GB2368203A - Battery charger having coverable battery pack contacts - Google Patents

Abstract

A battery charger 1 has a main body 2, a panel 3 and contacts 6 for connection to a rechargeable battery pack. The panel is moveable with respect to the main body of the charger, and in a closed position (see fig. 1) covers the contact means, and in an open position (see fig. 2) is clear of the contact means. The panel may be hinged. The main body may incorporate mains connection pins 12. The charger may accommodate the battery pack itself, or provide a plug socket for connection to the battery pack.

Description

"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CHARGERS" THIS INVENTION is concerned with improvements in or relating to chargers, and in particular to chargers for rechargeable battery packs.

Conventional chargers for battery packs generally comprise a main body having a plug socket on an outer surface thereof. In use, a plug from a rechargeable battery pack to be recharged is inserted into the plug socket. This interconnection between the battery pack and the charger provides a mechanical engagement to secure the battery pack to the charger as well as creating an electrical connection between the battery pack and the charger.

However, such conventional chargers suffer from drawbacks, in that the plug socket is continually exposed and may suffer damage, particularly when the charger is being transported from one place to another.

A further drawback of conventional chargers is that separate means for supporting a rechargeable battery pack to be recharged by the charger must often be provided on the main body, making the charger larger, less aesthetically pleasing and more bulky.

Alternatively, the charger may be provided with a lid, which, when removed or opened, presents a cavity into which a rechargeable battery pack may be inserted. The lid is then replaced or closed to hold the rechargeable battery pack in place during charging thereof. This solution suffers from the drawback that the charger and lid combination must be large enough to house the rechargeable battery pack whether or not the battery pack is present in the charger. This leads to a large and ungainly charger, which is particularly unsuitable for use as a portable charger.

It is an object of the present invention to seek to provide a charger that alleviates some or all of the above drawbacks.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a charging apparatus, comprising : a main body; contact means on a surface of the main body; and a panel, the panel being moveable with respect to the main body between a closed position in which the panel lies substantially adjacent the contact means and an open position in which the panel is clear of the contact means, wherein the panel in the closed position substantially covers the contact means to prevent charging and in the open position does not cover the contact means to allow charging.

Advantageously, the panel is attached to the main body, and is rotatable with respect thereto by means of a hinge at one edge of the panel.

Preferably, the contact means comprises a plug socket.

Conveniently, when the panel is in the open position with respect to the main body, at least one of an inner surface of the panel and an outer surface of the main body are shaped to receive a first type of rechargeable battery pack.

Advantageously, receiving means are provided on at least one of the inner surfaces of the panel and the outer surface of the main body, the receiving means being shaped to receive a second type of rechargeable battery pack.

Preferably, the receiving means comprises a plurality of elongate ribs.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a charger embodying the present invention, with a panel thereof in a closed position; Figure 2 is a plan view of the charger of Figure 1, with the panel thereof in an open position; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the charger of Figure 2.

Turning firstly to Figure 1, a charger 1 embodying the present invention comprises a main body 2. The main body 2 is substantially cuboid, however the comers and edges of the main body 2 are rounded to improve the ergonomic and aesthetic properties of the charger 1. The charger 1 has a mains connection (see Figure 3) in the form of at least a pair of pins to connect the charger to a mains socket on a lower surface thereof.

A panel 3 is hingedly attached to the main body 2. The panel 3 is Lshaped having a side wall 3A and a lid 3B. The main body 2 houses all the circuitry and electrical components (not shown) necessary to charge a designated battery pack, which circuitry and components are well known to those of ordinary skill in the technical field. When the panel 3 is closed on the charger 1, as shown in Figure 1, the lid 3 B forms most of an upper surface 4 of the charger 1 and the side wall 3A of the panel 3 forms most of one side surface 5 of the charger 1. The panel 3 is hinged at one edge of the side wall 4 to the main body 2 near the lower surface of the charger 1. When the panel 3 is in the closed position, an outer surface of the panel 3 follows the contours of the main body 2. Thus, the charger 1 presents a relatively smooth and uncluttered outer surface. Alternatively, the panel 3 may be formed integrally with the main body.

The hinge between the main body 2 and the panel 3 is formed so that, if the panel 3 is in the open position and a force is applied thereto (for instance, if the charger I is knocked or dropped), the panel 3 will flip into the closed position, rather than breaking off.

