DE102023100654A1 - Charging device for a mobile phone, console for a motor vehicle and motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

Charging device for a mobile phone (6), with a housing and a receptacle (3, 15) for the mobile phone (6), wherein a coil arrangement (10) for generating a magnetic field (14) that inductively charges an energy store of the mobile phone (6) is provided in the housing, wherein two receptacles (3, 15) are provided for each accommodating a mobile phone (6), to which a common coil arrangement (10) for charging the energy stores of both mobile phones (6) is assigned.

Description

The invention relates to a charging device for a mobile phone, with a housing and a holder for the mobile phone, wherein a coil arrangement for generating a magnetic field that inductively charges an energy storage device of the mobile phone is provided in the housing.

Modern motor vehicles usually have a charging device that allows a mobile phone to be charged inductively. This charging device is usually provided on a center console that is located between the driver's seat and the passenger seat. To charge, the mobile phone is inserted into a holder that is formed in a housing of the charging device. A coil device is provided that generates a magnetic field that can be used to inductively charge the mobile phone's energy storage device. The charging device allows a mobile phone to be inserted. If the option of charging several mobile phones is to be created, several such charging devices must be provided accordingly.

Out of EN 10 2021 110 961 A1 A charging device is known which has a large surface area on which several, even different, devices to be charged inductively can be placed. Appropriate fastening devices can be provided for holding the device, to which a separate device can be attached. Separate coil devices are provided for charging the different devices individually.

The invention is based on the problem of providing an improved charging device.

To solve this problem, according to the invention, a charging device of the type mentioned at the outset is provided, which has two receptacles for each accommodating a mobile phone, to which a common coil arrangement for charging the energy storage devices of both mobile phones is assigned.

With the charging device according to the invention, two mobile phones can be charged simultaneously. A separate holder is provided for each mobile phone, which means that each mobile phone can be individually placed on or in a separate holder. However, these two holders are assigned a common coil arrangement, which provides both holders with a common magnetic field, via which the mobile phones arranged there can be simultaneously inductively charged. The common coil arrangement has one or more coils that generate the magnetic field supplied to both holders.

The charging device according to the invention is therefore designed to be significantly simpler, since it has only one coil arrangement via which both receptacles can be operated, unlike in the prior art, where a plurality of separate coil arrangements, each of which is assigned to a receptacle, are provided, wherein the coil arrangements can also be controlled separately, which in turn requires a correspondingly designed control device, etc.

The two receptacles are conveniently separated by a partition wall in which the coil arrangement is provided. The receptacles thus run parallel to one another, with a corresponding partition wall on the housing side between them in which the common coil arrangement is integrated. This allows the charging device to be designed compactly, and the magnetic field can also be guided homogeneously to both side receptacles.

The operation of the coil arrangement can be controlled via a suitable control device. This controls the current supply to the coil arrangement, which controls the generation of the magnetic field.

The control device is preferably designed to control the coil arrangement depending on the number of mobile phones used. If two mobile phones are used, i.e. both slots are occupied, a somewhat stronger magnetic field is useful for quickly charging both energy storage devices than if only one slot is occupied, i.e. only one energy storage device needs to be charged. The control device is then able to control the power supply to the coil arrangement accordingly depending on the occupancy situation, so that a first, weaker magnetic field is generated when only one mobile phone is used, and a second, stronger magnetic field is generated when the slots are occupied by two mobile phones.

The or each mobile phone is preferably used in such a way that its back faces the partition wall or rests against it. This is because the energy storage device of a mobile phone is usually close to the back, so that in this orientation it is close to the coil arrangement. According to the invention, it is conceivable to provide for detection of the orientation of the mobile phone, i.e. to determine whether the mobile phone is resting against the partition wall with its back, as is preferred, or with its front, which has the display. In this case, the coil arrangement can then be controlled via the control device to generate a somewhat stronger magnetic field in order to charge the energy storage device, which is then somewhat further away, at the same speed. The control device is therefore designed to control the coil arrangement depending on the orientation of a mobile phone used.

A sensor device is expediently provided for detecting a mobile phone that is inserted, the control device being designed to control the coil arrangement depending on the detection result. The occupancy of a receptacle with a mobile phone and/or the orientation of the mobile phone can therefore be detected via the sensor device, so that the control device always knows whether only one or two mobile phones are arranged in the charging device and/or how the mobile phone or phones are oriented. Depending on the detection result, the control device then controls the coil arrangement in order to generate either the slightly weaker first or the slightly stronger second magnetic field. The sensor device can, for example, comprise two separate sensors, with one sensor assigned to each receptacle. The sensors can, for example, be inductive sensors or mechanical sensors operated by the mobile phone inserted or optical sensors.

