WO2007073026A1

WO2007073026A1 - Charging apparatus and lighting apparatus having the same

Info

Publication number: WO2007073026A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/003100
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dae Up Sohn
Original assignee: Son Dae Up
Priority date: 2005-12-23
Filing date: 2006-08-08
Publication date: 2007-06-28
Also published as: KR200416715Y1

Abstract

Disclosed herein are a charging apparatus and a lighting apparatus having the charging apparatus. The charging apparatus includes a container and an electric generator generating electric energy. A drive unit is installed in the container, and converts rectilinear reciprocating motion into bidirectional rotation, thus driving the electric generator. A charging unit charges the electric energy generated by the electric generator. According to the invention, the electric generator is continuously operated when a pull cord is pulled or released, thus dramatically reducing fatigue in the arms and wrists. The electric generator is operated by inserting or hooking the fingers into or on a handle of the pull cord, thus preventing the fingers from being injured. The drive unit has a simple structure, thus allowing a casing of a flashlight to be variously designed. The maximum quantity of electricity can be generated with the minimum force.

Description

[DESCRIPTION! [invention Title]

CHARGING APPARATUS AND LIGHTING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME [Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a charging apparatus for charging electric energy generated by an internal electric generator, and a lighting apparatus having the charging apparatus. [Background Art]

Generally, when an accumulator, such as a battery, which supplies electricity to various kinds of electronic products, including a flashlight and a mobile phone, is discharged, charging apparatuses apply an electric current to the discharged accumulator, thus restoring the original voltage.

Meanwhile, among the charging apparatuses, a charging apparatus which is integrated with various kinds of electronic products, including a flashlight and a mobile phone, generates electric energy through intrinsic electric generation as necessary, and charges the generated electric energy, has come onto the market.

The charging apparatus includes an electric generator for generating electric energy, a drive unit for driving the electric generator, and a charging circuit for charging electric energy generated by the electric generator. FIG. 1 shows a drive unit 202 used in a conventional charging apparatus. The drive unit 202 includes a casing 206 which is open at one side thereof, and a cover 204 which is mounted to the opening of the casing 206. A drive gear 208, an idle gear 210, and a driven gear 212 are provided in the casing 206 and are engaged with each other to transmit power. The drive gear 208, the idle gear 210, and the driven gear 212 are rotatably supported to the casing 206 and the cover 204 via respective shafts 217, 215, and 214. Further, an electric generator 216 is connected to the shaft 214 of the driven gear 212, and generates electricity using transmitted power.

A handle 218 is provided on an end of the shaft 217 of the drive gear 208, so that a user can transmit power to the drive gear. The handle 218 is mounted to the outer wall of the cover 204.

The drive unit 202 having the above-mentioned construction is operated as follows.

When a user continues to rotate the handle 218 of the drive unit 202, the rotating force of the handle 218 is transmitted through the shaft 217 to the drive gear 208. The power is sequentially transmitted to the idle gear 210, which is engaged with the drive gear 208 and the driven gear 212. Thus, the driven gear 212 is rotated along with the shaft 214 by the transmitted power, thus operating the electric generator 216 and producing electric energy. Some of the electric current generated by the electric generator 216 is stored in a charging battery or a charging circuit, which are not shown in the drawing. The conventional charging apparatus is problematic in that the handle 218 of the drive unit 202 must be continuously rotated by a user, so that the charging operation takes a long time, and the charging capacity is low. Further, in the conventional charging apparatus, electric energy is produced from the electric generator 216 in proportion to the amount of rotation of the handle 218. Thus, the user must continue to rotate the handle 218, so that the user readily feels fatigue in his or her arms and wrists.

The conventional charging apparatus has another problem in that, when the handle 218 is rotated for a lengthy period of time, the user's fingers may be caught in the handle 218 due to the carelessness caused by increasing fatigue, so that his or her fingers may be injured.

