PORTABLE POWER SYSTEM COUPLING ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A portable power system assembly comprising a portable power system (PPS) and a coupler. The coupler is vehicle-mountable and includes a PPS holding tray and an actuator arm. The actuator arm is pivotable from a first position to a second position. The holding tray includes a PPS receiving station and a PPS safety station, and the safety station includes power supply terminals. The PPS includes a housing with opposite ends, with electrical connection terminals at one end and at least one butt-joint region at the other end for engagement with the actuator arm.The actuating arm engages with the butt joint region of a PPS at the receiving station to move, during the pivoting of the actuating arm from its first position to its second position, the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station to engage the electrical connection of the PPS and the electrical terminals of the coupler and, in its second position, the actuating arm engages with the PPS at the safety station to releasably lock the PPS at the safety station.

Description

The present invention relates to an assembly for the releasable attachment of a portable power system, typically in a vehicle, so that the portable power system can be safely transported in the vehicle with an electrical connection to the vehicle, which at least allows for less charging of the portable power system, and can be easily disconnected and removed from the vehicle when power is needed outside the vehicle. The vehicle can be a passenger vehicle, an off-road vehicle, a truck, a work utility vehicle, an RV, a trailer, a camper or a caravan or similar, and the portable power system can be used, for example, for remote activities such as camping, outdoor adventures or tourism, or for building or construction, or other outdoor or remote activities that require a portable power supply. Since the volume, noise, and fumes generated by traditional electric generators are generally considered undesirable by most off-road enthusiasts, equipping off-road vehicles with dual battery systems has been developed as a technique for keeping devices and appliances charged during travel and for use as a remote power source, as equipment for Camping and sightseeing are becoming increasingly energy-intensive. However, dual battery systems are often insufficient for more than one or two nights of travel, don't offer users enough flexibility, and can't be easily used outside the vehicle. Therefore, portable power systems (PPS) have been developed to provide easily transportable power supplies, particularly (but certainly not exclusively) for off-road use. Such a PPS can take many forms and have many features. For example, a PPS (which may sometimes be called simply a battery box or power supply) may include a multi-stage surge-capable AC inverter, allowing its use with multiple appliances, such as refrigerators, lights, laptops, or power tools. A 40 amp-hour lithium-ion battery-powered model may be housed in a rectangular enclosure about 45 cm long by 25 cm wide and around 30 cm high, and weigh up to 8 or 10 kilograms, but it can power a 40L camping refrigerator for up to 40 hours on a single charge, delivering up to 400Wh.These units may also have replaceable batteries, information displays, and AC, USB, and / or 12V outputs. A more powerful PPS is likely to be heavier and bulkier. Therefore, a PPS has become an article Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI that requires secure transport, often in the back of an off-road vehicle and often in the same space as the passengers. In addition, with most of these portable power systems including rechargeable batteries, such secure transport generally also needs to allow for a suitable electrical connection to the vehicle to enable recharging during the journey. It is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved assembly for the mechanical and electrical coupling of a PPS to a vehicle safely during travel, which also allows for easy uncoupling and removal of the PPS from the vehicle when power is needed outside the vehicle. Before proceeding to a summary of the present invention, it should be noted that any description of the prior art is provided merely as background to explain the context of the invention. It should not be taken as an admission that any of the materials referenced were published, known, or part of common knowledge in Australia or elsewhere. The present invention provides a portable power system assembly comprising a portable power system (PPS) and a coupler, wherein: The coupler can be mounted on a vehicle and includes a PPS clamping tray and an actuating arm, enabling Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI the actuating arm pivots from a first position to a second position, and the clamping tray includes a PPS receiving station and a PPS safety station, with the safety station including power supply terminals; and the PPS includes a housing with opposite ends, with mating electrical terminals at one end and at least one butt-joining region at the other end for engaging with the actuating arm; Therefore, the actuating arm engages with the butt joint region of a PPS at the receiving station to move, during the pivoting of the actuating arm from its first position to its second position, the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station to engage the electrical connection of the PPS and electrical terminals of the coupler and, in its second position, the actuating arm engages with the PPS at the safety station to releasably lock the PPS at the safety station. A portable power system (PPS) suitable for use with the assembly of the present invention can be any type of PPS that includes a housing, generally a rectangular or box-shaped housing, with opposite ends, electrical terminals at one end, and at least one butt-joint region at the other end. Indeed, it should be appreciated that the assembly of the present invention can be Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI