Uninterruptible duplexed power supply system, and unit plug-in structure for uninterruptible duplexed power supply system

• US 6,381,156 B1
• Filed: 01/29/2001
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nihon Protector Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Protector Company Limited
• Inventors: Imanishi, Tsurayoshi, Sakai, Setsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US09/770,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20020031000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 363/65, 363/67, 363/69, 363/70, 363/71, 307/64, 307/66, 307/71, 307/72-75, 307/82
• US Class Current: 363/65
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/067 using multi-primary transformers, e.g. transformer having one primary for each AC energy source and a secondary for the loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide an uninterruptible duplexed power supply system that is highly reliable and has excellent durability, with which a more compact size and higher efficiency are both achieved, and with which a malfunction of the power supply circuit can be repaired in a live state. The present invention is characterized in that there are provided a first unit 4 and a second unit 6 having their own power supplies 1, a main component 10 to which the outputs of the first unit 4 and second unit 6 are inputted is equipped with a secondary DC output circuit 8 and a battery-side converter circuit 13, the first unit 4 and the second unit 6 can be attached to and detached from the main component 10 in a live state.

Claims

1. An uninterruptible duplexed power supply system, comprising:

a first unit that uses a first power supply as its input source and that houses a first primary circuit equipped with a switching element on the output side; and

a second unit that uses the first power supply or a second power supply that is different from the first power supply and that houses a second primary circuit equipped with a switching element on the output side;

wherein a main component to which the outputs of the first unit and second unit are inputted comprises;

a primary winding of a high-frequency transformer to which the first unit and the second unit are connected via a connection component;

a secondary DC output circuit that is connected to a secondary winding of the high-frequency transformer and supplies electrical power to a load;

a PWM control circuit for keeping the output from this secondary DC output circuit at a constant voltage; and

a battery-side converter circuit that is connected via a tertiary winding of the high-frequency transformer, is equipped with a switching element on the output side, and is used for charging a rechargeable battery for backup in the event of a power outage;

wherein the first unit and the second unit are removably installed in a live state between a connected state in which they are electrically connected to the two primary windings of the high-frequency transformer and a disconnected state in which this connected state has been released; and

wherein the output signals from the PWM control circuit are controlled and inputted to the gate circuits of the various switching elements of the first unit, second unit, and battery-side converter circuit.

2. The uninterruptible duplexed power supply system according to claim 1, wherein, when the input source of either the first unit or the second unit is a DC power supply, the number of turns of the primary winding for connecting said first unit or second unit to the high-frequency transformer is changed to a number of turns corresponding to the DC voltage applied by said DC power supply.

3. The uninterruptible duplexed power supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first unit and the second unit are each equipped with a load balancing terminal or a current balancing terminal, and the load balancing terminals or current balancing terminals of these units are connected to each other, or a switching element drive pulse switching control circuit is provided for switching the drive pulses for driving the switching elements of the first unit and second unit, and the drive of the two units is controlled by this switching element drive pulse switching control circuit, whereby the loads of the two units are balanced, or the two units are driven at a preset balancing ratio, or the two units are driven at a balancing ratio programmed into the computer that serves as the load.

4. The uninterruptible duplexed power supply system according to claims 3, comprising:

a malfunction detection circuit for detecting a malfunction of the first unit or second unit;

a power outage detection circuit;

an internal temperature detection circuit for detecting the internal temperatures of the two units;

a cooling fan abnormal shutdown detection circuit for detecting the abnormal shutdown of a cooling fan;

an input current detection circuit and current balancing detection circuit for the two units; and

a charging control circuit for detecting the state of the rechargeable battery, such as the charge or discharge state of the rechargeable battery, the battery temperature, the remaining capacitance, or the estimated service life;

and wherein maintenance is performed by transferring the detection signals from all of the above circuits by serial transfer to the computer that serves as the load.

5. A unit plug-in structure in an uninterruptible duplexed power supply system, wherein at least one of the first unit and second unit according to claim 1 is structured such that it can be plugged into a casing through an opening formed in the front thereof, the unit is provided with a connector capable of connecting to or separating from a connector provided to the casing side in the course of the plugging-in or unplugging of the unit, and a plug-in operation member for pushing and moving the front of the unit when this unit is plugged in and for pulling and moving the unit when this unit is unplugged is attached to the casing so as to be swingable substantially around the horizontal axis.

6. The unit plug-in structure in an uninterruptible duplexed power supply system according to claim 5, wherein the plug-in operation member is equipped with a latching component that latches with a latched component provided to the front of the unit when the plug-in operation member is swung in the plug-in direction of the unit and that unlatches when the plug-in operation member is swung in the unplugging direction of the unit, and there is provided fixing means for fixing the plug-in operation member to the casing in a state in which the unit has been completely plugged in.

7. The unit plug-in structure in an uninterruptible duplexed power supply system according to claim 6, the fixing means comprising:

a latched component that is privided to the casing;

a latching component provided to the plug-in operation member so as to be able to latch and unlatch the latched component; and

a slot provided to a rotary shaft of the plug-in operation member so that the plug-in operation member will be able to move up and down when the until has been completely plugged in.