The receptacles are used to hold a mobile phone each. According to a first variant, the two receptacles can be designed as slot-like plug-in receptacles. Each receptacle is therefore designed as a corresponding receptacle compartment with a slot-like access opening into which the respective mobile phone is inserted via the slot-like plug-in receptacle. Alternatively, only one receptacle can be designed as a slot-like plug-in receptacle and the other receptacle as a support receptacle. In this design, only one plug-in compartment is provided, while the other receptacle is designed as an open, accessible support surface.

Regardless of how the two receptacles are designed, both receptacles are basically operated via the common coil arrangement, as described.

Furthermore, the or each plug-in receptacle can only partially overlap the mobile phone on one side. This means that the mobile phone is only overlapped in the area of its lower edge, for example, like a compartment and held in the receptacle. This allows the mobile phone to be positioned in this plug-in receptacle so that the screen of the mobile phone is almost completely visible. Alternatively, the or each plug-in receptacle can also accommodate the mobile phone over at least half of its height or width, in particular completely. In this case, the mobile phone is therefore almost completely or completely sunk into the plug-in receptacle. Both variants, however, allow the mobile phone to be appropriately plugged in.

Each plug-in receptacle can be provided with an ejection mechanism, which can be a push-push mechanism, for example. Such an ejection mechanism is particularly useful when the mobile phone is inserted almost or completely recessed into the plug-in receptacle, as it can be used to actively move the mobile phone out of the recessed position. A push-push mechanism is preferably used, where the mobile phone runs against the mechanism to be inserted and must be actively pressed down slightly, which activates the mechanism and brings it into a corresponding, pre-tensioned position. To eject, the mobile phone must be pressed again, which releases the mechanism's lock and the pre-tension causes the mechanism to move the mobile phone slightly out of the plug-in receptacle so that it can be gripped and pulled out.

The two plug-in receptacles are preferably aligned vertically or at an angle to a surface of the housing. The mobile phones are therefore inserted vertically from above into the plug-in receptacles, for example. As an alternative to the vertical alignment of the two parallel plug-in receptacles separated by the partition, it is also conceivable to position the two parallel plug-in receptacles at a slight angle to the surface, depending on which arrangement is most appropriate for easy operation.

The charging device is preferably part of a console of a motor vehicle, in particular a center console. It is therefore directly integrated into the console, with the housing of the charging device simultaneously being part of the housing of the console. If two plug-in receptacles are provided, these are open at the top towards the top of the console, i.e. the insertion slots are accessible on the top of the console. If a support receptacle and a plug-in receptacle are used, the support receptacle can, for example, be designed as an inclined surface that runs into the console, while the plug-in receptacle is designed parallel to it, running at an angle and, of course, also opening towards the top of the console with the insertion slot. As an alternative to being arranged on or in a center console, the charging device can also be provided on or in a door or door panel, in or on a seat or bench seat, or on the roof or roof liner.

However, the charging device does not have to be a fixed, immovable part of the console, for example the center console, or the door or door panel or the seat or bench seat. Rather, it is also conceivable that the housing of the charging device is arranged in a movable, in particular rotatable manner on the console, the door or door panel, etc. The charging device or its housing is arranged, for example, at a front end of the console, etc. and can be rotated about an axis of rotation, which can, for example, run diagonally to the vehicle's longitudinal axis. If one of the receptacles is designed as a support receptacle, for example, this makes it possible to position the charging device so that the receptacle is positioned upwards and the mobile phone can simply be placed on it. Of course, the second plug-in receptacle is also easily accessible. If two plug-in receptacles are provided, a first mobile phone can be inserted into the upper plug-in receptacle, after which the charging device is rotated by 180° so that the second plug-in receptacle, which is still unoccupied, is on top and a second mobile phone can easily be inserted into it. Accordingly, the slot from which the mobile phone is to be removed can of course also be moved to the easily accessible upper position.

In addition to the charging device itself, the invention further relates to a console or a trim component or a seat device for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one charging device of the type described above.

It is conceivable that the console, the trim component or the seat device has two charging devices arranged offset from one another. The vehicle element therefore has two separate charging devices, each of which has two receptacles and a common coil arrangement. These are arranged offset from one another, the first charging device in a front console area and the second charging device in a rear console area. If the console is a center console, the first charging device can be arranged in a console section located between the driver's seat and the front passenger seat and the second charging device in a rear console section in the access area of the rear passengers in the rear seats.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one charging device of the type described above or at least one console of the type described above.

• 1 eine Prinzipdarstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Ladeeinrichtung einer ersten Ausführungsform, integriert in eine Konsole eines Kraftfahrzeugs,
• 2 eine Prinzipdarstellung einer zweiten Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Ladeeinrichtung, integriert in eine erfindungsgemäße Konsole, beispielsweise eine Mittelkonsole,
• 3 eine Prinzipdarstellung einer dritten Ausführungsform einer erfindungsgemäßen Ladeeinrichtung, und
• 4 die Anordnung der Ladeeinrichtung aus 3 an einer Konsole, beispielsweise einer Mittelkonsole.

