Power distribution unit and alarm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625511-B2
Application number	US-201514746983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	Jun 24, 2014
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A power distribution unit including a base, at least one socket, at least one detecting unit and a management unit is provided. The socket is disposed at the base and has at least one power end and a ground end. The detecting unit is disposed at the base. When a plug is disposed at the socket, the detecting unit outputs an alarm signal if the plug is electrically connected to the power end of the socket but the plug is not electrically connected to the ground end of the socket. The management unit is electrically connected to the detecting unit and performs a predetermined operation in response to the alarm signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power distribution unit, comprising:
a base;
at least one socket, disposed at the base and having at least one power end and a ground end;
at least one detecting unit, disposed at the base, wherein when a plug is disposed at the socket, the detecting unit to output a second voltage signal if the plug is electrically connected to the power end of the socket but the plug is electrically disconnected from the ground end of the socket and the detecting unit to output a first voltage signal based on the condition selected from the group consisting of: the plug electrically connected to both the power end and ground end of the socket and the plug disconnected from the power end of the socket; and
a management unit, electrically connected to the detecting unit, the management unit to perform a predetermined operation in response to the voltage signal.

2. The power distribution unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the detecting unit further comprising:
an inverter;
an AND gate, an input end of the AND gate being electrically connected to an output end of the inverter, and an output end of the AND gate being suitable to output a second voltage signal;
a first switch, corresponding to the power end of the socket, wherein one end of the first switch is electrically connected to an input end of the inverter, the one end of the first switch and the input end of the inverter are together electrically connected to a preset power, and another end of the first switch is grounded; and
a second switch, corresponding to the ground end of the socket, wherein one end of the second switch is electrically connected to the input end of the AND gate, the one end of the second switch and the other input end of the AND gate are together electrically connected to the preset power, and another end of the second switch is grounded;
when the plug is not disposed at the socket, the first switch and the second switch are open; and
when the plug is electrically connected to the power end of the socket to cause the first switch to be short and the plug is electrically disconnected from the ground end of the socket such that the second switch is still open, the output end of the AND gate to output the second voltage signal.

3. A power distribution unit comprising:
a base;
a plurality of sockets, disposed at the base and each socket having at least one power end and one ground end;
a plurality of detecting units, disposed at the base, wherein when a plug is disposed at one of the sockets, the detecting unit to output an alarm signal if the plug is electrically connected to the power end of one of the sockets but the plug is electrically disconnected from to the ground end of one of the sockets;
an OR gate, wherein the sockets correspond to the detecting units respectively, one end of each of the detecting units suitable to output the alarm signal is electrically connected to one of a plurality of input ends of the OR gate, and an output end of the OR gate is electrically connected to the management unit; and
in response to one of the detecting units outputting the alarm signal to the OR gate, the OR gate to transmit the alarm signal to the management unit, the management unit to perform a predetermined operation.

4. The power distribution unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the predetermined operation performed by the management unit is to generate a communication selected from the group consisting of: a visual alarm and an auditory alarm.

5. A computer program product for employing an alarm in a power distribution unit, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by a processing unit to:
determine an electrical connection between a plug disposed at a socket of the power distribution unit and a power end of the socket;
determine the electrical connection between the plug and a ground end of the socket if the plug is electrically connected to the power end of the socket;
generate a first voltage signal based on the conditions selected from the group consisting of: the plug being connected to both the power end and ground end of the socket and the plug being electrically disconnected from the power end of the socket; and
generate a second voltage signal if the plug is electrically disconnected from the ground end of the socket and is connected to the power end of the socket; and
perform a predetermined operation in response to the first and second voltage signals.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the predetermined operation is to generate a communication selected from the group consisting of: a visual alarm and an auditory alarm.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising configuring a plurality of sockets and an OR gate in communication with the sockets, and in response to the OR gate receiving the alarming signal, program code performing the predetermined operation.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the first voltage signal is a low voltage signal.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the second voltage signal is a high voltage signal.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chen Wei T
• Darmanto Yulianti
• Lin Cheng-Hao
• Liu Y K
• Tsai Claire Hw

Classifications

• G01R31/52

  Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults · CPC title

• G01R31/69

  of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances · CPC title

• G01R31/50 Primary

  Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections (testing of sparking plugs H01T13/58) · CPC title

• G08B21/185

  Electrical failure alarms · CPC title

• G01R31/025

  Physics · mapped topic