The conventional charging apparatus is problematic in that the drive unit 202 comprises a handle rotating structure, so that the construction is complicated, and thereby the design of the appearance of an electronic product equipped with the charging apparatus has many restrictions . Further, in the case of a lighting apparatus having the charging apparatus, such as a portable flashlight, the charging capacity of the charging apparatus is low, and thus the lighting apparatus cannot be used for a long time at night .

[Disclosure] [Technical Problem]

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a charging apparatus and a lighting apparatus having the charging apparatus, capable of dramatically increasing the electrical generating efficiency of an electric generator, and remarkably reducing the sense of fatigue in the arms and the wrists, and allowing even the old and the weak to easily operate the electric generator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a charging apparatus and a lighting apparatus having the charging apparatus, capable of preventing various accidents from occurring while an electric generator is being operated. A further object of the present invention is to provide a charging apparatus and a lighting apparatus having the charging apparatus, which have a simpler drive unit, thus improving the freedom of design, therefore providing various and good appearances. [Technical Solution!

In order to accomplish the objects, the present invention provides a charging apparatus, including a container; an electric generator for generating electric energy; a drive unit installed in the container, and converting rectilinear reciprocating motion into bidirectional rotation, thus driving the electric generator; and a charging unit for charging the electric energy generated by the electric generator. The drive unit includes a pinion coupled to a shaft of the electric generator; a rack engaging with the pinion; a pull cord electrically connected to the rack; and a handle mounted to an end of the pull cord.

An elastic member is interposed between the rack and the pull cord.

Preferably, the elastic member comprises either a compression spring or a tension spring.

The elastic member is supported by a base plate provided in the container. The rack has on both side surfaces thereof at least one guide pin, and the container has on a sidewall thereof a guide hole to guide the guide pin.

Further, the drive unit includes a driven gear coupled to the shaft of the electric generator; an idle gear engaging with the driven gear; a drive gear engaging with the idle gear; an elastic member mounted to a shaft of the drive gear and providing elastic force in a circumferential direction of the drive gear; a reel coupled to the shaft of the drive gear; a pull cord wound around the reel; and a handle mounted to an end of the pull cord. The elastic member comprises either a spiral spring or a torsion spring.

A subsidiary power supply unit may be connected to the charging unit.

According to the present invention, a lighting apparatus includes a body having a light source; an electric generator provided in the body and generating electric energy; a drive unit converting rectilinear reciprocating motion into bidirectional rotation, thus driving the electric generator; and a charging unit for charging the electric energy generated by the electric generator.

The drive unit includes a pinion coupled to a shaft of the electric generator; a rack engaging with the pinion; a pull cord electrically connected to the rack; and a handle secured to an end of the pull cord. An elastic member is interposed between the rack and the pull cord.

The elastic member is supported by a base plate provided in the container.

The drive unit further includes a container installed in the body, and an electric generator is mounted to the outer portion of the container, and a pinion and a rack are installed in the container.

The rack has on both side surfaces thereof at least one guide pin, and the container has on a sidewall thereof a guide hole to guide the guide pin.

The drive unit includes a driven gear coupled to the shaft of the electric generator; an idle gear engaging with the driven gear; a drive gear engaging with the idle gear; an elastic member mounted to a shaft of the drive gear and providing an elastic force in a circumferential direction of the drive gear; a reel coupled to the shaft of the drive gear; a pull cord wound around the reel; and a handle secured to an end of the pull cord. The elastic member comprises either a spiral spring or a torsion spring.

A subsidiary power supply unit may be connected to the charging unit. [Advantageous Effects] As described above, an electric generator according to the present invention is driven by pulling and releasing a pull cord. Thus, even if the electric generator is operated for a lengthy period of time, the sense of fatigue in a user' s arms and wrists is dramatically reduced, so that even the old and the weak can easily operate the electric generator. Further, the electric generator is operated by pulling and releasing the pull cord. Thus, when the user's fingers are inserted or hooked into a handle of the pull cord, the fingers are spaced apart from a drive unit, and thus the user is not injured. Thereby, the invention affords high safety.

