US 12,424,798 B2
Outlet in-rush current limiter for intelligent power strip
Kevin R. Ferguson, Dublin, OH (US); Casey Gilson, Omaha, NE (US); Scott Cooper, Lincoln, NE (US); and Jason Armstrong, Lincoln, NE (US)
Assigned to Vertiv Corporation, Westerville, OH (US)
Filed by Vertiv Corporation, Westerville, OH (US)
Filed on May 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/198,504.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/349,385, filed on Jun. 6, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0396026 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. H02H 9/00 (2006.01); H01R 13/24 (2006.01); H01R 13/66 (2006.01); H02H 3/093 (2006.01)
CPC H01R 13/6683 (2013.01) [H01R 13/2492 (2013.01); H02H 3/093 (2013.01); H02H 9/002 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rack power distribution unit comprising:
at least one power receptacle configured to enable attachment of an alternating current (AC) power cord of an external device to the power receptacle;
a power output module (POM) having a plurality of bistable relays and associated with the at least one power receptacle for supplying AC power to the at least one power receptacle from an external AC power source, each of the bistable relays having contacts able to be set to an open position and to a closed position, the POM configured to:
determine a load connection status over an open contact of one of the plurality of bistable relays based on a change in at least one of RMS voltage or peak voltage;
predict a voltage zero-crossing of a line voltage from the external AC power source;
transmit a communication that includes the load connection status and the voltage zero crossing to an interchangeable monitoring device (IMD); and
close the open contact based on a command from the IMD; and
the IMD, configured to:
monitor a state of the bistable relays;
receive the communication from the POM;
command the POM to close the open contact based on the communication, wherein closing the open contact limits an in-rush of current to the rack power distribution unit.