for use with any type of portable unit that may require or provide power (or both). Reference to a PPS throughout this specification, including the claims, should be regarded as including a unit such as a portable refrigerator, which requires power for its own operation and includes its own rechargeable battery for its own use, but does not include any other function that may be used with or for other units and is therefore not likely to be used as a power source for other units. The assembly of the present invention can be used to transport a PPS on the rear of a vehicle, such as a 4WD vehicle when traveling for a camping trip. The coupler's PPS holding tray can be mounted on the rear of the vehicle's cargo space, for example, to securely retain the coupler in place, after which a suitable PPS can be placed in the holding tray's PPS receiving station. Next, the actuator arm can be moved from its first position to its second position; doing so moves the PPS along the clamping tray from the receiving station to the safety station, where the electrical terminals of the PPS are coupled with the electrical terminals of the clamping tray. Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI preferably both mechanically and electrically. In its second position, the actuator arm can engage with the PPS at the safety station to releasably lock the PPS to the safety station and thus securely mount the PPS to the rear of the vehicle during travel while electrically connected to the vehicle's power source in order to charge the PPS or operate the PPS as required. Upon arrival at a destination, uncoupling the PPS actuator arm allows the PPS to be manually moved away from the safety station and lifted off the holding tray, for easy removal from the vehicle when power is required outside the vehicle or when a particular PPS unit (e.g., a camping refrigerator) is required for use outside the vehicle. Returning now to a description of several preferred embodiments of the portable power system assembly of the present invention, and specifically with reference to the coupler, the actuating arm is preferably a lever with a free end. The arm preferably has a fulcrum at its other end where the arm is pivotally attached to the mounting tray, preferably at one end of the mounting tray (and the receiving station). The arm preferably includes a projection at or near its fulcrum for engaging with Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI the butt joint portion of a PPS to create the PPS motion described above when the actuating arm pivots around its pivot point from its first position to its second position. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuating arm includes a releasable locking member, such as a spring-loaded latch, at or near its free end. This member is capable of releasably engaging, when the arm is in its second position, with a corresponding latch or similar device on the PPS to provide releasable locking of the PPS at the safety station. Ideally, in the first position of the arm, it is vertical, generally perpendicular to the coupler's clamping tray, with its free end facing upward, and the arm does not obstruct the PPS from being placed in the receiving station of the clamping tray. The second position of the arm, after it has been rotated from the first position to move the PPS to the safety station, is preferably tilted toward the end of the clamping tray that has the electrical terminals. In this second position, or as the arm is completing its movement to this second position, the arm should preferably be positioned so that the release locking member is very close to the PPS where it can engage with it. Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuating arm is U-shaped, with the two ends of the U-shaped legs being pivotally secured at a pivot point (each) to the clamping tray, again preferably at one end of the clamping tray (and the receiving station). Then, the The U-shape is inverted in use, so that the base portion of the U is essentially the free end of the actuating arm. This shape of the actuating arm is advantageous because the release locking member can be positioned midway along the base portion of the U, and the U can be sized so that, in its second position, the actuating arm fits snugly over the PPS housing, allowing the release locking member to engage easily with a latch positioned centrally on top of the PPS housing. In this position, with a U-shaped actuating arm, the configuration of the arm itself helps to secure the PPS to the coupler. In this respect, the releasable locking member can be any suitable type of locking member, and the PPS will include any suitable type of complementary member for engaging with the locking member. Ideally, the locking member will be such that it allows engagement between the actuating arm and the PPS simply by pushing the two together. Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI together, just as a slam latch (or spring) on ​​the actuating arm would engage with a suitably formed, positioned locking plate in the PPS housing. A slam latch (sometimes called a push-to-close latch) is usually spring-loaded and rests in its locked position, requiring a specific manual operation against the spring to unlock the arm, but only needs minimal pressure from the user pushing the arm against the PPS to automatically lock the arm in place. In one specific form, the release locking member is a spring-loaded latching mechanism that automatically opens when the actuator arm closes (in its second position). In this way, the latching mechanism is ideally unable to disengage without a user pressing a release button on the actuator arm. In a preferred embodiment, the housing of a PPS is adapted to include a suitable type of complementary member for engaging with the preferred releasable locking member of the clamping tray actuator arm. Such a complementary engaging member can be positioned on one side of the adjacent housing where the free end of an actuator arm could rest when in its second position, thus