Furthermore, the operating method of the electric generator using the pull cord generates a large quantity of electricity using a small force, so that the invention can be applied to a battery of an electronic product, such as a lighting apparatus, in normal times as well as in emergencies.

Further, the operating structure of the drive unit is simple, thus allowing the appearance of the electronic product, such as the lighting apparatus, to be more variously designed. [Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a drive unit of a conventional charging apparatus; FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing the construction of a charging apparatus, according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a drive unit, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing the drive unit, according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a view showing the operation of the drive unit, according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a drive unit of a charging apparatus, according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view showing the operation of the drive unit, according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 8 is a plan sectional view showing a drive unit, according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing another embodiment of a handle applied to the drive unit, according to the present invention; FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a further embodiment of a handle applied to the drive unit, according to the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the state where the charging apparatus of the present invention is installed in a lighting apparatus. (Mode for Invention]

Referring to FIG. 2, which schematically shows the charging apparatus 20 of the present invention, the charging apparatus 20 includes a charging unit 8, an electric generator 22, and a container 26 holding a drive unit for driving the electric generator 22. Meanwhile, when the charging apparatus 20 of the present invention is mounted to the lighting apparatus 2 (see, FIG. 11), one or more switches 12 and a light source 14 are connected to the charging unit 8. The switches 12 are exposed on one side of a lower casing 6, and the light source 14 is mounted to a reflector 16, which is provided on each front end of upper and lower casings 4 and 6. Various bulbs, such as a glow lamp, a halogen lamp, an EL bulb, or an LED bulb, may be used as the light source 14. As necessary, a single light source 14 or a plurality of light sources 14 may be connected to the charging unit 8. When the plurality of light sources 14 is used, a sliding- type switch 12 is individually connected to each of the light sources 14, thus allowing the light sources 14 to be individually turned on or off. Further, the switch 12 may comprise a push-button type switch. The push-button type switch 12 may gradually increase the number of light sources 14 which are to be turned on, whenever the switch 12 is turned on once. Further, a plurality of switches 12 may be installed. The plurality of switches 12 can selectively turn on or off the light sources 14 which radiate different colors of lights, and can individually control the flow of electric energy applied to the charging unit 8. The electric generator 22 and an input/output jack 24 are electrically connected to the charging unit 8. The electric generator 22 has an electric generating structure therein, and a rotating shaft 23 is provided on one side of the electric generator 22. The rotating shaft 23 is connected to a drive unit 35. The input/output jack 24 is secured to a surface of the casings 4 and 6. An electronic product, such as a mobile phone, a radio, an MP3, a portable cassette, or a portable TV, may be connected to the input/output jack 24.

Further, a subsidiary power supply unit 18, such as a solar photovoltaic cell using solar heat, may be connected to the charging unit 8 to subsidiarily apply electricity to the charging unit 8. In this case, the subsidiary power supply unit 18 may be mounted to the outer surface of the lower casing 6. Further, the drive unit 35 connected to the rotating shaft 23 of the electric generator 22 converts rectilinear reciprocating motion into bidirectional rotation through a pulling and releasing operation, thus generating electricity in the electric generator 22. A charging apparatus 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a drive unit 35. The drive unit 35 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The charging apparatus 20 includes a container 26. The container 26 has a casing 28 which is open at a surface thereof, and a cover 30 which is detachably fastened to the opening of the casing 28 via screws 32. Further, an electric generator 22 is fastened to the outer wall of the casing 28 via a screw 34.

In this case, a shaft 23 of the electric generator 22 passes through the sidewall of the casing 28 to be inserted into the casing 28. A pinion 36 is mounted to the shaft 23, and a rack 38 engages with the pinion 36. A pull cord 48 is elastically connected to one end of the rack 38, and a handle 50 is mounted to one end of the pull cord 48.

