Electrical power supply assembly

An electrical power supply assembly includes a base member, a cover member connected to the base member to confine a space, at least one partitioning plate disposed between the base and cover members to divide the space into a plurality of side-by-side adjacent compartments, a plurality of rails disposed on the base and cover members and the partitioning plate, a plurality of electrical power supply units slidably disposed inside the space and having slide members held slidably by the rails, a rear cover attached to the base and cover members, an electrical circuit board mounted on the rear cover and electrically connected to the power supply units, and an electrical control box disposed outwardly of the space and connected to the base and cover members and the rear cover.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to an electrical power supply assembly, more 
particularly to an electrical power supply assembly holding therein a 
plurality of electrical power supply units which are aligned horizontally. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Conventional electrical power supply units are normally stacked vertically 
in an electrical power supply assembly, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The 
conventional electrical power supply assembly 10 has an integral housing 
with a plurality of storing chambers 101 one above the other. Adjacent 
storing chambers 101 are partitioned by pairs of rails 12 mounted 
respectively on opposite side walls 11 of the housing, and a bar 14 
transversely connected to the opposite side walls of the housing. An 
electrical power supply unit 20 is received inside each of the storing 
chambers 101, and is supported by the rails 12 so as to be slidable in and 
out of the storing chamber 101. The housing has screw hole 13 provided on 
each bar 14. Each electrical power supply unit 20 is provided with an ear 
member 21 that projects therefrom and that has an ear hole so that the 
power supply unit 20 can be fastened to the bars 14, via screws extending 
through the screw holes 13 and the ear holes, when the power supply unit 
20 is placed inside the storing chamber 101. 
The conventional electrical power supply assembly 10 is normally arranged 
in a manner that the power supply units 20 which are to be stored therein 
can only be stacked vertically. Such sn arrangement would occupy a space 
with a substantial height and is not suitable for placement at a location 
where height is limited. 
In co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/240,038, the applicant disclosed 
a power supply assembly which comprises a variable number of stacked 
modular containers, and an engaging unit and a fastening unit provided on 
each container to permit the containers to connect with one another. The 
container assembly holds an electrical power supply assembly which 
includes a plurality of electrical power supply units respectively 
received inside the stacked containers, and an electrical control device 
electrically connected to the electrical power supply units and received 
inside a control box mounted on the top or bottom of the stacked 
containers. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an 
electrical power supply assembly that holds therein a plurality of 
juxtaposed electrical power supply units and that can be laid in a 
horizontal position. 
According to the present invention, an electrical power supply assembly 
comprises: a U-shaped base member having a pair of first side plates and a 
first intermediate plate interconnecting the first side plates, the first 
side plates having first end faces which are opposite and substantially 
parallel to the first intermediate plate; a U-shaped cover member 
connected to the base member to confine a space, the cover member having a 
pair of second side plates and a second intermediate plate interconnecting 
the second side plates, the second side plates having second end faces 
which are opposite and substantially parallel to the second intermediate 
plate and which abut against the first end faces, respectively; connecting 
means disposed on the first and second end faces and interconnecting the 
first and second side plates; at least one partitioning plate disposed 
between the base and cover members to divide the space into a plurality of 
side-by-side adjacent compartments, the partitioning plate having two 
opposing ends connected respectively to the first and second intermediate 
plates; a plurality of rails extending along lines parallel to the first 
and second side plates inside the space, the rails being disposed on the 
partitioning plate, the first side plates, and the second side plates and 
being spaced apart vertically and aligned horizontally; a plurality of 
electrical power supply units slidably disposed inside the space and 
having slide members held slidably by the rails, respectively, at least 
one of the power supply units being received by each of the compartments; 
a rear cover attached to the base and cover members, the rear cover 
bridging the first intermediate plate and the second intermediate plate 
and further bridging the pairs of the first and second side plates; an 
electrical circuit board mounted on the rear cover and electrically 
connected to the power supply units; and an electrical control box 
disposed outwardly of the space and connected to one of the first side 
plates, one of the second side plates, and the rear cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 2 shows an electrical power supply assembly 1 embodying the present 
invention. The electrical power supply assembly 1 includes a container 
assembly 30, a rear cover 40, a control box 70, and four electrical power 
supply units 50 stored inside the container assembly 30. 
