Power outlet, and power supply system

Abstract

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a power outlet capable of preventing the supply of DC power to an electrical device from being interrupted, and a power supply system. A power outlet (1) is provided with an information acquisition unit (21), a determination unit (22), a restriction unit (23), and a notification unit (4). The information acquisition unit (21) acquires related information related to a power supply amount, which is a total amount of DC power supplied from a power supply line (L1). The determination unit (22) determines whether or not it is necessary to restrict the supply of the DC power to an electrical device (X1) on the basis of the related information. When the determination unit (22) determines that the restriction is necessary, the restriction unit (23) restricts the amount of the DC power received from the power supply line (L1). The notification unit (4) notifies that the restriction unit (23) restricts the amount of the received power.

Description

Outlets and power supply systems

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to a power outlet and a power supply system, and more particularly to a power outlet and a power supply system that supplies DC power to an electrical device.

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a power distribution system including a power supply means for supplying DC power to a plurality of electrical devices connected to a single power supply line and each driven by DC power. The power distribution system includes a detection means, a calculation means, and a control means. The detection means detects a receiving voltage received by an electrical device connected to the farthest connection line from the power supply means among the plurality of electrical devices. The calculation means receives the receiving voltage from the detection means and calculates a voltage drop value by subtracting the received receiving voltage from a set voltage of the power supply means. The control means estimates the remaining available power in the power supply line using the voltage drop value calculated by the calculation means.

[0003] In a power supply system such as the power distribution system described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem in that if the amount of DC power supplied to an electrical device connected to a power supply line (wiring duct rail) via an outlet exceeds the output rating, the supply of DC power to the electrical device may be stopped.

[0004] JP 2009-159681 A

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an outlet and a power supply system that can prevent the supply of DC power to an electrical device from being stopped.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an outlet is attached to a duct rail having a power supply line for supplying DC power, receives the DC power from the power supply line, and supplies the power to a connected electrical device. The outlet includes an information acquisition unit, a determination unit, a limiting unit, and a notification unit. The information acquisition unit acquires related information related to the amount of power supply, which is the total amount of DC power supplied from the power supply line. The determination unit determines whether or not it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electrical device based on the related information. If the determination unit determines that the limit is necessary, the limiting unit limits the amount of DC power received from the power supply line. The notification unit notifies the user that the limiting unit will limit the amount of power received.

[0007] A power supply system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the above-described outlet, the duct rail, and an external power source, wherein the external power source outputs the DC power to the power supply line.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the position where a voltage measurement unit of an outlet is connected in the power supply system. FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating the applied voltage that changes depending on the amount of power supplied in an external power source of the power supply system. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system according to a first modified example. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the position where a current measurement unit of an outlet is connected in the power supply system according to the first modified example. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system according to a second modified example. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the position where a signal measurement unit of an outlet is connected in the power supply system according to the second modified example. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the position where a signal measurement unit of an outlet is connected in the power supply system according to the second modified example, which is different from that shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a power supply system according to a third modified example.

[0009] The embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications, and various modifications other than these embodiments and modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., as long as they do not deviate from the technical concept of the present disclosure. The drawings described in the following embodiments and modifications are schematic drawings, and the ratios of the sizes and thicknesses of the components in the drawings do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratios.

[0010] (Embodiment) (1) Overview Hereinafter, an overview of a power supply system 100 and a socket 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0011] A power supply system 100 (see FIG. 1 ) according to this embodiment supplies DC power to an electric device X1. The power supply system 100 is used, for example, by being fixed to a fixture. Fixture is a general term for furniture, fixtures, and other appliances used in a residential or non-residential setting. Examples of fixtures include desks, tables, and workbenches used as platforms for placing objects. Other examples of fixtures include shelves, boxes, dressers, beds, whiteboards, screens, room dividers, and benches. Note that the type of electric device X1 referred to in the present disclosure is not particularly limited. Examples of electric device X1 include computer terminals (personal computers, smartphones, tablet terminals, etc.), computer terminal accessories (monitors, speakers, microphones, etc.), lighting equipment (desk lamps, etc.), network cameras, sensors (temperature sensors, humidity sensors, illuminance sensors, etc.), game consoles, and air conditioning equipment (desk fans, etc.).

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1 , the power supply system 100 of this embodiment includes a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) outlets 1, a duct rail A1, and an external power source B1. The plurality of outlets 1 are attached to the duct rail A1. The duct rail A1 has a power feed line L1 that supplies DC power. The external power source B1 outputs DC power to the power feed line L1. The plurality of outlets 1 receive DC power from the power feed line L1 and supply it to connected electrical devices X1.

[0013] The outlet 1 of this embodiment includes an information acquisition unit 21, a determination unit 22, a limiting unit 23, and a notification unit 4. The information acquisition unit 21 acquires related information related to the amount of supplied power, which is the total amount of DC power supplied from the power supply line L1. The determination unit 22 determines whether or not it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electrical device based on the related information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21. If the determination unit 22 determines that limitation is necessary, the limiting unit 23 limits the amount of DC power received from the power supply line L1. The notification unit 4 notifies the user that the limiting unit 23 will limit the amount of received power.

[0014] As described above, the outlet 1 of this embodiment has the effect of preventing the amount of DC power supplied to the electric device X1 through the power feed line L1 from exceeding the rated output of the external power source B1. Therefore, the outlet 1 of this embodiment has the advantage of preventing the supply of DC power from the power feed line L1 to the electric device X1 from being stopped. Note that the "rated output of the external power source B1" here refers to the amount of DC power that the external power source B1 can stably output.

