GB2550544A

GB2550544A - Power drawer

Info

Publication number: GB2550544A
Application number: GB1606702.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edwin Sims-Hilditch John
Original assignee: Neptune Europe Ltd
Current assignee: Neptune Europe Ltd
Priority date: 2016-04-18
Filing date: 2016-04-18
Publication date: 2017-11-29

Abstract

A drawer assembly 1 for storing and charging electronic devices 3 such as tablets, mobile phones, comprising a drawer 5 having a base 7, front 9 and rear 11 walls and two opposing side walls 13; a shelf 17 sitting within the drawer for supporting electronic devices 3; at least one retractable cord (29, fig 3) and a charging unit (25, fig 2) both mounted on the underside of the shelf, and at least one charging cable 33. Each retractable cord is attached to a point along the length of the charging cable, dividing said cable into a first portion that is connected to the charging unit, and a second portion that passes from the underside to the upperside of the shelf, providing a docking location for an electronic device. Preferable the shelf is removable and rests on a ledge 19 positioned on at least two opposing walls, has a non-slip cushioned surface, and notches 21 for the charging cable(s). Preferably the charging cable has cable stops (35,41, fig 2) to prevent it from retracting below the shelf. The charging unit may be connected to the mains via a cable that passes through a hole in one of the walls.

Description

Power drawer Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a drawer assembly which can be incorporated into household furniture, for example, fitted kitchen units. The drawer assembly provides storage and a means of charging portable electronic devices.

Background of the Invention

The number of portable electronic devices owned and used by households is increasing. Each portable electronic device typically comes with a charger requiring a power outlet, and requires frequent charging. Thus there is a growing demand for households to have access to an increasing number of power supplies simultaneously, in order to charge these devices. It can be more convenient to store and charge multiple devices in a single location, rather than distributing them around the house.

Charging cabinets or drawers can provide convenient locations to charge and store multiple portable electronic devices simultaneously, and hide away the devices and cables which can look untidy and can be safety hazards. Charging cabinets have previously been used in schools and offices for charging tablets and other small devices. Household furniture incorporating gaps and spaces through which charging cables can be threaded is also available. In known household furniture designed for storing and charging electronic devices, each device is plugged in separately to a mains power supply, and often the cables and plug sockets are exposed and on display when the drawer or cabinet is open, which is an inefficient use of space. may generate a lot of heat, and can lead to tangling of cables and safety hazards. It would be preferable to keep cables out of sight, and limit the number of separate power supplies required within a drawer or cabinet.

The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems.

Summary of the Invention

In a first aspect, the invention provides a drawer assembly, as described in claim 1. Optional but preferred aspects of the invention are set out in the dependent claims. The drawer assembly may be used to store at least one portable electronic device, for example a mobile phone, tablet or laptop.

Each retractable cord may be attached to a charging cable, such that, in use, when the retractable cord retracts, it pulls on the charging cable to reduce the length of the portion of the charging cable located on the upperside of the shelf.

Each retractable cord may have a first end attached to the underside of the shelf. The second end of the retractable cord may comprise a loop. A first cable stop may be attached to each charging cable. The loop of each retractable cord may pass around the charging cable above the first cable stop such that the retractable cord can pull on the charging cable.

It may be that the retractable cord is connected to the charging cable in order to retract the charging cable. Each retractable cord may be biased to retract. Thus, it may be that when an electronic device is disconnected from the charging cable to which the retractable cord is attached, the retractable cord automatically (at least partially) retracts. Thus, the charging cable may be automatically (at least partially) retracted when an electronic device is disconnected.

Thus, there is no excess charging cable visible from the upperside of the shelf when a device is not connected. The use of a biased retractable cord also allows an electronic device to be picked up, against the pull of the retractor, whilst still connected to the charging cable, and put back down, without excess cable being on show. A second cable stop attached to the charging cable may limit the retraction of the charging cable. The second cable stop attached to each charging cable may prevent the charging cable from completely retracting below the upperside of the shelf.

The charging unit affixed to the underside of the shelf may be a USB charging unit, for example, a six port USB charging unit.

The first end of each charging cable may comprise a USB plug, and may be connected to the charging unit. The second end of the charging cable may comprise a plug, for example, a USB or micro-USB plug, suitable for charging an electronic device.

