Patent Publication Number: US-2021194280-A1

Title: Smart power device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a power device and, in particular to a smart power device. 
     Description of Prior Art 
     An electric appliance is usually in standby mode without powering off automatically when not in use. However, electrical appliances will still cause power loss even if they are not running; thus, it does not satisfy the environmental protection requirements of energy conservation and carbon reduction. 
     Moreover, with the popularity of cloud computing platforms, power management and power control also keep up with the times. Therefore, power products need to be adjusted internally in response to system instructions, such as shutdown, startup, or status reporting, etc. to meet requirements of the cloud computing. In addition, the appearance of today&#39;s products requires miniaturization. In this regard, how to provide a miniature smart power device is the research motivation of the inventor. 
     In view of the above drawbacks, the inventor proposes the present invention based on his expert knowledge and elaborate researches in order to solve the problems of prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a smart power device to simplify the assembly and improve the yield rate of production. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a smart power device having advantages of small volume, low cost, and high security. 
     In order to achieve the objects mentioned above, the present invention provides a smart power device including a control module and a power transfer unit. The control module includes a circuit board, a communication circuit, a control circuit and a switching circuit, wherein the communication circuit, the control circuit and the switching circuit are disposed on the circuit board. The communication circuit is capable of receiving a wireless signal for generating a command signal. The control circuit generates a control signal according to the command signal. The switching circuit has a first cable and a second cable and is capable of conducting or interrupting the first cable and the second cable according to the control signal. The power transfer unit is electrically connected with the switching circuit for receiving an AC input voltage and will supply an output voltage according to the control signal. The power transfer unit comprises a main shell seat, a first conductive sheet, a second conductive sheet, a separation shell seat and a separation conductive sheet. The main shell seat has a first receiving slot, a second receiving slot and an insertion portion. The first conductive sheet is disposed in the first receiving slot. The first conductive sheet has one end used to receive the AC input voltage and the other end used to supply the output voltage. The second conductive sheet is disposed in the second receiving slot. The second conductive sheet has one end used to receive the AC input voltage and the other end used to electrically connect with the first cable. The separation shell seat has a separation receiving slot and a sliding rail. The separation shell seat inserts into the insertion portion through the sliding rail to combine with the main shell seat. The separation conductive sheet is disposed in the separation receiving slot. The separation conductive sheet has one end electrically connected with the second cable and the other end used to supply the output voltage, wherein the control circuit conducts or interrupts the first cable and the second cable through the switching circuit to provide or interrupt the output voltage. 
     Comparing to the prior art, the smart power device of the present invention includes a power transfer unit that has the power input and power output disposed in corresponding front and rear sides, so that the overall volume can be reduced. Furthermore, the separation conductive sheet and the second conductive sheet of the present invention are individually arranged in their respective slots and are isolated from each other so as to achieve the purpose of electrical insulation. In addition, the separation conductive sheet of the present invention is disposed in the separation shell seat, and then the separation shell seat will slide into the main shell seat. Thereby, the purpose of electrical connection in a limited space will be achieved, and the assembly of the power transfer unit will be simplified. Furthermore, when the power transfer unit is plugged or unplugged, each of the conductive sheets can be held in a good electrical conduction under an external force. Therefore, the safety and practicability of the present invention will be enhanced. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, which describes a number of exemplary embodiments of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  are perspective appearance views in two sides of the smart power device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective explosion view of smart power device of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective appearance view of the power transfer unit of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial perspective explosion view of the power transfer unit of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective explosion view of the conductive sheet and the main shell seat of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective explosion view of the separation shell seat and the separation conductive sheet of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is another embodiment of the separation shell seat of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In cooperation with attached drawings, the technical contents and detailed description of the invention are described thereinafter according to a number of preferable embodiments, being not used to limit its executing scope. Any equivalent variation and modification made according to appended claims is all covered by the claims claimed by the present invention. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , which depict perspective appearance views in two sides of the smart power device of the present invention. The present invention is a smart power device  1  including a control module  10  and a power transfer unit  20 . The control module  10  is electrically connected with the power transfer unit  20  for controlling the operation of the power transfer unit  20 . Preferably, the smart power device  1  further includes a housing seat  30 . The control module  10  and the power transfer unit  20  are disposed in the housing seat  30  to constitute the smart power device  1 . 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, the control module  10  includes a circuit board  11 , a communication circuit, a control circuit and a switching circuit (not numbered), wherein the communication circuit, the control circuit and the switching circuit are disposed on the circuit board  11 . The communication circuit is capable of receiving a wireless signal for generating a command signal. The control circuit generates a control signal according to the command signal. 
