EP0792535A2

EP0792535A2 - Equipment for the electrical recharge of accumulators, to be placed in a public spot

Info

Publication number: EP0792535A2
Application number: EP96931963A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pasquale De Martino
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1995-09-15
Filing date: 1996-09-12
Publication date: 1997-09-03
Also published as: AU7094296A; ITPZ950003A1; ITPZ950003A0; WO1997010638A2; WO1997010638A3

Abstract

A container or armor plated box that may be installed in public places or in the open to recharge accumulators of mobile equipment - such as cell-phones, computer notebooks, videocameras - containing electronic equipment; an electronic control and management programmable card that is able to store data and the optimal battery recharge and discharge cycle procedures, and to diagnose possible errors or faults; various recharging slots formed by a chamber (3), a standard base support (4), and an interchangeable bracket (6) that enables to change the size of the base support (4) with a quick movement so that any kind of battery may be inserted. Batteries are energy charged when inserted in the appropriate chamber: each chamber bears the name of the make and type of battery that can be recharged; recharge starts as soon as money, coins or the prepaid magnetic card has been inserted in the money slot (17) and the service option has been pressed.

Description

Equipment for the electrical recharge of accumulators, to be placed in a public spot.

Technical Field

A container or armor plated box that may be installed in public places or in the open to recharge accumulators of mobile equipment - such as cell-phones, computer notebooks, videocameras - containing electronic equipment.

Batteries are energy charged when inserted in the appropriate chamber with a standard base support and an interchangeable bracket that enables to change the size of the base support with a quick movement so that any kind of battery may inserted.

Background Art

Cell-phones, "notebook" personal computers, videocameras and other portable devices can nowadays be considered as mass products. These devices need a battery charger that the user can purchase at a high cost and which is often cumbersome and awkward to carry but which is necessary since at present the energy source of such devices is held in accumulators that only guarantee a few hours of autonomy; thus the use of portable devices often cannot be constant and continuous.

These necessary energy sources, each having a different capacity and dimension, form and technology, are often not interchangeable since each device, e.g. a cellphone, needs a "specific" kind of battery, or at the most may be compatible with one or two or only sometimes with all other kind of accumulators. The most common ones are: NiCD (Nickel- Cadmium); the ecological friendly ones: NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydrate); and the innovative ones: Li-ion (Lithium Ion made). The NiCd accumulators are the cheapest but have a high cost on the environment and moreover are affected by the socalled "memory effect" : that means that the battery requires a complete refresh discharge before recharging it again. NiMH batteries are more expensive because high-polluting Cadmium- free, and therefore are defined as "green" batteries. One worthy element of this battery is its considerably lower "memory effect", which is absolutely non-existent in the lithium-ion batteries that moreover are less cumbersome and have a greater autonomy but are still too costly. Very often we are faced with the problem of a flat battery when out of doors, and find ourselves in the difficulty of being unable to recharge it because our car has no battery charger or because we are too far away from home or our hotel or simply because we have forgotten the charger behind. This problem is even more serious for people who are moving around by train or bus or perhaps simply walking and urgently need to make a phone call to the nearest police station, hospital or fire brigade or, last but not least, to conclude an important business contract. Another problem that often arises is that the accessory battery charger supplied together with the mobile device sometimes reveals to be insufficient because it does not comply with all the parameters that are at the basis of a correct battery recharge. In short if we have to recharge a NiCd battery, for example, we will find the capacity indication written on the NiCd accumulator (usually this is common to all accumulators), that is the total charge quantity that the battery can store and thus return under form of current, relative to each charge cycle. This capacity is usually indicated in milliampere per hour (raA/h). Besides this data we often also find specified the maximum current that can be sent to the accumulator during the recharging phasis and the recharge time period that must not be exceeded so as not to damage it. To avoid battery overheating it is necessary to closely respect the recharging time to avoid the battery from bursting. Today's modern battery chargers, sold together with mobile devices (cell¬ phones, notebooks, videocameras , etc . ) are u sually semiautomatic and are not always endowed with a milli amperemeter that measures the charging current respecting the one required, and with a timer that automatically disconnects the battery as soon as the time necessary for its recharging is up. The "normal" recharging time of batteries is always quite long, sometimes as long as 10 hours or even more. This obviously creates- some inconveniences when recharging cannot be carried out during the night, when the device is not in use, or when the device is in function for twenty four hours a day. In such a case the only solution is to provide oneself with a very fast charger; this means that: a) the battery should be fully and not partially discharged; and b) the charging time should be calculated as a function of the charging current and the battery capacity.

