MXPA98002878A - Supply of modu energy - Google Patents

Abstract

A modular power supply (2) for the application as an interruptible power supply for use with electronic equipment such as computers. A module (6) of the power supply can include a battery (32), a charging circuit for the battery (34), a power supply circuit coupled to the mains electricity and the battery (30, 36, 40 ), and the control circuit (38) for selectively supplying power to the electronic equipment (12) by means of the power supply circuit from the mains electricity (10) or the battery as the source. The module is also provided with a coupling which is adapted to connect the module in parallel with at least one other module. A housing may be provided to receive a plurality of modules, which are connected together in parallel by means of plugs and plugs when they are received in the housing. The plugs and plugs and the control circuit may be adapted to allow "hot swapping" of the modules from the housing. The modules can also be interconnected in the housing by means of a control line (20) that allows the communication of the modules to make a decision of majority rules concerning the provision of energy from the main lines or the battery based on the fluctuations in the supply of electric main lines

Description

SUPPLY OF MODULAR ENERGY This invention relates to a modular power supply. A particular application of the invention relates to uninterruptible power supplies for connection, for example, between a main power source and electrical equipment such as a computing device. The power supply equipment , such as miniature power supplies (UPS), are frequently used in the coupling of sensitive electrical equipment, such as computer equipment, to a main power source. An uninterruptible power supply coupled between the main power sources and a computer it is capable of providing an energy source that is not subject to fluctuations in the main power source in the event of an interruption of power with respect to the main source. The power handling capacity of the miniature power source must be coupled to the power consumption of the electrical device connected to it, which may cause some difficulty if the electrical device is scaled added For example, in a computer application where an uninterruptible power source is driving a local area network (LAN) server that requires 1 kilowatt of power the uninterruptible power supply can be selected for have a 1,200-watt capacity If the LAN server is scaled to a model that requires 1.5 kilowatts of power, then the UPS would need to be replaced with one with additional power management capability. In accordance with the present invention there is provided an uninterruptible power supply for receiving the main electrical power and supplying an electrical apparatus, comprising a housing adapted to receive a plurality of uninterruptible power supply modules, and, at least one power module. uninterruptible power supply comprising: an energy storage device; charging means for storing electric power from a source of the main energy in the energy storage device; power supply means coupled to the source of the main electrical power and the energy storage device, for supplying electric power to the electrical apparatus: control means for controlling the means of power supply to selectively provide electric power, in the use , to the electrical apparatus from the source of the main electrical power or from the energy storage device; and coupling means adapted to electrically couple the uninterruptible power supply module to the housing when it is received therein; wherein each uninterruptible power supply module that is received in the housing is coupled to operate in parallel with another uninterruptible power supply module therein. In one form of the invention, the coupling means comprise a plug or socket connector and, wherein, the housing is provided with a plurality of reciprocal plugs or sockets with electrical interconnections therebetween. In this case, the housing is adapted to receive a plurality of uninterruptible power supply modules, each module fitting within an assembly section and making the connection with its coupling means to a respective plug or socket in the housing, in where the modules connected to the housing are in a parallel circuit arrangement. The housing may include a main power source input and connections therefrom to each of the plugs or plugs for transmission to the modules when they are connected to the housing. The housing may also include an electrical power outlet for passing electric power to the electrical appliance, with electrical connections between each of the plugs or plugs in the housing, to allow electrical energy to pass from the power supply means, by means of the coupling means, of each module connected in the housing. In a preferred form of the invention, the housing includes a deflection circuit adapted to couple the main electrical power input to the electric power energy output in the absence of the uninterruptible power supply modules connected to the housing. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the uninterruptible power supply modules are "liveable" with the housing, which means that a module can be connected or disconnected from the housing without interrupting the flow of electricity from the power source to an electrical device coupled to the electrical power outlet. One of the features that helps achieve this is a form of the coupling means that effect a sequential connection or disconnection of the connections between the housing and a module when the module is inserted or removed from the housing. In a construction of the uninterruptible power supply module, the control means of a particular module is provided with a connection to the control means of another module connected in parallel thereto by means of the coupling means. The interconnection of the control means allows a "majority rule" control system to be implemented so that a binary signal output from the control means is processed to determine the signal status of most of the means of control. control coupled in parallel and the processed signal used to make a decision. For example, when energy fluctuation is detected in the main power source through the control means of a module, that module outputs a control signal indicative of this detection, which is processed together with the control signals from the other module connected in parallel. If the processed signal indicates that a majority of the modules have detected energy fluctuation, then the control means in all the modules can act to supply power to the electrical apparatus from the energy storage devices instead of the main power supply . In one form of the invention, the process of the binary control signals is effected by means of an impedance network that "averages" the binary control signals from the modules, where a decision is made by the control means based on whether the "averaged" output from the impedance network is greater or less than a threshold value. In the construction of an uninterruptible power supply module in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, it has been found advantageous to employ the use of an "energy hybrid" in which electronic components that require dissipation of a substantial amount of heat are used. they mount on a ceramic substrate that is provided with laminated metal sheet interconnecting tracks. The electronic components that are mounted in the power hybrid are wired to the connection adapters in the ceramic substrate, and then covered with a conformal coating, such as an epoxy resin. With the electronic components mounted on one side of the ceramic substrate, the other side of the ceramic substrate is preferably attached to a heat sink, such as a metal plate For the use of improved space, a printed circuit board containing the components of circuit that does not require substantial heat dissipation is mounted in a confronting relationship to a surface of the ceramic substrates, which have electrical connections to the energy hybrid circuits by means of cable terminal inserts. The utilization of additional beneficial space can be achieved by employing Relatively flat transformers in the energy conversion circuitry of the power supply means Transformers are constructed using windings that are formed on a printed circuit board or stamped from a sheet metal material Flat transformers are used, for example, in the conversion of a DC voltage level to another DC voltage level and operate approximately between 16 kilohertz and 20 kilohertz and have nominal powers exceeding 500 watts The invention also provides a method of uninterruptible power supply control , wherein a plurality of uninterruptible power supply modules are coupled in parallel, receiving as input a main power source coupled, in use, to the electrical output energy for an apparatus and including energy storage means comprising the steps of issuing a control signal from each of the uninterruptible power supply modules connected in parallel, processing the control signals from each of the minter interruptible power supplies to produce a majority control signal and controlling each uninterruptible power supply module in accordance with the control signal Most of the invention The invention further provides a method for providing an uninterruptible power supply to an electrical appliance, comprising providing a housing containing a plurality of uninterruptible power supply modules operable individually, providing an energy input in the housing for connection to a main electrical power, providing an energy outlet in the housing for connection to the electrical apparatus, providing electrical energy storage means in at least one of the modules, providing power collector connections in parallel in the housing for connecting the energy input and the power output to the individual modules, providing each of the modules with detection means to detect a fluctuation in the main electrical power and emit a corresponding alert signal where the warning signals received from each one The modules are processed in the housing to produce a majority warning signal that is provided for each module and where the control circuits in the modules are responsible for controlling the power supply to the power output from the power input or the electrical energy storage means based on the majority warning signal The invention is described in greater detail below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is an illustrative view of a embodiment of the invention, showing a housing containing a plurality of uninterruptible power supply modules; Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of the circuitry of an uninterruptible power supply module and the housing; Figure 3 is a more detailed schematic block diagram of the circuitry of a UPS module; Figures 4A and 4B are rear and cross views, respectively, of a UPS module; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a preferred construction of the circuitry in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figures 6A, 6B and 6C are cross-sectional views illustrating a coupling between a UPS module and a housing; Figure 7 illustrates cross-sectional views of a connector for connecting a UPS module to a housing; Figures 9A, 9B and 9C illustrate a mechanism on the back of a UPS module to prevent access to the electrical connectors therein; Figure 10 shows an isometric view and the components of a planar transformer; and Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of an impedance network for processing control signals. A modular nonstop power supply (UPS) 2 is illustrated in Figure 1 which comprises a housing 4 which is