Abstract: In a vehicle-mounted electrical component, potentially redundant resistances 4d, 4h, 4i and the corresponding voltage detecting circuit 5d, or the terminals 21, 22, 23, 24 and the switch for turning the switch interposed between the terminals 21 and 22, and the terminals 23 and 24 ON and OFF are exposed on the external surface of the main body so that setting according to the specifications can be performed outside the main body.

Abstract: A method for determining the status of a plurality of in a circuit, each switch having first switching arrangement for controlling the supply of a wetting current to the respective switch, and a second switching arrangement, whereby closure of the second switching arrangement enables the status of the respective switch to be determined, the method including the steps of closing the first switching arrangement associated with each of the switches so as to supply a wetting current to each of the switches and, when each one of the first switching arrangements is closed, closing the second switching arrangement associated with the same switch in order to determine the switch status. The invention also relates to an apparatus for determining the status of a plurality of switches.

Abstract: The circuit includes a first power supply coupled to power supply sensor, which is in turn coupled to a first switch and to a third switch. A second power supply is coupled to a second power supply sensor, which is in turn coupled to a second switch and a fourth switch. A first disk drive sensor couples the first and second switches to a first disk drive. A second disk drive sensor couples the third and fourth switches to a second disk drive. The first power supply sensor examines the first power supply to recognize when a failure occurs. When the first power supply is functioning, the first power supply sensor drives the first switch to remain closed and drives the third switch to remain open. Accordingly, the first power supply powers the first disk drive. Upon recognition of a failure, the first power supply sensor drives the first switch to open and the second switch to close. The second power supply then powers the first disk drive and the second disk drive clusters.

Abstract: A battery cell and a method of producing the cell. The cell includes a pair of electrodes and a smart electronic circuit having one or more active or passive components directly mounted on one of the electrodes, so that the electronic circuit is inside the electrodes and is electrically connected to the electrodes. The components are protected by a coating.

Abstract: In a readily switchable multiple solar panel system, the individual solar panels are interconnected with a control or switching apparatus which allows the solar panels to be readily switched into various series, parallel, or series-parallel configurations. With a relay based switching apparatus, a relay is connected between a pair of solar panels, so that in a first state, the panels are in series where the total voltage is the sum of each individual panel's voltage. When the relay is switched to the second state, each solar panel is in parallel, where the total voltage is a single panel's voltage and the current is multiplied by the number of panels. Multiple panels can be connected in this manner, with a relay between each successive pair of panels. With each relay connected in a parallel arrangement, a simple control switch in series with the relay coils can control the panel switching. The coil of each relay can also be individually controlled.

Abstract: The restraint system is composed of a central control unit, which is connected via a bus line to a plurality of data processing units each of which is intended to drive one or more restraint devices. To keep the restraint system operational if the power supply in the central control unit becomes defective, a changeover to the vehicle battery voltage as the new supply voltage is effected in the central control unit. The central control unit then signals the changeover to the new supply voltage to all the data processing units. All the data processing units thereupon adjust their circuits to the new supply-voltage level.

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus operable with supply of an electric power from a main electric power source wherein, in response to actuation of an emergency-off switch, the main electric power source is disconnected and, before the disconnection, braking control is made to a member being driven, by use of an electric power from the main electric power source.

Abstract: An isolation transformer is provided having primary and secondary cores (2, 4) and primary and secondary coils (3, 5), with the primary coil and the secondary coil being disposed with a gap G provided therebetween. Each of the primary coil and the secondary coil is formed of a wire having at least two substantially parallel long sides, and a length of the two long sides in each of the wires is set to be longer than a distance between the two long sides in each of the wires. Each of the wires is wound to have a plurality of turns in a manner such that an outer one of the two long sides of each inner one of the turns is adjacent to an inner one of the two long sides of each respective adjacent outer one of the turns.

Abstract: An uninterruptable power supply system is connected to motherboard and hard disk respectively. An interrupt signal is sent to power management circuit to command power management circuit to control the power switching circuit to switch the power of motherboard and hard disk to battery when a power interrupt is detected in a running computer by power detecting circuit. At the same time, central processing unit (CPU) on motherboard is commanded to save running programs and data in the hard disk. As such, CPU on motherboard can read the stored programs and data from hard disk when computer is turned on again. Thus computer may recover to the previous normal state. This can effectively avoid data lost once blackout occurred.

Abstract: In a system that has a redundant pair of modules where one module is the active module and the other module is the standby module, each of the two modules includes equipment such as an inexpensive programmable logic device to provide a protection switching algorithm for determining, at the individual module level, whether a module is in the active or standby state and switching a module from a standby state to its active state when the module in the active state becomes defective. The number of wires that are required as module to module indicators is reduced to two. The processor can make the active, standby determination when the two modules are powered up simultaneously, when one module is inserted subsequent to the other, or where a module has been active and then fails or is unexpectedly removed.

