Patent Publication Number: US-11664665-B2

Title: System and method for power distribution

Description:
This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/912,870, filed Mar. 6, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/467,432, filed Mar. 6, 2017, the entire contents of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     Embodiments relate to power distribution systems. 
     SUMMARY 
     Power distribution systems, such as a power strip or a multiple outlet device, may include one or more electrical sockets. The power strip, or multiple outlet device, may include an input and one or more outputs, each having a similar power. However, users may require inputs and outputs configured to receive and output different powers. 
     Thus, one embodiment provides a power distribution system including a first power module and a second power module. The first power module including a first power input receiving an input power, a first rectifier receiving the input power and outputting a rectified power, and a first power output configured to output the input power. The first power module further including a second power output configured to output the rectified power, a pass-through output configured to output input power, and a first circuit breaker configured to provide overcurrent protection before the input power is received by the first rectifier and the first power output. The second power module including a second power input receiving the input power, from the pass-through output of the first power module, a second rectifier receiving the input power and outputting a second rectified power, and a third power output configured to output the input power. The second power module further including a fourth power output configured to output the second rectified power, and a second circuit breaker configured to provide overcurrent protection before the input power is received by the second rectifier and the third power output and provide overcurrent protection after the input power is output from the pass-through output. 
     Another embodiment provides a method of distributing power. The method including receiving, via an input power, an input power, rectifying, via a first rectifier, the input power into a rectified power, and outputting, via a first power output, the input power. The method further including outputting, via a second power output, the rectified power, outputting, via a pass-through output, the input power, and providing, via a first circuit breaker within a first housing of a first power module, overcurrent protection before the input power is received by the first rectifier and the first power output. The method further including receiving, via a second power input, the input power from the pass-through output, rectifying, via a second rectifier, the input power from third power input into a second rectified power, and outputting, via a third power output, the input power from the third power input. The method further including outputting, via a fourth power output, the rectified power from the second rectifier, and providing, via a second circuit breaker within a second housing of a second power module, overcurrent protection before the input power is received by the second transformer and the third power output and provide overcurrent protection after the input power is output from the pass-through output. 
     Other aspects of the application will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    illustrates a power distribution system according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  2    illustrates a front view of a power module of the power distribution system of  FIG.  1    according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  3    illustrates a block diagram of the power module of  FIG.  2    according to some embodiments. 
         FIG.  4    is a flow chart illustrating a process, or operation, of the power distribution system of  FIG.  1    according to some embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any embodiments of the application are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the application is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The application is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a power distribution system  100  according to some embodiments. The power distribution system  100  includes a power input  105  and one or more power modules  110  (for example, power modules  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c ). The power input  105  is configured to receive an input power. In the illustrated embodiment, the power input  105  is a power plug configured to receive the input power from an electrical socket. In some embodiments, the input power is approximately 110 VAC to approximately 120 VAC. In other embodiments, the input power is approximately 210 VAC to approximately 220 VAC. 
       FIGS.  2  and  3    illustrate a power module  110  according to some embodiments. The power module  110  includes a power module housing  200 , a transformer  205 , a first power output  210 , and a second power output  215 . In some embodiments, the power module  110  may further include a third power output  220  and a circuit breaker  225 . 
     The transformer  205  is configured to transform the input power to a transformed power. In some embodiments, the transformer  205  is a step up &amp; down transformer. In such an embodiment, the transformer  205  is configured to receive an input power of approximately 120 VAC and output a transformed power of approximately 220 VAC. Additionally, in such an embodiment, the transformer  205  is configured to receive an input power of approximately 220 VAC and output a transformed power of approximately 120 VAC. 
     In some embodiments, such as the one illustrated, the transformer  205  is located within the power module housing  200 . However, in other embodiments, the transformer  205  may be located outside the power module housing  200  and includes its own transformer housing. 
     In some embodiments, the power outputs  210 ,  215 ,  220  are power receptacles configured to receive a power plug. In some embodiments, power outputs  210 ,  215 ,  220  are similar power receptacles configured to output similar power, while in other embodiments, power outputs  210 ,  215 ,  220  are different power receptacles configured to output power having different characteristics (for example, different voltage amplitudes and/or magnitudes, different voltage frequencies, alternating current, or direct current). In the illustrated embodiments, the first power output  210  is a European power receptacle configured to output power having approximately 220 VAC, the second power output  215  is a North American power receptacle configured to output power having approximately 120 VAC, and the third power output  220  is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) power output configured to output approximately 5 VDC. However, in other embodiments, the outputs  210 ,  215 , and  220  may be different. 
     In embodiments including a USB power output, such as the one illustrated, the power module  110  further includes a rectifier  225 , or other converter. The rectifier  225  may be configured to receive the input power, rectify the input power from AC to DC, and output the rectified DC power. In the illustrated embodiment, the rectifier  225  outputs the rectified DC power to the third power output  220 . 
     Circuit breaker  230  is configured to provide overcurrent protection to the power module  110 . In operation, the circuit breaker  230  senses an overcurrent condition (for example, from an overload or short circuit) and interrupts current flow to power outputs  210 ,  215 ,  220  upon sensing the overload condition. In such an embodiment, the power module  110  may further include one or more user-interfaces  235  for operating the circuit breaker  230 . For example, the user-interfaces  235  may be a RESET button and a TEST button. 
     In embodiments having two or more power modules  110  electrically coupled together, a first power module (for example, power module  110   a  ( FIG.  1   )) includes a pass-through output  240 . The pass-through output  240  passes through, and outputs, the input voltage to an additional power module (for example, power module  110   b  ( FIG.  1   )). In such an embodiment, power module  110   b  ( FIG.  1   ) may also include a pass-through output  240  to pass through, and output, the input voltage to power module  110   c.    
       FIG.  4    illustrates a process, or operation,  300  of the power distribution system  100  according to some embodiments. It should be understood that the order of the steps disclosed in process  300  could vary. Although illustrated as occurring in parallel order, in other embodiments, the steps disclosed may be performed in serial order. Furthermore, additional steps may be added to the process and not all of the steps may be required. 
     The input power is received via the input power  105  of a first power module  110  (for example, power module  110   a  of  FIG.  1   ) (block  305 ). The power is transformed to a transformed power via a transformer  205  (block  310 ). The input power is then output via the first power output  210  (block  315 ). The transformed power is then output via the second power output  210  (block  320 ). The input power is also output via the pass-through output  240  (block  325 ). 
     The input power output via the pass-through output  240  is then received by a second power module  110  (for example, power module  110   b  of  FIG.  1   ) (block  330 ). The input power received by the second power module  110  is transformed into a transformed power (block  335 ). The input power received by the second power module  110  is then output via the first power output  210  of the second power module  110  (block  340 ). The transformed power is then output via the second power output  210  of the second power module  110  (block  345 ). 
     Thus, the application provides, among other things, a system and method for distributing power. Various features and advantages of the application are set forth in the following claims.