Further advantages and details of the present invention emerge from the exemplary embodiments described below and from the drawings.

• 1 a schematic diagram of a charging device according to the invention of a first embodiment, integrated into a console of a motor vehicle,
• 2 a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of a charging device according to the invention, integrated into a console according to the invention, for example a center console,
• 3 a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of a charging device according to the invention, and
• 4 the arrangement of the charging device 3 on a console, for example a center console.

1 shows a charging device 1 according to the invention, which is integrated into a console 2, for example a center console, of a motor vehicle. The charging device 1 has two separate plug-in receptacles 3, each of which has a slot-like plug-in opening 4 that opens into the top 5 of the console 2. The plug-in receptacles 3 extend into the console 2 and run parallel to one another, thus forming corresponding plug-in compartments. A separate mobile phone 6 can be plugged into each plug-in receptacle 3. An ejection mechanism 8 in the form of a push-push mechanism is provided on the base 7 of the respective plug-in receptacle 3, against which the respective mobile phone 6 initially runs when plugged into the plug-in receptacle 3. The mobile phone 6 must be pressed downwards slightly, which compresses and spring-loads the ejection mechanism. When an end position is reached, the ejection mechanism 8 locks and the mobile phone 6 is in the final insertion position. To remove it, the mobile phone 6 simply has to be pressed again, which activates the respective ejection mechanism 8 and releases its locking mechanism so that the spring preload pushes the mobile phone 6 upwards again slightly so that it protrudes sufficiently far from the insertion opening 4 and can be pulled out.

Between the two plug-in receptacles 3, an intermediate wall 9 is provided in which a common coil arrangement 10 is accommodated. This coil arrangement 10 is energized to generate a magnetic field 14 that is fed to both plug-in receptacles 3 and inductively charges the magnetic field of the mobile phones 6, the operation being controlled by a control device 11. A common magnetic field 14 is thus generated via the coil arrangement 10, which is fed to both sides of the intermediate wall 9 and thus to both plug-in receptacles 3. men 3. The magnetic field 14 is homogeneous, which means that both plug-in receptacles 3 can be provided with the same magnetic field 14 or the same magnetic field strength if both are occupied by a mobile phone 6.

A sensor arrangement 12 is also provided, which can be used to detect whether one or both plug-in receptacles 3 are occupied by a mobile phone 6. The sensor arrangement 12 here has two sensors 13, each of which is assigned to a plug-in receptacle 3 and which communicate with the control device 11. The sensors 13 are designed such that they can detect the presence of a mobile phone 6. Depending on whether one or both plug-in receptacles 3 are occupied, the control device 11 is set up to generate either a weaker first or a stronger second magnetic field 14. If only one plug-in receptacle 3 is occupied, a slightly weaker magnetic field 14 is sufficient to inductively charge one mobile phone accordingly. If both plug-in receptacles 3 are occupied by a mobile phone 6, the control device 11 controls the coil arrangement 10 to generate a stronger second magnetic field 14, which is fed to both mobile phones 6 to inductively charge their energy storage devices. The control device 11 consequently regulates the current supply to the coil arrangement 10, whereby less current is supplied to generate the weaker magnetic field 14 than to generate the stronger magnetic field 14. The magnetic field 14 is in 1 basically indicated.

2 shows a further embodiment of a charging device 1 according to the invention, which is again formed on a console 2, for example a center console. This charging device 1 has a support receptacle 15 and a plug-in receptacle 3, which in turn run parallel to one another and are separated from one another by an intermediate wall 9. The coil arrangement 10, which is controlled by the control device 11, is again arranged in the intermediate wall 9. The support receptacle 15 is directed upwards so that the mobile phone 6 can be placed in or on the support receptacle 15. The plug-in receptacle 9 is also accessible with its insertion opening 4, with an ejection mechanism 8 being provided in the plug-in receptacle 3. It can be seen that here too the two receptacles are arranged parallel to one another so that they can be supplied with a common magnetic field 14 for charging the energy storage devices on the mobile phone.

The sensor device 12 is again provided with the two sensors 13, which in turn communicate with the control device 11, which in turn is designed to generate a weaker first or a stronger second magnetic field 14 depending on the occupancy state.

3 shows an embodiment of a charging device 1 with a housing, which here is not a quasi integral part of the console 2 or the console housing, but is a separate housing, which, when it is attached to a console 2 (see 4 ) can be rotated about a rotation axis 15, as shown by the arrow P.

The charging device 1 in turn has 2 plug-in receptacles 3, in each of which a mobile phone 6 is accommodated. The plug-in receptacles 3 are in turn separated by the partition 9 with the integrated coil arrangement 10, which supplies both plug-in receptacles 3 or the mobile phones with the magnetic field 14. Although not shown, a corresponding control device 11 and a sensor device 12 along with the sensors 13 shown are of course also present here.

