Abstract:
An electrical device for automatically combining two supply circuits with aligned or unaligned phases, into a single operational circuit, with an output load capacity totaling approximately the sum of the two lower supply circuits. The device, through a series of relays and contactors, internally senses the phase alignment of the supply circuits, chooses the correct path, and automatically connects the supply circuits to the load circuit without the need of manual switches, or additional adapters.

Description:
[0001]     This application is previously claimed by provisional patent application No. 60/644,872 filed Jan. 18, 2005 
     
    
     REFERENCE CITED  
       [0002]     U.S. Patent Documents  
                                               4,204,243   May 1980   ROSS, ANTHONY   361/245       5,160,852   November 1992   CHARLES ET.AL   307/77       5,245,219   September 1993   ROMATZIK, JR. ET AL   307/71       5,302,857   April 1994   CHARLES ET AL   307/20                  
 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     This invention relates to electrical power adapters, more particularly to an automatic adapter for supplying electrical power to a vessel or vehicle load from a pair of combined lower amperage capacity sources, which can be connected to increase the current capacity.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     When marine craft are moored alongside a dock or seawall, electrical power is usually supplied from shore side power sources that may have circuits with lower amperage capacities that the craft require. It is common practice to use adapters of various types to connect two lower amperage circuits into one higher amperage circuit. The most basic types have no safety provisions, such as protecting the exposed blades of an unattached plug, which can cause dangerous shocks and burns, or protection against incorrect phase matching of the shore side power connections, which can result in shorts, blown fuses and or tripped circuit breakers. Some phase-sensing units do have the capabilities to avoid the potential safety hazards and shorts, but if the phases are not aligned properly at the shore-power supplies the units will not allow power through without additional adapters, or rewiring. Some phase-sensing units may have capabilities to switch the phases manually, but not automatically. The automatic power adapter has the features to safely avoid shocks and burns, to sense the alignment of the phases, and to automatically align the phases if necessary, and connect the circuits correctly without any additional switches or adapters.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The purpose of this device is to automatically and safely adapt two lower amperage capacity circuits into a single higher amperage capacity circuit, equaling the approximate sum of the two lower amperage circuits, such as two 240 volt 50 amp circuits into one 240 volt 100 amp circuit. This device is able to automatically adapt the two lower amperage capacity circuits into a high amperage circuit without any additional adapters, whether or not the phases of the lower amperage circuits are aligned. The present art senses the phases and will connect the circuits if the phases are aligned. However if the phases are not aligned the devices will not be able to connect the circuits without additional adapters or rewiring.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]      FIG. 1  view of internal components.  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  plug # 1  (P 1 ) inserted only  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  plug # 2  (P 2 ) inserted only  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  both plug # 1  (P 1 ) and plug #  2  (P 2 ) inserted with polarities aligned.  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  both plug # 1  (P 1 ) and plug #  2  (P 2 ) inserted with polarities not aligned.  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  external view 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  of the drawings illustrates the internal configuration of the automatic power adapter.  
         [0013]     Main components consisting of, but not limited to:  
         [0014]     Three two or three pole contactors C 28 , C 29 , and C 30   
         [0015]     One timer T 31   
         [0016]     Five relays R 23 , R 24 , R 25 , R 26 , and R 27   
         [0017]     Three indicator lights  
         [0018]     As an additional safety measure, contactors C 29  and C 30  can be equipped with a mechanical lockout or normally closed auxiliary contactor switches to eliminate the possibility of both contactors activating at the same time.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  of the drawings illustrates the following.  
         [0020]     When plug # 1  (P  1 ) is inserted into a matching receptacle or connector with two opposite pole 110-120-volt live lines, a neutral, and a ground, power will flow from line  1 B to the coil of relay R  23  to the neutral of plug # 1  (P  1 ) completing the 110-120 volt circuit, activating the relay, closing the normally open contacts  1 ,  2 , and  3 . Power will flow from line L 1 A, and from line L 1 B to L 41  to illuminate the 240 volt lamp L  41 . No further actions takes place unless plug #  2  (P 2 ) is inserted into a matching receptacle or connector. Until that time, the plug #  2  (P 2 ) will not have any power to any blades, therefore avoiding the possibilities of shocks or burns.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  of the drawings illustrates the following  
         [0022]     When only plug # 2  (P 2 ) is inserted into a receptacle or connector with two opposite pole live lines, a neutral, and a ground, power will flow from line L 2 A, and from line L 2 B to L 42  to illuminate the 240 volt lamp L  42 . there will be no action because one of the leads to the timer, (T 31 ) is wired to the open contacts  2  of relay R  23 , which will not activate until plug #  1  (P 1 ) is inserted into a live receptacle or connector, until that time plug # 1  will not have power to any blades, therefore avoiding the possibilities of shocks or bums.  
         [0023]      FIG. 4 : of the drawings illustrates the following  
         [0024]     1. Inserting P 1  (plug # 1 ) first and P  2  (plug # 2 ) second, when the phases are aligned.  
