wall outlet receptacle of an electrical power source.

19. The power director of claim 18 further including a communication printed circuit board located near the rear wall of the housing inside the master line cord bay and having electrical components coupled thereto including communication line jacks positioned in an aperture in a wall of the housing and a communication electrical surge protector circuit for protecting electrical apparatus coupled to the jacks from excessive electrical variations occurring in a communication line coupled to the jacks.

20. The power director of claim 1 further including first and second communication line jacks coupled in series with a communication surge protection circuit, said protection circuit being located inside the housing, the first jack for coupling to a communication line and the second jack for coupling to an electrical apparatus and, the communication surge protection circuit for protecting an electrical apparatus coupled to a jack from excessive electrical variations in a communication line.

21. A power director with electrical surge protection for selectively connecting an electrical power source to multiple electrical apparatus including computers and computer peripherals comprising in combination

a housing having front and rear walls, left and right walls and top and bottom surfaces,

a receptacle printed circuit board having a plurality of electrical receptacles mounted thereon, each receptacle for mating with a power plug of a power cord of an electrical apparatus, the receptacle printed circuit board and receptacles positioned across the bottom surface between the left and right walls for separating the housing into a component bay and a line cord bay,

a plurality of pillar means located in the line cord bay for defining a plurality of line cord sub-bays between the receptacles and the rear wall for containing coiled portions of line cords of electrical apparatus while the power plugs of the cords are mated with electrical receptacles,

said pillar means including disk means for limiting vertical movement of coiled portions of line cord within a sub-bay, while the power plug of a line cord is mated with a receptacle,

a lid in the top surface of the housing above the line cord bay for permitting the storage of excess portions of line cords mated with the receptacles in the component sub-bays and the removal of line cords from the line cord sub-bays,

a component printed circuit board located in the component bay having electrical components mounted thereon including multiple electrical switches having switch covers extending through apertures in the front of the housing for mechanical actuation of the switches from outside the housing, said switches electrically coupled to a master power line cord for switching electrical power on and off to electrical apparatus coupled to the receptacles and a power surge protection circuit for protecting said electrical apparatus from excessive power variations and

a cover in the bottom surface of the housing below the bay for permitting the installation and removal into and out of the housing of the receptacle and component printed circuit boards.

22. The power director of claim 21 wherein the plurality of receptacle are mounted on the receptacle printed circuit board by means including a frame mechanically coupled to the receptacles and the printed circuit board.

23. The power director of claim 21 wherein said master power line cord is electrically coupled to at least one of the printed circuit boards, extends through a power line cord bay in the housing to the rear wall, passing through an aperture in the rear wall and terminating at a power cord plug outside the housing for mating with an electrical wall outlet of an electrical power source.

24. The power director of claim 21 further including first and second communication line jacks coupled in series with a communication surge protection circuit, said protection circuit being located inside the housing, the first jack for coupling to a communication line and the second jack for coupling to an electrical apparatus, the communication surge protection circuit for protecting an electrical apparatus coupled to a jack from excessive electrical variations in a communication line.

25. The power director of claim 21 further including a flying lead receptacle, located outside the housing, passing through an aperture in the rear wall, extending through the housing toward the printed circuit boards and electrically coupling with at least one of the printed circuit boards, said flying lead receptacle for coupling, outside the housing, to the plug of a line cord of an electrical apparatus,

26. The power director of claim 21 further including a convenience receptacle mounted in an aperture in one of the side walls of the housing adjacent the receptacle printed circuit board for coupling, outside the housing, with the power plug of a line cord of a electrical apparatus.

27. A power director with electrical surge protection for selectively connecting an electrical power source to multiple electrical apparatus including computers and computer peripherals comprising in combination

a housing having front and rear walls, left and right walls and top and bottom surfaces,

a receptacle printed circuit board having a plurality of electrical receptacles mounted thereon including by means of a frame fixedly coupled to the receptacle printed circuit board and the receptacles, each receptacle for mating with a power plug of a power cord of an electrical apparatus, the receptacle printed circuit board and frame located generally perpendicular to the bottom surface between the left and right walls for separating the housing into a component bay and a line cord bay,

a plurality of pillar means located in the line cord bay for defining a plurality of line cord sub-bays between the receptacles and the rear wall for containing coiled portions of line cords of electrical apparatus while the power plugs of the cords are mated with electrical receptacles,

said pillar means including disk means for limiting vertical movement of coiled portions of line cord within a sub-bay, while the power plug of a line cord is mated with a receptacle,

a lid in the top surface of the housing above the line cord bay for permitting the storage of excess portions of line cords mated with the receptacles in the component sub-bays and the removal of line cords from the line cord sub-bays,

a component printed circuit board located in the component bay having electrical components mounted thereon including multiple electrical switches having switch covers extending through apertures in the front of the housing for mechanical actuation of the switches from outside the housing, said switches electrically coupled to a master power line cord for switching electrical power on and off to electrical apparatus coupled to the receptacles, and a power surge protection circuit for protecting electrical apparatus from excessive power variations,

a master power line cord bay located in the housing adjacent a side wall extending from the receptacles to the rear wall of the housing,

said master power line cord electrically coupled to at least one of the primed circuit boards, extending through the power line cord bay to the rear wall, passing through an aperture in the rear wall and terminating at a power cord plug outside the housing for mating with an electrical wall outlet of an electrical power source,

a flying lead receptacle, located outside the housing, passing through an aperture in the rear wall, extending through the housing toward the printed circuit boards and electrically coupling with at least one of the printed circuit boards, said flying lead receptacle for coupling, outside the housing, to the plug of a line cord of an electrical apparatus,

a convenience receptacle mounted in an aperture in one of the side walls of the housing adjacent the receptacle printed circuit board for coupling, outside the housing, with the power plug of a line cord of a electrical apparatus and

a cover in the bottom surface of the housing below the component and power line cord bays for permitting the installation and removal into and out of the housing the receptacle printed circuit board, the component printed circuit board and the master power line cord.