Guide pins 40 protrude from both side surfaces of front and rear portions of the rack 38, and guide holes 42 and 44 each having a slot shape are formed longitudinally along the sidewalls of the casing 28 and the cover, and guide the sliding motion of the guide pins 40. The length of each guide hole 42, 44 limits the forward and backward range of motion of the rack 38.

Further, a ring 39 is mounted to the rear end of the rack 38, and a hook 46 protrudes from the ring 39. The front end of the pull cord 48 is secured to the hook 46, and the pull cord 48 passes through the sidewall of the casing 28 to extend outwards. The handle 50 is secured to the rear end of the pull cord 48.

In this case, the handle 50 is constructed so that it does not enter the casing 28 but is stopped by the sidewall of the casing 28. Further, the guide pins 40 are designed to be stopped by respective ends of the guide holes 42 and 44, so that the handle 50 does not enter the casing 28. An elastic member 52 is installed between the rear end of the rack 38 and the inner wall of the rear end of the casing 28, and provides elastic force so that the backward moving rack 38 returns to its original position. According to this embodiment, the elastic member 52 comprises a compression spring 54.

In this case, the front and rear ends of the compression spring 54 are in close contact with the ring 39 and the inner wall of the rear end of the casing 28. Further, the compression spring 54 is supported by a base plate 56. The base plate 56 protrudes into the casing 28.

The operation of the charging apparatus, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, constructed as described above, will be described below.

First, a user holds the handle 50 and pulls it, as shown in FIG. 5. At this time, the pull cord 48 is pulled from the interior of the container 26 to the exterior thereof. Simultaneously, the ring 39 and the rack 38 are moved backwards in the container 26 by the pull cord 48. Further, the guide pins 40 provided on both sides of the rack 38 slide along the guide holes 42 and 44.

Thereby, the compression spring 54 is compressed against the inner wall of the rear portion of the casing 28 by the ring 39.

At this time, the rack 38 moves backwards, thus rotating the pinion 36 engaging with the rack 38 in one direction. The pinion 36 transmits rotating power through the shaft 23 to the electric generator 22 (see, FIG. 4).

When the pull cord 48 is pulled out of the container 26 by a predetermined length by pulling the handle 50, the guide pins 40 are stopped by ends of the guide holes 42 and

44. At this time, when force acting on the pull cord 48 is removed (i.e. when the handle 50 is released), the compression spring 54 is moved with respect to the inner wall of the rear portion of the casing 28, thus biasing the ring 39.

Thus, while the ring 39 is biased by the compression spring 54, the ring 39 moves forwards in the container 26 together with the rack 38, and returns to its original position.

When the rack 38 moves forwards in this way, the guide pins 40 provided on both sides of the rack slide along the guide holes 42 and 44, and return to their original positions. Simultaneously, the pinion 36 engaging with the rack 38 rotates in a reverse direction, so that power is transmitted through the shaft 23 to the electric generator 22.

At this time, the compression spring 54, the ring 39, and the rack 38 rectilinearly reciprocate on the base plate 56.

While the rack 38 moves forwards and backwards in this way, the rack 38 rotates the pinion 36, so that the electric generator 22 is operated. The electricity generated by the electric generator 22 is stored in a charging unit 8.

As such, the electric generator 22 is operated by inserting the finger into the handle 50 and pulling and releasing the pull cord 48, so that the fatigue experienced by a user is lessened. Further, the user's finger is spaced apart from the drive unit 35, thus preventing the finger from being injured. Thus, the present invention is superior in terms of safety.

The electricity generating method using the above- mentioned pulling method and the electricity generating method using the conventional rotating method are compared with each other. The comparison result is shown in Table 1.