Abstract: When a relay (21) is controlled, an AC voltage (1) may be rectified in a full-wave rectification fashion. In a voltage-doubler rectification fashion, and a rectified output supplied to a main converter (6) or the AC voltage (1) may be rectified in a half-wave rectification fashion, and a rectified output supplied to a standby converter (10). A just detection circuit (23) detects a rectified voltage of the standby side, and a detection circuit (24) may detect a rectified voltage supplied to the main converter (6). The first and second voltage detection circuits (23) and (24) control operations of relay drive circuits (21D and 22D) based on both detection signals so that any one of two relay contacts (21a and 22a) may be turned on.

Abstract: A superconducting cable (1) for high power with at least one phase comprises a superconducting core (2) wherein a plurality of elements (3) are housed, which are structurally independent and magnetically uncoupled, each of which includes—for each phase—a couple of phase and neutral coaxial conductors, each formed by at least a layer of superconducting material, electrically insulated from one another by interposition of a dielectric material (8). Thanks to the distribution of the superconducting material into several coaxial conductive elements (3), the cable (1) allows to transmit high current amounts in conditions of superconductivity, while using a high-temperature superconducting material sensitive to the magnetic field.

Abstract: A serializable power receiver/supply unit having a body with terminals, wiring and components, a male terminal is provided at one end of the body, and a female terminal is provided at another end. Wiring connecting the terminals and components in the body, enables one end to be used as power receiver, and the other end to be used as power supply to another unit. The components can include a socket, a timer, a surge protector device or an illuminator. The connection of the male and female terminals with the wiring is through an end seat in which the wiring terminal is inserted.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for the automatic shut-off of equipment's stand-by power which can switch on or off the power for a set of electric and electronic appliances and can reduce the power consumption in a state of waiting for use. The invention provides a device for the automatic shut-off of equipment's stand-by power which particularly comprises a first relay for switching contacts of the first line, a second relay for switching contacts of the second line, and a power switching controller for detecting whether the light is present and for sequently switching the contact states of the first relay and the second relay depending on the result of the light detection to thereby allow or cut off the commercial alternating current through the first and second lines.

Abstract: This invention includes a universal base unit having a plurality of cables, each corresponding to a unique electronic host device. The cable is manufactured such that the ground connection of the electronic host device is routed to one of a plurality of identification pins. In one embodiment, the identification pins are coupled to a plurality of current sense resistors. When the cable is coupled serially between the electronic device and the universal base unit, the universal base unit identifies the unique electronic device by sensing which resistor is connected to the ground of the electronic host. In another embodiment, pull-up resistors are used instead of current sense resistors. The system allows a user to carry a single power supply or universal base unit with multiple cables as opposed to having to transport a different accessory for each electronic device.

Abstract: In an electronic system with multiple power supplies, a method and apparatus dynamically determines the number of power supplies required to power up the system without overloading any supply. The individual power supplies do not turn on until the determined number of power supplies have received AC power and become operational before attempting a complete system power on. The amount of required power is determined before power up based on the actual power load present. The actual load is determined by sensing load indicators in each load device and computing the total power load. The amount of power from supplies which have received AC power is determined by detecting when AC power has been applied to each power supply and computing the total amount of power available. System power up is delayed when the number of power supplies which have received AC power is insufficient to power the system without an overload situation occurring.

Abstract: A battery pack has a housing with a plug portion mateably receivable in a socket of a battery-powered power hand tool on which the battery back is designed to be mounted. The battery pack also has a connector cable with a connector plug at its distal end mateably receivable in the tool socket so that the battery pack can be disposed remotely from the tool. The battery pack can be mounted on tools with which it does not mate by use of an adapter having a plug portion mateably receivable in the tool socket, and an adapter socket mateably receiving the battery pack plug portion. Multiple battery packs may be interconnected on a wearable carrier and connected to the tool by a cable with a plug connector.

Abstract: A power source is provided with a holder-case housing a plurality of slender power modules. Cooling-air passes through on the surfaces of power modules by passing air through the holder-case. An air-duct is formed in the holder-case and intermediate air-inlets are opened in a central portion of the air-duct. A plurality of rows of power modules housed in the holder-case are cooled by the air inhaled from the intermediate air-inlets.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for mounting heat generating components on a printed circuit board. Components mounted on the printed circuit board that generate heat may alter the properties of the printed circuit board and allow the printed circuit board to conduct current. To stop the flow of current in the printed circuit board, a slot may be used between the mounting points of the component. The slot prevents current from flowing within the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A circuit with which errors in the triggering circuit can be very reliably detected has a transistor bridge circuit in whose shunt arm a triggering arrangement and a capacitor are arranged. A measured current source is connected to the transistor bridge circuit. A controller controls the transistors and the measured current source during a monitoring cycle so that the capacitor is charged by a measured current. A sample-and-hold circuit controlled by the controller measures, after the capacitor has been charged, a first voltage drop across the triggering circuit and, after the measured current has been turned off, a second voltage drop across the triggering circuit so that the controller can determine the resistance of the triggering arrangement and the capacitance from these two voltages.