[0015] (2) Detailed Configuration (2-1) Power Supply System Hereinafter, a detailed configuration of the power supply system 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1 , the power supply system 100 of this embodiment includes a plurality of outlets 1, a duct rail A1, and an external power source B1. The power supply system 100 of this embodiment supplies DC power output from the external power source B1 to electrical devices X1 connected to each of the plurality of outlets 1 via a power supply line L1 of the duct rail A1. Note that Fig. 1 illustrates only three of the plurality of outlets 1, with the other outlets 1 omitted. Similarly, Fig. 1 illustrates only the electrical devices X1 electrically connected to the three illustrated outlets 1, with the other electrical devices X1 omitted.

[0017] (2-2) External Power Supply The external power supply B1 is configured to be electrically connectable to the commercial power supply Y1 and is supplied with AC power from the commercial power supply Y1. The external power supply B1 has a conversion unit B11 and an output unit B12. The conversion unit B11 converts the AC power supplied from the commercial power supply Y1 into DC power. The output unit B12 outputs the DC power converted by the conversion unit B11 to the power supply line L1 of the duct rail A1. The output unit B12 has a positive pole and a negative pole. The external power supply B1 is, for example, an AC-DC adapter.

[0018] More specifically, the output unit B12 outputs DC power to the power feed line L1 by applying a voltage to the power feed line L1 of the duct rail A1 (i.e., between a high-potential side power feed line L11 and a low-potential side power feed line L12, which will be described later). In short, in the power supply system 100, DC power is supplied to the power feed line L1 by applying a voltage from the external power source B1 to the power feed line L1.

[0019] In this embodiment, the output unit B12 of the external power source B1 changes the applied voltage in accordance with the amount of supplied power, which is the total amount of DC power output to the power feed line L1 and supplied from the power feed line L1 to each of the multiple outlets 1. As an example, as shown in Fig. 3 , the external power source B1 applies an applied voltage of a voltage value V1 (e.g., 24.0 V) to the power feed line L1 when the amount of supplied power is equal to or less than an amount of power P1 (e.g., 360 W), which is 90% of the rated output. Furthermore, the external power source B1 applies an applied voltage of a voltage value V2 (e.g., 23.5 V), which is smaller than the voltage value V1, to the power feed line L1 when the amount of supplied power is equal to or less than an amount of power P2 (e.g., 400 W), which is 100% of the rated output. Furthermore, when the amount of supplied power is power amount P3 (e.g., 440 W), which is 110% of the rated output, the external power supply B1 applies an applied voltage of voltage value V3 (e.g., 23.0 V) smaller than voltage value V2 to the power supply line L1.

[0020] (2-3) Duct Rail The duct rail A1 is sometimes referred to as a wiring duct or a power supply track. The duct rail A1 has a high-potential side power supply line L11 and a low-potential side power supply line L12 as power supply lines L1. The high-potential side power supply line L11 is a power line connected to the positive electrode of the output section B12 of the external power source B1 and is made up of a conductive bar. The low-potential side power supply line L12 is a power line connected to the negative electrode of the output section B12 of the external power source B1 and is made up of a conductive bar. In this disclosure, the low-potential side power supply line L12 refers to a ground line having a reference potential of 0 V (zero volts).

[0021] The duct rail A1 is configured to allow each of the multiple outlets 1 to be attached. When each of the multiple outlets 1 is attached to the duct rail A1, the high-potential side power feed line L11 and the low-potential side power feed line L12 are electrically connected to a power feed side connection terminal 6 (described later) of each of the multiple outlets 1. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 , when each of the multiple outlets 1 is attached to the duct rail A1, the high-potential side power feed line L11 is electrically connected to a first connection terminal 61 (described later) of each of the multiple outlets 1. Similarly, when each of the multiple outlets 1 is attached to the duct rail A1, the low-potential side power feed line L12 is electrically connected to a second connection terminal 62 (described later) of each of the multiple outlets 1.

[0022] (2-4) Outlet The detailed configuration of the outlet 1 of this embodiment will now be described with reference to FIGS.

[0023] 1 , each of the multiple outlets 1 in this embodiment includes a control unit 2, a voltage measurement unit 31, a notification unit 4, a memory unit 5, a power supply side connection terminal 6, and an appliance side connection unit 7. The connection terminal in this disclosure is the power supply side connection terminal 6. In the following description, the power supply side connection terminal 6 may also be referred to as the connection terminal 6.

[0024] (Control Unit) The control unit 2 includes an information acquisition unit 21 , a determination unit 22 , a restriction unit 23 , and a power consumption acquisition unit 24 .

[0025] The information acquiring unit 21 acquires related information relating to the amount of supplied power, which is the total amount of DC power supplied from the high-potential-side power supply line L11 to each of the multiple outlets 1. In this embodiment, the information acquiring unit 21 acquires, as related information, measurement results from a voltage measuring unit 31 (details of which will be described later) that measures the applied voltage. That is, in this embodiment, the related information acquired by the information acquiring unit 21 is the measurement results of the applied voltage measured by the voltage measuring unit 31.

[0026] The determination unit 22 determines whether or not it is necessary to restrict the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 connected to the outlet 1 equipped with the determination unit 22, based on the related information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21. The determination unit 22 of the present embodiment uses the measurement result from the voltage measurement unit 31 acquired by the information acquisition unit 21 to determine whether or not it is necessary to restrict the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 connected to the outlet 1 equipped with the determination unit 22.

[0027] As an example, when the applied voltage measured by the voltage measurement unit 31 is lower than the voltage value V1 (see FIG. 3 ), the determination unit 22 of the present embodiment determines that the amount of supplied power is greater than the amount of power P1, which is 90% of the rated output of the external power source B1. When the determination unit 22 of the present embodiment determines that the amount of supplied power is greater than the amount of power P1, which is 90% of the rated output of the external power source B1, the determination unit 22 further determines that it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electrical device X1 connected to the outlet 1 including the determination unit 22. On the other hand, when the applied voltage measured by the voltage measurement unit 31 is equal to or lower than the voltage value V1, the determination unit 22 of the present embodiment determines that the amount of supplied power is less than the amount of power P1, which is 90% of the rated output of the external power source B1. When the determination unit 22 of the present embodiment determines that the amount of supplied power is less than the amount of power P1, which is 90% of the rated output of the external power source B1, the determination unit 22 further determines that it is unnecessary (i.e., not necessary) to limit the supply of DC power to the electrical device X1 connected to the outlet 1 including the determination unit 22.