adapted to receive a plurality of uninterruptible power supply modules 6 therein. The housing 4 includes a plurality of assembly sections that are each sized to receive a UPS module 6. The UPS "is for connection between an electrical appliance, such as a computer equipment, and the main source of electrical power that can be provided. from, for example, a wall socket. In use, electrical power is provided to the UPS2 from the main power source, which passes through the UPS 6 modules, connected in parallel and to the electrical appliance as long as the main power source operates normally If an interruption, for example, occurs in the supply of electricity to the main power source, the UPS 6 modules can act to supply electricity to the electrical appliance from the energy storage devices, such as batteries contained within the UPS 6 modules. Therefore, while the main power source operates normally The UPS 6 modules also use an amount of energy from them to charge the energy storage devices A schematic block diagram showing the main components of the UPS 2 is illustrated in Fig 2 The housing that has an input is shown of electrical power 10 and an electrical power output coupled to the internal input and the output power collectors 14, 16, respectively. A bypass circuit 11 couples the input and output power collectors 14, 16 and is normally in a state in which the input and output energy collectors are not electrically connected through the bypass circuit. The bypass circuit 11 includes a switch that is operable by the user and / or operated when all the modules 6 in the housing are removed, to effect the switching of the bypass circuit 11 to a state where the input and input power collectors. The outputs are directly coupled, bypassing the modules 6. For example, each assembly section may be provided with a detector switch that is driven when a UPS module is removed therefrom, with the detector switches coupled in series, for example, the The deviation circuit coupled thereto could then be operated when all the modules 6 were removed. With a UPS module 6 installed in the housing 4, a connection is made from the input power collector 14 to an AC to DC converter 30 in the UPS module 6. The AC / DC converter 30 receives the electricity from the collector input energy 14, which is an electrical AC signal. such as an electrical signal of 50 hertz 240 volts and produces a relatively high DC voltage output on the line 31. The high voltage line 31 is coupled to a high voltage collector 18 in the housing 4 by means of diodes so that the energy can pass from the collector 18 to the line 31 The connection to the high voltage collector 18 allows the high energy voltage to be supplied to the module 6 from a battery module (not shown) of additional backup time. A CD to AC converter 40 is also provided in the UPS module 6, which has the high voltage DC electricity 31 as input, and which produces an output AC electrical signal that is synchronized with the AC power in the input power collector 14. The output of the DC / AC converter 40 is coupled to the collector of output power 16 in the housing 4. The CD / AC converter 40 is controlled by means of a pulse width modulator circuit 42 which is operated by the control means 38 in the form of a microcontroller microcontroller operates under control of the stored instruction codes, although any suitable process circuitry can be used for the control means 38, such as a dedicated or semi-adapted dedicated logic arrangement circuit While the electricity provided at the main electrical power input 10 maintains its signal level, the electrical energy passes from the input power collector 14 through the AC / DC converter 30, the CD / AC converter 40 and Withdrawal to the output power collector 16 This operation takes place in each of the installed UPS modules 6 of the housing 4 in a parallel manner. The UPS module 6 also includes an energy storage device in the form of a battery 32. charging circuit 34 is coupled to receive electrical power from the input power manifold 14, and is coupled to battery 32 by means of a switch 44, so that when a normal signal level is maintained in the energy collector input 14, electrical power is restored in battery 32 via charger 34, if required. A CD-to-CD voltage level changing circuit 36 is coupled between the battery and the high-voltage line 31. The battery 32 can operate, for example, at a level of approximately 12 volts CD, as is common for batteries of the lead acid, considering that the high voltage line 31 can be of the order of 350 volts DC. Therefore, the charger 34 reduces the DC voltage from the high voltage line 31 to be compatible with the battery 32, while the AC / DC voltage converter 36 raises the DC voltage from the battery. If a power fluctuation occurs in the main electrical power source supplied to the input power collector 14 this is detected by the microcontroller 38, which emits a control signal in a control line collector 20 in the housing 4. control line collector 20 is coupled to the control signal processing circuitry 24 and therefore to another control manifold 22. The control signal processing circuitry 24 receives the control signals from the microcontrollers in each UPS module 6 installed in the housing 4 and produces an output control signal in the control manifold 22 based on the signals received from each module 6 If a majority of the microcontrollers 38 emit a signal in the control manifold 20 indicative of a fluctuation of the main electrical power source, the resulting signal in the collector 22 causes the microcontroller 38 in each UPS &; control the respective switch 44 to disconnect the battery 32 from the charger 34. If a minority of the microcontrollers 38 emit an energy jitter signal in the collector 20 then the resulting signal in the collector 22 indicates to the microcontrollers that the