[Table l]

In a detailed description, according to the prior art (see, FIG. 1), assuming that the handle 218 has a length of 13 cm, the shaft 214 of the electric generator 216 has a circumference of 2 cm, and the shaft 214 rotates once when the handle 218 turns once, the actual rotating distance (i.e. the circumference of a circle defined by the rotation of the handle 218) of the handle 218 is equal to 2πR = 2 X 13 X 3.14 = 81.64cm, and thus the shaft 214 having a circumference of 2 cm rotates once. Thereby, when the handle 218 rotates once, it will be understood that an input distance rotating the shaft 214 is equal to 2 cm, and an output distance is also equal to 2 cm. That is, when the number of rotations of the shaft 214 is calculated using the ratio of the input distance to the output distance, it will be understood that 2 cm/ 2cm = 1 rotation.

Conversely, when the length of the pull cord 48 of this invention is set to be 81.64 cm and the circumference of the shaft 23 is set to be 2 cm to correspond to the rotating distance of the conventional handle 218, the actual input distance of the shaft 23 through the pulling and releasing operation of the pull cord 48 is equal to the pulling and releasing distance of the pull cord 48, that is, 2 X 81.64 cm = 163.29 cm. The output distance of the shaft 23 is equal to 2 cm, as in the prior art. Hence, when the number of rotations of the shaft 23 is calculated using the ratio of the input distance to the output distance, the number of rotations of the shaft 23 is equal to 163.29 cm/2 cm = 81.64 rotations. Therefore, the number of rotations of the present invention is 80 times that of the prior art. In proportion to the number of rotations, the capacity of generated electricity is dramatically increased. In the case of operating the electric generator 22 according to this invention, force is applied only when the handle 50 is pulled. Meanwhile, when the handle 50 is released, the components are automatically returned to their original positions by the restoring force of the elastic member 52. Thus, a user's wrists and arms feel little fatigue, and in addition, the amount of electricity generated is increased.

In a detailed description, when the handle 50 is pulled to operate the electric generator 22, a user exerts force. Meanwhile, when the handle 50 is released, the user rests.

When the electric generator 22 is operated in this way, exercise and rest are repeated, so that the degree of fatigue is considerably reduced and thus the apparatus can be operated for a lengthy period of time. Thereby, a large amount of energy can be easily obtained. Further, according to the prior art, a user turns the handle using his or her wrists to operate the electric generator 22. In this case, the handle is rotated using the small muscles of the wrist, so that the fatigue of the user is greatly increased, and it is difficult to continuously operate the apparatus. Generally, a typical adult man can rotate the handle only for about one minute.

However, according to the present invention, the electric generator 22 is operated by pulling or releasing the handle 50 using the joints in a user's shoulder, elbow, and wrist. In this case, the electric generator is rectilinearly moved using large muscles, so that more energy can be easily obtained without fatigue.

Such a theory of the increase and reduction in fatigue is based on general theory according to exercise anatomical analysis. For example, when a person takes the same amount of exercise, the fatigue experienced when using large muscles is less than the fatigue experienced when using small muscles.

Thus, when a user performs rectilinear reciprocation using the joints of the arms through two behaviors, that is, exercise and rest, thus operating the electric generator 22, the electric generator 22 is continuously operated for a longer period of time, so that a lot of energy can be generated in a short period. Unlike the pulling method, the rotating method causes a user to quickly feel fatigue in his wrist, arm, and shoulder, so that the amount of electricity generated is small, because force must be continuously applied while the handle is rotated through 360 degrees. FIG. 6 shows a drive unit 64 of a charging apparatus 60, according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, a pinion 36 is secured to a shaft 23 of an electric generator 22, and a rack 66 engages with the pinion 36. Guide pins 70 protrude from both surfaces of the front and rear portions of the rack 66. Further, slot-shaped guide holes 74 and 76 are longitudinally formed in one sidewall of a casing 68 and a cover 72 to guide the movement of the guide pins 70.