[0028] The power consumption acquiring unit 24 acquires the power consumption of an electrical device connected to the outlet 1 equipped with the power consumption acquiring unit 24. As an example, the power consumption acquiring unit 24 communicates with the electrical device connected to the outlet 1 equipped with the power consumption acquiring unit 24 and acquires the power consumption of the electrical device. Furthermore, the power consumption acquiring unit 24 may acquire the power consumption of the electrical device based on the results of measuring the voltage applied to the outlet 1 equipped with the power consumption acquiring unit 24 and the current flowing through the outlet 1.

[0029] When the determination unit 22 determines that limitation is necessary, the limiting unit 23 limits the amount of DC power received from the high-potential-side power supply line L11. When the determination unit 22 determines that limitation of the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 is necessary, the limiting unit 23 of the present embodiment selects the amount by which to limit the amount of received power, based on the ratio of the amount of supplied power to the output rating of the external power source B1 and the power consumption acquired by the power consumption acquiring unit 24. More specifically, the limiting unit 23 of the present embodiment selects the amount by which to limit the amount of received power, based on the ratio of the amount of supplied power acquired by the information acquiring unit 21 to the output rating of the external power source B1 stored in the storage unit 5 and the power consumption acquired by the power consumption acquiring unit 24.

[0030] As an example, when the power consumption of the electric device X1 is 100 W or 60 W, the limiting unit 23 selects the amount of limiting the amount of received power as a first limiting amount when the ratio of the amount of supplied power to the rated output is equal to or greater than 85% and less than 90%. Then, when the ratio is equal to or greater than 90% and less than 95%, the limiting unit 23 selects the amount of limiting the amount of received power as a second limiting amount that is greater than the first limiting amount, and when the ratio is 95% or greater, the limiting unit 23 selects the amount of limiting the amount of received power as a third limiting amount that is greater than the second limiting amount. In other words, when the power consumption of the electric device X1 is 100 W or 60 W, the limiting unit 23 selects the amount of limiting the amount of received power so that it increases stepwise as the ratio of the amount of supplied power increases.

[0031] On the other hand, when the power consumption of electric device X1 is 36 W, 18 W, or 10 W, if the ratio of the amount of supplied power to the rated output is less than 95%, the limiting unit 23 does not select the amount to limit the amount of received power, but selects the amount to limit the amount of received power when the ratio of the amount of supplied power is 95% or more. According to the above configuration, the limiting unit 23 has the advantage of being able to efficiently prevent the amount of supplied power from exceeding the rated output of external power source B1 by limiting the amount of received DC power in accordance with the ratio of the amount of supplied power to the rated output of external power source B1 and the power consumption.

[0032] The control unit 2 preferably includes a computer system. In a computer system, a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), reads and executes programs stored in memory to realize some or all of the functions of the control unit 2. The computer system's main hardware configuration is a processor that operates according to a program. The type of processor is not important as long as it can realize functions by executing a program. The processor may be composed of one or more electronic circuits, including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or an LSI (Large Scale Integration). While ICs and LSIs are used here, the names may vary depending on the degree of integration, and may be called system LSIs, very large scale integrations (VLSIs), or ultra large scale integrations (ULSIs). Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which are programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or reconfigurable logic devices that can reconfigure the connections within the LSI or set up circuit partitions within the LSI, can also be used for the same purpose. Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated on a single chip or on multiple chips. The plurality of chips may be integrated into one device, or may be provided in a plurality of devices.

[0033] (Voltage Measurement Unit) The voltage measurement unit 31 measures the voltage applied from the external power source B1 to the power supply line L1 of the duct rail A1. In other words, the voltage measurement unit 31 measures the voltage applied between the high-potential side power supply line L11 and the low-potential side power supply line L12.

[0034] 2, when the outlet 1 equipped with the voltage measurement unit 31 is attached to the duct rail A1, the voltage measurement unit 31 is connected in parallel to the connection portion where the output portion B12 of the external power source B1 is connected to the power supply line L1, with the point on the power supply line L1 where it is connected to the connection terminal 6 as the reference point. In other words, when the outlet 1 equipped with the voltage measurement unit 31 is attached to the duct rail A1, the voltage measurement unit 31 is connected in parallel to the portion of the power supply line L1 that is located to the left of the point on the power supply line L1 where it is connected to the connection terminal 6.

[0035] More specifically, when the outlet 1 equipped with the voltage measurement unit 31 is attached to the duct rail A1, the first end of the voltage measurement unit 31 is electrically connected to a connection portion of the high-potential side power supply line L11 where the positive electrode of the output portion B12 of the external power supply B1 is connected, based on the point of connection of the high-potential side power supply line L11 with a first connection terminal 61 (described later). In other words, when the outlet 1 equipped with the voltage measurement unit 31 is attached to the duct rail A1, the first end of the voltage measurement unit 31 is electrically connected to a portion of the high-potential side power supply line L11 located to the left of the point of connection of the high-potential side power supply line L11 with the first connection terminal 61. On the other hand, when the outlet 1 equipped with the voltage measurement unit 31 is attached to the duct rail A1, the second end of the voltage measurement unit 31 is electrically connected to a connection portion of the low-potential side power supply line L12 where the negative electrode of the output portion B12 of the external power supply B1 is connected, based on the point of connection of the low-potential side power supply line L12 with a second connection terminal 62 (described later). In short, when the outlet 1 equipped with the above-mentioned voltage measuring unit 31 is attached to the duct rail A1, the second end of the voltage measuring unit 31 is electrically connected to a portion located to the left of the point at which it connects to the second connection terminal 62 on the low-potential side power supply line L12.