energy is not required to be supplied from the batteries and the continuous main power source supplying the output power collector Therefore, during the fluctuation or interruption of the main power source, the electrical energy is supplied from the battery 32 to the line high voltage 31 through the AC / DC converter 36, to supply the output power collector 16 through the DC / AC converter 40 in each installed UPS module 6 Although the uninterruptible power supply 2 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 it comprises a housing that contains only three modules, a housing can be constructed that accommodates many m more UPS modules, such as 6, 12, 50 or more, with all the UPS 6 modules operating in parallel and the microcontrollers 38 therein operating in a majority rule decision making process as described above Alternatively, an individual UPS module 6 can operate in isolation being coupled to a housing 4, instead of being directly coupled to the main electrical power source as input and the electrical apparatus as output. A more detailed schematic block diagram of the circuitry contained in an uninterruptible power supply module 6 uninterruptible power supply is shown in Figure 3. The connections 50 for receiving the main input power as shown on the left side of the Figure 6, include line, neutral and ground connections. The main electrical power input connections 50 can be derived either from a coupling to a housing 4, as described above, or from a direct connection to a main electrical power source such as a conventional wall socket. The main AC electrical power is introduced by means of rectifying diodes to an AC / DC converter 40 which produces a relatively high voltage DC output of +350 volts, -350 volts in the high voltage lines 31. A charging circuit 34 is coupled to receive electrical power from the main power input connections and produces a 12 volt output from the batteries 32. The connection between the charger 34 and the batteries 32 is regulated by the switch 44 which is controlled from the microcontroller 38 The batteries are also coupled to a CD / CD inverter 36 which receives the 12 volt battery voltage as an input, and produces an output compatible with the high voltage lines 31. A DC / AC 40 inverter is also coupled to the lines high-voltage DC 31, to produce an AC voltage output compatible with the main voltage input received at the input connection 50 The DC / AC 40 inverter is controlled by a pulse width modulation control circuit (PWM) 42 which is controlled from the microcontroller 38 The microcontroller 38 is of conventional construction, and may comprise, for example, a microprocessor circuit, input / output circuitry and instruction codes of non-volatile memory storage for controlling the microprocessor circuit A sequence controller circuit 52 is coupled to the microcontroller 38 and periodically interrogates the microcontroller to determine the continuation of normal operation If the sequence controller circuit 52 detects a defective operation of the microcontroller during an interrogation, then the sequence controller circuit 52 acts to reset the microcontroller 38 or, triggers an alarm by means of an alarm circuit 56. The microcontroller circuit 38 receives sense inputs from the main input power source at the connections 50 by half of a circuit direction of connection 68, which provides the microcontroller signals indicative of an AC power supply present in the connection 50 and the synchronization signals in accordance with the main electrical power CA The detection inputs are also provided to the microcontroller from the charger 34, the high line DC voltage 31, the current output from the DC / AC inverter 40 by means of the current sense transformer 64, the voltage output of the inverter 40, as well as the external control signals through the opto-isolating circuits 58. The microcontroller 38 communicates with the external circuitry to the UPS 6 module by means of the opto-isolators 58. One of the opto-isolators connects to a standard RS 232 communications connection, another opto-isolator provides intermodulated communications among other UPS 6 modules when it is installed in a housing 4, while another opto-insulator provides the connection to a switch and an indicator lamp. Figure 4A shows a rear view of a UPS module 6 in a preferred physical form, and Figure 4B illustrates a rear cross-sectional view of the module 6. The module 6 is contained in a generally rectangular box enclosure, the rear part of the which supports a cooling fan 69, an external outlet 70, an external internal power socket 72, and a communications port 74. A connector opening, covered by a concealed protective flap 80, is also provided, which will be described with greater detail below in the present. When the UPS module 6 acts as a single power supply, the external power input plug 72 is coupled to receive the main electrical power to supply the main electrical input connection 50 (Figure 3) and the external electrical outlet 70 is, in use, coupled to the electrical appliance. The communication receptacle 74 is provided to allow the microcontroller 38 of the UPS 6 module to communicate by means of its RS 232 communication port. When the UPS 6 module is installed in a housing 4, the socket and the socket 70, 72 are not used, although the connections are made to the circuitry of the UPS module through the connections provided behind the protective flap 80 on the back of the module Figure 4B shows a cross-sectional view through the UPS module, illustrating the battery 32, along which are mounted a main circuit board 90, a hybrid power device 92 and a thermal dissipator plate 94 The construction of those portions of the UPS &; they are described in more detail in relation to Figure 5. The construction design of the electronic components of a miniature power supply module is