Abstract:
In one embodiment, the present invention is a power adapter for coupling electrical power from a standard North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) power coupling to one or more electronic devices. In one embodiment, the power adapter includes a plug connector adapted for receiving electrical power from the power coupling, a receptacle adapted for providing the electrical power to a slave cable (e.g., an inter-vehicular slave cable), and at least one terminal adapted for providing the electrical power to the electronic devices (e.g., a computer system). The power adapter is thus capable of maximizing the potential of the power coupling to provide electrical power for multiple simultaneous uses.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/650,608, filed Feb. 7, 2005, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to power couplings and relates more particularly to adapters for supplying electrical power from power couplings to other devices. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) standardization agreement (STANAG) 4074 (“Auxiliary Power Unit Connections for Starting Tactical Land Vehicles”) defines the physical and electrical characteristics of a power coupling provisioned on many military vehicles used throughout NATO countries. The purpose of the power coupling is to provide, by use of an inter-vehicular slave cable, means for “jump starting” a second vehicle which has low power and is unable to be started in the usual manner. 
   Just as cigarette lighters in consumer vehicles have become a popular means for providing power to other electrical devices (e.g., cellular phone chargers), the power coupling on military vehicles is often used to supply electrical power to additional devices that are temporarily installed in the vehicle (e.g., computer systems). Typically only a single power coupling is provided in a vehicle, although several devices may need to be simultaneously powered at any given time. Competition therefore exists between devices for access to the power coupling. Moreover, use of the power coupling to provide electrical power to these devices prevents the power coupling from being available for its primary purpose, namely, jump starting second vehicles. 
   Thus, there is a need in the art for a power adapter for use with standard NATO power couplings. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In one embodiment, the present invention is a power adapter for coupling electrical power from a standard North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) power coupling to one or more electronic devices. In one embodiment, the power adapter includes a plug connector adapted for receiving electrical power from the power coupling, a receptacle adapted for providing the electrical power to a slave cable (e.g., an inter-vehicular slave cable), and at least one terminal adapted for providing the electrical power to the electronic devices (e.g., a computer system). The power adapter is thus capable of maximizing the potential of the power coupling to provide electrical power for multiple simultaneous uses. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The teaching of the present invention can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a power adapter, according to the present invention; 
       FIGS. 1B and 1C  illustrate planar views of a first side and a second side of the power adapter of  FIG. 1A , respectively; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of the power adapter of  FIGS. 1A-1C ; 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the power adapter; 
       FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional and planar views of one embodiment of the center pin; 
       FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional and planar views of one embodiment of the negative female; 
       FIGS. 6A ,  6 B and  6 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional and planar views of one embodiment of the dielectric female; 
       FIGS. 7A ,  7 B and  7 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional and planar views of one embodiment of the negative male; and 
       FIGS. 8A ,  8 B and  8 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional and planar views of one embodiment of the dielectric male. 
     To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   In one embodiment, the present invention relates to power couplings for standard NATO vehicle power couplings (such as those used in many military vehicles). Embodiments of the invention are configured not only to provide power from the power coupling to additional electronic devices (e.g., computer systems), but also to provide power to an inter-vehicular slave cable. Thus, the potential of the power coupling is maximized without impeding its use for its primary purpose. 
     FIG. 1A  illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a power adapter  100 , according to the present invention.  FIGS. 1B and 1C  illustrate planar views of a first side and a second side of the power adapter  100  of  FIG. 1A , respectively. The power adapter  100  is configured for insertion in a standard NATO power coupling (e.g., as used in a military vehicle) and comprises a non-electrically conducting housing  102  for containing a plurality of coupling components (described in greater detail with respect to  FIG. 2 ) that facilitate the coupling of power from the power coupling to an electronic device (e.g., a computer system). The exterior of the housing  102  includes a plug connector  104 , a receptacle  106  and at least one terminal  108 . 