         [0025]     When P 1  (plug # 1 ) is inserted into a receptacle or connector with two opposite pole 110-120-volt live lines, a neutral, and a ground, power will flow from line L 1 A, and from line L 1 B to L 41  to illuminate the 240 volt lamp L  41 . Power will flow from line  1 B of P 1  to the 110-120 volt coil of relay R  23  to the neutral of P 1  (plug # 1 ) completing the 110-120 volt circuit activating the relay and closing the normally open contacts  1 ,  2 , and  3 . When P 2  (plug # 2 ) is inserted into a matching receptacle or connector with two opposite pole 110-120 volt live lines, a neutral, and a ground in which the phases are aligned with receptacle #  1  power will flow from line  2 A to the closed contacts  2  of relay R 26  on to T  31 , a delay on make timer, and after a prescribed delay, on to the 110-120 volt coil of relay R  26 , to the neutral of P 2  (# 2 -plug), completing the 110-120 volt circuit actuating the relay R 26  closing the normally open contacts  10 ,  11 , and  12 . Power will now flow from line  2 A to closed contacts  1  in R 23  to closed contacts  10  in R 26  to the 240-volt coil of relay R 25  to line  2 B of P 2  (# 2  plug) activating R 25  closing the normally open contacts  7 ,  8 , and  9 . Power from P 1  (plug # 1 ) line 1 A will flow through closed contacts  12  in R 26  to the 240-volt coil of relay R 24  thru closed contacts  3  in R 23  to line  1 B of P 1  (plug # 1 ) activating relay R 24  closing the normally open contacts  4 ,  5 , and  6 . Power from P 1  plug # 1 &#39;s line  1 A will now flow through now closed contacts  7  in R 25  to the 240-volt coil of contactor C 28  to now closed contacts  6  in R 24  on to P  1  (plug # 1 ) line  1 B actuating the contactor, closing contacts C 16  and C  17 . Current can now pass from plug #I line  1 A through contacts C  16  in contactor C 28  to the L 1  terminal on  33  the high amperage connector, and from P 1  (plug # 1 ) line  1 B through contacts C  17  in C 28  on to terminal L 2  on  33  the high amperage connector. Simultaneously power will flow from P 1  (plug # 1 ) line  1 B to now closed contacts  4  in R 24  to the 240-volt coil of contactor C 29 , to normally closed contacts  15  in R 27 , to now closed contacts  8  in R 25  to P  2  (plug # 2 ) line  2 A, actuating the contactor. Power will now pass from P 2  (plug # 2 ) line  2 A to through contacts C 18  in C 29  to the L 1  terminal on  33  the high amperage connector, and from P 2  (plug # 2 )&#39;s line  2 B to contacts C 19  in C 29  the L  2  terminal on  33  the high amperage connector, supplying the amperage capabilities of the sum of plug # 1  and plug #  2  at  33  the high amperage connector. The 240-volt indicator lamp L 22 , attached to L1 and L2 lines will illuminate, indicating that power is available at  33  the high amperage capacity connector, and that the craft can now be powered through the device.  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  of the drawings illustrates the following:  
         [0027]     When P 1  (plug # 1 ) is inserted into a receptacle or connector with two opposite pole 110-120-volt live lines, a neutral, and a ground, power will flow from line  1 B to the 110-120 volt coil of relay R  23  to the neutral of P 1  (plug # 1 ) completing the 110-120 volt circuit activating the relay and closing the normally open contacts  1 ,  2 , and  3 . When P 2  (plug # 2 ) is inserted into a matching receptacle or connector with two opposite pole 110-120 volt live lines, a neutral, and a ground in which the phases are not aligned with receptacle # 1 , power will flow from line  2 B to the now closed contacts  2  in R 23  on to T  1  the timer, and after a prescribed delay, on to the 110-120 volt coil of relay R 26 , to the neutral of P 2  (# 2  plug) completing the 110-120 volt circuit activating relay R 26 , closing the normally open contacts  10 ,  11 , and  12 . Power will now flow from line  2 B to closed contact  1  in R 23  to closed contacts  10  in R 26  to the 240-volt coil of relay R 25  to line  2 A of P  2  (# 2  plug) activating relay R 25  closing contacts  7 ,  8 , and  9 . Power from P 1  (plug # 1 ) line 1 A will flow through closed contacts  12  in R 26  to the 240-volt coil of relay R 24  thru closed contacts  3  in R 23  to line  1 B of P 1  (plug # 1 ) activating relay R 24  closing the normally open contacts  4 ,  5 , and  6 . Power from P 1  (plug # 1 ) line  1 A will now flow through now closed contacts  7  in R 25  to the 240-volt coil of contactor  28  to now closed contacts  6  in R 24  on to P  1  (plug # 1 ) line  1 B actuating the contactor, closing contacts C  16  and C  17 . Power can now pass from plug # 1  line  1 A through contacts C  16  in contactor C 28  to the L 1  terminal on  33  the high amperage connector, and from P 1  (plug # 1 ) line  1 B through contacts C  17  in C 28  on to terminal L 2  on  33  the high amperage connector. The 240-volt indicator lamp L 22 , attached to L1 and L2 lines will illuminate, indicating that power is available at  33  the high amperage capacity connector, and that the craft can now be powered through the device.  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  of the drawings illustrates the following 
    P  1  A male plug for line  1 A and line  1 B     P  2  A male plug for line  2 A and line  2 B     C  34  Power cord for line  1 A and line  1 B     C 35  Power cord for line  2 A and line  2 B     SR  38 , SR  39 , and SR  40  weatherproof strain reliefs.     JB  43  A weatherproof enclosure large enough to house the internal components.     L  22  Indicator lamp     L  41  Indicator lamp     L  42  Indicator lamp     C  36  Output power cord      33  Output connector