Uninterruptible power supply

Disclosed is an uninterruptible power supply including a switch connected between an external power source and a load, a power supply module connected to the external power source and the switch for receiving and converting an input power and supplying converted power to the load, a battery module connected to the power supply module for storing electric power or supplying electric power to the power supply module, a control module connected to the external power source and the battery module and powered by the external power source or the battery module for generating a control signal according to a specific operating status of the power supply module to manipulate the switch so as to supply power to the load through the power supply module or a bypass route, and a display panel connected to and powered through the control module for receiving and displaying system status information from the control module.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to an uninterruptible power supply, and more particularly to an uninterruptible power supply having a display panel for continuously displaying the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the operation phase of an electronic system, a clean and continual power supply is a sine qua non for maintaining a normal performance. However, the contemporary public electric power supply system is likely to be degenerated by the breakdown and short circuit occurred to the power lines. Therefore, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) has been widely introduced in the client side applications to fix the problems of the abnormalities encountered by the input power side.

FIG. 1illustrates an elevation view of a conventional standalone uninterruptible power supply according to the prior art. As shown inFIG. 1, a conventional standalone uninterruptible power supply10is made up of a display panel11, a housing12, a power supply module13, and a battery module14, wherein the display panel11is mounted on the housing12for displaying the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply10. The housing12is configured to receive the power supply module13and the battery module14. The power supply module13is the core of the uninterruptible power supply10, and is made up of a plurality of power conversion elements, including rectifiers, chargers, controllers, inverters, converters, switch devices, and so on. Besides, the power supply module13and the battery module14are fixedly mounted inside the housing12.

FIG. 2illustrates a circuit block diagram of the uninterruptible power supply10shown inFIG. 1. InFIG. 2, the solid arrowheaded lines interconnecting circuit blocks represent power lines and the dashed arrowheaded lines interconnecting circuit blocks represent signal lines. As depicted inFIG. 2, the uninterruptible power supply10is connected to an external power source21and a load22, and is made up of a display panel11, a housing12, a power supply module13, a battery module14, and a switch device15. The display panel11is mounted on the housing12for displaying the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply10. The power supply module13includes a microcontroller131connected to the display panel11for providing the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply10for display on the display panel11. The battery module14is connected to the power supply module13for storing electric power. The switch device15is connected between the external power source21and the load22. When the power supply module13or the battery module14is to be extracted for maintenance, the switch device15can be turned on manually so that the external power source21can supply electric power to the load22through a bypass route (not shown).

Under normal conditions, the uninterruptible power supply10enables the power supply module13to perform rectification, filtration, and conversion to the input AC power received from the external power source21and supply the converted electric power to the load22. Meanwhile, the power supply module13is configured to charge the battery module14and supply electric power to the display panel11. The microcontroller131of the power supply module13can provide the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply10to the display panel11for display. During the operation phase of the power supply module13, the power supply module13can store electric power in the battery module14. When the external power source21is malfunctioned or becomes abnormal, the internal switch device of the power supply module13(not shown) performs a switching operation to enable the battery module14to supply electric power. Under this condition, the power supply module13can convert the electric power outputted from battery module14and output the converted electric power to the load22. Meanwhile, the electric power required for powering the display panel11is supplied from the power supply module13, and thereby the display panel11can continue displaying the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply10.

The conventional standalone uninterruptible power supply10requires a manual switching operation to shunt the switch device15to a bypass route. Hence, when the power supply module13is malfunctioned or needs to be repaired, the uninterruptible power supply10can not automatically manipulate the switch device15to allow the external power source21to supply electric power to the load22through a bypass route. As a result, the application field of the conventional standalone uninterruptible power supply will be restricted. Besides, the display panel11is powered by the power supply module13and driven by the microcontroller131for displaying the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply10. When the power supply module13is malfunctioned or extracted from the uninterruptible power supply10for repair, the power supply module13can not power the display panel11. Under this condition, the display elements of the display panel, for example, LED devices or LCD devices, can not operate for information display, and thus the user is not possible to obtain the operation data and important system information of the uninterruptible power supply, including input voltage, output voltage, battery status, and working temperature.

There is a need to develop an uninterruptible power supply that can continuously display its system status information when its internal power supply module is inoperable or extracted from the housing of the uninterruptible power supply.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an uninterruptible power supply for solving the problem encountered by the conventional uninterruptible power supply that the display panel can not display the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply when the internal power supply module is malfunctioned or extracted from the housing of the uninterruptible power supply.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an uninterruptible power supply that can automatically switch the power supply path to a bypass route when an internal power supply module is malfunctioned or extracted from the housing of the uninterruptible power supply. As a result, the electric power can be continuously supplied to the load and the display panel can resume the display of the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply.

To this end, a broader aspect of the present invention provides an interruptible power supply connected to an external power source and a load, wherein the interruptible power supply includes a switch device connected between the external power source and the load, a power supply module connected to the external power source and the switch device for receiving and converting an input power and supplying the converted power to the load through the switch device, a battery module connected to the power supply module for storing electric power or supplying electric power to the power supply module, a control module connected to the external power source and the battery module and powered by the external power source or the battery module for generating a control signal to manipulate the switching of the switch device according to a specific operating status of the power supply module, so that the electric power can be supplied to the load through the power supply module or a bypass route.

