Apparatus for powering an accessory device in a refrigerated container

• US 8,867,187 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: E14 South LLC
• Original Assignee: Pfi Acquisition, Inc.
• Inventors: Dick, Paul H., Hayes, Robert, Weber, Michael, Shannon, Michael, Saadat, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): PAUMEN, GARY F
• Application Number:
  US13/485,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 439/638, 439/300, 361/111, 361/118, 370/501, 370/502, 340/538
• US Class Current: 361/111
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/007 Arrangements for selectively connecting the load or loads to one or several among a plurality of power lines or power sources for providing uninterruptable power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc

Abstract

Power adapters for providing power to accessory devices in refrigerated containers are provided herein. The power adapter comprises a first connector communicatively coupled with a plurality of conductors; a second connector communicatively coupled with two or more of the plurality of conductors; and a shunt communicatively coupled with at least four of the plurality of conductors and configured to provide power to an accessory output in response to the accessory connection being communicatively coupled with an accessory device.

Claims

1. A power adapter comprising:

a first connector communicatively coupled with a plurality of conductors;

a second connector communicatively coupled with two or more of the plurality of conductors; and

a shunt communicatively coupled with at least four of the plurality of conductors and configured to provide power to an accessory output in response to an accessory connection being communicatively coupled with an accessory device, the shunt including;

a protection circuit, the protection circuit configured to provide at least one of protection from overcurrents and protection from excessive transient voltages at a first, a second, a third, and a fourth inputs, the first, the second, the third, and the fourth inputs each communicatively coupled with the at least four conductors of the plurality of conductors;

an inductive coupler including;

a first transformer having a primary coil communicatively coupled with the first input and the second input, and

a second transformer having a primary coil communicatively coupled with the third input and the fourth input;

a main rectifier comprising;

a first rectifier communicatively coupled with the first input, the second input, a first node, and a second node; and

a second rectifier communicatively coupled with the third input, the fourth input, the first node, and the second node, and

a failsafe including;

a first output, the first output being communicatively coupled with a first conductor of the accessory output;

a first switch communicatively coupled with the first node and the first output;

a first power supply including a first secondary coil of the first transformer and a third rectifier, a first secondary coil of the second transformer and a fourth rectifier communicatively coupled with the first switch;

a first opto-isolator communicatively coupled with the first output and the first switch;

a second output, the second output communicatively coupled with a second conductor of the accessory output;

a second switch communicatively coupled with the second node and the second output;

a second power supply including a second secondary coil of the first transformer and a fifth rectifier, a second secondary coil of the second transformer and a sixth rectifier communicatively coupled with the second switch;

a second opto-isolator communicatively coupled with the second output and the second switch;

a loop input, the loop input communicatively coupled with a third conductor of the accessory output and the second opto-isolator, the second opto-isolator communicatively coupled with the first opto-isolator; and

a loop output, the loop output communicatively coupled with the first opto-isolator, a third power supply, and a fourth conductor of the accessory output;

the third power supply including a third secondary coil of the first transformer and a seventh rectifier, a third secondary coil of the second transformer and an eighth rectifier communicatively coupled with the loop output.

2. The power adapter of claim 1 wherein the protection circuit comprises at least one of a fuse, a circuit breaker, and a varistor.

3. The power adapter of claim 1, the shunt including an inductive coupler, the inductive coupler comprising:

a first, second, third, and fourth inputs, the first, second, third, and fourth inputs each communicatively coupled with one of the at least four conductors of the plurality of conductors;

a primary coil of the first transformer communicatively coupled with the first input and the second input; and

a primary coil of the second transformer communicatively coupled with the third input and the fourth input.

4. The power adapter of claim 3 wherein the inductive coupler further includes a third transformer and a fourth transformer each configured to provide 1-500 Volts, the third transformer communicatively coupled with the first input, the second input, a first node, and a second node, and the fourth transformer communicatively coupled with the third input, the fourth input, third node, and a fourth node.

5. The power adapter of claim 3 wherein the shunt further includes a main rectifier, the main rectifier comprising:

a first rectifier communicatively coupled with the first input, the second input, a first node, and a second node; and

a second rectifier communicatively coupled with the third input, the fourth input, the first node, and the second node.

6. The power adapter of claim 5 wherein the first rectifier and the second rectifier each comprise at least one of a half-wave rectifier, a full-wave rectifier, and a filter.

7. The power adapter of claim 6 wherein the shunt includes a failsafe, the failsafe comprising:

a first output, the first output being communicatively coupled with a first conductor of the accessory output;

a first switch communicatively coupled with the first node and the first output;

a first power supply communicatively coupled with the first switch;

a first opto-isolator communicatively coupled with the first output and the first switch;

a second output, the second output communicatively coupled with a second conductor of the accessory output;

a second switch communicatively coupled with the second node and the second output;

a second power supply communicatively coupled with the second switch; and

a second opto-isolator communicatively coupled with the second output and the second switch;

a loop input, the loop input communicatively coupled with a third conductor of the accessory output and the second opto-isolator, the second opto-isolator communicatively coupled with the first opto-isolator; and

a loop output, the loop output communicatively coupled with the first opto-isolator, a third power supply, and a fourth conductor of the accessory output.