[0036] (Notification unit) The notification unit 4 notifies the user that the limiting unit 23 has limited the amount of DC power received from the power feed line L1 (more specifically, the high-potential side power feed line L11). In short, the notification unit 4 notifies the user when the limiting unit 23 has limited the amount of DC power received from the power feed line L1. Note that the "user" referred to in the present disclosure refers to a manager or user of the power supply system 100, an owner or user of the electric device X1, etc.

[0037] The notification unit 4 of this embodiment emits light when the limiting unit 23 limits the amount of DC power received from the power feed line L1. That is, the notification unit 4 of this embodiment is a light-emitting unit that has a light-emitting element such as an LED and emits light to notify the user when the limiting unit 23 limits the amount of DC power received from the power feed line L1. This configuration can visually notify the user that the limiting unit 23 has limited the amount of DC power received from the power feed line L1. This has the advantage that the user can easily understand that the limiting unit 23 has limited the amount of DC power received from the power feed line L1.

[0038] (Storage Unit) The output rating of the external power supply B1 is stored in the storage unit 5. The storage unit 5 includes a rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).

[0039] (Power Supply Side Connection Terminal) The power supply side connection terminal 6 is electrically connected to the power feed line L1 when the outlet 1 equipped with the power supply side connection terminal 6 is attached to the duct rail A1. The outlet 1 of this embodiment has a first connection terminal 61 and a second connection terminal 62 as the power supply side connection terminal 6. The power supply side connection terminal 6 (more specifically, the first connection terminal 61) receives DC power from the power feed line L1 (more specifically, the high-potential side power feed line L11).

[0040] The first connection terminal 61 is electrically connected to the high-potential side power supply line L11 when the outlet 1 equipped with the power supply side connection terminal 6 is attached to the duct rail A1. In other words, the first connection terminal 61 is the power supply side connection terminal 6 on the high-potential side.

[0041] On the other hand, the second connection terminal 62 is electrically connected to the low-potential side power supply line L12 when the outlet 1 equipped with the power supply side connection terminal 6 is attached to the duct rail A1. In other words, the second connection terminal 62 is the power supply side connection terminal 6 on the low-potential side.

[0042] (Apparatus-side connection unit) The apparatus-side connection unit 7 is configured to be connectable to the electric apparatus X1. The apparatus-side connection unit 7 supplies DC power received by the power supply-side connection terminal 6 to the connected electric apparatus X1. More specifically, if the determination unit 22 determines that it is not necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric apparatus X1, the apparatus-side connection unit 7 supplies the DC power received by the power supply-side connection terminal 6 to the connected electric apparatus X1 as is. If the determination unit 22 determines that it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric apparatus X1, the apparatus-side connection unit 7 supplies the DC power received by the power supply-side connection terminal 6, the amount of which has been limited by the limiting unit 23, to the connected electric apparatus X1.

[0043] The device-side connection unit 7 in this embodiment is a USB port to which a USB connector of the electric device X1 or a cable electrically connecting to the electric device X1 is connected. That is, each of the plurality of outlets 1 in this embodiment is a USB outlet.

[0044] Here, "USB" in this disclosure refers to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, which is one of the serial bus standards. In this disclosure, "USB" includes various generations (transfer speed standards) of USB, such as USB 1.0, USB 1.1, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1, USB 3.2, and USB 4. In addition, in this disclosure, USB terminal shapes (the shapes of ports PT1 and PT2 and the shape of the USB connector) include various shapes. USB terminal shapes include, for example, Type-A, Type-B, and Type-C, as well as mini USB and micro USB, and combinations thereof. That is, examples of USB terminal shapes include a mini USB Type-A terminal and a micro USB Type-B terminal.

[0045] (3) Effects The outlet 1 according to the present embodiment includes an information acquisition unit 21, a determination unit 22, a limiting unit 23, and a notification unit 4. The information acquisition unit 21 acquires related information related to the amount of supplied power, which is the total amount of DC power supplied from the power feed line L1. The determination unit 22 determines whether or not it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 based on the related information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21. When the determination unit 22 determines that limitation is necessary, the limiting unit 23 limits the amount of received DC power from the power feed line L1. The notification unit 4 notifies the user that the limiting unit 23 will limit the amount of received power. This allows the outlet 1 according to the present embodiment to prevent the amount of DC power supplied to the electric device X1 from exceeding the rated output of the external power source B1. Therefore, the outlet 1 according to the present embodiment has the advantage of being able to prevent the supply of DC power from the power feed line L1 to the electric device X1 from being stopped.

[0046] In the outlet 1 according to the present embodiment, DC power is supplied to the power feed line L1 by applying an applied voltage from the external power source B1 to the power feed line L1, the external power source B1 varies the applied voltage depending on the amount of power supplied to the power feed line L1, and the information acquisition unit 21 acquires, as related information, a measurement result from the voltage measurement unit 31 that measures the applied voltage. This advantageously allows the determination unit 22 to determine whether or not it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 depending on the applied voltage applied by the external power source B1. This has the advantage of more reliably preventing the supply of DC power from the power feed line L1 to the electric device X1 from being stopped.

[0047] The outlet 1 according to the present embodiment further includes a storage unit 5 that stores the output rating of the external power source B1 that outputs DC power to the power feed line L1, and a power consumption acquisition unit 24 that acquires the power consumption of the electric device X1. When the determination unit 22 determines that it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric device X1, the limiting unit 23 selects an amount to limit the amount of power received based on the ratio of the amount of power supplied to the output rating and the power consumption. This has the advantage of efficiently preventing the amount of power supplied from exceeding the output rating of the external power source B1.