As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the container assembly 30 includes a 
U-shaped base member 301 and a U-shaped cover member 302 connected to the 
base member 301 to confine a receiving space. The base and cover members 
301, 302 have identical configuration and dimensions, and include first 
and second intermediate plates 303, 304, respectively. A pair of first 
side plates 305 and a pair of second side plates 306 are interconnected 
respectively by the first and second intermediate plates 303, 304. Each 
first side plate 305 has a right-angled first end flange 36 opposite and 
parallel to the first intermediate plate 303. Each second side plate 306 
has a right-angled second end flange 37 opposite and parallel to the 
second intermediate plate 304. Each of the first and second end flanges 
36, 37 has a first ear piece 31 projecting outwardly therefrom and a first 
slit 32 opposite to the first ear piece 31. Each first ear piece 31 is 
formed by cutting the corresponding one of the first and second end 
flanges 36, 37 to form a split part and by bending the split part to 
project outwardly therefrom. The first side plates 305 and the second side 
plates 306 are interconnected by insertion of the first ear pieces 31 into 
the corresponding first slits 32. As illustrated in FIG. 5, each inserted 
ear piece 31 is fastened to one of the adjacent first and second side 
plates 305, 306 by a screw extending through aligned screw holes 35 
disposed in the first ear piece 31 and the first or second side plate 305, 
306. 
The container assembly 30 further includes a partitioning member 34 
disposed between the base and cover members 301, 302 and having two 
opposing ends connected respectively to the first and second intermediate 
plates 303, 304 so as to divide the receiving space of the container 
assembly 30 into two side-by-side adjacent and horizontally aligned 
compartments 38. The partitioning member 34 is formed by joining two 
identical partitioning plates side-by-side. 
Each of the first and second side plates 305, 306 is provided with a rail 
33 extending along the line parallel to a corresponding one of the first 
and second side plates 305, 306. The rails 33 on the first and second side 
plates 305, 306 are spaced apart vertically inside the receiving space of 
the container assembly 30. The partitioning member 34 has two opposing 
faces which are also provided with rails 33 that are aligned horizontally 
with the rails 33 of the first and second side plates 305, 306, 
respectively, so that each compartment 38 is formed with two pairs of 
rails 33 therein. The rails 33 are screwed to the first and second side 
plates 305, 306 and the partitioning member 34. 
There are four electrical power supply units 50, each of which has two 
opposing sides 501 provided respectively with slide members 51 so that the 
electrical power supply units 50 can be held slidably by the rails 33 in 
the compartments 38. 
Two second slits 308 are formed in one of the first side plates 305 
adjacent to the control box 70 and the first intermediate plate 303. 
Another two second slits 308 are formed in one of the second side plates 
306 adjacent to the control box 70 and the second intermediate plate 304. 
The control box 70 has four second ear pieces 702 projecting outwardly 
from one side 701 of the control box 70 and inserted into the four second 
slits 308, respectively, so that the control box 70 can be fastened to the 
container assembly 30 by screws 60 (shown in FIG. 3) which extend through 
screw holes 307 in the first and second intermediate plates 303, 304 and 
screw holes 307' in the ear pieces 702. 
The rear cover 40 disposed on a rear side 309 of the container assembly 30 
bridges the first and second side plates 305, 306 as well as the first and 
second intermediate plates 303, 304, and extends to the control box 70. 
The rear cover 40 includes a chamber 41, an electrical circuit board 42 
disposed within the chamber 41 to electrically connect the electrical 
power supply units 50 and the control box 70, and a spacer plate 43 
disposed between the electrical circuit board 42 and the electrical power 
supply units 50. The rear cover 40 and the spacer plate 43 are provided 
with aligning holes 420, 430, respectively. As shown in FIG. 6, each 
electrical power supply unit 50 is provided at a rear side 502 with 
aligning pins 52 (only one is shown) that extend through corresponding 
aligning holes 420, 430 for proper alignment with the electrical circuit 
board 42. 
With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various 
modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit 
of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be 
limited only as recited in the appended claims.