The shelf may comprise at least one notch. Each charging cable may pass from the underside to the upperside of the shelf via a notch. The shelf may comprise at least one notch along at least one of its edges, and may incorporate a plurality of notches along at least one of its edges. The shelf may incorporate six notches in total, with three notches along each of two opposing edges. The spacing between each notch along an edge may be approximately equal, and each notch may be positioned approximately opposite a notch on the opposing edge. Each notch creates a gap at the interface between the edge of the shelf and the wall of the drawer.

The electrical charging unit situated on the underside of the shelf may be connected to a mains power supply via a single mains power cable. This mains power cable may pass through an opening in one of the walls of the drawer. The drawer assembly thus provides a means of charging and storing an electronic device or devices, optionally requiring only a single mains power supply housed within the assembly.

The drawer assembly may be square or rectangular in shape, or can be any other shape. The drawer assembly may be incorporated into kitchen furniture, other household furniture, or office furniture. The drawer assembly may form part of a bespoke fitted kitchen or office furniture assembly, or may be sized and configured to be retrofitted into existing household or office furniture. Example drawer assemblies thus provides a space-efficient, safe storage solution for charging electronic devices within the home or within an office environment. The shelf sits within the drawer such that a void is formed between the base of the drawer and the shelf. The shelf may be broadly the same shape as the drawer, and may be the approximately the same size as the drawer base. The shelf may rest on a ledge protruding from at least two of the walls of the drawer. The ledge may protrude from two opposite side walls of the drawer. The shelf may rest at a height approximately halfway between the base and the top of the walls of the drawer, and the shelf may rest above and parallel to the base of the drawer.

The shelf may be removable from the drawer, for example, it may be possible to lift the shelf off the protruding ledge, allowing access to the underside of the shelf .

Optionally, a slider may be fitted into each of the indented notches, enabling the cable to run smoothly through the notch between the upper and under sides of the shelf. The slider may have a nylon surface, or a surface of a similar material.

The upperside of the shelf may provide at least one flat, planar surface for storing electronic devices. The upper surface may be a continuous flat planar surface, or may optionally have multiple raised or lowered sections for storing different devices of different sizes and shapes. The upper surface of the shelf may be panelled with a nonslip, cushioned surface, for example baize or leather. This panelling may be set flush with the upper surface of the shelf, or set flush with the upper surface of each section. The cushioning can prevent damage or scratching to devices and a non-slip surface can prevent devices sliding as the drawer is opened and closed.

Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of the drawer assembly comprising the drawer and removable shelf.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the underside of the shelf of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a schematic view of a retractable cord and housing, and a charging cable.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the upperside of the shelf of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the drawer assembly of Figures 1-3, Incorporated into an item of furniture .

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a drawer assembly 1 for storing and charging a plurality of portable electronic devices 3 comprising a drawer 5, which includes a base 7, a front wall 9, a rear wall 11, and two opposing side walls 13. Each of the four walls 9, 11, 13 is coupled to the base 7 to form a recess 15. The drawer 5 is approximately square In shape. Figure 1 shows an exploded view of the draw 5 and a shelf 17, which in use sits within the drawer recess 15, resting on two ledges 19, which protrude from the two opposing side walls 13 of the drawer 5. The ledges 19 run along the length of the side walls 13, and are positioned approximately halfway up the walls 13. The shelf 17 sits on the two ledges 19 parallel to the base 7 of the drawer 5, and above the base 7. The shelf 17 is approximately the same size and shape as the base 7 of the drawer 5. The shelf 17 can be removed from the drawer 5 by lifting it off the ledge 19.

The shelf 17 incorporates three, equally spaced notches 21 along each of two opposing edges, such that six notches 21 form three sets of opposing pairs. Each notch 21 forms a gap between the front wall 9 or rear wall 11 of the drawer 5 and the edge of the shelf 17. The rear wall 11 of the drawer incorporates a hole 23, through which a cable (not shown) can pass to connect the drawer assembly 1 to a mains power supply (not shown).

As shown in Figure 2, a six port USB charging unit 25 is fixed towards the centre of the underside of the shelf 17. The charging unit 25 can be connected to a mains power supply (not shown) by a single cable (not shown), running through the hole 23 in the rear wall 11 of the drawer 5 shown in Figure 1.

Six retractor cord housings 27 are also affixed to the underside of the shelf 17. Three cord housings 27 are positioned along each of two opposing edges of the shelf 17, such that each cord housing 27 is approximately opposite a notch 21 on the opposite edge. The spacing between the three cord housings 27 on each edge is approximately equal.

