Uninterruptible power supply having removable battery

• US 9,793,729 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric IT Corporation (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Hsia, George, Chan, Ming Che, Chien, Shen-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yeshaw, Esayas
• Application Number:
  US14/589,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20160197504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads

Abstract

A UPS includes a battery contained within a battery housing. The battery housing has a first connector mounted on the battery housing. The UPS further includes a housing having a battery compartment for removably containing the battery housing of the battery. The housing has a second connector mounted within the battery compartment. The second connector is configured to mate with the first connector. The UPS further includes a first input configured to receive input power from an AC power source and at least one output configured to provide output AC power derived from the input power in a first mode of operation and configured to provide output power derived from the at least one battery module in a second mode of operation. The battery housing has a third connector configured to be coupled to a mobile device to provide power to the mobile device.

Claims

1. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) comprising:

a battery contained within a battery housing, the battery having at least one battery module within the battery housing and configured to provide battery power, the battery housing having a first connector mounted on the battery housing;

a UPS housing having a battery compartment for removably containing the battery housing of the battery, the UPS housing having a second connector mounted within the battery compartment, the second connector being configured to mate with the first connector;

a first input configured to receive input power from an AC power source; and

at least one output configured to provide output AC power derived from the input power in a first mode of operation and configured to provide output power derived from the at least one battery module in a second mode of operation;

wherein the battery housing has a third connector configured to be coupled to a mobile device to provide power to the mobile device, the battery being configured to charge the mobile device coupled to the third connector when the battery housing of the battery is disposed within the UPS housing and when the battery housing of the battery is removed from the battery compartment of the UPS housing.

2. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 1, wherein the third connector is a USB connector.

3. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 1, wherein the battery housing has a fourth connector configured to be coupled to a power source to charge the at least one battery module with the battery removed from the battery compartment.

4. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 1, wherein the at least one output includes a plurality of output connectors mounted to the housing, and wherein each of the plurality of output connectors is rotatable with respect to the UPS housing to receive a power cord at a plurality of orientations.

5. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of mounting tabs, each of the plurality of mounting tabs being removably coupled to the UPS housing, and wherein the UPS housing is configured to receive each of the plurality of mounting tabs at one of a plurality of mounting locations on the UPS housing to selectively configure the uninterruptible power supply in one of a plurality of mounting orientations.

6. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 1, wherein the uninterruptible power supply is configured in the first mode of operation to provide charging power to the battery to charge the at least one battery module.

7. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 6, wherein one of the first connector and the second connector has a plurality of pins each having a length, and one of the first connector and the second connector includes a plurality of sockets for mating with the plurality of pins, wherein the length of one pin of the plurality of pins is less than the lengths of at least two pins of the plurality of pins, and wherein the uninterruptible power supply includes a detection circuit to detect mating of the one pin with a corresponding socket of the plurality of sockets and enable charging of the battery module in response.

8. A method of providing power to a plurality of devices comprising:

operating an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) in a first mode of operation to provide AC power derived from input AC power to a first device;

inserting a battery into a UPS housing of the uninterruptible power supply;

operating the uninterruptible power supply in a second mode of operation to provide AC power derived from DC power from the battery to the first device;

removing the battery from the housing; and

with the battery removed from the UPS housing, charging a mobile device using the battery,

wherein the battery is configured to charge the mobile device when the battery housing of the battery is disposed within the UPS housing.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein charging a mobile device includes charging the mobile device using a USB connector mounted to a battery housing of the battery.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising charging the battery while the battery is removed from the UPS housing.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the uninterruptible power supply has at least one output connector mounted on the UPS housing of the uninterruptible power supply, and wherein the method further includes rotating the output connector with respect to the UPS housing from a first rotational position to a second rotational position, and coupling a power cord to the output connector.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the UPS housing of the uninterruptible power supply includes a plurality of removable mounting tabs, and wherein the method further includes moving at least one of the plurality of mounting tabs from a first position on the UPS housing to a second position on the UPS housing, and mounting the UPS housing to a wall.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising charging the battery in the first mode of operation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein inserting a battery into the housing of the uninterruptible power supply includes mating a first connector having a plurality of pins each having a length with a second connector having a plurality of sockets, wherein one of the plurality of pins has a length that is less than the lengths of at least two pins of the plurality of pins, and wherein the method further comprises detecting that the one of the plurality of pins has mated with a corresponding socket of the plurality of sockets, and in response, charging the battery.

15. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) comprising:

a battery contained within a battery housing, the battery having at least one battery module within the battery housing and configured to provide battery power, the battery housing having a first connector mounted on the battery housing;

a UPS housing having a battery compartment for removably containing the battery housing of the battery, the UPS housing having a second connector mounted within the battery compartment, the second connector being configured to mate with the first connector;

a first input configured to receive input power from an AC power source; and

at least one output configured to provide output AC power derived from the input power in a first mode of operation and configured to provide output power derived from the at least one battery module in a second mode of operation;

wherein the battery includes means for charging a mobile device with the battery removed from the UPS housing, the battery being configured to charge the mobile device coupled to the third connector when the battery housing of the battery is disposed within the UPS housing and when the battery housing of the battery is removed from the battery compartment of the UPS housing.

16. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 15, further comprising means for charging the battery in the first mode of operation.

17. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 16, further comprising means for detecting proper insertion of the battery into the battery housing and enabling charging of the battery module in response.

18. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 15, further comprising means for selectively configuring the uninterruptible supply in a desk top configuration and a wall mount configuration.

19. The uninterruptible power supply of claim 15, wherein the at least one output includes a plurality of output connectors mounted to the UPS housing, and wherein each of the plurality of output connectors is rotatable with respect to the UPS housing to receive a power cord at a plurality of orientations.