Electronically controlled power supply rail

An electronically controlled power supply rail for supplying power from a supply source to selected ones of a plurality of loads, each connected to a respective one of a plurality n of utilisation channels, comprising:

• a first conductor and a second conductor for transmitting power;
• a bus for transmitting signals indicative of selected loads, said bus consisting of one third conductor providing a first control signal;
• a control unit having a plurality n of switches for supplying a second control signal;
• a transmitter positioned at one end of said rail and responsive to said second control signal;
• a plurality of receivers, each of said receivers having first, second and third inputs respectively connected to said first, second and third conductors and having a first output connected to an associated one of said utilisation channels and a second output having n terminals connected to an associated channel selecting system, said selecting system having a movable contact for selecting one of said terminals in accordance with the utilisation channel which is to be supplied;
• and each of said receivers comprising a power switching member and means for performing a cycling operation during each period of said supply source;
• said selecting system, said power switching member and said cycling operation performing means cooperating with one another to cause, as a function of said control signal received by said plurality of receivers via said transmitter, voltage to be applied to the load of the utilisation channel which is associated with the receiver which is connected to said associated selecting system having said movable contact set to the said one selected terminal;
• wherein each of said plurality of receivers comprises a pluse separating circuit capable of eliminating a zero reset pulse (Z) transmitted by said transmitter and of delivering a useful signal;
• and a counting circuit converting said useful signal into a succession of logic "0" and "1" states for obtaining a triggering signal capable of actuating said power switching member;
• and
• wherein said triggering signal is applied to the base of a first transistor through a resistance, the collector of said first transistor being connected to a point common to the output of a supply source, the emitter of said first transistor being connected to the input of a power switching stage comprising a combination of first and second triacs.

An electronically controlled power supply rail system for selectively providing power to respective ones of a plurality n of utilisation channels, each of said utilisation channels being connected to a load for providing power to said load, said system comprising:

• a neutral conductor, a first conductor for carrying power, and a bus for carrying signals for selecting one of said utilisation channels, said bus consisting of one second conductor;
• a first control unit for selecting among said utilisation channels;
• a transmitter responsive to the output of said first control circuit for providing a control signal to said second conductor;
• said transmitter comprising:
• a synchronizing system for providing concurrent first and second synchronizing pulses, said synchronizing system being adapted to receive power from an alternating current source and generating said first and second synchronizing pulses in response thereto;
• a clock circuit for providing timing pulses;
• a counting circuit responsive to the output of said first control unit and to the output of said clock circuit, and to said first synchronizing pulse, for generating control pulses indicative of a selected one of said utilization channels;
• a shaping circuit responsive to said second synchronizing pulse and to the output of said counting circuit for obtaining a reset pulse and combining said reset pulse and said control pulses to form said control signal having a specific predetermined sequence of at least one pulse indicative of said selected utilization channel;
• a plurality of second control units;
• and
• a plurality of receivers, each of said receivers connected to said reference conductor, said first conductor, said second conductor, an associated one of said second control units, and an associated one of said utilisation channels, and thereby to a preselected one of said loads;
• wherein each of said receivers is responsive to the setting of said associated second control unit to provide power to said associated utilisation channel when said control signal contains a specific predetermined sequence of at least one pulse.

An electronic controlled power supply rail system for selectively supplying power to a plurality of loads comprising:

• means for indicating a selected one of said loads;
• means for generating clock pulses;
• means for generating synchronizing pulses;
• means responsive to said synchronizing pulses to initiate and defeat operation of said clock means, and responsive to the output of said clock means and said selecting means to generate control pulses in accordance with the setting of said selecting means;
• means for generating a control signal, said control signal generating means responsive to the output of said synchronizing means and to the output of said counting means for providing a composite signal having a reset pulse and control pulses indicative of the selected one of said loads;
• a first neutral conductor;
• a second conductor for carrying an operating voltage;
• a third conductor for transmitting said control signal;
• and
• a plurality of receiving means and designating means, each of said receiving means being associated with a predetermined one of said designating means and a predetermined one of said loads and connected to said first, second, and third conductors, said associated designating means being indicative of said associated load and said receiving means being responsive to said control signal in accordance with said associated designating means, said receiving means comprising:
• counting means having a plurality of terminals, each of said terminals corresponding to a respective one of said loads, for providing a signal on a selected one of said terminals in accordance with the number of said control pulses in said command signal;
• means responsive to said reset pulse of said control signal for preparing said counting means to receive said control pulses;
• means responsive to said control signal for providing said control pulses to said counting means;
• and
• means for controlling the supply of power to said load, said controlling means being connected to a predetermined one of said terminals in accordance with said designating means and responsive thereto.