Some of the battery chargers available on the market are not capable of controlling these parameters correctly or if they do they will be rather expensive, thus adding unwanted costs to the buyer. Fast recharging implies cheking the battery temperature to avoid overheating. The ideal thing would be for chargers to do so automatically. In order to take advantage of a NiCd battery capacity it is absolutely necessary to refresh it - i.e. that is reaches O volts - before recharging it again. When this is not done some inconveniences may arise. Indeed if the accumulator is not discharged it is not possible to calculate in exact terms the time necessary for recharging and therefore one risks to put it out of order; furthermore these accumulators have a sort of "memory" that holds back some current when they are used repeatedly without refresh and, being not fully discharged, they will end up memorizing this user regime and adapt their capacity to it. This means that batteries will run flat in a much shorter time compared capacity and the users who are not aware of this inconvenience may find their battery discharged after only two hours compared to the twelve hours foreseen in theory by the device's specifications and thus, considering the accumulator faulty, may even substitute it with a new one. Sometimes a single discharge may not be sufficient to completely write off the battery's memory, therefore to return to its starting condition it may be necessary to carry out a second total refreshing discharge; once again it would be more convenient if battery chargers did this automatically. An unaccurate battery charge could also cause problems owing to the scale adopted by the amperemeter and to possible reading errors, indeed there is no guarantee that the current output corresponds exactly to the one required: it could in fact be much lower, and therefore when the timer disconnects the battery charger the accumulator is not totally charged yet; vice versa if the current is much higher than the accumulator capacity there could be the risk of an accumulator overload that would damage it irreparably.

The object and important characteristics of the invention

The invention under propai aims at providing a service, by means of a suitable equipment, for the recharge and electric diagnosis of the accumulators of portable devices such as cell¬ phones, notebooks, videocameras etc. that can be carried out in public premises or in places where people stopover for a rest or a short time and that may be managed by private shopkeepers or traders that provide this service along with the ones they usually supply (restaurants, cinemas, discoteques, saloons, large supermarkets or department stores, offices, universities and hospitals, hotels) or that can be placed along main roads or in the service areas along highways, in train stations, airports, sea ports, or any other place where people are compelled to spend some waiting time.

Another aim of the invention under proposal is to build a container or box containing the above mentioned equipment for the recharge and diagnosis of batteries, that may be easily transported and installed, that minimizes the space needed for its allocation and that enables easy access to each battery charger, that is of a pretty shape and colour, suitable to the premises in which it is placed and built in recycleable materials, environmentally friendly, and ergonomic, that may be easily used by physically disabled people and that safely preserves the batteries during their recharge also in those areas where vandalism may occur.

Another aim of the invention under proposal is to build a system as the one above, endowed with a number of chambers suitable for the most common batteries on the market, and that these slot chambers can be adapted to all battery sizes by means of inserting into them a specific adaptation bracket. Another aim of the invention above is to use an electronic control and management programmable card that can store optimal data and procedures relative to battery charge and discharge cycles and that can diagnose possible errors or battery faults.

Another aim of the invention under proposal is to provide each single chamber with a light and sound signal that warns the user if there is any drawback in the charge and discharge procedure, and with a selection of options for users. A further aim of the above mentioned invention is to equip the various chambers for the battery recharge with a safety window that may be opened only after introducing a mechanical or magnetic key.

The above aims are attained by using an electronic control and management equipment for the electrical supply to the batteries that need to be recharged that is placed in the casing of the cylindrical container or box with a rectangular base that can be fixed onto a wall, or a circular based container or box that can be placed on a pedestal, both are provided with a radiused or dome shaped lid and on the lateral surfaces of the container some rectangular shaped openings with rounded corners are built. In each opening a chamber for the battery recharge is placed; the chamber is formed by a standard base support onto which another interchangeable support is placed that is used to modify the chamber size to adapt it to specific batteries: each opening is protected by a window that may be opened or closed by means of a mechanical or magnetic key and the electric charge and discharge of batteries takes place automatically or when the user selects the option after having inserted one or more coins, paper money or prepaid magnetic card .

Description of the drawings

Other characteristics and further advantages of the invention under proposal may appear from the description; the shape chosen is preferred and illustrated but not intended as an indication, and its drawings do not imply any limitation to the invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic drawing of the front and plan view of the above invention, placed on a pedestal. Fig. 2 shows three views of the invention and highlights some production details.

Fig. 3 shows some models of the invention with a rectangular base and different sizes. The invention illustrated in the drawings, in a first production form, includes the casing-container ( 1 ) which is preferably armor plated, built in welded and varnished sheet steel or in a light stratified alloy that reduces the weight burden and creates an intrinsic protection against corrosion that could be caused by atmospheric agents and, where it is deemed convenient, covered by plastic material is pleasant to the eye. The casing- container ( 1 ) according to a first model has a cylindrical shape and a circular base and is covered by a dome shaped lid (2) and on its lateral surface there are a number of rectangular shaped and round cornered openings (3 ) in which the standard chambers (4) have been suitably placed and into which the rechargeable batteries must be inserted, each chamber is closed by a window ( 10) that is manoeuvred by a mechanical or magnetic key when inserted in the lock (5) ; another interchangeable bracket (6) can be inserted into the chamber

