Distribution apparatus

• US 9,553,467 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nabtesco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nabtesco Corporation
• Inventors: Yasui, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, SUN J
• Application Number:
  US14/532,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20150123622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 320/162
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2221/00 Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/20 responsive to excess voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/041 using a short-circuiting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/44 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an invention of a power system including a distal distributor, an electric actuator which receives a supply of power from the distal distributor, and a relay device. Regenerative power generated by the electric actuator is output to a storage battery.

Claims

1. A distribution apparatus for distributing power which is supplied from an electric power supply, comprising:

a distributor which uses a regenerative current to charge a storage battery connected to the distribution apparatus, the regenerative current being generated by at least one electric actuator electrically connected to the distribution apparatus,

wherein the distributor is configured to output a supply current from at least one of the electric power supply and the storage battery to the at least one electric actuator; and

a switch situated within the distributor and electrically connected with said at least one electric actuator to interrupt the supply current flowing from the at least one of the electric power supply and the storage battery to the at least one electric actuator when the supply current exceeds a predetermined level, so that the switch prevents a malfunction of at least one of the distributor and the at least one electric actuator.

2. The distribution apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gating controller which performs a gating operation of the switch in order to interrupt the supply current, wherein the gating controller performs the gating operation in response to a detection value of a current sensor which detects the supply current.

3. The distribution apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a monitoring controller configured to monitor the at least one electric actuator, wherein the monitoring controller controls the gating operation of the switch.

4. The distribution apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the monitoring controller diagnoses operating state of the at least one electric actuator on the basis of a relationship between a power supply amount from the distributor to the at least one electric actuator and a mechanical operation amount of the at least one electric actuator.

5. The distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distributor has a lightning surge protector electrically connected to the at least one electric actuator, the lightning surge protector including a variable resistance.

6. The distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switch is situated in a wire between the storage battery and the at least one electric actuator.

7. The distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distributor is provided as a distal distributor, which is configured to receive power supply from a central distributor situated in an aircraft.

8. The distribution apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the storage battery is connected to a wire which connects the distal distributor to the central distributor.

9. The distribution apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising electric wires, wherein the at least one electric actuator includes actuators, each of which corresponds to each of the electric wires, and wherein each of the electric wires connects the distributor to each of the actuators.

10. The distribution apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electric actuator includes actuators, and wherein the actuators are connected to the distributor by one wire.