Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2001-10-30
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2841)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S724000, C361S725000, C361S726000, C361S727000, C361S689000, C361S689000, C361S689000, C361S689000, C361S694000, C361S695000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06310783
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to electrical power supply sources and systems, and more particularly relates to uninterruptible power systems (UPS) and methods of building the same with a chassis or cabinet using such things as battery strings, power modules, or battery chargers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Uninterruptible power supply systems typically referred to as “uninterruptible power systems” or “UPS systems” are used for a wide variety of purposes. One exemplary purpose is to provide regulated, continuous, uninterrupted power for sensitive and critical applications such as an extensive network of computers. Another common use for UPS systems is to provide power protection for telecommunications equipment. Because the applications vary greatly in their type, size and configuration, powering requirements, signal requirements and the like, it will be readily appreciated to those skilled in the art that one size fits all does not apply and that one size and form of an uninterruptible supply systems can not meet the requirements of all applications. Indeed, it is often the case that each application requires a significantly different configuration of an UPS system.
The two basic components used in UPS systems include battery packs and power modules. It is also desirable in certain applications to use battery chargers in the UPS systems. Battery packs have positive and negative terminals which can be connected together in parallel or series to provide the desired combined DC voltage and amperage. Power modules are much different than battery packs and can serve the purpose of signal conditioning and converting DC electrical power into AC electrical power. Because power modules are typical controlled through electrical signals, power modules have several inputs and several outputs. As such, power modules use much more complex terminal connectors than battery packs with several input pins and several output pins.
UPS systems are built using a chassis or cabinet that serve the purpose of organizing and supporting vertical stacks of battery packs and power modules. One such cabinet is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,652. In prior art systems such as this, the cabinets have provided separate bays or slots for receiving the battery packs and separate slots for the power modules. For example,
FIG. 5
of the '652 patent illustrates a cabinet that can receive up to four battery modules and up to five power modules. The inventor of the present invention has realized that this type of chassis has its drawbacks. In particular, although this configuration may be sufficient for applications which need a combination between one and five power modules and one and five battery modules, it is insufficient for other combinations which exceed either the maximum number of power modules or battery modules. For example, the chassis disclosed in
FIG. 5
of the '652 patent would not work for a configuration which required six or seven battery modules and only two or three power modules. Also, an end user may not able to expand a system further to increase power supply capabilities if either of the battery module bays or the power module bays are full even though empty bays exist.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a more modular cabinet or chassis for a UPS system that can be adapted to hold more combinations of battery packs or power modules.
The present invention is directed at a cabinet or chassis for an UPS system that includes universal bays or slots that can receive either power modules or battery backs. The back plane of the slot has separate terminal connectors for battery packs and power modules. The different types of terminals are arranged at different locations such that the location of the terminal connectors for the battery packs do not interfere with the location of the terminal connectors for the power modules. The slots may also receive battery chargers if so desired. It is an advantage that all of the slots of a chassis can be utilized to full capacity before another cabinet needs to be employed, thereby providing significant space and cost savings. The cabinet is also readily adaptable and can be easily reconfigured as desired without particular concern as to the number of power modules or battery packs that are being used.
It is a feature of the present invention that sensors are provided that indicate the capacity of the cabinet that has been used (e.g. the number of slots still open and not used by a power module or a battery pack). It is a further feature that an indication of the configuration of the UPS system is also provided. Sensors indicate whether a battery pack, power module or other device is inserted into the slot, thereby providing an indication of the specifications of the UPS system as presently configured to the user. The system automatically updates upon removal or insertion of a new module.
It is another feature of the present invention that a universal back plane is provided for each section of the cabinet, thereby eliminating the need to separately install individual back planes for each slot of the cabinet.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5982652 (1999-11-01), Simonelli et al.
Edevold Craig
Layden David
Winch Cary
Gaffin Jeffrey
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Powerware Corporation
Tran Thanh Y.
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