NL2010540C2

NL2010540C2 - Battery charging unit having an extractable carrier tape for its wiring.

Info

Publication number: NL2010540C2
Application number: NL2010540A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Rutger Relker
Original assignee: Relia Startup Invest B V
Priority date: 2013-03-28
Filing date: 2013-03-28
Publication date: 2014-09-30

Description

Title: Battery charging unit having an extractable carrier tape for its wiring.

The invention relates to a battery charging unit for the charging of batteries of devices, in particular batteries which are built-in components of those devices, like for example batteries of mobile phones.

Those charging units are well known and come in all kinds of variants and shapes. Mostly they comprise a housing with a power adapter/converter inside it, which on the one hand comprises a power socket plug with which it can be plugged into a power socket, and which on the other hand comprises a suitable connector with which it can be connected to a battery of a device. A flexible connection cable extends between the adapter/converter and the connector. This cable mostly has a length of between 100-150 cm in order to be able to span a distance between the battery of the device to be charged and the power socket.

A disadvantage with this is that the user-friendliness of those charging units leaves to be desired. For example the cable is prone to getting tangled and frequently needs to be unravelled before it can be used. Furthermore, the cable is vulnerable to getting damaged, which may lead to a risk of short. In practice it frequently occurs that the entire charging unit needs to be thrown away because it no longer functions properly.

It has been tried to overcome those disadvantages by equipping the battery charging unit with some kind of cable winding mechanism. For example DE 200 19 984 U1 shows a charging unit inside which a winding reel is provided onto which the cable leading to the connection organ can be wound. When it is desired to use the unit the cable can be extracted from the reel. A return spring can be provided between the reel and the housing such that after a certain length of the cable has been extracted from the reel, it can automatically be wound back onto the reel again by action of the spring. Furthermore, a blocking means can be provided for preventing the reel to start rewinding unintentionally or prematurely.

A disadvantage of this known charging unit is that it is still relative fragile. The connection cable still might get trapped or tangled, preventing the cable to be extracted out of the housing and/or to be retracted into the housing again while getting rewound around the reel. Furthermore, the getting trapped or entangled may cause the cable to get seriously damaged, because of which it still may become necessary to throw the entire charging unit away.

The present invention aims to overcome those disadvantages at least partly and/or to provide a useable alternative. In particular it aims to provide an economic and user-friendly charging unit, which is much less vulnerable to getting damaged and thus may have a prolonged life span which is good for the environment.

This aim is achieved by means of a charging unit according to claim 1. The unit comprises a housing with a power adapter or converter housed inside it. A power socket plug is provided at an outer side of the housing. The unit further comprises an elongate flexible connection organ having a longitudinal and a width direction. This connection organ comprises an assembly of an elongate carrier tape and a plurality of elongate wires. The wires extend along the carrier tape in the longitudinal direction. Inner ends of the wires are connected to the power adapter/converter, whereas outer ends of the wires are connected to a suitable connector which is designed for coupling to a chargeable battery of a device, in particular to a chargeable battery of a mobile phone. A winding reel is provided inside the housing around which the assembly of the carrier tape and wires can be wound or unwound. The carrier tape advantageously forms a strengthening layer for the wires. The carrier tape is well able to prevent the wires from getting tangled, and it can be guaranteed that a user can always immediately start using the charging unit by simply extracting the carrier tape out of the housing. An unravelling of the wires is not necessary. Furthermore, the carrier tape protects the wires from getting damaged. A risk of short is decreased. After a charging operation has been completed, the user can simply rewind the carrier tape back onto the reel. Thus a robust rule-type of charging unit is obtained which is very user-friendly.

The carrier tape can be made out of all kinds of materials like plastic. Preferably however it is made out of a metal tape, in particular a steel tape. This makes it possible to keep the carrier tape relative thin, in particular having a thickness of less than 1 mm, while being strong enough to be able to properly carry and protect the wires.

In a preferred embodiment the carrier tape is flexible/bendable in substantially one direction only, unlike for example a cable which is flexible in various directions. The carrier tape then has the freedom to bend, buckle or kink in that direction without getting damaged itself and without the wires getting damaged. This can for example be obtained by making the carrier tape out of a sufficiently strong material in combination with the carrier tape having a width which is at least 5 times greater than its thickness. In particular the width of the carrier tape can be at least 5 mm, more in particular at least 10 mm, whereas the thickness of the carrier tape can be less than 1 mm, more in particular less than 0,5 mm.

In a further embodiment the carrier tape, seen in its width direction, has a curved shape, in particular a concave shape seen from above. This causes the assembly of carrier tape and wires to have a certain rigidity in its longitudinal direction and to automatically take a substantially straightforwardly projecting position when extracted with a certain length out of the housing. Furthermore it results in the carrier tape retaining its original shape after it has gotten buckled or kinked. Furthermore, the curved shape forms a small protective gutter for the wires to be laid in. In the alternative the carrier tape can also have a substantially flat shape.

In a further embodiment the plurality of wires are formed as a plasticized flat wiring harness with the respective wires positioned next to each other. This forms a proper isolation for the wires and makes it possible to maintain the assembly of carrier tape and wires relative thin.

