Power supply equipped with an independent overload protection mechanism

• US 7,551,416 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Topower Computer Industrial Company Limited (Topower Computer)
• Original Assignee: Topower Computer Industrial Company Limited (Topower Computer)
• Inventors: Chou, Ching-Ling
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): KITOV, ZEEV V
• Application Number:
  US11/217,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20070053125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 361/78, 361/93.9, 361/20
• US Class Current: 361/78
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/042 combined with means for locating the fault locating faults in cables G01R31/08

Abstract

A power supply equipped with an independent overload protection mechanism includes a control circuit and a transformation circuit that form multiple sets of combination circuits for transforming AC power to DC power. Each control circuit is connected to a protection circuit which monitors overload operation conditions of an electronic device. In the event that an overload condition occurs, the protection circuit outputs an individual protection signal to the control circuit to stop or suspend power output on a DC power cord so that the electronic device at the rear end is not driven. Hence an independent overload protection can be achieved.

Claims

1. A power supply equipped with an independent overload protection mechanism that has a single AC power input front end and a plurality DC power output rear end, wherein said front end receives power from said single AC power input which thereafter passes through an internal commutation filter circuit, a control circuit and a transformation circuit and wherein said single AC input is split to become said plurality of DC power outputs to drive at least one electronic device at said rear end, where said rear end comprises a protection circuit to receive a power use value captured from a DC power cord input to the electronic device,

wherein the control circuit and the transformation circuit include at least two sets of combination circuits to output the DC power to the electronic device at the rear end, the power use value being captured from each set of the combination circuits that is sent to the protection circuit, the protection circuit receiving the power use value and determining an overload condition to output a protection signal to the control circuit to stop or suspend the DC power on the DC power cord so that the electronic device at the rear end is not driven and

wherein the control circuit is connected to an external controller and an alert unit, said external controller regulates on/off level of the control circuit and turns off the control circuit when the electronic device is overloaded or functions abnormally.

2. The power supply equipped with an independent overload protection mechanism of claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes a PWM controller and a power switch.

3. The power supply equipped with an independent overload protection mechanism of claim 2, wherein the control circuit further includes a switch circuit.

4. The power supply equipped with an independent overload protection mechanism of claim 1, wherein the protection circuits can be integrated into a microprocessor.

5. The power supply equipped with an independent overload protection mechanism of claim 1, wherein the DC power output from the transformation circuit is divided into multiple sets of different voltage levels.