A hook 78 is provided on the rear end of the rack 66, and the front end of a pull cord 80 is fastened to the hook 78. The pull cord 80 passes through the rear wall of the casing 68 in such a way as to extend outwards. A handle 82 is secured to the rear end of the pull cord 80.

In this case, the handle 82 does not pass through the rear wall of the casing 68 but is stopped by the rear wall of the casing. Further, since the guide pins 70 are designed to be stopped by the ends of the guide holes 74 and

76, the handle 82 is not inserted into the casing 68.

An elastic member 84 is installed between the front end of the rack 66 and the inner wall of the front end of the container 62, and provides elastic force such that the backwardly moving rack 66 is returned to its original position. According to this embodiment, a tension spring 86 is used as the elastic member 84.

The rear end of the tension spring 86 is fastened to a hook 88 provided on the front end of the rack 66. The front end of the tension spring 86 is fastened to a hook 90 which is provided on the inner wall of the front end of the casing 68.

The tension spring 86 is supported by a base plate 92, and the base plate 92 protrudes into the casing 68. The operation of the charging apparatus, according to the second embodiment of the present invention, constructed as described above, will be described below.

First, in order to operate the electric generator 22, the handle 82 is held and pulled as shown in FIG. 7. At this time, the pull cord 80 is pulled out of the container

62 by the handle 82, and simultaneously, the rack 66 is moved backwards in the container 62 by the pull cord 80.

Thereby, the tension spring 86, connected to the front end of the rack 66, is tensioned with respect to the hook 90, which is provided on the inner wall of the front end of the casing 68. Simultaneously, the guide pins 70 provided on both sides of the rack 66 are guided along the guide holes 74 and 76.

At this time, the pinion 36 engaging with the rack 66 is rotated, and the pinion 36 transmits rotating power through the shaft 23 to the electric generator 22.

When the pull cord 80 is pulled a predetermined length out of the container 62 by means of the handle 82, the guide pins 70 are stopped by the ends of the guide holes 74 and 76. In such a state, when the pull cord 80 is released, the tension spring 86 pulls the rack 66 and is simultaneously supported by the hook 90 which is provided on the inner wall of the front end of the front end of the casing 68, so that the rack 66 is returned to its original position.

When the rack 66 moves forwards in this way, the guide pins 70 provided on both sides of the rack are guided along the guide holes 74 and 76, thus returning to their original positions. Simultaneously, the pinion 36 engaging with the rack 66 is rotated and transmits power through the shaft 23 to the electric generator 22. At this time, the tension spring 86 and the rack 66 rectilinearly reciprocate on the base plate 92.

As such, when the rack 66 moves forwards and backwards to rotate the pinion 36 and operate the electric generator 22, the electric generator 22 generates electricity. The generated electricity is stored in the charging unit 8 (see, FIG. 2) .

Further, FIG. 8 shows a drive unit 104 of a charging apparatus 102, according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, a driven gear 106 is coupled to a shaft 23 of an electric generator 22, and an idle gear 108 for transmitting power engages with the driven gear 106. The idle gear 108 is rotatably supported to a casing 111 and a cover 112 via a shaft 110. A drive gear 114, which provides power, engages with the idle gear 108. The drive gear 114 is rotatably supported to the casing 111 and the cover 112 via a shaft 116.

A reel 118 is mounted to one end of the shaft 116 of the drive gear 114, and a pull cord 120 is wound around the reel 118 and passes through the rear portion of the casing 111 in such a way as to extend outwards. A handle 122 is secured to the rear end of the pull cord 120, and is positioned outside of the casing 111. A ring 128 is provided adjacent to the handle 122 of the pull cord 120 to be positioned outside of the casing 111. Further, an elastic member 124 is mounted to the other end of the shaft 116 of the drive gear 114. The elastic member 124 provides a restoring force such that the drive gear 114 rotated in one direction returns to its original position. The elastic member 124 provides an elastic force in a circumferential direction, like a spiral spring 126 or a torsion spring.