     The switching circuit has a first cable  12 , a second cable  13  and a third cablel 4 , and the switching circuit is capable of conducting or interrupting the first cable  12  and the second cable  13  according to the control signal to provide or interrupt the output voltage. 
     Moreover, the power transfer unit  20  is electrically connected with the switching circuit for receiving an AC input voltage and providing an output voltage according to the control signal. In addition, the power transfer unit  20  further includes a plurality of power pins  200  and a grounding pin  201  for receiving the AC input voltage. The structures of the power transfer unit  20  will be described in more detail later. 
     With referring to  FIG. 3 , it depicts a perspective explosion view of smart power device of the present invention. The control module  10  and the power transfer unit  20  are fixed in the housing seat  30 . The power transfer unit  20  includes a main shell seat  21 , a first conductive sheet  22 , a second conductive sheet  23 , a separation shell seat  24 , a separation conductive sheet  25  and a grounding conductive sheet  26 . The first conductive sheet  22 , the second conductive sheet  23  and the grounding conductive sheet  26  are assembled in the main shell seat  21 . In addition, the separation conductive sheet  25  is assembled in the separation shell seat  24  and then combined to the main shell seat  21 . 
     It is worthy to note that, the power pins  200  in the  FIG. 1  are disposed on a side of the main shell seat  21  away from the separation shell seat  24  and are electrically connected with the first conductive sheet  22  and the second conductive sheet  23  separately. Another thing is worthy to note that, the power pins  200  and the grounding pin  201  are located at a front side of the main shell seat  21 . The first conductive sheet  22 , the second conductive sheet  23  and the grounding conductive sheet  26  are disposed at a rear side of the main shell seat  21  corresponding to the positions of the power pins  200  and the grounding pin  201 . Thereby, the positions of the aforementioned conductive members will be disposed at the corresponding front and rear sides of the main shell seat  21 ; thus, the purpose of reducing the overall volume will be achieved. 
     Please further refer to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 7 , which depict a perspective appearance view of the power transfer unit of the present invention, a partial perspective explosion view of the power transfer unit of the present invention, a perspective explosion view of the conductive sheet and the main shell seat, and a perspective explosion view of the separation shell seat and the separation conductive sheet of the present invention. Please refer to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 . The main shell seat  21  has a first receiving slot  211 , a second receiving slot  212 , an insertion portion  213  and a grounding slot  214 . The first conductive sheet  22  is disposed in the first receiving slot  211 , wherein an end of the first conductive sheet  22  is used to receive the AC input voltage (coupled to the power pins  200  in  FIG. 1 ) and another end of the first conductive sheet  22  is connected to the third cable  14  for providing the output voltage. The second conductive sheet  23  is disposed in the second receiving slot  212 , wherein an end of the second conductive sheet  23  is used to receive the AC input voltage (coupled to the power pins  200  in  FIG. 1 ) and another end of the second conductive sheet  23  is used to electrically connect with the first cable  12 . In addition, the separation conductive sheet  25  is disposed in the separation shell seat  24 , wherein an end of the separation conductive sheet  25  is electrically connected with the second cable  13  and another end of the separation conductive sheet  25  is used to provide the output voltage. The grounding conductive sheet  26  is disposed in the grounding slot  214 , wherein an end of the grounding conductive sheet  26  is used for coupling with the grounding pin  201  in  FIG. 1  and another end of the grounding conductive sheet  26  is provided for ground coupling. 
     In an embodiment of the present invention, the first conductive sheet  22 , the second conductive sheet  23 , the separation conductive sheet  25  and the grounding conductive sheet  26  are U-shaped conductive sheets separately. Moreover, the first receiving slot  211 , the second receiving slot  212 , the separation shell seat  24  and the grounding slot  214  are open slots separately for increasing creepage distances by recessed structures. Therefore, the safety of the invention will be enhanced while using. 
     Specifically, the insertion portion  213  is located at a side of the second receiving slot  212 . The main shell seat  21  has formed with a positioning block  2121  at the second receiving slot  212 . The second conductive sheet  23  is positioned and fixed by the positioning block  2121 , and an insertion piece  2131  is provided at one side of the insertion portion  213 . In addition, the sliding rail  242  is composed of two protrusion pieces  2421  arranged at intervals, and a through slot  2420  is formed between the two protrusion pieces  2421 . When the separation shell seat  24  is assembled to the main shell seat  21 , the separation shell seat  24  is inserted from top of the insertion portion  213  downwardly, and then the insertion piece  2131  is inserted in the through slot  2420  of the sliding rail  242  of the separation shell seat  24 . At last, the separation shell seat  24  will be positioned on top of the second receiving slot  212 . That is, the separation conductive sheet  25  and the second conductive sheet  23  are individually disposed in different slots and the separation conductive sheet  25  will be stacked upon the second conductive sheet  23 . Therefore, the purpose of reducing the overall size will be achieved. Further, the main shell seat  21  is formed with a screw hole  210  at one side of the insertion portion  213 . In addition, the separation shell seat  24  is formed with a perforation  240  at a side facing the insertion portion  213 , and the separation shell seat  24  is fixed on the main shell seat  21  by a screw  243  inserting the perforation  240  and the screw hole  210 . 
