Abstract:
An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) module unit including a storage battery; a unit case to contain the storage battery; a conductive terminal electrically connected to the storage battery, and disposed in the unit case; and an electrode connector partly inserted from the unit case into a hole formed in the conductive terminal, and electrically connecting the conductive terminal to an external device, wherein a slot is formed in the unit case so as to correspond to the conductive terminal and the electrode connector, wherein rotation of the electrode connector is prevented and the electrode connector is not separated from the unit case.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 10-2009-0114056, filed on Nov. 24, 2009, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field 
         [0003]    One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) module unit, and more particularly, to an electrode connector of an UPS module unit. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Technology 
         [0005]    In general, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is an apparatus for supplying power, without interruption, to a load, such as a server apparatus or a subway screen-door, demanding constant power. Usually, the UPS is equipped with a storage battery, and the power stored in the storage battery is supplied to the load when a power line that is connected to the UPS, is cut off. The storage battery is charged by a floating charge method by which a charge voltage is set when a plurality of cells are connected in series, and then charging and discharging are repeated in correspondence to a change in a current flowing in the storage battery. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) module unit includes a storage battery; a unit case to contain the storage battery; a conductive terminal electrically connected to the storage battery, and disposed in the unit case; and an electrode connector partly inserted from the unit case into a hole formed in the conductive terminal, and electrically connecting the conductive terminal to an external device, wherein a slot is formed in the unit case so as to correspond to the conductive terminal and the electrode connector wherein rotation of the electrode connector is prevented and the electrode connector is not separated from the unit case. 
         [0007]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the electrode connector may include a head part and a body part, a cross-sectional area of the head part may be greater than a cross-sectional area of the body part, the head part may be disposed in the unit case while the body part is inserted into the hole formed in the conductive terminal, and the body part may be disposed to be partly protruded from the unit case. 
         [0008]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the head part may have an angled-shape to prevent the rotation of the electrode connector, and the head part may be hexagonal. However, it is understood that the head part may have other shapes and forms. 
         [0009]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the conductive terminal may include a conductive plate that is bent once so as to be approximately orthogonal. Alternatively, the conductive terminal may include a conductive plate having a flat-shape. 
         [0010]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the UPS module unit may further include a connecting member to fix a bus bar that is electrically connected to and inserted into the body part of the electrode connector. Here, the connecting member may be a bolt that is screw-coupled to the body part of the electrode connector, and the connecting member may further include a washer disposed between the bolt and the bus bar. 
         [0011]    Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) module unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the UPS module unit of  FIG. 1 , taken along a line II-II′; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3A  is an exploded perspective view of a unit case in which an electrode connector and a first conductive terminal are disposed according to the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3B  is an exploded perspective view of a unit case in which an electrode connector and a second conductive terminal are disposed according to another embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3C  is a perspective view of a unit case that is engraved in correspondence to the unit case of  FIG. 3A ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3D  is a perspective view for showing a combination between the unit case of  FIG. 3A  and the unit case of  FIG. 3C ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a combination between the unit case of  FIG. 2   —  and a bus bar; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a combination status of an electrode connector, a first conductive terminal, and the bus bar; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a combination example in relation to  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures. 