Now the foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be best understood through the following descriptions with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment embodying the features and advantages of the present invention will be expounded in following paragraphs of descriptions. It is to be realized that the present invention is allowed to have various modification in different respects, all of which are without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the description herein and the drawings are to be taken as illustrative in nature, but not to be taken as limitative.

FIG. 3illustrates an elevation view of a standalone uninterruptible power supply according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The inventive standalone uninterruptible power supply30as shown inFIG. 3is made up of a display panel31, a housing32, a power supply module33, a battery module34, a control module35, and a switch device (not shown inFIG. 3). The display panel31is mounted on the housing32for displaying the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply30. The display panel31can be detachably or fixedly mounted on the housing32. The housing32is configured to receive the power supply module33and the battery module34, and the modularized power supply module33and the battery module34are hot swappable within the housing32. The control module35is mounted inside the housing32and connected to an external power source41and the battery module34, and powered by the external power source41or the battery module34. The control module35is configured to supply electric power to the display panel31and the switch device (not shown inFIG. 3). The power supply module33is the core of the uninterruptible power supply30, and is made up of a plurality of power conversion elements, including rectifiers, chargers, controllers, inverters, converters, switch devices, and so on. The battery module34is made up of one or more rechargeable batteries (not shown). During the operation phase of the uninterruptible power supply30, the power supply module33and the battery module34can be extracted from the uninterruptible power supply30without the need of shutting down the uninterruptible power supply30.

FIG. 4illustrates a circuit block diagram of a standalone uninterruptible power supply system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the solid arrowheaded line interconnecting the circuit blocks represent power lines and the dashed arrowheaded lines interconnecting the circuit blocks represent signal lines. The inventive uninterruptible power supply30is connected between the external power source41and a load42, and is made up of a display panel31, a housing32, a power supply module33, a battery module34, a control module35, and a switch device36. The power supply module33is connected to the external power source41and the switch device36for receiving electric power from the external power source41and performing rectification, filtration and conversion to the received electric power, and supplying the converted electric power to the load42through the switch device36. On the other hand, the power supply module33is also connected to the battery module34for charging the battery module34and thereby storing electric power in the battery module34. When the external power source41is malfunctioned or becomes abnormal, the battery module34can supply electric power to the power supply module33to enable the power supply module33to boost and convert the electric power supplied from the battery module34and supply the converted power to the load42through the switch device36.

In the circuit block diagram ofFIG. 4, the switch device36is connected between the external power source41and the load42and connected to the power supply module33and the control module35. The switch device36can automatically switch the power supply path by the manipulation of the control module35, so that the electric power can be supplied to the load42through the power supply module33or a bypass route37. The control module35is connected to the external power source41and the battery module34and powered by the external power source41or the battery module34. The control module35is also connected to the display panel31and the switch device36for supplying electric power to the display panel31and the switch device36.

On the other hand, the control module35is configured to receive the system status information from the power supply module33and the battery module34and provide the received information to the display panel31for display. Also, the control module35can issue a control signal to manipulate the switching of the switch device36according to a specific operating status of the power supply module33, for example, the malfunction of the power supply module33or the extraction of the power supply module33from the housing32, so that the electric power can be supplied to the load42through the power supply module33or the bypass route37. The display panel31is connected to and powered through the control module35so as to continuously display the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply30.

Under normal conditions, the uninterruptible power supply30can enable the power supply module33to perform rectification, filtration and conversion to the input AC power received from the external power source41and supply the converted power to the load42. Meanwhile, the power supply module33can charge the battery module34. Besides, the control module35is connected to and powered by the external power source41so that the control module35can provide the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply30to the display panel31for display.

On the other hand, the power supply module33can store electric power in the battery module34during the operation phase of the power supply module33. When the external power source41is malfunctioned or becomes abnormal, the internal switch device of the power supply module33(not shown) performs a switching operation to allow the battery module34to supply electric power. Under this condition, the power supply module33boosts and converts the electric power supplied by the battery module34and supplies the converted electric power to the load42through the switch device36. Meanwhile, the display panel31can be powered by the battery module34through the control module35, and can continuously receive the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply30from the control module35, so that the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply30can be displayed without interruption.

Besides, when it is desired to extract the power supply module33from the housing32of the uninterruptible power supply30for repair or replacement, the control module35can issue a control signal to the switch device36so as to automatically switch the power supply path to the bypass route37. Meanwhile, the uninterruptible power supply30can receive electric power from the external power source41and supply the received electric power to the load42through the bypass route37. Under this condition, the control module35of the uninterruptible power supply30is still connected to the external power source41, and thus the external power source41can supply electric power to the control module35so that the display panel31and the switch device36can be powered without interruption. In this manner, the display panel31can be supplied with sufficient power to continuously display the system status information received from the control module35, such as the input voltage, output voltage, and working temperature.

In summary, the inventive standalone uninterruptible power supply30allows the control module35to be independent of the power supply module33, and thus the power supply path can be switched to the bypass route37so as to continuously supply electric power to the load42when the power supply module33is malfunctioned or extracted from the housing32. On the other hand, the display panel31is connected to the control module35which can be powered by the external power source41or the battery module34. When the power supply module33is malfunctioned or extracted from the housing32, the system status information of the uninterruptible power supply30can be displayed without interruption.