     It is worthy to note that, in the present embodiment, the separation shell seat  24  is inserted into the second receiving slot  212  to be fixed through the insertion piece  2131  from top of the main shell seat  21  in a vertical (longitudinal) direction. However, the direction of insertion is not limited in real practice, the separation shell seat  24  can be inserted into the top of the second receiving slot  212  through the insertion piece  2131  in a horizontal (lateral) direction of the main shell seat  21 . 
     It is worth of noticing that the main shell seat  21  is formed with a blocking plate  215  and a stopper  216  around the insertion portion  213 . When the separation shell seat  24  is inserted in the insertion portion  213 , the separation shell seat  24  is supported by the insertion piece  2131 , the blocking plate  215  and the stopper  216  simultaneously. Therefore, when the smart power device  1  is plugged or unplugged under an external force, the separation shell seat  24  will not be moved to prevent from unstable electrical connections. 
     Accordingly, the control module  10  conducts or interrupts the first cable  12  and the second cable  13  through the switching circuit for providing or interrupting the output voltage. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 6 , in an embodiment of the present invention, in the structure of the power transfer unit  20 , the first receiving slot  211  has a first opening  2110  and a first notch  2111 . The first notch  2111  is located at a side away from the insertion portion  213  and communicated with the first opening  2110 . The first conductive sheet  22  is placed into the first receiving slot  211  from the first opening  2110 . 
     Furthermore, the second receiving slot  212  has a stepped opening  2120 , and the stepped opening  2120  is located at a side neighboring the first receiving slot  211 . The second conductive sheet  23  is an L-shaped conductive sheet and has a bent section  231 , and the bent section  231  protrudes from the stepped opening  2120  to connect the first cable  12  (see  FIG. 5 ). 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the separation shell seat  24  has a separation receiving slot  241  and a sliding rail  242 , and the separation conductive sheet  25  is combined in the separation receiving slot  241 . The separation shell seat  24  is inserted into the insertion portion  213  through the sliding rail  242  to combine with the main shell seat  21  (see  FIG. 5 ). 
     Specifically, the separation receiving slot  241  has a separation opening  2410  and a separation slot  2411 . The separation opening  2410  is located at a side away from the second receiving slot  212 , and the separation slot  2411  is located at a side away from the first receiving sot  211  and communicated with the separation opening  2410 . In the present embodiment, the separation conductive sheet  25  is inserted from the separation slot  2411  and combined in the separation receiving slot  241 . 
     Please further refer to  FIG. 8 , which depicts another embodiment of the separation shell seat of the present invention. The present embodiment is substantially the same as the previous embodiment. A power transfer unit  20   a  includes a main shell seat  21   a , a first conductive sheet  22   a , a second conductive sheet  23   a , a separation shell seat  24   a  and a separation conductive sheet  25   a . The first conductive sheet  22   a  and the second conductive sheet  23   a  are assembled in the main shell seat  21   a . In addition, the separation conductive sheet  25   a  is assembled in the separation shell seat  24   a  and then combined with the main shell seat  21   a.    
     Moreover, the main shell seat  21   a  has a first receiving slot  211   a , a second receiving slot  212   a  and an insertion portion  213   a . In the present embodiment, the insertion portion  213   a  is extended in a direction of away from the first receiving slot  211   a  toward the first receiving slot  211   a . On the other hand, the separation shell seat  24   a  has a sliding rail  242   a.    
     While assembling, the sliding rail  242   a  of the separation shell seat  24   a  slides into the insertion portion  213   a  from a side of the main shell seat  21   a  toward the first receiving slot  211   a , so that the insertion portion  213   a  will insert into the sliding rail  242   a  for combining the separation shell seat  24   a  to the main shell seat  21   a . That is, the separation shell seat  24   a  is inserted and positioned in the insertion portion  213   a  in a horizontal direction (lateral direction) of the main shell seat  21   a  by a drawer type coupling manner. Therefore, the disposition of screws and screw holes in the foregoing embodiments can be omitted, and the assembly structure can be simplified. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and improvements have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and improvements are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.