enabling a releasable engagement between the releasable locking member and the complementary member when the PPS is in the safety station. In one embodiment, where the Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI releasable locking member is, for example, a strike latch (or spring), the complementary member will be a suitable locking plate integral with or secured to the PPS housing. Alternatively, when the actuating arm is U-shaped, with the base portion of the U as the free end of the actuating arm and the release locking member positioned centrally along the base portion of the U, the complementary latching member would be positioned centrally on the upper wall of the housing. As mentioned previously, the actuating arm engages with one or more butt-joint regions of a PPS in the receiving station of the clamping tray during the actuating arm's pivot from its first position to its second position, in order to move the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the arm includes a projection at or near its pivot point for engaging with the butt-joint portion(s) of a PPS, or, when the arm is U-shaped, two projections, one at or near each pivot point. These projections extend from the arm toward the safety station end of the clamping tray and, preferably, slightly inward to engage with an end of a PPS seated in the receiving station of the clamping tray. Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI Preferably, the projection itself simply acts as a stop configured and positioned on the arm to make contact with one end of the PPS when the arm's pivoting motion begins. It then continues to be pressed against the PPS as the PPS moves along the clamping tray, while the arm's pivoting motion continues. Preferably, each projection includes at its free end a roller bearing, bushing, or similar component to smooth the engagement between the actuating arm and the PPS, and to assist with the relative movement between the pivoting actuating arm and the subsequent linear movement of the PPS in the clamping tray. With regard to the butt-joining region(s) of the PPS, instead of such region being simply defined by the area of ​​the PPS housing where the actuator arm projection makes contact, in a preferred embodiment, the PPS housing is adapted to include a specially configured butt-joining region. In one embodiment, a PPS butt-joining region is formed in a portion of the PPS housing that is adjacent to the actuator arm projection when the PPS is in the receiving station, which is preferably a lower portion of the housing near a corner at the receiving station end of the housing. In this embodiment, the housing may include an arched roller groove capable of receiving roller bushings or similar components. Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI provided at the free end of the projection to help convert the rotational force provided by the actuator's pivoting arm into a linear force to move the PPS along the clamping tray from the receiving station to the safety station. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the PPS holding tray includes a floor with vertical end walls and side walls, forming within it a region for the PPS that includes the PPS receiving station at one end, overlapping with the PPS security station at the other end. In this respect, the overlap between the two stations in the PPS region will generally be quite substantial given the preference for there to be only a small amount of linear movement for the PPS from the receiving station to the security station. The floor of the clamping tray may include guide rails or fittings suitable for receiving and moving the PPS, which may or may not be configured to interact with complementary rails or fittings on the lower portion of the PPS housing. In fact, such rails and fittings may be further adapted to include sliding engagement features to help secure the PPS to the clamping tray (and thus to the coupler) once the PPS is moved to the safety station. The sliding engagement features provide a mechanical connection between the Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI PPS and the coupler, and therefore acts to prevent the PPS from lifting off the clamping tray when it is in the safety position, but does not, of course, prevent the PPS from moving (sliding) out of the safety station when the PPS is ready to be removed from the coupler. The clamping tray also includes electrical supply terminals on its safety station, capable of connecting to the electrical terminals provided at the end of the PPS housing. The electrical terminals on the clamping tray can be electrically connected to another power source, such as the vehicle in which the PPS assembly is being used, so that when the PPS is clamped in the coupler's safety station, with its electrical terminals connected to the coupler's terminals, the PPS can be powered. Preferably, the coupling electrical terminals will be configured to provide not only an electrical connection, but also at least some degree of mechanical connection, at least with regard to the movement of the PPS upward and away from the floor of the clamping tray. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the present invention also provides a portable power system (PPS) for use, and / or when used, with a coupler in a portable power system assembly, wherein: The coupler can be mounted on a vehicle and includes Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI a PPS clamping tray and an actuating arm, the actuating arm being able to pivot from a first position to a second position, and the clamping tray including a PPS receiving station and a PPS safety station, the safety station including power supply terminals; and the PPS including a housing with opposite ends, the housing adapted to include electrical connection terminals at one end and at least one butt-joining region at the other end for engaging with the actuating arm; Therefore, the actuating arm engages with the butt joint region of a PPS at the receiving station to move, during the pivoting of the actuating arm from its first position to its second position, the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station to engage the electrical connection of the PPS and electrical terminals of the coupler and, in its second position, the actuating arm engages with the PPS at the safety station to freely lock the PPS at the safety station. The present invention provides a coupler for use, and / or when used, with a portable power system assembly for a portable power system (PPS), wherein: The coupler can be mounted on a vehicle and includes a PPS clamping tray and an actuating arm, the actuating arm being able to pivot from a first Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI position to a second position, and the clamping tray including a PPS receiving station and a PPS safety station, with the safety station including power supply terminals; and the PPS includes a housing with opposite ends, including the electrical terminal housing of the coupler at one end and at least one butt-joining region at the other end for engaging with the coupler actuating arm; whereby the actuating arm engages with the butt-jointing region of a PPS at the receiving station to, during the pivoting of the actuating arm from its first position to its second position, move the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station to engage the electrical connection of the PPS and electrical terminals of the coupler and, in its second position, the actuating arm engages with the PPS at the safety station to releasably lock the PPS at the safety station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Having briefly described the general concepts related to the present invention, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described. However, it should be understood that the following description does not limit the generality of the preceding description. In the drawings: Figures 1a and 1b are viewed in perspective from Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI above one end and the other end (respectively) of a portable power system (PPS) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figures 2a, 2b and 2c are perspective views of a coupler according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the views of the coupler with its actuating arm being in its first position (Figure 2a) and in its second position (Figure 2b facing the receiving station - Figure 2c facing the safety station); Figures 3a and 3b are side views of a portable power system assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a PPS at the receiving station of a coupler with its actuating arm in its first position (Figure 3a) and the PPS moved to the safety station with the actuating arm in its second position (Figure 3b); and Figure 4 is an exploded view of the butt-joint region of the PPS in the position illustrated in Figure 3a. Figures 1a and 1b illustrate a portable power system 10 (PPS) suitable for use with the assembly of the present invention. As mentioned above, the PPS 10 can be any type of PPS and has a housing 12, in this embodiment a generally rectangular housing, with opposite ends 14, 16, electrical terminals 18 in a Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI end 16 and, in this mode, two butt-joint regions 20 at the other end 14. The butt-joint regions 20 are specially configured butt-joint regions formed in portions of the housing 12 that are adjacent to the projections 60 of the actuator arm 34 (described below in relation to Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c) when the PPS is at the receiving station X of the coupler 30 (generally indicated toward the left end of the coupler 30 in the drawing shown in Figure 3a). In fact, the specific shape of the butt-joint regions 20 in this configuration will be described later with reference to Figure 3a. With regard to the coupler 30 shown in Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c, the coupler 30 includes a clamping tray 32 and an actuating arm 34. The clamping tray 32 includes a floor 36 with vertical end walls 38 and side walls 40, forming within it an inner region 42 for the PPS. This region includes the PPS X receiving station at one end of the coupler 30 (see Figure 3a), overlapping with a PPS Y safety station at the other end (generally indicated as towards the right end of the coupler 30 in the drawing shown in Figure 3b). In this respect, the overlap between the two stations X and Y in the inner region 42 of the coupler 30 is substantial, given the preference for having only a small Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI linear momentum quantity for the PPS from receiving station X to safety station Y. The clamping tray 32 also includes electrical supply terminals 44 on its Y-shaped safety station, capable of mating with the electrical terminals 18 provided at the end 16 of the PPS housing 12. The electrical terminals 18 on the clamping tray can be electrically connected to another power source via cables 46, such as a vehicle in which the PPS assembly is being used, so that when the PPS is held in the Y-shaped safety station of the coupler 30, with its electrical terminals 18 connected to the terminals of the coupler 44, the PPS can be powered. The actuating arm 34 of the coupler 30 is shown as a generally U-shaped (and inverted) lever with the two ends 48 of the legs 50 of the U pivotally secured at a fulcrum 52 (each) to the clamping tray 32, at one end of the clamping tray 32 (receiving station X). The base portion 54 of the U is the free end of the actuating arm 34. A releasable locking member 56 is positioned midway along the base portion 54, and the legs 50 and the base portion 54 are sized such that, in its second position (see Figure 2b), the actuating arm 34 fits snugly over the housing 12 (see Figure 3b), Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI which allows the releasable locking member 56 to engage easily with a latch 58 located in the center (see Figures 1a and 1b) on top of the PPS housing 12. In this position, with