The insertion receptacles 3, unlike in the embodiment according to 1 , the two mobile phones 6 are not completely separated on both sides. Rather, each housing wall 16 is designed to be slightly shorter than the intermediate wall, so that a display 17 provided on the respective mobile phone is still at least partially visible and information shown there can be recorded. Preferably, the respective housing wall 16 is made of a transparent plastic such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), so that the entire screen 17 can be seen, as shown approximately in 4 shown.

The rotating bearing makes it possible to rotate the charging device 1 as required, i.e. to rotate either one or the other plug-in receptacle 3 upwards so that the respective screen 17 can be viewed. Of course, inserting the device into the plug-in receptacle 3 that is rotated upwards is somewhat more convenient, as is removing it, so that if one plug-in receptacle 3 is already occupied, the unoccupied one can easily be rotated upwards and used.

Of course, a corresponding sensor arrangement 12 with the sensors 13 is also provided here, as well as a control device 11, via which the operation of the coil arrangement 10 can be controlled in order to generate a stronger or weaker magnetic field 14 depending on the occupancy state. An ejection mechanism 8 is also provided in each case, which works as described above.

The or each mobile phone should preferably be used so that its rear side faces the partition wall 9 or rests against it. This is because the energy storage device of a mobile phone 6 is usually close to the rear side, so that in this orientation it is close to the coil arrangement 10. It would be conceivable to provide a sensor for detecting the orientation of the mobile phone, which can therefore detect whether the mobile phone 6 is resting against the partition wall 9 with its rear side, as is preferred, or with its front side, which has the display 17. In this case, the coil arrangement 10 can then be controlled via the control device 11 to generate a somewhat stronger magnetic field in order to charge the energy storage device, which is then somewhat further away, at the same speed.

The console 1 is, for example, a center console of a motor vehicle. Only one charging device 1 can be provided on this. However, two charging devices offset in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle are also conceivable, whereby the first charging device can be operated via the front seats and the second charging device via the rear seats. The arrangement on other components of the vehicle, as described in the introduction, is of course also possible.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102021110961 A1 [0003]

Claims (16)

Charging device for a mobile phone (6), with a housing and a receptacle (3, 15) for the mobile phone (6), wherein a coil arrangement (10) for generating a magnetic field (14) that inductively charges an energy store of the mobile phone (6) is provided in the housing, characterized in that two receptacles (3, 15) are provided for each receiving a mobile phone (6), to which a common coil arrangement (10) for charging the energy stores of both mobile phones (6) is assigned. Charging device according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the two receptacles (3, 15) are separated by an intermediate wall (9) in which the coil arrangement (10) is provided. Charging device according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that a control device (11) controlling the operation of the coil arrangement (10) is provided. Charging device according to Claim 3 , characterized in that the control device (11) is designed to control the coil arrangement (10) depending on the number of mobile phones (6) used and/or the orientation of a mobile phone used. Charging device according to Claim 4 , characterized in that a sensor device (12) is provided for detecting an inserted mobile phone (6), wherein the control device (11) is designed to control the coil arrangement (10) depending on the detection result. Loading device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two receptacles are designed as slot-like plug-in receptacles (3), or that one receptacle is designed as a slot-like plug-in receptacle (3) and the other receptacle is designed as a support receptacle (15). Charging device according to Claim 6 , characterized in that the or each plug-in receptacle (3) only partially overlaps the mobile telephone (6) on one side, or that the or each plug-in receptacle (3) accommodates the mobile telephone (6) over at least half of its height or width, in particular completely. Charging device according to Claim 6 or 7 , characterized in that each plug-in receptacle (3) is provided with an ejection mechanism (8). Charging device according to Claim 8 , characterized in that the ejection mechanism (8) is designed as a push-push mechanism. Charging device according to one of the Claims 6 until 9 , characterized in that the two plug-in receptacles (3) are aligned vertically or obliquely to a surface (5) of the housing. Charging device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the charging device (1) is part of a console (2) of a motor vehicle, in particular a center console, a trim component or a seat device or a roof liner of a motor vehicle. Charging device according to Claim 11 , characterized in that the housing of the charging device (1) is arranged movably, in particular rotatably, on the console (2), the trim component, the seat device or the roof liner. Console or trim component or seat device for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one loading device (1) according to one of the preceding claims. Console or trim component or seating arrangement according to Claim 13 , characterized in that the console (2) has two loading devices (1) arranged offset from one another. Console after Claim 13 or 14 , characterized in that it is a center console. Motor vehicle comprising at least one charging device (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 12 or at least one console (2) or a covering component or a seat device according to one of the Claims 13 until 15 .

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