[0048] In the outlet 1 according to this embodiment, the notification unit 4 emits light when the limiting unit 23 limits the amount of DC power received from the power supply line L1, which has the advantage that the user can easily understand that the limiting unit 23 has limited the amount of DC power received from the power supply line L1.

[0049] (4) Modifications The above-described embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. The following modifications may be realized in appropriate combination. The same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] (4-1) First Modification In the outlet 1 of the power supply system 100 in the embodiment described above, the information acquisition unit 21 acquires, as related information, measurement results from the voltage measurement unit 31 that measures the applied voltage. In contrast, the outlet 1a of the power supply system 100a in the first modification shown in Fig. 4 differs from the outlet 1 in that the information acquisition unit 21a acquires, as related information, measurement results from the current measurement unit 32, and calculates the amount of power supply using the acquired measurement results.

[0051] The configurations of the power supply system 100a and the outlet 1a of the first modified example will be described in detail below.

[0052] 4, the power supply system 100a of the first modification includes a plurality of outlets 1a, a duct rail A1, and an external power source B1. Each of the plurality of outlets 1a in the first modification includes a control unit 2a, a current measuring unit 32, a notification unit 4, a memory unit 5, a power supply side connection terminal 6, and an appliance side connection unit 7.

[0053] The current measuring unit 32 measures the current flowing in a portion of the power supply line L1 opposite the connection portion where the external power supply B1 is connected to the power supply line L1 (a portion of the power supply line L1 shown in FIG. 5 located to the right of the connection portion where the power supply line L1 is connected to the connection terminal 6), relative to the point where the power supply line L1 is connected to the connection terminal 6. More specifically, the current measuring unit 32 measures the current flowing in a portion of the high-potential power supply line L11 opposite the connection portion where the positive electrode of the output unit B12 of the external power supply B1 is connected to the high-potential power supply line L11, relative to the point where the high-potential power supply line L11 is connected to the first connection terminal 61. In other words, the current measuring unit 32 measures the current flowing in a portion of the high-potential power supply line L11 located to the right of the connection portion where the high-potential power supply line L11 is connected to the first connection terminal 61. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the outlet 1a equipped with the above-mentioned current measuring unit 32 is attached to the duct rail A1, the current measuring unit 32 is connected in series to a portion of the power supply line L1 opposite the connection portion where the output portion B12 of the external power source B1 is connected to the power supply line L1, with the point where the power supply line L1 is connected to the connection terminal 6 as the reference point.

[0054] The control unit 2 a includes an information acquisition unit 21 a, a determination unit 22 a, a restriction unit 23, and a power consumption acquisition unit 24.

[0055] The information acquiring unit 21a acquires, as related information, the measurement results from the current measuring unit 32. That is, in the first modified example, the related information acquired by the information acquiring unit 21a is the measurement result of measuring the current flowing through a portion on the opposite side of the connection portion where the external power supply B1, which outputs DC power to the power supply line L1, is connected to the power supply line L1, based on the point where the current measuring unit 32 connects to the connection terminal 6 on the power supply line L1.

[0056] The information acquiring unit 21a calculates the amount of supplied power using the acquired measurement results. More specifically, the information acquiring unit 21a multiplies the current value measured by the current measuring unit 32 by the voltage value of the applied voltage expected to be applied to the power feed line L1. Using the above multiplication, the information acquiring unit 21a calculates the amount of DC power supplied to another outlet 1a connected to a portion of the power feed line L1 opposite the connection portion where the external power source B1 is connected to the power feed line L1, based on the point where the power feed line L1 is connected to the connection terminal 6. In other words, the information acquiring unit 21a uses the above multiplication to calculate the amount of DC power supplied to the electric device X1 connected to the other outlet 1a. The "other outlet 1a" here refers to an electric device X1 different from the one outlet 1a that includes the information acquiring unit 21a for calculating the amount of supplied power, and refers to an outlet 1a connected to a portion of the power feed line L1 opposite the connection portion where the external power source B1 is connected to the power feed line L1, based on the one outlet 1a. That is, the "other outlet 1a" is the outlet 1a connected to the right of the outlet 1a that includes the information acquisition unit 21a that calculates the amount of power supply in the power supply line L1, as shown in Fig. 4. The voltage value of the voltage that is expected to be applied to the power supply line L1 is stored in advance in the storage unit 5, for example.

[0057] The information acquiring unit 21a calculates the amount of supplied power by adding the amount of DC power expected to be supplied to the outlet 1a including the information acquiring unit 21a that calculates the amount of supplied power to the calculated amount of DC power supplied to the other outlets 1a. That is, the amount of supplied power in the first modification is the total amount of DC power supplied to both the outlet 1a including the information acquiring unit 21a that calculates the amount of supplied power and the other outlets 1a connected to a portion of the power feed line L1 opposite the connection portion where the external power source B1 is connected to the power feed line L1, with respect to the outlet 1a. The amount of DC power expected to be supplied to the outlet 1a including the information acquiring unit 21a that calculates the amount of supplied power is stored in advance in the storage unit 5, for example.

[0058] The determination unit 22a determines whether or not it is necessary to restrict the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 connected to the outlet 1a including the determination unit 22a, based on the related information acquired by the information acquisition unit 21a. The determination unit 22a of the first modification uses the calculation result calculated by the information acquisition unit 21a to determine whether or not it is necessary to restrict the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 connected to the outlet 1a including the determination unit 22a. As an example, the determination unit 22a of the first modification determines that it is necessary to restrict the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 connected to the outlet 1a including the determination unit 22a, when the amount of supply power calculated by the information acquisition unit 21a is equal to or greater than a predetermined percentage of the output rating of the external power source B1. On the other hand, the determination unit 22a of the first modification determines that it is unnecessary (i.e., not necessary) to restrict the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 connected to the outlet 1a including the determination unit 22a, when the amount of supply power calculated by the information acquisition unit 21a is less than a predetermined percentage of the output rating of the external power source B1. The above configuration has the effect that the determining unit 22 a determines whether or not it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric device X1, based on the amount of supply power calculated by the information acquiring unit 21 a. As a result, there is an advantage that it is possible to more reliably prevent the supply of DC power from the power supply line L1 to the electric device X1 from being stopped.