         [0023]    An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) module unit  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 A through  3 C.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the UPS module unit  1  according to an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the UPS module unit  1 , taken along a line II-II′ of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3A  is an exploded perspective view of a unit case in which an electrode connector and a first conductive terminal are disposed according to the embodiment of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3B  is an exploded perspective view of a unit case in which an electrode connector and a second conductive terminal are disposed according to another embodiment.  FIG. 3C  is a perspective view of a unit case that is engraved in correspondence to the unit case of  FIG. 3A .  FIG. 3D  is a perspective view for showing a combination between the unit case of  FIG. 3A  and the unit case of  FIG. 3C . 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the UPS module unit  1  includes a unit case  10 , a plurality of storage batteries  11 , and an electrode connector  30 . Here, the unit case  10  contains the storage batteries  11  that are electrically connected to the electrode connector  30 . Electrical connection between each of the storage batteries  11  may be in parallel or in series. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , each of the storage batteries  11  is electrically connected to the electrode connector  30  via a first conductor  21  and a first conductive terminal  20 . Referring to  FIG. 3A , the first conductive terminal  20  electrically connects the first conductor  21  and the electrode connector  30 . Here, the electrode connector  30  includes a head part  31  and a body part  32 , and a cross-sectional area of the head part  31  is greater than a cross-sectional area of a body part  32 . The head part  31  of the electrode connector  30  is positioned in the unit case  10 , and the body part  32  is inserted into the first conductive terminal  20  and then is connected to an external device. Here, the head part  31  of the electrode connector  30  may have an angled-shape. For example, the head part  31  may have a hexagonal-shape or an octagonal-shape. However, it is understood that the head part  31  may have other shapes and forms. In this manner, since the head part  31  of the electrode connector  30  has the angled-shape, rotation of the electrode connector  30  is prevented by a slot  40  formed in a unit case upper plate  10   a,  and the electrode connector  30  is not separated from the unit case  10 . Here, it is not necessary to separately produce the electrode connector  30  included in the UPS module unit  1 , and an existing M5 hexagonal screw or an existing L12 screw may be used, making it possible to reduce manufacturing costs and to increase efficiency with respect to the UPS module unit  1 . 
         [0026]    Here, the first conductive terminal  20  may have an orthogonal-shape, and may have two ends that may be electrically connected to the first conductor  21  and the electrode connector  30 , respectively. However, position and formation of the first conductive terminal  20  are not limited thereto. For example, referring to  FIG. 3B , a second conductor  21 ′ may be bent along an inner shape of the unit case  10 , and may be connected to a second conductive terminal  20 ′. Here, the second conductive terminal  20 ′ may have a flat-shape. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 3C , the slot  40  is formed in the unit case upper plate  10   a,  in correspondence to shapes of the first conductive terminal  20  and the electrode connector  30 . The slot  40  that is formed in the unit case upper plate  10   a  is engaged with the angled-shape of the head part  31  of the electrode connector  30  so as to prevent rotation of the electrode connector  30  and to hold the electrode connector  30  in the unit case  10 . For convenience of description, it is illustrated that the slot  40  is formed only in the unit case upper plate  10   a . However, formation of the slot  40  is not limited thereto, and thus the slot  40  may be formed in the unit case upper plate  10   a  or in a unit case lower plate  10   b.    
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 3D , the unit case upper plate  10   a  may be coupled with the unit case lower plate  10   b,  and the body part  32  of the electrode connector  30  may protrude from the unit case  10  so as to be electrically connected to an external device. For example, the externally protruded electrode connector  30  may be connected to a bus bar  50 . 
         [0029]    Since a plurality of the UPS module units  1  are used by being connected in parallel or in series, stable electrical connection between each of the UPS module units  1  is important. The UPS module units  1  may be electrically connected by using the bus bar  50 . The combination between the UPS module unit  1  and the bus bar  50  is described with reference to  FIGS. 4 through 6 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a combination between the unit case  10  of  FIG. 2  and the bus bar  50 .  FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a combination status of the electrode connector  30 , the first conductive terminal  20 , and the bus bar  50 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the head part  31  of the electrode connector  30  is positioned in the unit case lower plate  10   b  so as to prevent rotation of the electrode connector  30  via the slot  40  of the unit case upper plate  10   a , and to fix and support the electrode connector  30  so that the electrode connector  30  may not fall into the unit case  10  or may not become detached from the unit case  10 . The body part  32  of the electrode connector  30  is connected to the bus bar  50 , and then is fixed and supported via a connecting member  60 . Here, the bus bar  50  may charge the storage batteries  11  by receiving electricity from the external device or may supply electricity to an external device by electrically connecting the electrodes of the UPS module units  1 . When the electrode connector  30  is supported and fixed to the bus bar  50  via the connecting member  60 , a washer  70  may be disposed between the bus bar  50  and the connecting member  60 .  FIG. 5  is a diagram for showing a combination order by which the electrode connector  30 , the first conductive terminal  20 , the bus bar  50 , the washer  70 , and the connecting member  60  are sequentially combined. Here, the first conductive terminal  20  may be replaced with the second conductive terminal  20 ′, and the washer  70  may be omitted or interposed between the first conductive terminal  20  and the bus bar  50 .  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a combination example in relation to  FIG. 5 . 
         [0031]    Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.