a U-shaped actuating arm 34, the configuration of the arm itself helps to secure the PPS to the coupler 30. The support points 52 of the legs 50 of the actuator arm 34 are where the arm 34 pivotally attaches to the clamping tray 32. Both legs 50 of the actuator arm 34 include a projection 60 on or near their support point 52 to engage with the respective butt-joint regions 20 of the PPS for the creation of the PPS motion described above when the actuator arm 34 pivots about both support points 52 from its first position (Figures 2a and 3a) to its second position (Figures 2b, 2c and 3b). Partially visible in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c, the actuating arm 34 includes a releasable locking member 56 capable of being releasably engaged when the arm 34 is in its second position (Figures 2b, 2c and 3b), a complementary member 58 in the PPS (see Figures 1a and 1b) to provide releasable locking of the PPS at the safety station Y. The releasable locking member 56 can be any suitable type of locking member, and of course, the complementary member 58 can also be any type. Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI of a suitable member to engage with the locking member 56. In this embodiment, the releasable locking member 56 is a spring-loaded latch 57 that opens automatically when the actuating arm 34 closes (in its second position). The latch 57 cannot be disengaged from the member 58 without a user pressing the release button on the actuating arm 34. As mentioned previously, the projections 60 of the actuator arm 34 engage with the butt-jointing regions 20 during the pivoting of the actuator arm 34 from its first position to its second position, to move the PPS from receiving station X to safety station Y. In this embodiment, and as can be seen in Figures 1b and 3a, and more closely in Figure 4, the housing 12 includes arched roller grooves 62 capable of receiving roller bushings 64 (see Figures 2a and 2c) provided at the free ends of the projections 60 to help convert the rotational force provided by the pivoting actuator arm 34 into a linear force to move the PPS along the clamping tray 32 from receiving station X to safety station Y.The roller bushings 64 smooth the engagement between the actuator arm 34 and the PPS and assist with the relative movement between the rotary actuator arm 34 and the subsequent linear movement of the PPS in the clamping tray 32. Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI With general reference to the assembly of a PPS 10 and a coupler 30 shown in Figures 3a and 3b, this assembly can be used to transport a PPS on the back of a vehicle (not shown), such as a 4WD vehicle traveling for a camping trip. The coupler 30's mounting tray 32 can be mounted to the rear of the vehicle's cargo space via mounting members 66 to securely hold the coupler 30 in place, after which the PPS can be positioned in the receiving station X of the mounting tray 32. The actuator arm 34 can then be operated to move from its first position (Figure 3a) to its second position (Figure 3b), by moving the PPS along the clamping tray 32 from receiving station X to safety station Y, where the electrical terminals 18 of the PPS are joined with the electrical terminals 44 of the clamping tray 32, both mechanically and electrically. With regard to its mechanical connection, the end wall 38 of tray 32, adjacent to the electrical terminals 44, can be seen in Figures 2a, 2b, 2c, and 3a with engagement projections 47 configured to be received by the corresponding form, and the receiving portions 49 were positioned at the corners of the PPS housing 12 at its end 16. When the PPS moves toward its station of Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI safety Y (Figure 3b), the latching projections 47 are captured by the receiving portions 49 to prevent the PPS 10 from moving upwards and away from the tray 32 and to help mechanically secure the PPS in the safety station Y. In its second position (Figure 3b), the actuating arm 34 engages with the PPS at the Y safety station to releasably lock the PPS to the Y safety station, with mechanical connection at both ends of the PPS and electrical connection at one end, and thus securely mount the PPS to the rear of the vehicle during travel while electrically connected to the vehicle's power supply in order to charge the PPS or operate the PPS, as required. Upon arrival at a destination, disengaging the PPS actuator arm 34 allows the PPS to be manually moved away from the Y safety station and lifted from the holding tray 32, for easy removal from the vehicle when power is required away from the vehicle or when a particular PPS unit (e.g., a camping refrigerator) is required for use away from the vehicle. A person skilled in the art will understand that variations and modifications other than those specifically described may exist. It should be understood that the invention includes all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A portable power system assembly including a portable power system (PPS) and a coupler, characterized in that: the coupler is vehicle-mountable and includes a PPS holding tray and an actuating arm, the actuating arm being pivotable from a first position to a second position, and the holding tray including a PPS receiving station and a PPS safety station, the safety station including power supply terminals; and the PPS includes a housing with opposite ends, with electrical terminals of the coupler at one end and at least one butt-jointing region at the other end for engagement with the actuating arm;Therefore, the actuating arm engages with the butt joint region of a PPS at the receiving station to move, during the pivoting of the actuating arm from its first position to its second position, the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station to engage the electrical connection of the PPS and electrical terminals of the coupler and, in its second position, the actuating arm engages with the PPS at the safety station to releasably lock the PPS at the safety station.