[0059] (4-2) Second Modification In the outlet 1 of the power supply system 100 in the embodiment described above, the information acquisition unit 21 acquires, as related information, measurement results from a voltage measurement unit 31 that measures the applied voltage. In contrast, in the outlet 1b of the power supply system 100b in the second modification shown in Fig. 6, the duct rail A1 is a line different from the power supply line L1 and has a signal line L2 to which a voltage signal whose voltage value changes depending on the amount of supplied power is applied, and the information acquisition unit 21b differs from the outlet 1 in that it acquires, as related information, measurement results from a signal measurement unit 33 that measures the voltage signal.

[0060] The configuration of the power supply system 100b and the outlet 1b of the second modified example will be described in detail below.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 6, the power supply system 100b of the second modified example includes a plurality of outlets 1b, a duct rail A1, and an external power source B1.

[0062] The external power supply B1 of the second modified example includes a conversion unit B11, an output unit B12, and a signal unit B13. The signal unit B13 outputs a voltage signal to the power supply line L1 and applies it to a signal line L2 (described later) of the duct rail A1. The voltage signal changes in response to the total amount of DC power supplied from the power supply line L1 to each of the multiple outlets 1. More specifically, the signal unit B13 applies the voltage signal between a high-potential side signal line L21 and a low-potential side signal line L22 (described later) of the duct rail A1. As an example, the voltage value of the voltage signal ranges from 0.0 V to 5.0 V, and the signal unit B13 applies a voltage signal with a voltage value closer to 5.0 V as the amount of supplied power approaches the output rating. The signal unit B13 has a positive pole and a negative pole.

[0063] The duct rail A1 of the second modified example has, in addition to the power supply line L1, a signal line L2 that is different from the power supply line L1 and to which a voltage signal whose voltage value changes depending on the amount of supplied power is applied. More specifically, the duct rail A1 of the second modified example has, as the signal line L2, a high-potential side signal line L21 and a low-potential side signal line L22. The high-potential side signal line L21 is a power line connected to the positive electrode of a signal section B13 (described later) of the external power source B1 and is made up of a conductive bar. The low-potential side signal line L22 is a power line connected to the negative electrode of the signal section B13 of the external power source B1 and is made up of a conductive bar. In the present disclosure, the low-potential side signal line L22 refers to a ground line having a reference potential of 0 V (zero volts).

[0064] Each of the multiple outlets 1 b in the second modified example includes a control unit 2 b, a signal measurement unit 33, a notification unit 4, a memory unit 5, a power supply side connection terminal 6, and an appliance side connection unit 7.

[0065] The signal measuring unit 33 measures the voltage signal (the voltage value) that the signal unit B13 of the external power source B1 applies to the signal line L2 of the duct rail A1. In other words, the signal measuring unit 33 measures the voltage value of the voltage signal applied between the high-potential side signal line L21 and the low-potential side signal line L22.

[0066] 7, the signal measuring unit 33 is connected in parallel to the signal line L2 when the outlet 1b equipped with the signal measuring unit 33 is attached to the duct rail A1. More specifically, a first end of the signal measuring unit 33 is electrically connected to the high-potential side signal line L21 when the outlet 1b equipped with the signal measuring unit 33 is attached to the duct rail A1. Meanwhile, a second end of the signal measuring unit 33 is electrically connected to the low-potential side signal line L22 when the outlet 1b equipped with the signal measuring unit 33 is attached to the duct rail A1.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 2b includes an information acquisition unit 21b, a determination unit 22b, a restriction unit 23, and a power consumption acquisition unit 24.

[0068] The information acquiring unit 21b acquires, as related information, the measurement results from the signal measuring unit 33 that measures the voltage signal. That is, in the second modified example, the related information acquired by the information acquiring unit 21b is the measurement results of the voltage signal (the voltage value) measured by the signal measuring unit 33.

[0069] The judgment unit 22b of the second variant uses the measurement results from the signal measurement unit 33 acquired by the information acquisition unit 21b to determine whether or not it is necessary to restrict the supply of DC power to the electrical device X1 connected to the outlet 1b equipped with the above-mentioned judgment unit 22b.

[0070] As an example, the determination unit 22b of the second modification determines that it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 connected to the outlet 1b including the determination unit 22b when the voltage value measured by the signal measurement unit 33 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. On the other hand, the determination unit 22b of the second modification determines that it is unnecessary (i.e., not necessary) to limit the supply of DC power to the electric device X1 connected to the outlet 1b including the determination unit 22b when the voltage value measured by the signal measurement unit 33 is less than the predetermined threshold. This configuration advantageously enables the determination unit 22b to determine whether or not it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric device based on the voltage value of the voltage signal measured by the signal measurement unit 33. This has the advantage of more reliably preventing the supply of DC power from the power supply line L1 to the electric device X1 from being stopped.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 8 , in a power supply system 100b according to a second modified example, the duct rail A1 may have only the high-potential signal line L21 as the signal line L2. In this case, the low-potential power supply line L12 of the power supply line L1 also serves as the low-potential signal line L22 of the signal line L2. That is, the low-potential power supply line L12 of the power supply line L1 also functions as a ground line having a potential of 0 V (zero volts) that serves as a reference for the signal line L2. In this case, the second end of the signal measurement unit 33 is electrically connected to the low-potential power supply line L12 of the power supply line L1 when the outlet 1b including the signal measurement unit 33 is attached to the duct rail A1.