In this case, one end of the spiral spring 126 is secured to the shaft 116 of the drive gear 114. The other end of the spiral spring 126 is secured to the wall of the casing 111.

The operation of the third embodiment of the present invention, constructed as described above, will be described below.

First, in order to operate the electric generator 22, the handle 122 constituting the drive unit 104 is held and pulled. At this time, the ring 128 is spaced apart from the rear wall of the casing 111. Simultaneously, the pull cord 120 is taken out of the container 101 and is unwound from the reel 118.

The reel 118 is rotated in the direction in which the pull cord 120 is unwound, thus rotating the shaft 116 and the drive gear 114. At this time, the spiral spring 126 mounted to the other end of the shaft 116 of the drive gear

114 is wound, thus accumulating power.

As such, when the drive gear 114 rotates, the idle gear 108 engaging with the drive gear 114 is rotated, so that power is transmitted to the driven gear 106.

Thus, the driven gear 106 is rotated by the transmitted power, thus rotating the shaft 23 and operating the electric generator 22. When the pull cord 120 is taken a predetermined length out of the casing 111 and then is released, the shaft 116 and the drive gear 114 are rotated in the reverse direction by the elastic force accumulated in the spiral spring 126.

Thereby, the part of the pull cord 120, taken out of the casing 111, enters the casing 111 and is wound around the reel 118 which rotates in a reverse direction. When the ring 128 reaches the rear wall of the casing 111, the pull cord 120 is not wound around the reel 118 any further.

As such, when the shaft 116 is rotated in a reverse direction, the idle gear 108 engaging with the drive gear

114 is rotated, thus transmitting power to the driven gear 106, and thereby operating the electric generator 22.

The electricity produced by the electric generator 22 is stored in the charging unit 8 (see, FIG. 2) .

Meanwhile, FIG. 9 is a plan view showing another embodiment of a handle 130. The handle 130 is connected to the rear end of the pull cord 48, 80, or 120, and has a body 132 having the shape of handles of scissors. Finger holes 134 are formed in both sides of the rear portion of the body 132, so that a user's fingers are fitted into the finger holes 134. A fastening hole 136 is formed in a center of the front end of the body 132 so that the rear portion of the above-mentioned pull cord 48, 80, or 120 is fastened to the fastening hole.

When the handle 130 is connected to the pull cord 48, 80, or 120, a user inserts two fingers into the finger holes 134 and pulls the handle 130, so that it is easy to pull the pull cord.

Further, FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a further embodiment of a handle 140. The handle 140 according to this embodiment includes a body 142 having a "T"-shaped cross section. Concave grooves 144 are formed on both sides of the rear portion of the body 142, so that a user's fingers are hooked in the concave grooves. A fastening hole 146 is formed in a center of the front end of the body 142 such that the rear end of the above-mentioned pull cord 48, 80, or 120 is fastened to the fastening hole. When the handle 140 connected to the pull cord 48, 80, or 120 is used, two fingers are placed in the grooves 144 and thereafter pull the handle 140, and thus the pulling operation is easy. FIG. 11 shows the lighting apparatus 2 of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the lighting apparatus 2 of the invention includes upper and lower casings 4 and 6 which are detachably coupled to each other.

The charging apparatus 20, 60, or 102 is installed in space defined between the upper and lower casings 4 and 6. The charging unit 8 of the charging apparatus 20, 60, or 102 may be provided on a printed circuit board (PCB) 10 which is installed in the space between the upper and lower casings 4 and 6. Since the electric generator 22 generates a large quantity of electricity using a small force when the pull cord 48, 80, or 120 provided on the drive unit 35, 64, or 104 of the charging apparatus 20, 60, or 102 is pulled or released, the quantity of electricity stored in the charging unit 8 of the lighting apparatus 2 is increased. Thereby, the available period of the lighting apparatus 2 is maximized, so that the lighting apparatus 2 can be used in normal times as well as in emergencies.