Figure 2 shows the charger 1 when the panel 3 is in a second, open position. When the panel 3 is in this open position, a contact surface 6 of the charger 1, which is substantially parallel to the upper surface 4 of the charger 1 when the panel 3 is in the closed position, is revealed. The panel 3 is clear of the contact surface 6. This contact surface 6, which is covered and inaccessible when the panel 3 is in the open position, has a contact means, in the form of a plug socket 7, formed therein. This plug socket 7 is a standard plug socket, adapted to receive a plug of a rechargeable battery pack.

When in the closed position, the panel 3 lies adjacent the contact surface 6 and covers the plug socket 7 thereby preventing access to the plug socket 7 and also preventing a battery pack from being charged.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a light emitting diode 8 may also be provided on the contact surface 6 of the charger 1. The light emitting diode 8 is operable to light up when current is flowing from the plug socket 7 to a battery pack being charged, thereby serving as a charging indicator.

An inner surface 9 of the panel 3 and the contact surface 6 are shaped such that, when the panel 3 is in the open position, the inner surface 9 of the panel 3 and the contact surface 6 are shaped to follow the contours of a first type of standard rechargeable battery pack. Thus, when the charger 1 is employed to charge a rechargeable battery pack of the first type, the rechargeable battery pack is be held in place by the charger, thereby obviating the need for a separate surface on which to rest the rechargeable battery pack, and greatly reducing the possibility of the rechargeable battery pack falling off the charger 1.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, first elongate ribs 10 may be provided on the inner surface 9 of the panel 3, the first elongate ribs 10 extending substantially along the length of the lid 3B of the panel 3. The first elongate ribs 10 are shaped such that, when the panel 3 is in the open position and the charger 1 is employed to charge a rechargeable battery pack of a second type, the first elongate ribs 10 of the inner surface 9 of the panel 3 follow the contours of the rechargeable battery pack of the second type. Second raised elongated ribs 11 may also be provided on the charging surface 6 of the main body 2, the second elongate ribs 11 being parallel to the first elongate ribs 10 when the panel 3 is in the closed position and also being shaped to receive and retain a rechargeable battery pack of a second type.

Referring to Figure 3, the charger 1 comprises a mains connection 12 in the form of at least two pins which may be inserted into a mains socket (not shown). An adapter 13 is provided within the main body 2 of the charger 1 to convert alternating current that flows through the mains connection 12 into direct current to be provided to the plug of a rechargeable battery pack inserted into the plug socket 7.

It is envisaged that the panel 3 may be slidable with respect to the main body (as opposed to hinged as described above) so as to be movable from the closed to an open position.

It will be clear to a skilled person that the charger of the present invention provides both flexibility of use and convenience. When the charger 1 is not in use, the charger 1 occupies a small volume of space and presents no visible means for holding a battery pack. The plug socket 7 is protected from damage and the ingress of dirt, dust and moisture when the charger 1 is not in use due to the panel 3 being placed thereover. These features make the charger I of the present invention particularly suitable as a portable charger.

In addition to the above, the ability of the internal surface 9 of the panel 3 and the charging surface 6 of the main body 2 to receive and retain rechargeable battery packs of different types means that the charger 1 of the present invention occupies only a small space when in use, as no separate surface is required on which to place the rechargeable battery pack. The charger 1 holds the rechargeable battery pack securely, greatly reducing the possibility of the rechargeable battery pack falling or being dislodged during use.

In the present specification"comprises"means"includes or consists of and"comprising"means"including or consisting of.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (8)

1. CLAIMS 1. A charging apparatus, comprising: a main body; contact means on a surface of the main body; and a panel, the panel being moveable with respect to the main body between a closed position in which the panel lies substantially adjacent the contact means and an open position in which the panel is clear of the contact means, wherein the panel in the closed position substantially covers the contact means to prevent charging and in the open position does not cover the contact means to allow charging.
2. 2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the panel is attached to the main body, and is rotatable with respect thereto by means of a hinge at one edge of the panel.
3. 3. An apparatus according to Claims 1 or 2, wherein the contact means comprises a plug socket.
4. 4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein, when the panel is in the open position with respect to the main body, at least one of an inner surface of the panel and an outer surface of the main body are shaped to receive a first type of rechargeable battery pack.
5. 5. An apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein receiving means are provided on at least one of the inner surfaces of the panel and the outer surface of the main body, the receiving means being shaped to receive a second type of rechargeable battery pack.
6. 6. An apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein the receiving means comprises a plurality of elongate ribs.
7. 7. A charging apparatus as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. 8. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.