[0072] (4-3) Third Modification In the outlet 1 of the power supply system 100 in the embodiment described above, the information acquiring unit 21 acquires, as related information, a measurement result from the voltage measuring unit 31 that measures the applied voltage. In contrast, the outlet 1c of the power supply system 100c in the third modification shown in Fig. 9 differs from the outlet 1 in that the information acquiring unit 21c acquires, as related information, a superimposed signal superimposed on DC power.

[0073] The configurations of the power supply system 100c and the outlet 1c of the third modified example will be described in detail below.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 9, a power supply system 100c of the third modified example includes a plurality of outlets 1c, a duct rail A1, and an external power source B1.

[0075] The external power supply B1 of the third modification includes a conversion unit B11, an output unit B12, and a superposition unit B14. The superposition unit B14 superposes a superposition signal that changes depending on the amount of supplied power on the DC power output from the output unit B12 to the power feed line L1. That is, the DC power of the third modification has a superposition signal that changes depending on the amount of supplied power superimposed on it.

[0076] More specifically, the superimposing unit B14 superimposes a superimposing signal whose frequency changes depending on the amount of supplied power onto the DC power output from the output unit B12 to the power supply line L1. As an example, the superimposing unit B14 superimposes a superimposing signal whose frequency decreases as the amount of supplied power approaches the rated output.

[0077] 9, each of the multiple outlets 1c in the third modified example includes a control unit 2c, a notification unit 4, a storage unit 5, a power supply side connection terminal 6, and an appliance side connection unit 7. The control unit 2c includes an information acquisition unit 21c, a determination unit 22c, a limiting unit 23, and a power consumption acquisition unit 24.

[0078] The information acquiring unit 21c acquires, as the related information, a superimposed signal superimposed on the DC power supplied from the power supply line L1. More specifically, the information acquiring unit 21c extracts the superimposed signal from the DC power supplied from the power supply line L1 and acquires it as the related information. That is, in the third modified example, the related information acquired by the information acquiring unit 21c is the superimposed signal superimposed on the DC power.

[0079] The determination unit 22c of the second modification determines whether or not it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric appliance X1 connected to the outlet 1c including the determination unit 22c, based on the superimposed signal acquired by the information acquisition unit 21c. As an example, the determination unit 22c of the third modification determines that it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric appliance X1 connected to the outlet 1c including the determination unit 22c when the frequency of the superimposed signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined frequency. On the other hand, the determination unit 22c of the third modification determines that it is unnecessary (i.e., not necessary) to limit the supply of DC power to the electric appliance X1 connected to the outlet 1c including the determination unit 22c when the frequency of the superimposed signal is lower than the predetermined frequency. This configuration advantageously enables the determination unit 22c to determine whether or not it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electric appliance based on the superimposed signal, which changes depending on the amount of power supply. This has the advantage of more reliably preventing the supply of DC power from the power supply line L1 to the electric appliance X1 from being stopped.

[0080] The superimposing unit B14 may superimpose a superimposed signal, the drop time of which varies depending on the amount of supplied power, on the DC power output from the output unit B12 to the power supply line L1. For example, the superimposing unit B14 may superimpose a superimposed signal whose drop time increases as the amount of supplied power approaches the rated output.

[0081] (4-4) Other Modifications Other modifications of the above-described embodiment are listed below. The following modifications may be realized in appropriate combination.

[0082] In the above-described embodiment, the notification unit 4 emits light when the limiting unit 23 limits the amount of DC power received from the power supply line L1. However, the notification unit 4 may also output a sound when the limiting unit 23 limits the amount of DC power received from the power supply line L1. That is, the notification unit 4 is a sound output unit (e.g., a speaker) that outputs a sound to notify the user when the limiting unit 23 limits the amount of DC power received from the power supply line L1. This configuration can auditorily notify the user that the limiting unit 23 has limited the amount of DC power received from the power supply line L1. This has the advantage of allowing the user to easily understand that the limiting unit 23 has limited the amount of DC power received from the power supply line L1.

[0083] (Summary) A first aspect of the outlet (1, 1a-1c) is attached to a duct rail (A1) having a power supply line (L1) that supplies DC power, receives DC power from the power supply line (L1), and supplies the power to a connected electrical device (X1). The first aspect of the outlet (1, 1a-1c) includes an information acquisition unit (21, 21a-21c), a determination unit (22, 22a-22c), a limiting unit (23), and a notification unit (4). The information acquisition unit (21, 21a-21c) acquires related information related to the amount of supplied power, which is the total amount of DC power supplied from the power supply line (L1). The determination unit (22, 22a-22c) determines whether or not to limit the supply of DC power to the electrical device (X1) based on the related information. The limiting unit (23) limits the amount of DC power received from the power supply line (L1) when the determining unit (22, 22a to 22c) determines that limitation is necessary. The notifying unit (4) notifies that the limiting unit (23) will limit the amount of power received.

[0084] This aspect has the advantage that it is possible to prevent the supply of DC power to the electric device (X1) from being stopped.

[0085] In the outlet (1) of the second aspect, in the first aspect, DC power is supplied to the power feed line (L1) by applying an applied voltage from an external power source (B1) to the power feed line (L1). The external power source (B1) changes the applied voltage depending on the amount of power supplied to the power feed line (L1). The information acquisition unit (21, 21a to 21c) acquires, as related information, a measurement result from a voltage measurement unit (31) that measures the applied voltage.

[0086] This aspect has the advantage that the supply of DC power to the electric device (X1) can be more reliably prevented from being stopped.

[0087] The outlet (1a) of the third aspect, as in the first aspect, further includes a connection terminal (6) electrically connected to the power supply line (L1) and configured to receive DC power. The information acquisition unit (21, 21a to 21c) acquires, as related information, measurement results from a current measurement unit (32) that measures a current flowing through a portion of the power supply line (L1) opposite the connection point of an external power source (B1) that outputs DC power to the power supply line (L1), based on the point of connection with the connection terminal (6). The information acquisition unit (21, 21a to 21c) calculates the amount of power supply using the acquired measurement results. The determination unit (22, 22a to 22c) determines whether or not a restriction is required using the calculation results of the information acquisition unit (21, 21a to 21c).

