Serviceable power modules for a power distribution assembly
First Claim
1. A power distribution assembly comprising:
- a chassis for attachment to a vehicle;
a wiring harness externally mounted to said chassis and including separate busses for AC loads and DC loads; and
a plurality of modules for installation within said chassis with each module including a first connector for attachment to a motherboard and a second connector for attachment to said wiring harness wherein each module is selectively detachable from said chassis for repair or replacement without requiring removal of the other modules.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power distribution assembly (PDA) includes AC and/or DC power modules and control modules that are installed within a chassis that is mounted to a vehicle, such as an aircraft. Each module includes a wiring harness connector and a control connector for attachment to a motherboard. A wiring harness is externally mounted to the chassis to provide a simplified connection for the wiring harness connector. The modules can be individually and selectively removed from the chassis for repair or replacement without having to remove the entire PDA from the aircraft. This is accomplished by simply removing the module from the chassis, thereby disconnecting the aircraft interface and motherboard connectors for the selected modules. Also, a common PDA can be utilized on different types of aircraft by installing desired modules within the chassis. Thus, the number and type of modules are selected to meet predetermined specifications for a specific aircraft and then installed within a PDA common to all aircraft.
82 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A power distribution assembly comprising:
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a chassis for attachment to a vehicle;
a wiring harness externally mounted to said chassis and including separate busses for AC loads and DC loads; and
a plurality of modules for installation within said chassis with each module including a first connector for attachment to a motherboard and a second connector for attachment to said wiring harness wherein each module is selectively detachable from said chassis for repair or replacement without requiring removal of the other modules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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5. A power distrbution assembly comprising:
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a chassis for attachment to a vehicle and defining a plurality of installation slots;
a wiring harness externally mounted to said chassis; and
a plurality of modules for installation within said installation slots with each module including a first connector for attachment to a motherboard and a second connector for attachment to said wiring harness such that each module is selectively detachable from said chassis for repair or replacement without requiring removal of the other modules wherein each module includes a plurality of solid state power controllers for controlling multiple DC and/or AC loads within a single module and wherein said plurality of solid state power controllers is unique to each of said modules with some of said plurality of solid state power controllers having a fixed amp per load setting, some of said plurality of solid state power controllers having a programmable amp per load setting, or all of said solid state power controllers having a programmable amp per load setting. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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12. A power distribution assembly comprising:
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a chassis for attachment to a vehicle;
a wiring harness externally mounted to said chassis and including separate busses for AC loads and DC loads; and
a plurality of modules for installation within said chassis with each module including a first connector mounted to one end of said module for attachment to a motherboard and a second connector mounted to an opposite end of said module for attachment to said wiring harness wherein each module is selectively detachable from said chassis for repair or replacement without requiring removal of the other modules.
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17. A power distribution assembly comprising:
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a chassis for attachment to a vehicle;
a wiring harness externally mounted to said chassis and including an AC bus and a DC bus that is wired separately from said AC bus; and
a plurality of modules for installation within said chassis with each module including a first connector for attachment to a motherboard and a second connector for attachment to said wiring harness, said first and second connectors being mounted on a common end of each of said modules wherein each module is selectively detachable from said chassis for repair or replacement without requiring removal of the other modules. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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28. A method for distributing power from a vehicle power distribution assembly having a chassis with a plurality of installation slots for receiving modules comprising the steps of:
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(a) externally mounting an aircraft wiring harness to the chassis including separating the wiring harness into an AC bus and a DC bus with both busses being independently wired from each other;
(b) attaching a motherboard connector to each module;
(c) attaching an aircraft interface connector to each module;
(d) installing one module into one slot by mating the motherboard connector to a motherboard and mating the aircraft interface connector to the aircraft wiring harness to form a selectively detachable connection to allow the modules to be removed from the chassis for repair or replacement without requiring removal of the other power modules. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 43, 44)
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40. A method for distributing power from a vehicle power distribution assembly having a chassis with a plurality of installation slots for receiving modules comprising the steps of:
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(a) externally mounting an aircraft wiring harness to the chassis;
(b) attaching a motherboard connector to each module;
(c) attaching an aircraft interface connector to each module;
(d) installing one module into one slot by mating the motherboard connector to a motherboard and mating the aircraft interface connector to the aircraft wiring harness to form a selectively detachable connection to allow the modules to be removed from the chassis for repair or replacement without requiring removal of the other power modules; and
(e) utilizing some fixed solid state power controllers and some programmable solid state power controllers for each power module. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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Specification