Current inrush protection apparatus and operating method thereof
AssigneeExpress Imaging Systems, LLC
InventorWilliam G. Reed
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shorting cap apparatus is provided for enabling remote application of power, by an external system, to a load connected to the shorting cap apparatus while protecting components of the external system from potential damage due to high inrush current to the load. The shorting cap apparatus comprises a housing, a connector, and inrush current protection circuitry. The connector of the shorting cap apparatus may be connected to a corresponding connector associated with the load. Once the external system applies power, the protection circuitry provides a time delay to allow the load to sufficiently charge via a first set of resistors of the protection circuitry over a period of time before a set of switches of the protection circuitry are transitioned to a conducting state.
Claims27
A shorting cap apparatus for providing a shorting connection from a mains power input connection of a lighting system to a load of the lighting system, the shorting cap apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more circuit boards housed by the housing;
- a connector accessible from an exterior of the housing, the connector including a set of connector elements sized and shaped to interface with corresponding connector elements of a connector of the lighting system, the set of connector elements including at least a first connector element, a second connector element, and a third connector element;
- and
- inrush current protection circuitry included on the one or more circuit boards, the inrush current protection circuitry electrically coupled to at least the first connector element, the second connector element, and the third connector element of the set of connector elements, the inrush current protection circuitry including a first electrical path between the first connector element and the third connector element, a second electrical path in parallel with the first electrical path between the first connector element and the third connector element, and a delay subcircuit, wherein the inrush current protection circuitry:
- at a first time at which the inrush protection circuitry begins receiving power via the first connector element and the second connector element, operates in a first mode in which power is supplied to the third connector element through the first electrical path and not the second electrical path, and in which power is supplied to the delay subcircuit from the first connector element and the second connector element;
- and
- at a second time after the first time, as a result of the delay subcircuit achieving a defined condition, operates in a second mode in which power is supplied from the first connector element to the third connector element through the second electrical path.
A shorting cap apparatus that provides a shorting connection from a mains power input connection of a lighting system to a load of the lighting system, the shorting cap apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more circuit boards housed by the housing;
- a connector accessible from an exterior of the housing, the connector including a set of connector elements to electrically communicatively couple with corresponding connector elements of a connector of the lighting system, the set of connector elements including a first connector element of the set of connector elements at a first node, a second connector element of the set of connector elements at a second node, and a third connector element of the set of connector elements at a third node;
- and
- inrush current protection circuitry included on the one or more circuit boards, the inrush current protection circuitry electrically coupled to the first node, the second node, and the third node, the inrush current protection circuitry including:
- a first set of resistors that forms a first electrical path between the first node and the second node;
- one or more switches connected between the first node and the second node in parallel with the first set of resistors, the one or more switches collectively operable to transition between a first state and a second state, the first state in which the one or more switches do not transfer power received at the first node to the second node, and the second state in which the one or more switches establish a second electrical path that transfers power received at the first node to the second node, establishment of the second electrical path which causes current to bypass the first electrical path;
- and
- a subcircuit that transitions the one or more switches from the first state to the second state based at least in part on a condition of one or more electrical components of the subcircuit.
A shorting cap apparatus for providing a shorting connection from a mains power input connection of a lighting system to a load of the lighting system, the shorting cap apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- one or more circuit boards housed by the housing;
- a connector accessible from an exterior of the housing, the connector including a set of connector elements to electrically communicatively couple with corresponding connector elements of a connector of the lighting system, the set of connector elements including a first connector element of the set of connector elements at a first node, a second connector element of the set of connector elements at a second node, and a third connector element of the set of connector elements at a third node;
- and
- inrush current protection circuitry included on the one or more circuit boards, the inrush current protection circuitry electrically coupled to the first node of the inrush current protection circuitry, the second node of the inrush current protection circuitry, and the third node of the inrush current protection circuitry, the inrush current protection circuitry including:
- a first set of resistors that forms a first electrical path between the first node and the second node;
- one or more switches connected between the first node and the second node in parallel with the first set of resistors, the one or more switches collectively operable to transition between a first state and a second state, the first state in which the one or more switches do not supply power received at the first node to the second node, and the second state in which the one or more switches establish a second path to supply power received at the first node to the second node;
- and
- a delay subcircuit that causes the one or more switches to transition from the first state to the second state after expiration of a period of time beginning at a first time at which the shorting cap apparatus begins to receive power from an external source.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.