[0088] This aspect has the advantage that the supply of DC power to the electric device (X1) can be more reliably prevented from being stopped.

[0089] In the outlet (1b) of the fourth aspect, in the first aspect, the duct rail (A1) has a signal line (L2) that is different from the power supply line (L1) and to which a voltage signal whose voltage value changes according to the amount of power supplied is applied. The information acquisition unit (21, 21a to 21c) acquires, as related information, a measurement result from a signal measurement unit (33) that measures the voltage signal.

[0090] This aspect has the advantage that the supply of DC power to the electric device (X1) can be more reliably prevented from being stopped.

[0091] In the outlet (1c) of the fifth aspect, a superimposed signal that changes depending on the amount of power supplied is superimposed on the DC power in the first aspect. An information acquisition unit (21, 21a to 21c) acquires the superimposed signal as related information. A determination unit (22, 22a to 22c) determines whether or not restriction is necessary based on the superimposed signal.

[0092] This aspect has the advantage that the supply of DC power to the electric device (X1) can be more reliably prevented from being stopped.

[0093] The outlet (1, 1a to 1c) of a sixth aspect is any one of the first to fifth aspects, and further includes a memory unit (5) and a power consumption acquisition unit (24). The memory unit (5) stores the output rating of an external power source (B1) that outputs DC power to a power supply line (L1). The power consumption acquisition unit (24) acquires the power consumption consumed by the electrical device (X1). When the determination unit (22, 22a to 22c) determines that limitation is necessary, the limiting unit (23) selects an amount to limit the amount of power received based on the ratio of the amount of power supplied to the output rating and the power consumption.

[0094] This embodiment has the advantage of efficiently preventing the amount of supplied power from exceeding the rated output of the external power supply (B1).

[0095] In the seventh aspect of the outlet (1, 1a to 1c), in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the notification unit (4) emits light when the limiting unit (23) limits the amount of received power.

[0096] This aspect has the advantage that the user can easily understand that the limiting unit (23) is limiting the amount of DC power received from the power supply line (L1).

[0097] In the outlet (1, 1a to 1c) of the eighth aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the notification unit (4) outputs a sound when the limiting unit (23) limits the amount of received power.

[0098] This aspect has the advantage that the user can easily understand that the limiting unit (23) is limiting the amount of DC power received from the power supply line (L1).

[0099] A power supply system (100, 100a to 100c) of a ninth aspect includes the outlet (1, 1a to 1c) of any one of the first to eighth aspects, a duct rail (A1), and an external power source (B1). The external power source (B1) outputs DC power to a power supply line (L1).

[0100] This aspect has the advantage that it is possible to prevent the supply of DC power to the electric device (X1) from being stopped.

[0101] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 1a to 1c Outlets 21, 21a to 21c Information acquisition unit 22, 22a to 22c Determination unit 23 Limitation unit 24 Power consumption acquisition unit 31 Voltage measurement unit 32 Current measurement unit 33 Signal measurement unit 4 Notification unit 5 Memory unit 6 Power supply side connection terminal (connection terminal) 100, 100a to 100c Power supply system A1 Duct rail B1 External power source L1 Power supply line L2 Signal line X1 Electrical equipment

Claims

1. An outlet that is attached to a duct rail having a power supply line that supplies DC power, receives the DC power from the power supply line, and supplies it to connected electrical equipment, comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires related information related to the amount of power supply that is the total amount of DC power supplied from the power supply line; a determination unit that determines whether or not it is necessary to limit the supply of DC power to the electrical equipment based on the related information; a limiting unit that limits the amount of DC power received from the power supply line when the determination unit determines that the limit is necessary; and a notification unit that notifies that the limiting unit will limit the amount of power received.

2. The outlet according to claim 1, wherein the DC power is supplied to the power supply line by applying an applied voltage to the power supply line from an external power source, the external power source varies the applied voltage depending on the amount of power supplied to the power supply line, and the information acquisition unit acquires, as the related information, a measurement result from a voltage measurement unit that measures the applied voltage.

3. The outlet according to claim 1, further comprising a connection terminal electrically connected to the power supply line and receiving the DC power, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires, as the related information, a measurement result from a current measurement unit that measures, using a point on the power supply line where it connects to the connection terminal as a reference, a current flowing through a portion of the power supply line opposite to a connection portion where an external power supply that outputs the DC power to the power supply line is connected to the power supply line, and calculates the amount of power supply using the acquired measurement result, and the determination unit determines whether the restriction is necessary using the calculation result from the information acquisition unit.

4. The outlet according to claim 1, wherein the duct rail is a line different from the power supply line and has a signal line to which a voltage signal whose voltage value changes according to the amount of power supplied is applied, and the information acquisition unit acquires, as the related information, measurement results from a signal measurement unit that measures the voltage signal.

5. The outlet according to claim 1, wherein a superimposed signal that changes depending on the amount of power supplied is superimposed on the DC power, the information acquisition unit acquires the superimposed signal as the related information, and the determination unit determines whether or not the restriction is necessary based on the superimposed signal.

6. The outlet according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a memory unit that stores an output rating of an external power source that outputs the DC power to the power supply line; and a power consumption acquisition unit that acquires the power consumption consumed by the electrical device, wherein when the determination unit determines that the restriction is necessary, the limiting unit selects an amount by which to limit the amount of power received depending on the ratio of the amount of power supplied to the output rating and the power consumption.

7. The outlet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the notification unit emits light when the limiting unit limits the amount of received power.

8. The outlet according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the notification unit outputs a sound when the limiting unit limits the amount of received power.

9. A power supply system comprising: the outlet according to any one of claims 1 to 8; the duct rail; and an external power supply that outputs the DC power to the power supply line.

Images