2. The portable power system assembly of Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding tray includes a floor with vertical end walls and side walls, forming within it an internal region for the PPS that includes the PPS receiving station at one end, overlapping with the PPS safety station at the other end.

3. The portable power system assembly according to claim 1, or claim 2, characterized in that the actuating arm is a generally U-shaped lever having a base portion and legs with free ends, the free ends of its legs being pivotally secured, each at a pivot point, to the clamping tray, at one end of the clamping tray and thus at one end of the receiving station.

4. The portable power system assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that a releasable locking member is centrally positioned along the base portion to engage with a complementary member centrally positioned in the PPS housing.

5. The portable power system assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the legs and base portion are dimensioned so that, in its second position, the actuating arm fits snugly over the housing to help retain the PPS in the Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI security station.

6. The portable power system assembly according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that both legs of the actuating arm include a projection on or near their fulcrum point to engage with the respective fulcrum point regions of the PPS to create the movement of the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station.

7. The portable power system assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the butt-jointing regions are arched roller grooves capable of receiving roller bushings arranged at the free ends of the projections to help convert the rotational force provided by the pivoting actuator arm into a linear force to move the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station.

8. The portable power system assembly according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the PPS housing is a generally rectangular housing with opposite ends, having its electrical terminals at one end and the butt-joining regions at the other end.

9. A portable power system (PPS) for use, and / or when used, with a coupler in a portable power system assembly, characterized in that: the coupler is vehicle-mountable and includes a PPS holding tray and an actuating arm, the actuating arm being pivotable from a first position to a second position, and the holding tray including a PPS receiving station and a PPS safety station, the safety station including electrical supply terminals; and the PPS includes a housing with opposite ends, the housing adapted to include electrical connection terminals at one end and at least one butt-jointing region at the other end for engagement with the actuating arm;Therefore, the actuating arm engages with the butt joint region of a PPS at the receiving station to move, during the pivoting of the actuating arm from its first position to its second position, the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station to engage the electrical connection of the PPS and electrical terminals of the coupler and, in its second position, the actuating arm engages with the PPS at the safety station to releasably lock the PPS at the safety station.

10. A portable power system according to claim 9, characterized in that the butt-joint regions are arched roller grooves capable of receiving roller bushings to help convert the rotational force provided by the pivoting actuator arm into a linear force to move the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station.

11. The portable power system assembly according to claim 9 or claim 10, characterized in that the PPS housing is a generally rectangular housing with opposite ends, having its electrical terminals at one end and the butt-joining regions at the other end.

12. A coupler for use with, and / or when used with, a portable power system assembly for a portable power system (PPS), characterized in that: the coupler is vehicle-mountable and includes a PPS holding tray and an actuating arm, the actuating arm being pivotable from a first position to a second position, and the holding tray including a PPS receiving station and a PPS safety station, the safety station including electrical supply terminals; and the PPS includes a housing with opposite ends, the housing including electrical connection terminals at one end and at least one butt-jointing region at the other end for engaging with the actuating arm of the coupler;whereby the actuating arm engages with the butt-jointing region of a PPS at the receiving station to, during the pivoting of the actuating arm from its Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI first position to its second position, move the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station to engage the electrical connection of the PPS and electrical terminals of the coupler and, in its second position, the actuating arm engages with the PPS at the safety station to freely lock the PPS at the safety station; 13. The coupler according to claim 12, characterized in that the clamping tray includes a floor with end walls and vertical side walls, forming therewith an interior region for the PPS that includes the PPS receiving station at one end, overlapping with the PPS safety station at the other end.

14. The coupler according to claim 12 or claim 13, characterized in that the actuating arm is a generally U-shaped lever having a base portion and legs with free ends, the free ends of its legs being pivotally secured, each at a pivot point, to the clamping tray, at one end of the clamping tray and thus at one end of the receiving station.

15. The coupler according to claim 14, characterized in that a releasable locking member is located centrally along the base portion to engage with a complementary member located centrally in the PPS housing. Γ L LQ Ln / Zznz / E / YIAI 16. The coupler according to claim 15, characterized in that the legs and the base portion are dimensioned so that, in its second position, the actuating arm fits snugly over the housing to help retain the PPS in the safety station.

17. The coupler according to any of claims 14 to 16, characterized in that both legs of the actuating arm include a projection on or near their support point to engage with the respective support regions 10 of the PPS to create the movement of the PPS from the receiving station to the safety station.

Images