(4) and serves to adapt the chamber size to specific batteries. On the top part of each opening (3) there is a set, preferably three, of bright leds (7) that show if the recharge is over or still underway, and controls accidental charging and discharging gf the accumulator before its recharge. The casing-container ( 1 ) is not directly placed on the floor but is placed at a suitable hight. in the respect of the ergonomic regulations and the needs of physically handicapped people, by means of a steel tube pedestal (8) with a circular section. The base of afore said pedestal (9) is provided with holes to fix the container firmly to the ground by means of bolts screwed into slabs placed on the ground, or where the ground enables it, simply by means of nails. There are various advantages deriving from this kind of anchoring of the container to the ground, indeed it enables to reduce or eliminate the attempt by vandals to shake or overturn the box. Furthermore the electrical supply wires, as well as any other wires, for example the telephone cables, can pass through the tubular shaped pedestal (8). On the container's sides there are some protected air passage ways that provide the equipment with inside air-conditioning. The equipment necessary for the management and control for the battery recharge and the electrical current protection and distribution systems, as well as autonomous electrical supply batteries, necessary for the vandal-proof alarm system and for temporary black-outs, are placed in the inside of the container. In an alternative form the base of the container is rectangular ( 1 1 ) and the top lid has a semi dome shape (12), the openings (3) have been situated only on one side so that the container can be placed next to walls or in places were access to it is possible only from one side. Plenty of models are envisaged ( 13), ( 14), ( 15), and ( 16) with different sizes. All the models have a money slot ( 17) where a coin or paper money is inserted, or in alternative a slot for prepaid magnetic cards and a money box

( 18) where the coins or money is collected and whose opening is protected by a security lock.

Mode for earring out the invention A practical use of the multiple battery charger illustrated in the invention under proposal occurs in the following manner: the user that wishes to recharge the battery of his own cell phone or other portable battery functioning device chooses the suitable charging chamber (3), identified by the label of the battery make or model and, after having opened the protective chamber window ( 10) by means of a key to be inserted in the lock (5) places the cell phone or the battery in the chamber room supplied with a standard base support (4) or, if it is necessary, with the interchangeable support (6); then, after having shut the window ( 10) inserts the money, the coin or the prepaid magnetic card in the money slot (17). If the battery has been badly placed or in the case of any other problem a sound alarm will immediately warn the user, if everything has been carried out correctly the "charging" led will light up. At this point the user can choose the charging time preferred among the ones possible for that type of battery. One out of five options can be chosen: normal charge; slightly speeded up charge; accelerated charge; fast charge; very fast charge. The system can be provided with a small display that enables to visualize the state of the battery and monitor, through the messages, the charging process for each and every single chamber. Once charging is over a second led will warn the user. If the accumulator needs to be discharged before a new charging operation begins a third led will light up. Although preferred forms of the invention under proposal have been described, in practise when producing this invention, some elements may be replaced by technically equivalent ones, furthermore the material used, as well as the shapes and sizes envisaged, may be changed without this implying a variation with respect to the inventive concept described above.

Claims

1) Container or box in armor plated steel, varnished or produced in equally resistent materials, characterized by the fact that on its lateral surface there are a number of rectangular shaped openings (3) with rounded corners in which adeguate standard chambers (4) protected by a window (11), that may be opened and closed by means of a mechanical or magnetic key that must be inserted in the lock (5), is envisaged for the recharge of accumulators of portable devices such as cell¬ phones, computer notebooks, videocameras and so on, also with the aid of a further interchangeable bracket (6) that is placed in the chamber (4) with the aim of modifying its size to adapt it to specific types of accumulators or telephones.

2) Container or armor plated box according to claim 1 ) characterized by the fact that the recharging process of accumulators starts after introducing money, specific coins, or a prepaid magnetic card in the money slot ( 17).

3) Container or armor plated box according to claims 1) and 2) characterized by the fact that each charging chamber (3) is endowed with a set of bright LEDS (7) that when lighted up or switched off indicate that the charging operation is still underway or that it is over, control of an accidental charge and discharge of the accumulator before the charge itself takes place.

4) Container or armor plated box according to claims 1 ), 2) and 3) characterized by the fact that an electronic control and management programmable card can be used, that is able to store the optimal data and procedures relative to charge and discharge cycles of the batteries in use, to diagnose possible errors or battery faults and to show this on a display and to receive through an appropriate input device the requests and options of users, for example the charge time preferred, choosing this option among the possible values foreseen for the type and state of the accumulator inserted. 5) Container or armor plated box according to claims 1 ), 2) 3) and 4) characterized by the fact that it can be placed in public premises or in the open basically in two main forms: the cylindrical one ( 1 ) with a circular base and a dome shaped lid (2) placed on a round tubular pedestal (8) fixed to the ground by means of bolts placed onto its base (9) and a cylindrical one with a rectangular base (11) that can be placed next to walls or in places where access to it is possible only from one side, supplied with a semi dome lid (12).

6) Container or armor plated box according to claims 1 ), 2), 3) and 4) characterized by the fact that it is provided with an internal air-conditioning system, an autonomous electrical supply battery for the break and vandal-proof alarm and temporary black-outs, and a telephone socket to monitor it from afar by means of a modem and technical assistance.