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment wherein the charging apparatus of the invention is applied to the lighting apparatus 2. The charging apparatus of this invention may be widely used to charge a battery of various electronic products, without being limited to the lighting apparatus 2.

[industrial Applicability] As described above, an electric generator according to the present invention is driven by pulling and releasing a pull cord. Thus, even if the electric generator is operated for a lengthy period of time, the sense of fatigue in a user's arms and wrists is dramatically reduced, so that even the old and the weak can easily operate the electric generator.

Further, the electric generator is operated by pulling and releasing the pull cord. Thus, when the user's fingers are inserted or hooked into a handle of the pull cord, the fingers are spaced apart from a drive unit, and thus the user is not injured. Thereby, the invention affords high safety.

Furthermore, the operating method of the electric generator using the pull cord generates a large quantity of electricity using a small force, so that the invention can be applied to a battery of an electronic product, such as a lighting apparatus, in normal times as well as in emergencies .

Further, the operating structure of the drive unit is simple, thus allowing the appearance of the electronic product, such as the lighting apparatus, to be more variously designed.

Claims

[CLAIMS] [Claim l]

A charging apparatus, comprising: a container; an electric generator for generating electric energy; a drive unit installed in the container, and converting rectilinear reciprocating motion into bidirectional rotation, thus driving the electric generator; and a charging unit for charging the electric energy generated by the electric generator. [Claim 2]

The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit comprises: a pinion coupled to a shaft of the electric generator; a rack engaging with the pinion; a pull cord electrically connected to the rack; and a handle mounted to an end of the pull cord. [Claim 3]

The charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an elastic member is interposed between the rack and the pull cord. [Claim 4]

The charging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the elastic member comprises either a compression spring or a tension spring. [Claim 5l

The charging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the elastic member is supported by a base plate provided in the container. [Claim 6]

The charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rack has on both side surfaces thereof at least one guide pin, and the container has on a sidewall thereof a guide hole to guide the guide pin. [Claim 7]

The charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drive unit comprises: a driven gear coupled to the shaft of the electric generator; an idle gear engaging with the driven gear; a drive gear engaging with the idle gear; an elastic member mounted to a shaft of the drive gear and providing elastic force in a circumferential direction of the drive gear; a reel coupled to the shaft of the drive gear; a pull cord wound around the reel; and a handle mounted to an end of the pull cord. [Claim 8]

The charging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the elastic member comprises either a spiral spring or a torsion spring. [Claim 9]

The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a subsidiary power supply unit is connected to the charging unit. [Claim 10]

A lighting apparatus, comprising: a body having a light source; an electric generator provided in the body and generating electric energy; a drive unit converting rectilinear reciprocating motion into bidirectional rotation, thus driving the electric generator; and a charging unit for charging the electric energy generated by the electric generator. [Claim 111

The lighting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the drive unit comprises: a pinion coupled to a shaft of the electric generator; a rack engaging with the pinion; a pull cord electrically connected to the rack; and a handle secured to an end of the pull cord. [Claim 12]

The lighting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an elastic member is interposed between the rack and the pull cord. [Claim 13]

The lighting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the elastic member comprises either a compression spring or a tension spring. [Claim 14]

The lighting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the drive unit comprises: a driven gear coupled to the shaft of the electric generator; an idle gear engaging with the driven gear; a drive gear engaging with the idle gear; an elastic member mounted to a shaft of the drive gear and providing an elastic force in a circumferential direction of the drive gear; a reel coupled to the shaft of the drive gear; a pull cord wound around the reel; and a handle secured to an end of the pull cord. [Claim 15]

The lighting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the elastic member comprises either a spiral spring or a torsion spring. [Claim 16]

The lighting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a subsidiary power supply unit is connected to the charging unit.