illustrated in cross-section in Figure 5, it mainly comprises an energy hybrid 92, a printed circuit board Main (PCB) 90, and a thermal dissipating plate 94 An additional PCB 91 is also shown having a transformer 96 mounted thereon The energy hybrid comprises a ceramic substrate having electronic power components 102 mounted thereon A structure of barrier 106 surrounds the electronic power components mounted on the ceramic substrate 92 and provides means for holding the cable terminals 98 interconnecting the power hybrid 92, the PCB 90 and the PCB 91 The barrier structure 106 also provides a peripheral barrier to apply a conformation coating 104 on the electronic components of energy 102 once mounted on the ceramic substrate, to protect the electronic components. The conformation coating 104 may comprise, for example, an epoxy resin. The barrier structure 106 also provides convenient means by which the PCB 90, having circuit components 100 mounted thereon, for joining in a confronting relationship to the power hybrid 92. The underside of the hybrid ceramic energy substrate it is attached to a thermal dissipating plate 94, which may comprise, for example, an aluminum plate, to dissipate the heat generated by the electronic energy components 102 mounted on the ceramic substrate. A transformer 96 is also shown mounted on the PCB 91, which is described in greater detail hereinafter. The construction method of the circuit arrangement shown in Figure 5 is described below. The ceramic substrate is first prepared with copper adapters in a conventional manner to join the electronic energy components 102, such as an integrated circuit stamped to the surface of the ceramic substrate. A layer of copper foil is then laminated with adhesive on the substrate surface. The copper foil is etched to form copper tracks to transport the energy signals between the electronic components 102. The electronic energy stamps 102 are then attached to the copper adapters on the surface of the ceramic substrate 92 by welding to obtain a good heat transfer between the stamping 102 and the ceramic substrate 92. Then the circuit contacts of the stamping 102 are connected by cable to the copper tracks adhered to the substrate surface, to complete the circuit connections of the electronic components of energy mounted on the energy hybrid. Surface mounted components such as current sensing resistors and thermistors are also mounted on copper adapters in the substrate. For example, a thermistor may be mounted on the substrate 92 to detect a condition of over temperature of the substrate. The underside of the ceramic substrate 92 is provided with a thin copper layer that is strongly bonded to the surface of the substrate. This is used in order to join the substrate 92 to the aluminum plate heatsink 94 by welding. To achieve a good bond between the thin copper layer on the hidden side of the substrate 92 and the aluminum plate 94, the aluminum plate is coated with nickel and tin to adhere with the weld. The barrier structure 106, which is preferably an insulating material, such as a heat resistant plastic material, is bonded to the ceramic substrate 92, which surrounds the electronic power components mounted thereon. The barrier structure 106 is provided with terminal connectors 98 that comprise cable connectors that extend through the barrier structure 106 and that have a portion transverse to the plane of the ceramic substrate 92., to make connection to the copper tracks on the ceramic substrate as well as the pitch holes plated on the PCB90, when mounted on the barrier structure. The terminal connectors 98 are attached to the copper tracks in the energy hybrid by reflow welding. The surface of the ceramic substrate 92 within the barrier structure 106 is also covered with an epoxy resin, to protect the cable-linked electronic power components mounted thereon. Finally, the PCB 90 having circuits with components 100 and, for example, a transformer 96 already attached is mounted on the barrier structure 106 and connections are made to the cable connectors 98 by wave soldering. The ends of the connectors 98 extending through the barrier structure 106 are flexed transverse to the PCB90 for attachment to the parallel PCB91. An advantage of this method of construction results from the ceramic that is used as a substrate which provides good electrical insulation and thermal conductivity, while being substantially thermally coupled to the electronic prints mounted thereon. An alternative is to use a polyamide or ceramic filled with epoxy as an insulating layer between the copper foil tracks and a metal base plate. Polyamide is a low cost material that has the disadvantage of low thermal conductivity. The epoxy material is more difficult to handle, although it provides high thermal conductivity. The disadvantage of this alternative method is that the copper sheet and the base plate must exhibit different characteristics of thermal expansion since the materials are different. If the same material is used for the base plate and for the copper conduction tracks, then the cost of the construction is greater since the base plate (heat sink) needs to be thick enough for structural rigidity. The problems of thermal expansion may not be critical if the circuit components mounted on the power hybrid are packaged components such as the T0220 device, although in the case where integrated circuit patterns discovered as in the present instance are used, and joined by cable to the copper tracks, thermal stresses can damage the components of the circuit, which require that the mechanical stresses due to thermal expansion decoupling be carefully directed. The construction method described also provides the advantage that the construction techniques measured with Water can be used for the entire circuit Terminal connectors 98, for example, provide an