As shown in Figure 3, each cord housing 27, houses a retractable cord 29, biased to retract into the housing 27 in the absence of a load on the end of the cord. The first end of the retractable cord 29 is fixed within the cord housing 27. The second end of the retractable cord comprises a loop 31. Each charging cable 33, comprises a first cable stop 35. The loop 31 on each retractable cord 29 loops around the charging cable 33, above the first cable stop 35 (i.e. on the opposite side of the cable stop 35 to the housing 27), such that each retractable cord 29 can retract the charging cable 33. The edge of the shelf 17 and notch 21 is denoted by a dashed line in Figure 3.

The first end of each charging cable comprises a USB connector 37, and plugs into the six port USB charging unit 25. The second end of each charging cable comprises a USB or mini-USB connector 39. The charging cable 33 passes from the underside of the shelf 17 to the upperside 23 of the shelf 17 via the notch 16. The second free end of the charging cable 33 thus provides a docking location for a portable electronic device on the upperside of the shelf 17. A second cable stop 41, is attached to the portion of the charging cable 33 located on the upperside 23 of the shelf 17.

In use, when a charging cable 33 is connected to an electronic device 3, the corresponding retractable cord 29 is extended under tension across the underside of the shelf 17, and the charging cable 33 will pass from the underside to the upperside of the shelf 17 via a notch 21 situated approximately opposite the retractor cord housing 27. When the electronic device 3 is disconnected and the charging cable 33 is no longer in use, the retractor cord 29 partially retracts back into the cord housing 27. The retractable cord 29 retracts the charging cable 33 by pulling on the first cable stop 35 with the loop 31. The second cable stop 41 prevents the charging cable 33 from bring retracted completely below the upper surface of the shelf 17.

The upperside of the shelf 13 is shown in Figure 4. The upperside of the shelf 17 provides a planar, panelled surface 43 lying flush with the upperside of the shelf 17. The panelling is a non-slip, cushioned material such as leather or baize. Nylon sliders 45 are fitted into each of the notches 21. This allows the charging cables 33 to run smoothly from the underside to the upperside of the shelf 17.

As shown in Figure 5, the drawer assembly 1 of Figure 1, can be incorporated into a chest of drawers 47 or other furniture assembly. This could form a component of a modular or bespoke fitted kitchen, or could be incorporated into any other household or office furniture assembly.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described.

Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments .

Claims

claims

1. A drawer assembly for storing and charging at least one electronic device, the drawer assembly comprising: a drawer, including a base, a front wall, a rear wall and two opposing side walls, with each of the walls coupled to the base to form a recess; a shelf sitting within the drawer for supporting the at least one electronic device, the shelf having an upperside and an underside; at least one retractable cord; a charging unit mounted on the underside of the shelf; and at least one charging cable; wherein the at least one retractable cord is mounted on the underside of the shelf, and wherein each retractable cord is attached to a point along the length of the charging cable such that the charging cable is divided into a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the first portion is connected to the charging unit, and the second portion passes from the underside to the upperside of the shelf, providing a docking location for the at least one electronic device.

2. The drawer assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one electronic device is a portable electronic device.

3. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the retractable cord is attached to the charging cable such that, in use, when the retractable cord retracts it pulls on the charging cable to reduce the length of the portion of the charging cable located on the upperside of the shelf.

4. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the first end of each retractable cord is attached to the shelf, and the second end of each retractable cord comprises a loop.

5. The drawer assembly of claim 4, wherein a first cable stop is attached to each charging cable and the loop of the retractable cord passes around the charging cable above the first cable stop such that the retractable cord can pull on the charging cable.

6. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein each retractable cord is biased to retract.

7. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein a second cable stop is attached to each charging cable, to prevent the charging cable from completely retracting below the upperside of the shelf.

8. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the charging unit is a six port USB charging unit.

9. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein a first end of each charging cable comprises a USB plug, and is connected to the charging unit.

10. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein a second end of the charging cable comprises a plug suitable for charging an electronic device.

11. The drawer assembly of any proceeding claim, wherein the shelf comprises at least one notch, and wherein each charging cable passes from the underside to the upperside of the shelf via a notch.

12. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the charging unit is connected to a mains power supply via a single mains power cable, and wherein the mains power cable passes through an opening in one of the walls of the drawer.

13. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the drawer is square or rectangular in shape.

14. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the shelf rests on a ledge protruding from at least two of the four walls of the drawer, such that the shelf sits above and parallel to the base of the drawer .

15. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the shelf is removable.

16. The drawer assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the upper surface of the shelf provides at least one planar, non-slip, cushioned surface.