   The plug connector  104  is coupled to the housing  102  and is adapted to mate with a receptacle connector (not shown) of the standard NATO power coupling to receive electrical power therefrom. That is, the plug connector  104  is where the power adapter  100  “plugs in” to the power coupling. The receptacle  106  is also coupled to the housing  102  and is adapted to mate with a plug connector of an inter-vehicular slave cable (not shown, e.g., for jump starting a second vehicle) to provide electrical power thereto. Thus, the receptacle  106  is where the slave cable plugs in to the power adapter  100 . Accordingly, the receptacle  106  is configured in a manner substantially similar to a typical receptacle connector for a standard NATO power coupling, such as a receptacle connector with which the plug connector  104  can mate. Each terminal  108  is coupled to the housing  102  and is adapted to supply electrical power to an electronic device coupled thereto (not shown). To this end, each terminal comprises an electrical connection connected to an exterior binding post. 
   In this manner, the power adapter  100  is configured not only to provide power from the power coupling to additional electronic devices (e.g., computer systems, via terminals  108 ), but also to provide power to an inter-vehicular slave cable (via the receptacle  106 ). Thus, the potential of the power coupling is maximized without impeding its use for its primary purpose. Moreover, multiple power adapters conforming to the design of the power adapter  100  may be used simultaneously by inserting their respective plug connectors  104  into their neighboring power adapter&#39;s receptacles  106 . 
   Moreover, although the power adapter  100  has been described within the context of a type 1 NATO power coupling, the power adapter  100  may also be easily adapted for use with type 2 NATO power couplings by utilizing a known converter device that adapts type 2 NATO power couplings for use by type 1 NATO power coupling connectors. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view of the power adapter  100  of  FIGS. 1A-1C , and  FIG. 3  illustrates a cross-sectional view of the power adapter  100  (i.e., taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 1C ). As illustrated, the housing  102  is split into first and second pieces  102   a ,  102   b  that are joined by a plurality of fasteners (e.g., screws)  200 . The coupling components that are contained within the housing are further illustrated as well, including a negative female  202 , a dielectric female  204 , a center pin  206 , a dielectric male  208  and a negative male  210 . These coupling components form the plug connector  104  and receptacle  106 . 
     FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional (i.e., taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 4C ) and planar views of one embodiment of the center pin  206 . In one embodiment, the center pin  206  is constructed from one or more materials that comply with NATO standard STANAG 4074 §4e and has a substantially elongated shape having a first end  402 , a second end  404  and an enlarged middle section  406 . In one embodiment, each of the first end  402 , second end  404  and middle section  406  has a different diameter, with the diameter of the middle section  406  being the greatest. The middle section  406  further comprises a cut-away section  410 . The first end  402  of the center pin  206  further comprises a screw tap  408  for attaching (e.g., via mediating circuitry in some embodiments) wiring to electrically connect the center pin  206  to a terminal  108  of the power adapter  100 . 
     FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional (i.e., taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 5C ) and planar views of one embodiment of the negative female  202 . In one embodiment, the negative female  202  is constructed from one or more materials that comply with NATO standard STANAG 4074 §4e and has a hollow, substantially cylindrical body  500  having a first end  502  and a second end  504 . The second end  504  further comprises a lip  506  that extends around at least a portion of the circumference of the second end  504 , except for a cut-away portion  508  that allows for routing of wiring (not show) to the negative male  210 . The lip  506  further comprises one or more screw taps  510   a - 510   c  (hereinafter collectively referred to as “screw taps  510 ”) for further facilitating mating of the negative female  202  with the negative male  210  (i.e., via one or more fasteners inserted therein). 
     FIGS. 6A ,  6 B and  6 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional (i.e., taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 6C ) and planar views of one embodiment of the dielectric female  204 . The dielectric female  204  is shaped in a manner substantially similar to the negative female  202  and has a hollow, substantially cylindrical body  600  having a first end  602  and a second end  604 . The second end  604  further comprises a lip  606  that extends around at least a portion of the circumference of the second end  604 , except for a cut-away portion  608  that allows for routing of wiring (not show) to the center pin  206 . In addition, dielectric female  204  comprises a hollow cavity  610  for mating with the middle section  406  of the center pin  206 , as discussed in further detail below. The mating of the cavity  610  with the middle section  406  of the center pin  206  substantially prevents rotation of the center pin  206  when the power adapter  100  is assembled. The dielectric female  204  is formed of an electrically non-conductive material. 
