Voltage sensing, autoselecting aircraft power supply interface

• US 5,499,187 A
• Filed: 04/03/1995
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARINC Incorporated (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arinc Research Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Gary B.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US08/415,502
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 363/142, 363/143, 363/63, 307/22, 307/26, 307/28, 307/72, 307/75, 307/80, 307/81, 307/128, 307/130
• US Class Current: 363/142
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 11/007 involving automatic switching for adapting the protected apparatus to the supply voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc

Abstract

An autoselecting interface for selectively connecting an input aircraft power source to one of two outputs according to a sensed voltage of the input aircraft power source comprises a pair of input terminals for connection to aircraft power sources; first and second pairs of output terminals; a first voltage sensor connected to the input terminals for producing a first trigger output when an AC aircraft voltage is present at the input terminals; a second voltage sensor connected to the input terminals for producing a second trigger output when a DC aircraft voltage is present at the input terminals; a first switch responsive to the first trigger output for electrically connecting the pair of input terminals to the first pair of output terminals; a second switch responsive to the second trigger output for electrically connecting the pair of input terminals to the second pair of output terminals; and an override circuit for disabling the second voltage sensor from producing the second trigger output when an AC aircraft voltage is present at the input terminals.

Claims

1. An autoselecting interface for selectively connecting an input aircraft power source to one of two interface outputs according to a sensed voltage of the input aircraft power source, the interface comprising:

a pair of input terminals for connection to aircraft power sources;

first and second pairs of output terminals;

first and second voltage sensors connected to said input terminals, said first voltage sensor producing a first trigger output when an AC voltage is present at said input terminals and said second voltage sensor producing a second trigger output when a DC voltage is present at said input terminals;

a first switch responsive to said first trigger output for electrically connecting said pair of input terminals to said first pair of output terminals;

a second switch responsive to said second trigger output for electrically connecting said pair of input terminals to said second pair of output terminals; and

an override circuit for disabling said second voltage sensor from producing said second trigger output when an AC voltage is present at said input terminals.

2. The autoselecting interface of claim 1 wherein said second trigger output is time delayed following sensing of a DC voltage by said second voltage sensor;

and said override circuit is responsive to said first trigger output.

3. The autoselecting interface of claim 2 wherein:

said second voltage sensor comprises a normally-off transistor switch responsive to a predetermined input voltage, and an input circuit responsive to a DC voltage present at said pair of input terminals for producing said predetermined input voltage after a predetermined time delay; and

said override circuit comprises a switch responsive to said first trigger output for grounding said second voltage sensor input circuit so that said predetermined input voltage is not produced.

4. The autoselecting interface of claim 1 wherein said first voltage sensor comprises an AC-DC converter for producing a regulated DC trigger output from an AC voltage present at said pair of input terminals.

5. The autoselecting interface of claim 4 wherein said first voltage sensor comprises an input capacitor for blocking input voltages below a predetermined frequency.

6. The autoselecting interface of claim 4 wherein said first and second switches are solenoid-actuated relay switches.

7. The autoselecting interface of claim 6 wherein said override circuit comprises a relay switch actuated by a solenoid of said first switch and connected to a control input of said second voltage sensor.

8. The autoselecting interface of claim 7 wherein:

said second voltage sensor comprises a normally-off transistor switch responsive to a predetermined input voltage, and an input circuit responsive to a DC voltage present at said pair of input terminals for producing said predetermined input voltage after a predetermined time delay, and said control input is connected to the output of said input circuit; and

said override circuit relay switch connects said control input to ground when said first switch solenoid is energized by said first trigger output.

9. The autoselecting interface of claim 1 further comprising at least one adaptor for connecting standard AC and DC aircraft power source connecting cables to said pair of input terminals.

10. An autoselecting power supply for producing a regulated DC voltage output from an input AC or DC aircraft power source, the power supply comprising:

a pair of input terminals for connection to the aircraft power sources;

an AC-DC power converter for producing a first regulated DC voltage output from an AC aircraft power source connected to said pair of input terminals;

a DC-DC power converter for producing a second regulated DC voltage output from a DC aircraft power source connected to said pair of input terminals;

first and second voltage sensors connected to said input terminals, said first voltage sensor producing a first trigger output when an AC voltage is present at said input terminals and said second voltage sensor producing a second trigger output when a DC voltage is present at said input terminals;

a first switch responsive to said first trigger output for electrically connecting said pair of input terminals to said AC-DC power converter;

a second switch responsive to said second trigger output for electrically connecting said pair of input terminals to said DC-DC power converter; and

an override circuit for disabling said second voltage sensor from producing said second output when an AC voltage is present at said input terminals.