L-shaped flex in the portion that splices with the energy hybrid, which allows reflow solder to be used, while the ends vertical of the terminal connector extends through the through holes PCBs 90 and 91 to allow wave soldering Referring now to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the means through which a module U PS 6 is coupled to housing 4 are described. FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are cross-sectional illustrations showing the connection process, wherein a UPS module 6 is installed in an assembly section of the housing 4 and, a connector 100 and the U PS module make electrical connection to a receptacle 102 in the housing 4 As mentioned in connection with Fig. 4A, a latched flap 80 is provided on the back of the module 6 to protect the connector 100 in the module different from that when a connection is made to the socket 02. As shown in Figures, the flap 80 is rotated through the receptacle connector 102 as the module is inserted into the housing 4, while the connector 100 extends into the receptacle 102 to make the electrical connections among them . The plug connector 102 in the housing 4 is coupled to the manifolds 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 (Figure 4), while the electrical tracks in the connector 100 in the module are coupled to the circuit component in the module 6. The connector 100 may comprise, for example, the portion of a printed circuit board, which has conductive tracks formed on one or both sides thereof for making the connection to respective contacts in the socket connector 102. Referring to FIG. 7, a cross-sectional view of a plug connector 102 shown in various stages of insertion of a connector 100 The connector 102 comprises a plastic enclosure 104 having a base 112 for mounting on a surface in the housing 4. At the end of the enclosure 104 opposite the base 112 an opening 106 is provided to receive the connector 100 in the longitudinal direction of the receptacle 102. A slide member 108 is contained within the enclosure 104, aligned with the aperture 106 and elastically propelled toward the opening 106 by means of a spring (not shown). On each side of the slidable element 108 are provided contact elements 110 which are formed to be elastically urged towards the outlet of the outlet connector 102, and which has contact portions at one end thereof near the opening 106. The other ends 114 of the contact elements 110 protrude from the base of the receptacle connector 102, to make connection to, for example, the manifolds illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 2. Without the connector 100 inserted in the receptacle 102, the slide member 108 splices adjacent to the receptacle 102. aperture 106, and separates contact portions 110. As connector 100 is inserted longitudinally through opening 106 of receptacle 102, slidable member 108 is pressed toward the base of the receptacle, which allows contact portions 110 to be inserted. they move up the connector 100 to contact the surface thereof. The contact elements 110 are therefore able to make electrical connection to the tracks formed in the PCB forming the connector 100. which allows the electrical signals to pass from the connector 100 through the ends 114 of the contact elements 110 towards the circle in the housing 4. Figure 8 illustrates isometric views of the portions forming the outlet connector 102, which show how a plurality of electrical connections can be made to the tracks in a circuit board connector 100 to the providing a row of contact elements 110 in the slots in the receptacle connector 102. To prevent access to the connector 100 within a UPS module 6 while the module is withdrawn from the housing 4 (such as when operating as a single unit), a locked flap 80 is provided, as shown in greater detail in Figure 9. Figure 9A illustrates a rear view of a UPS module 6, having a hinged flap 80 hinged as indicated ep 124 and having pawls 122 at each end of flap 80. to hold the flap in an ordinarily locked closed position as shown in Figure 9B and Figure 9C When the UPS module 6 is installed in the housing 4, a projection 120 at the end of the receptacle connector 102 is aligned with the pads 122, which press against an angled surface of the keystone 122 during insertion, to unlock the flap 80 for hinged access to the interior of the module 6. The ability of the UPS 6 module to be "interchangeable with current" inside and outside the housing 4 is aided by a construction of the connector 100 and the tom current 102 facilitating a sequential connection process To prevent spark formation during the insertion or removal of a UPS module 6 from the housing 4, the connector 100 and the corrugation 102 are positioned so that a ground connection is made prior to active power connections For example, when installing a module inside the housing 4, a ground connection is first made between the connector 100 and the outlet 102 The formation of the ground connection is detected by the microcontroller 38 in the module 6, which ensures that the power connections to the circuitry of the module 6 are turned off, by opening the power output relay 62 and the battery charging relay 44 Instead of detecting the formation of a connection to the ground line , a separate connection can be provided at the connector 100 and the corrugation 102, for the purposes of indicating to the module 6 that the power circuits of the module must be switched off. As the connector 100 is inserted additionally into the corrugation 102, the active power connections are made (line and neutral) although because the module's power circuits are not activated, no substantial current flows during the connection to the active terminals to avoid the formation of sparks or arc A final connection is made later to indicate to the module 6 that the power circuits can turn on During the removal