     FIGS. 7A ,  7 B and  7 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional (i.e., taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 74C ) and planar views of one embodiment of the negative male  210 . In one embodiment, the negative male  210  is constructed from one or more materials that comply with NATO standard STANAG 4074 §4e and is shaped in a manner substantially similar to the negative female  202 . Thus, the negative male  210  has a hollow, substantially cylindrical body  700  having a first end  702  and a second end  704 . A first screw tap  714  allows for the attachment of wiring (not shown) that electrically connects (e.g., via mediating circuitry in some embodiments) the negative male  210  to a terminal  108  of the power adapter  100 . The second end  704  further comprises a lip  706  that extends around at least a portion of the circumference of the second end  704 , except for a cut-away portion  708  that allows for routing of wiring (not shown) to a terminal  108  of the power adapter  100 . In addition, the lip  706  further comprises one or more additional screw taps  710   a - 710   c  (hereinafter collectively referred to as “screw taps  710 ”) for further facilitating mating of the negative female  202  with the negative male  210  (i.e., via one or more fasteners inserted therein). 
     FIGS. 8A ,  8 B and  8 C illustrate, respectively, perspective, cross-sectional (i.e., taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 8C ) and planar views of one embodiment of the dielectric male  208 . The dielectric male  208  is shaped in a manner substantially similar a washer and has a substantially elliptical body  800  having an aperture  802  formed substantially centrally therein. The body  800  further comprises a lip  804  that extends around at least a portion of the circumference of the body  800 , except for a cut-away portion  806  that allows for routing of wiring (not shown) to the negative male  210 . The dielectric male  208  is formed of an electrically non-conductive material. 
   Referring back to  FIG. 2 , the assembly of the coupling components will be discussed in greater detail. As illustrated, center pin  206  is adapted to connect the positive terminal of the plug connector  104  to the positive terminal of the receptacle  106 , while the negative female  202  and the negative male  210  are adapted, when physically mated (e.g., via fasteners disposed through the screw taps  510  and  710 ), to connect the negative terminal of the plug connector  104  to the negative terminal of the receptacle  106 . Thus, the center pin  206  comprises the innermost component of the power adapter  100  and is “nested” within the physically mated negative female  202  and negative male  210 , where both the negative female  202  and the negative male  210 . 
   The dielectric female  204  is positioned between the center pin  206  and the negative female  202  (e.g., such that the center pin  206  is nested within the dielectric female  204 , which is nested within the negative female  202 ) in order to insulate the negative female  202  from the center pin  206 . Specifically, as discussed above, the cavity  610  of the dielectric female  204  mates with the middle section  406  of the center pin  206  to substantially prevent rotation of the center pin  206  when the power adapter  100  is assembled. 
   The dielectric male  208  is positioned between the center pin  206  and the negative male  210  (e.g., such that the second end  404  of the center pin  206  protrudes through the aperture  802  in the dielectric male  208 , which is nested within the negative male  210 ) in order to insulate the negative male  210  from the center pin  206 . 
   In one embodiment, electrical connections (not shown) between the coupling components and the terminals  108  of the power adapter are made by connecting a first terminal  108  (e.g., by wire of a suitable gauge to pass the required current) to the center pin  206 . A second terminal  108  is then connected in a similar fashion to the negative male  210 . In further embodiments, these electrical connections are mediated by circuitry (e.g., a fuse, a circuit breaker, a surge protector, a switch, a light-emitting diode or other visual indicator of live terminals, or a transformer for providing alternate output voltages). In one embodiment, mediating circuitry is rated such that when the power adapter  100  is connected to a vehicle power coupling and to an inter-vehicular slave cable, any equipment connected to a terminal  108  of the power adapter  100  is protected from the use of the slave cable to jump start a second vehicle. 
   In further embodiments still, the power adapter  100  comprises multiple pairs  108  of terminals. In one embodiment, different terminal pairs utilize the same mediating circuitry. In another embodiment, different terminal pairs utilize different mediating circuitry. For example, each terminal pair may provide a different voltage, have an independent fuse or circuit breaker, be controlled by a different switch, or have an independent visual indicator. 
   Thus, the present invention represents a significant advancement in the field of power couplings. Embodiments of the invention are configured not only to provide power from a standard NATO vehicle power coupling to additional electronic devices (e.g. computer systems), but also to provide power to an inter-vehicular slave cable. Thus, the potential of the power coupling is maximized without impeding its use for its primary purpose. 
   While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.