US 12,080,979 B2
Direct connect UEI cartridges for DC power systems
Ambroise Prinstil, East Hartford, CT (US); Timothy Andrew Gallagher, Canton, CT (US); Taufik Taufik, Santa Maria, CA (US); and Jeffrey Scott Gentile, East Falmouth, MA (US)
Filed by Ambroise Prinstil, East Hartford, CT (US)
Filed on Jun. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/832,974.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/210,001, filed on Jun. 12, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0399688 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. H01R 24/76 (2011.01); H01R 25/00 (2006.01); H02J 3/38 (2006.01)
CPC H01R 25/006 (2013.01) [H01R 24/76 (2013.01); H02J 3/381 (2013.01); H02J 2300/24 (2020.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A series of DC-Cartridges or DC Outlets as receptacles for DC power delivery and connectivity by way of a Unifying Electrical Interface (UEI) platform or UEI base having Terminal-Lugs, each connected to a line of a DC-Homegrid system or a standalone DC source providing a DCL-Voltage of up to 48V DC, a DCM-Voltage between 49V and up to 96V DC and a DCH-Voltage between 97V and up to 300V DC, each to a Positive-Terminal, and returning via a Negative-Terminal, said UEI base is keyed to accept a specific cartridge or a combination thereof, each DC-Cartridge comprises:
a Frontal-Body shell as an anterior portion of an enclosure forming a cartridge adapted as an outlet for DC power connectivity via electrical contacts embedded inside the enclosure, and said terminal contacts can be accessed to by a corresponding mating power plug by way of entry holes located at the front of each respective DC-Cartridge;
a Common-Housing base as the rearmost portion of the enclosure forming the DC-Cartridge for DC power connectivity, wherein the electrical contacts intended for electrical and/or mechanical connections are included at patterns matching an entry footprint of each respective UEI base;
a Grounding-Prong for grounding and to mechanically secure each respective DC-Cartridge to its UEI base;
a Positive Electrical-Terminal serving as electrical contacts to a positive DC-Voltage line for the respective DC-Cartridge;
a Negative Electrical-Terminal serving as electrical contacts for a negative return line for the respective DC-Cartridge;
an Earth Ground Electrical Bus providing a grounding connection path for all equipment connected to the DC-Cartridge;
a series of Terminal-Hooks as electrical and/or mechanical contacts linking the DC-Cartridge to the UEI base;
a Plug-Lock feature used to protect and secure the corresponding mating power plug.