of the module 6 from the housing 4, the sequence described above is reversed and, once again, the The module's power circuits are deactivated at the moment when the active connections are opened. One way in which the connections between the connector 100 and the receptacle 102 can be sequenced as described above, is to provide the printed circuit board tracks forming the contacts in the connector 100 with alternating ends on the edge of the connector 100 that is Insert into the outlet. Such an arrangement is illustrated in the connector 100 shown in Figure 8. For example, the contact strip indicated by the reference number 101A may comprise a ground connection of the module 6 and this contact strip ends closer to the end of the connector 100 which is inserted in the opening 106 of the receptacle. Therefore, as can be easily determined, contact would be made with the contact strip 101A first, then the strips 101B and 101C and finally the contact strip 101D, as the connector 100 is inserted into the outlet. Alternatively, the physical edge of the connector 100 that is inserted into the receptacle may be alternated, so that contact is made with the slide members 108 alternately as the connector is inserted. In another alternative, the contact strips on the connector 100 can all be of the same length and the slide elements 108 constructed to have surfaces at different heights between the slide elements for the different contacts, so that the edge of the connector 100 presses against the sliding elements of different surface heights in a sequential manner as the connector is inserted. In case all the UPS 6 modules have been removed from the housing 4 at the same time, the housing 4 can also be provided with a bypass circuit, which detects the absence of all the modules 6 and directly couples the active power connections and inactive 10, 12 to ensure that electrical power is provided to the electrical apparatus connected thereto. In the absence of all modules &ampIf an interruption occurs in the main power source, then a similar interruption in the electrical device will occur. Referring to Figure 11, a simple circuit is shown to affect the decision capability of most modules 6 installed in the housing, where each microcontroller 38 provides a control signal based on the voltage (Vm1, Vm2, and Vm3 ) in the control manifold 20 (Figure 2) The control signals are provided as input to the impedance network 24 shown in Figure 11, which is provided in the housing 4 The resulting voltage VA in the central node of the network of impedance representing an average of the control signals provided by each of the modules to which a threshold determination is applied to determine the logical state output by most of the modules 6 The resulting threshold signal is provided to the modules 6 in the control manifold 22 (Figure 2) A transformer 96 of the type employed in a preferred form of the UPS 6 module is illustrated in Figure 10, which has a ferrite core generally conventional 200. Instead of using copper wires for the transformer windings, however, the transformer 96 is constructed with printed circuit board windings 202, or from the stamped metal laminate 204. The ends 204. The ends 207 of the Stamped windings can be formed with the terminals and flexed transverse to the winding plane allowing easy connection to the circuit board. The resulting transformer 96 has a low profile, since the windings 202, 204 are relatively flat. As indicated in a cross-sectional view of the transformer 96, the windings 202, 204 are alternated with insulating layers (not shown). A transformer of this type does not need to use the stamped copper leaf windings and the printed circuit board windings, but can use only one or the other. These flat transformers are used in, for example, the AC / DC amplifier 30, the DC / AC inverter 40, the charger 34 and the DC / DC inverter 36, which are otherwise generally conventional construction. The nominal power of the transformers is around 700 watts, operating at approximately 16 to 20 kilohertz. The above detailed description of the invention has been presented by way of example only and, many variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims (5)

1 An uninterruptible power supply for receiving main electrical power and supplying an electrical apparatus, comprising a housing adapted to receive a plurality of miniature interruptible power supply modules comprising an energy storage device, charging means for storing electrical energy from a source of the main electrical energy in the energy storage device, power supply means coupled to the main electrical power source and the energy storage device, to supply electric power to the electrical apparatus, control means to control the power supply means for selectively providing electric power, in use, to the electrical apparatus from the main electric power source or from the energy storage device, and coupling means adapted to electrically couple the power supply module; Uninterruptible power supply to the housing when it is received therein, wherein each uninterruptible power supply module that is received in the housing is coupled to operate in parallel with another uninterruptible power supply module therein.

2. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means comprise a plug connector or receptacle, and wherein the housing is provided with a plurality of reciprocal plugs or receptacles each adapted to interface with a module uninterruptible power supply and that has electrical connections between them, for the connection of modules when they are received in the housing.

3. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 2, the housing having a plurality of assembly sections each adapted to receive an uninterruptible power supply module, each of the assembly sections provided with a plug or receptacle reciprocal.

4. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 2 or 2, the housing that includes an electrical power outlet for connection to the electrical appliance and that is electrically connected to each of the reciprocal plugs or receptacles, to allow the power pass from the power supply means of each module connected in the housing, through respective coupling means, of each module connected in the housing. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 4, wherein the housing includes a main power input to provide the electrical power source of each module in the housing by means of the respective coupling means and wherein the The housing includes a deflection circuit adapted to couple the main electrical power source to the electrical power output in the absence of the uninterruptible power supply modules in the housing 6. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 5, wherein each one of the coupling means and the reciprocal receptacle connector or receptacle connector facilitate the predetermined sequential connection or disconnection of a plurality of connections between the module and the housing during the insertion or removal of the module in or from the housing 7 A supply uninterruptible power nformation with claim 1, wherein the coupling means includes at least one signal line for coupling the control means in use to the control means of at least one other module, the control means including means of signal emission. alert to issue a warning signal on at least one control line to detect or fluctuate the main electrical power, means to receive a majority alert signal on at least one signal line andmeans for controlling the power supply means for providing power, in use, to the electrical apparatus based on the majority alert signal 8 An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 7, wherein the housing includes a plurality of electrical connectors for making the connection to at least one signal line of the respective modules when they are received in the housing, at least one module connected to a respective electrical connector and, a control signal processing circuit for receiving a binary warning signal from each module received in the housing and emitting the majority alert signal indicative of the binary state of the majority of the received alert signal 9 An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 8, wherein the processing circuit of control signal comprises an impedance network to average the binary alert signal received and a threshold circuit for producing the majority alert signal from the averaged warning signal 10 An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein at least one uninterruptible power supply module is constructed with electronic components of the charging means and / or power supply means comprising a first group of components that require a relatively large heat dissipation and a second group of components that require relatively low heat dissipation and wherein the first group of components are mounted on a ceramic substrate and connected by cable to metal sheet interconnecting track connecting adapters laminated on the substrate 11 An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 10, wherein the first group of components are mounted on a first side of the substrate and covered with a coating of co Information and a heat sink is mounted to a second side of the substrate opposite the first side. 12. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board containing the second group of components is mounted in a confronting relationship with the first side of the substrate and wherein cable terminal inserts are provided that they extend between the printed circuit board and the substrate for electrical interconnection between them. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the voltage conversion circuit of the main power supply means comprises at least one transformer having windings formed from a printed circuit board or stamped sheet metal . 14. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein each module is capable of separate operation and includes a power input adapted to provide, in use, the main source of electrical power for the respective module, and a output of energy adapted to supply, in use, electrical energy to the electrical device. 1

5. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein each uninterruptible power supply module can be inserted and / or removed individually or collectively from the housing without interrupting the power supply to the electrical appliance, in use. An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 15, and adapted to allow the uninterruptible power supply module to be inserted and / or removed from the housing, thereby forming and / or separating its parallel electrical connection with other modules in the housing, regardless of whether the electrical power is supplied at the time to the electrical apparatus from the source of the main electrical power or from the energy storage device (s) 17 An uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means comprise a socket connector having a plurality of electrical contacts, and wherein a plug provided in the housing is adapted to make the electrical connection with the contacts of the socket connector when the respective module is received in the receptacle. the housing the connector plug and socket which is constructed so that, during the insertion or removal of the module from the housing the sequential connection is made to one of the respective electrical contacts to allow the module to be inserted or removed from the housing without importing the source of the electric power supplied to the electrical apparatus 18 A method for controlling an uninterruptible power supply, wherein a plurality of uninterruptible power supply modules are coupled in parallel receiving as input a source of main electrical power, coupled in the use of electric power d e output to an electrical apparatus, and including the energy storage means, comprising the steps of emitting a control signal from each of the uninterruptible power supply modules connected in parallel, processing the control signals from each of the uninterruptible power supplies to produce a majority control signal and control each uninterruptible power supply module in accordance with the majority control signal. 19. A method of controlling an uninterruptible power supply according to claim 16, wherein the control signal of each uninterruptible power supply comprises a binary signal, and wherein the processing of the control signals comprises the averaging of the control signal. binary level of the plurality of control signals and apply a predetermined threshold to produce the majority control signal. 20. A method for providing an uninterruptible power supply to an electrical appliance, comprising providing a housing containing a plurality of uninterruptible power supply modules operable individually, providing an energy input in the housing for connection to an electrical power main, provide an output of energy in the housing for connection to the electrical apparatus, provide means of storing electrical power in at least one of the modules, provide parallel power collector connections in the housing for connection of the power input and the power output to the individual modules will provide each of the modules with detection means to detect a fluctuation in the main electrical power and emit a corresponding alert signal, wherein the warning signals received from each module are processed in the accommodation for prod ucir a majority alert signal that is provided to each module, and where the control circuits in the modules are responsible for controlling the power supply to the energy output from the energy input or the electrical energy storage means based on the majority alert signal. 21. A method according to claim 18, wherein the alert signals are processed by averaging the alert signals on the number of modules and applying a threshold to them to produce the majority alert signal. 22. A method according to claim 18, including insertion into or, removal from the plurality of uninterruptible power supply modules, one or more of the modules within the housing without interrupting the power supply, in the use, to the electrical device.