Reverse power Y-adapter
View Patent ↗A power Y-adapter provides power at a high voltage to an output end from at least two input ends to which power of a lower voltage and a phase difference is provided and includes a first polarity sensitive current isolation device, a second polarity sensitive current isolation device, a control section, and an output section. When the voltage signals supplied to the hot wire terminals of the first input connector and the second input connector sufficiently are out of phase, the Y-adapter can produce a voltage of higher magnitude between the first and the second hot wire terminals of the output connector.
1. A power Y-adapter for providing AC power at a high voltage to an output end of the Y-adapter from at least two input ends of the Y-adapter, to each of which input ends AC power of a lower voltage is provided with a phase difference between the AC power provided to the two input ends, comprising:
a first polarity sensitive current isolation device associated with a first input connector which is adapted to be connected to a first receptacle of a first voltage and phase, the first polarity sensitive current isolation device having a first input terminal and a second input terminal, the first input terminal being connected to a hot wire terminal of the first input connector and the second input terminal being connected to a neutral terminal of the first input connector;
a second polarity sensitive current isolation device associated with a second input connector which is adapted to be connected to a second receptacle of substantially the same voltage as the first receptacle and at a different phase than the first receptacle, the second polarity sensitive current isolation device having a first input terminal and a second input terminal, the first input terminal being connected to a neutral terminal of the second input connector and the second input terminal being connected to a hot wire terminal of the second input connector;
each of the first and the second polarity sensitive current isolation devices having a first output node and second output node in series;
a control section in series with the output nodes of the first and the second polarity sensitive current isolation devices; and
an output section having an output connector with a first hot wire terminal and a second hot wire terminal controlled by the control section;
such that voltage signals supplied to the hot wire terminals of the first input connector and the second input connector which are out of phase produce a voltage of higher magnitude between the first and the second hot wire terminals of the output connector;
a power supply unit including
a transformer having a first input terminal and a second input terminal connected to the hot wire terminal and the neutral terminal of the first input connector, respectively;
a bridge rectifier having two input terminals connected to two output terminals of the transformer and a positive output terminal and a negative terminal connected to a ground;
a power output connected to the positive output terminal of the bridge rectifier;
a first voltage output connected to the positive output terminal of the bridge rectifier through a first resistor, wherein the first voltage output provides a first voltage; and
a second voltage output connected to the positive output terminal of the bridge rectifier through a second resistor, wherein the second voltage output provides a second voltage.
2. The power Y-adapter of claim 1 , wherein the first polarity sensitive current isolation device is an optocoupler.
3. The power Y-adapter of claim 1 , wherein the second polarity sensitive current isolation device is an optocoupler.
4. The power Y-adapter of claim 1 , wherein the first output node of the first polarity sensitive current isolation device is connected to the power output of the power supply unit; and the second output node of the second polarity sensitive current isolation device is connected to the ground.
5. The power Y-adapter of claim 1 , wherein the control section in series with the output nodes of the first and the second polarity sensitive current isolation device, includes:
a third polarity sensitive current isolation device including a first input terminal connected to the second output node of the first polarity sensitive current isolation device, a second input terminal connected to the first input terminal of the second polarity sensitive current isolation device, a first output terminal connected to the second voltage output of the power supply unit, and a second output terminal;
a comparison unit including a comparator having a non-inverting input terminal connected to the second output terminal of the third polarity sensitive current isolation device, an inverting input terminal connected to the first voltage output of the power supply unit, a positive power supply terminal connected to the second voltage output of the power supply unit, a negative power supply terminal connected to the ground, and an output terminal;
a transistor having a gate terminal connected to the output terminal of the comparator, a source terminal connected to the ground, and a drain terminal; and
an output control unit including a first relay and a second relay having a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal, respectively, wherein the first terminal of the first relay and the first terminal of the second relay are connected to the drain terminal of the transistor, the second terminal of the first relay and the second terminal of the second relay are connected to the power output of the power supply unit, the third terminal of the first relay is connected to the first hot wire terminal of the output connector, the third terminal of the second relay is connected to the second hot wire terminal of the output connector, the fourth terminal of the first relay is connected to the hot wire terminal of the first input connector, and the fourth terminal of the second relay is connected to the hot wire terminal of the second input connector.
6. The power Y-adapter of claim 5 , wherein the comparison unit further includes an overtemperature sensing unit including a second comparator and a temperature sensitive resistor, which is configured to open the connection between the first input connector, the second input connector and the output connector when the temperature is above a threshold.
7. The power Y-adapter of claim 5 , wherein the comparison unit further includes an overtemperature indicator, including an indicator that turns on when the temperature is above a threshold.
8. The power Y-adapter of claim 5 further including at least one phase indicator, each of which is connected between the hot wire terminal and the neutral terminal of the first input connector, or the hot wire terminal and the neutral terminal of the second input connector, or both.
9. The power Y-adapter of claim 5 , wherein the comparison unit compares a voltage of the second output terminal of the third isolation device with the first voltage, such that when the phase difference between the hot wire terminal of the first connector and the hot wire terminal of the second connector are insufficient, the output terminal of the comparator is in a low voltage state.
10. The power Y-adapter of claim 1 , wherein there is no circuit including a single component bridging the hot wire terminal of the first input connector and the hot wire terminal of the second input connector.
11. The power Y-adapter of claim 1 , wherein the voltage at the output section is cycled on and off in the case of a low supply voltage condition.
12. The power Y-adapter of claim 1 , wherein the isolation devices are connected to the respective input connectors by pairs of resistors.