Electrical integrated modular power node

• US 6,351,715 B1
• Filed: 01/21/1998
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications SPD Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SPD Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ykema, John I.
• Primary Examiner(s): WACHSMAN, HAL D
• Application Number:
  US09/046,137
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 364/528.28, 364/528.29, 364/528.27, 364/528.26, 364/528.3, 364/528.31, 364/528.32, 364/528.21, 364/709.1, 364/140.05, 702/60-62, 702/65, 702/FOR.103, 702/FOR.104, 702/FOR.106, 702/FOR.111, 702/FOR.112, 361/68, 361/67, 361/80, 361/81, 361/115, 361/64, 361/622, 361/681, 361/684, 361/686, 361/611, 361/614, 361/624, 361/627, 361/633, 361/636, 361/637, 361/639-641, 361/644, 361/648, 361/650, 361/715, 361/716, 361/728, 361/729, 307/35, 307/39, 307/11, 307/38, 307/132.E, 307/112, 307/125, 307/126, 307/147, 439/928, 439/928.1, 439/50, 439/51, 439/44, 439/949, 700/286, 700/292-298
• US Class Current: 702/62
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/00 Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection specially adapted for specific types of electric machines or apparatus or for sectionalised protection of cable or line systems H02H7/00; systems for change-over to standby supply H02J9/00 ; integrated protection for motors H02H7/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/0004 involved in a protection system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

An electrical integrated modular power node includes a power module having a common backplane with a plurality of bus bars for supplying the power requirements for the node, functional components and circuitry for connection through selected bus bars to a power supply for providing loads with power as required thereby with individual functional modules providing geometrical packages having bounding surfaces conforming to bounding surfaces of adjacent modules including the power module, for enclosing and supporting functional components and circuitry design so the conforming surfaces of the modules abut with one another in a position to be connected at abutting surfaces with at least some of the modules facing the power module to connect to connectors on the bus bars providing power as required by the load to which circuitry within the connected module is connected with the connectors mechanically supporting the modules relative to power module and to one another.

Claims

1. An electrical integrated modular power node comprising:

a. a power module providing a common backplane containing a plurality of bus bars for supplying the power requirements for the node;

b. functional components and circuitry for connection through selected ones of said bus bars to a power supply in order to provide various loads with power required by each load;

c. individual functional modules providing geometrical packages having bounding surfaces conforming to the bounding surfaces of adjacent modules, including bounding surfaces of the power module, for enclosing and supporting said functional components and circuitry and being so configured that conforming surfaces of said power module and at least some of said individual functional modules abut with one another and are positioned with first part connectors at abutting surfaces of at least some of the individual functional modules facing the power module for mating engagement with second part connectors on the bus bars providing power of a particular type required by the load to which circuitry within the individual functional module is to be connected, said first and second part connectors mechanically supporting the individual functional modules relative to the power module and to one another as a compact geometrical integrated structure.

2. The electrical integrated modular power node of claim 1 in which at least some of said individual functional modules are electrically interconnected by self-connecting connectors on module surfaces facing one another to circuitry within the respective electrically interconnected modules.

3. The electrical integrated modular power node of claim 2 in which some of said individual functional modules have circuit connection means for remaining ones of said individual functional modules through abutting conforming surfaces of the respective individual functional modules which have cooperating connectors between circuitry within the respective individual functional modules in order to connect the circuitry of two of such individual functional modules in the node.

4. The electrical integrated modular power node of claim 2 in which the individual functional modules are six sided with flat rectangular faces at right angles to one another.

5. The electrical integrated modular power node of claim 4 in which the individual functional modules are arranged in side-by-side and stacked configurations to form the compact geometrical integrated structure in position such that at least some of the individual functional modules are abutting the power module.

6. The electrical integrated modular power node of claim 5 in which at least some of said individual functional modules are electrically interconnected by self-connecting connectors on module surfaces of individual functional modules facing one another to circuitry within respective ones of said interconnected individual functional modules.

7. The electrical integrated modular power node of claim 1 further comprising electrical circuit load connections at outer faces of the individual functional modules for connection of circuits within said individual functional modules to respective loads.

8. An electrical integrated modular power node comprising:

a. functional modules containing components ultimately connectable to a load to modify power supplied to said load in a predetermined way by performing voltage conversion, frequency conversion, voltage regulation, over current protection, voltage inversion and/or voltage rectification, the functional modules conforming to and contacting with one another to minimize node size and mutually support one another with bounding surfaces of each functional module being generally planar;

b. said functional modules being of essentially rectangular solid shape and of standard selectable size with side wall dimensions which are integral multiples of rectangular wall dimensions of a selectable minimum size module;

c. one of said modules being a power module having at least one planar rectangular exterior surface facingly opposed to planar exterior surfaces of multiple other ones of said functional modules of said node and providing electrical connections at such planar surface with bus bars connectable to at least one power source and positioned in the power module to provide multiple sets of connectors to couple with correspondingly positioned opposed connectors in the functional modules; and

d. said electrical connections between a functional module and the power module serving to support the functional module relative to the power module and the interfitting and contact of planar surfaces of said functional modules with each other providing support to the entire structure.