8. The power adapter of claim 7 wherein the first power supply includes a first secondary coil of the first transformer and a third rectifier, the second power supply includes a second secondary coil of the first transformer and a fourth rectifier, and the third power supply comprises a third secondary coil of the first transformer and a fifth rectifier.

9. The power adapter of claim 8 wherein the first power supply further includes a first secondary coil of the second transformer and sixth rectifier, the second power supply further includes a second secondary coil of the second transformer and a seventh rectifier, and the third power supply further includes a third secondary coil of the second transformer and an eighth rectifier.

10. The power adapter of claim 7 wherein the accessory output couples with the accessory device through an accessory connector.

11. The power adapter of claim 10 wherein the first connector, the second connector, and the accessory connector are plug-and-socket connectors.

12. The power adapter of claim 7 wherein the accessory output couples with the accessory device through two or more crimp connectors.

13. The power adapter of claim 7 wherein the plurality of conductors of the first connector include:

a first alternating current input and a second alternating current input, the first alternating current input and the second alternating current input each being within a range of 360-460 Volts AC at 50 Hz or 400-500 Volts AC at 60 Hz.

14. The power adapter of claim 13 wherein the first, second, third, and fourth inputs are each communicatively coupled with one or more conductors of a plurality of conductors coupled with the first connector and the second connector.

15. The power adapter of claim 7 wherein the shunt further includes an enclosure, the enclosure configured to protect the power adapter from at least one of electrical shorts, shock, vibration, moisture, and corrosion.

16. The power adapter of claim 15 wherein the enclosure is comprised of at least one of thermo-setting plastic and silicone rubber gel.

17. The power adapter of claim 16 wherein the enclosure is comprised of at least one of thermoplastic elastomer, polyurethane, silicone, and epoxy resin.

18. The power adapter of claim 15 wherein the enclosure is configured for mounting inside a refrigerated container.

19. The power adapter of claim 18 wherein the enclosure is further configured for mounting on or adjacent to evaporator fan motors, in a compartment of the refrigerated container, or on or in the accessory device.

20. The power adapter of claim 19 wherein the accessory device is configured to provide ozone to the refrigerated container.

21. The power adapter of claim 19 wherein the accessory device is configured to perform at least one of:

reduce oxygen concentration, increase carbon dioxide concentration, reduce ethylene concentration, control humidity, adjust a fresh air vent, filtration, control a state of the refrigerated container or a controller, log a state of the refrigerated container or the controller, and report a state of the refrigerated container or the controller.

22. The power adapter of claim 19 wherein the accessory device comprises at least one of a:

membrane-based gas separation system, pressure-swing absorption device, compressor, condensation trap, chiller, evaporator, atomizer, air cleaner utilizing electrical fields, scrubber, and catalytic reactor.

23. A power adapter comprising:

a first connector communicatively coupled with a plurality of conductors;

a second connector communicatively coupled with two or more of the plurality of conductors; and

a shunt communicatively coupled with at least four of the plurality of conductors and configured to provide power to an accessory output in response to the accessory connection being communicatively coupled with an accessory device, the shunt including;

a protection circuit, the protection circuit configured to provide at least one of protection from overcurrents and protection from excessive transient voltages at a first, a second, a third, and a fourth inputs, the first, the second, the third, and the fourth inputs each communicatively coupled with the at least four conductors of the plurality of conductors,

an inductive coupler including;

a first transformer having a primary coil communicatively coupled with the first input and the second input, and

a second transformer having a primary coil communicatively coupled with the third input and the fourth input,

a main rectifier including;

a first rectifier communicatively coupled with the first input, the second input, a first node, and a second node; and

a second rectifier communicatively coupled with the third input, the fourth input, the first node, and the second node, and

a failsafe including;

a first output, the first output being communicatively coupled with a first conductor of the accessory output;

a first switch communicatively coupled with the first node and the first output;

a first power supply including a first secondary coil of the first transformer and a third rectifier, a first secondary coil of the second transformer and a fourth rectifier communicatively coupled with the first switch;

a first opto-isolator communicatively coupled with the first output and the first switch;

a second output, the second output communicatively coupled with a second conductor of the accessory output;

a second switch communicatively coupled with the second node and the second output;

a second power supply including a second secondary coil of the first transformer and a fifth rectifier, a second secondary coil of the second transformer and a sixth rectifier communicatively coupled with the second switch; and

a second opto-isolator communicatively coupled with the second output and the second switch;

a loop input, the loop input communicatively coupled with a third conductor of the accessory output and the second opto-isolator, the second opto-isolator communicatively coupled with the first opto-isolator;

a loop output, the loop output communicatively coupled with the first opto-isolator, a third power supply, and a fourth conductor of the accessory output; and

a third power supply including a third secondary coil of the first transformer and a seventh rectifier, a third secondary coil of the second transformer and an eighth rectifier communicatively coupled with the loop output.

24. The power adaptor of claim 23 further comprising a third transformer and a fourth transformer communicatively coupled with the first transformer and the second transformer and configured to step-up or step-down the voltage received from the first, second, third, and fourth inputs.

25. The power adaptor of claim 23 wherein the first connector and the second connector each comprise one or more crimp connectors communicatively coupled with the at least four of the plurality of conductors.