9. The electrical integrated modular power node of claim 8 in which connectors on at least one surface of the power module mate with connectors on functional modules having an adjacent planar connecting surface.

10. The electrical integrated modular power node of claim 8 in which the power module includes a plurality of bus bars for supplying power for the node and is supported mechanically on a structural surface.

11. The electrical integrated modular power node of claim 10 in which the power module includes an external planar coupling surface for connection to the bus bars for a predetermined number of individual functional modules of rectangular solid form and having planar parallel surfaces for supporting adjacent individual functional modules.

12. The electrical integrated module power node of claim 8 in which the bus bars in said power modules for multiple nodes have a fixed position for all power modules and a fixed pattern and orientation of connectors.

13. The electrical integrated module power node of claim 8 in which a contact face of a power module has a set of bus bar connectors in a predetermined position such that connectors on individual ones of the functional modules connect only to power modules connectors supplying power required by said individual functional module.

14. An electrical integrated modular power node comprising:

a. modules containing components ultimately connectable to a load to modify power supplied to that load in a predetermined way by performing voltage conversion, frequencey conversion, voltage regulation, over current protection, voltage inversion and/or voltage regulation, the modules being shaped to conform to and contact one another to minimize node size and to mutually support one another with exterior bounding surfaces of each module being generally planar, said modules being of essentially rectangular solid shape and of predetermined standard sizes having exterior side wall dimensions which are integral size multiples of the rectangular wall of a predetermined minimum size module, connectors on at least one surface of a power one of said modules being positioned to connect with connectors on functional modules having an adjacent planar connecting surface, modules containing functional components and circuitry for connection to various loads being in turn supported by electrical connections to the power module with connection at a planar surface being provided at least in part by self-engaging connectors arranged in a predetermined position and orientation on a face of the functional module to abut a facing planar surface of the power module and electrical and mechanical connection of the power module with functional modules are provided by cooperating self-engaging connectors at the planar surface of the power module in predetermined positions and orientation to engage corresponding connectors on the functional modules, for plugging a functional module with the contacts directed toward corresponding contacts of the power module into the power module to receive electrical power from the bus bars and mechanical support from said power module.

15. An electrical integrated modular power node, comprising:

a. modules containing components connectable to a load to modify power supplied to that load in a predetermined way by performing voltage conversion, frequency conversion, voltage regulation, over current protection, voltage inversion and/or voltage regulation, the modules conforming to and contacting one another to minimize node size and to mutually support one another;

b. bounding exterior surfaces of each module being generally planar;

c. the modules being of essentially rectangular solid shape and of standard sizes having side wall dimensions which are integral multiples of the dimensions of the rectangular wall of a minimum sized module;

d. connectors on at least one surface of a power module being positioned to connect with connectors on at least one of said functional modules having an adjacent planar connecting surface, individual functional modules containing functional components and circuitry for connection to various loads being in turn supported by their electrical connections to a power module such that connection between said power module and an individual functional module at a particular planar surface is provided at least in part by self-engaging connectors arranged in a predetermined position and orientation on said functional individual module to abut the planar surface of the power module with electrical and mechanical connections of the power module being cooperating self-engaging connectors at the planar surface of the power module and being disposed in predetermined positions and orientation to engage connectors on the individual functional modules facingly contacting the power module, for plugging a functional module properly oriented with the contacts directed toward the contacts of the power module into the power module to receive electrical power from the bus bars thereof and to receive mechanical support from said power module and in which a control one of said individual functional modules receiving signals from sensors monitoring at least one of said functional modules adjusts output of the monitored functional modules and further in which said control module includes means for responding to sensed inputs and providing output signals for adjusting at least some of said functional modules, and yet further in which said control module further comprises a housing in the form of a rectangular solid in facing contact with flat surfaces of said power module for electrical connection of said control module to said power module for supply of power by said power module to said control module.

16. The electrical integrated module power node of claim 15 in which the control module has at least as many control functions as there are functions provided by said functional modules for separate control of different functional modules with different functions.

17. The electrical integrated module power node of claim 16 in which a connecting exterior surface of the control modules is provided by a plug-in circuit board configuration.