On top of the carrier tape a shielding tape may be provided. The plurality of wires can then be encapsulated between the carrier tape and the shielding tape. Thus the wires get even better protected. When the carrier tape has been given the curved shape inside which the wires are positioned, then the shielding tape can be given a complementary curved shape. It is however also possible for the shielding tape to then have a substantially flat shape. The shielding tape can be made out of various materials. Preferably however it is plastic, since this is cheap and easily connectable to a metal carrier tape, while furthermore having enough elasticity to be able buckle or kink along with the metal carrier tape without getting irreversibly plastically deformed.

The wires can be connected in such a way to the carrier tape that they have some freedom relative to each other, for example a freedom to slightly shift relative to each other in the longitudinal direction. Preferably however they are fixedly connected to each other.

For example by the plasticized wires being adhered to the carrier tape.

The carrier tape and/or shielding tape may be provided with an overprint. For example one or both of them can be printed with a logo for commercial purposes or some attractive print. It is also possible to use a scale of a rule as print on one or both of the tapes. This advantageously makes it possible to use the charging unit not only for charging operations, but also as a conventional rule.

The winding reel can be provided with operating means which make it possible to unwind or rewind it by hand. In a preferred embodiment spring means are provided for biasing the winding reel in a winding direction after a length of the assembly of carrier tape and wires has been extracted therefrom. An operable braking organ can then also be provided for exerting a braking force to the winding reel or he assembly of carrier tape and wires. This makes it possible to lock the unit after a certain desired length of the carrier tape has been extracted from the reel. After unlocking this length of the carrier tape is then automatically retracted back into the housing by means of the spring means.

In a variant embodiment the connector is releasably connected to the free outer end of the assembly of carrier tape and wires. This makes it possible to quickly and easily change it for another type of connector whenever a different type of battery is to be charged.

Advantageously the housing can then be provided with a storage space for holding a plurality of different types of connectors. Thus those connectors are always at hand and can not get lost.

Further preferred embodiments of the invention are stated in the dependent subclaims.

The invention shall be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1A-D show a schematic perspective front side view of an embodiment of the battery charging unit according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view according to fig. 1A added with a plug adapter;

Fig. 3A shows the situation of fig. 1C seen from its other side and with some of the interior parts schematically shown in dashed lines therein;

Fig. 3B-C show cross sections along the line A-A in fig. 3A of a first and second embodiment of the assembly of carrier tape and wires;

Fig. 4A-B show a variant embodiment having a minimalized cylindrical housing; and

Fig. 5 is a view according to fig. 4A added with the plug adapter.

In fig. 1-2 a power socket plug of the unit has been given the reference numeral 1. This power socket plug 1 has been provided at a back wall of a housing 2. The housing 2 has a side wall 3 on which a logo is printed. An operable braking organ 4 is provided at a curved intersection of an upper/front wall of the housing 2.

At a lower side of the front wall a slit shaped opening 5 is provided. The side wall 3 is provided with a door 6 behind which a storage space 7 for holding a plurality of different types of connectors 8 is provided.

Inside the housing 2 a certain length of an elongate connection organ 9 is stored. At its free outer end this connection organ 9 is provided with a receiver 10 with which one of the connectors 8 can be releasably connected.

The elongate connection organ 9 is wound around a winding reel 11 inside which a coil spring (not shown) is provided. The coil spring acts between the housing 2 and the reel 11 and for this has one end mounted to the housing 2 and another end to the reel 11.

The connection organ 9 comprises wires 12, 13 lying next to each other which are embedded in a plastic layer 14, and which are fixedly connected on top of a steel carrier tape 15. See fig. 3A. On top thereof a metal or plastic shielding tape 16 is provided on which a logo and/or measuring scale of a rule can be printed.

Inside the housing 2 a power adapter or converter (not shown) is provided. This adapter or converter at one end is connected to the power socket plug 1 and at another end is connected to inner ends of the wires 12, 13. The outer ends of the wires 12, 13 are connected to the receiver 10 and to a connector 8 when inserted therein. When plugged into a power socket, the adapter/converter is well able to provide a suitable Voltage via the wires 12, 13, the receiver 10 and the connector 8 to a battery of a device. The power adapter or converter does not really have to be a charger, since charging circuitry is nowadays almost always contained within a devices like a mobile phone of which the battery needs to be charged.

During use, the assembly of carrier tape 15, wires 12, 13 and shielding tape 16 can be extracted from the reel 11 as far as desired as shown in fig. 1C. With this the reel 11 shall start to rotate clockwise seen in fig. 2. Along with this the coil spring shall be wound and a biasing force inside it shall start to increase. As soon as a desired length has been extracted from out of the housing 2, the braking organ 4 can be moved from out of a free position into a blocking position in which it exerts a braking force to a part of the carrier tape 15 which is still wound around the reel 11. The power socket plug 1 can be inserted in a power mains, whereas the connector 8 can be connected to a chargeable battery. If desired a plug adapter 17 can be connected to the plug 1 such that the unit is suitable for getting plugged into another type of power mains socket. After the battery has been charged entirely or when it is desired to disconnect the phone at an earlier stage from the charging unit again, the assembly of carrier tape 15, wires 12, 13 and shielding tape 16 can be rewound around the reel 11 again, simply by switching the braking organ 4 back into its free position again. The reel 11 shall then start to rotate counter-clockwise under the influence of the tensioned coil spring.

Fig. 3B shows that instead of a flat carrier tape it is also possible to use a concavely curved carrier tape 15’ with the wires 12, 13 and their embedding plastic layer 14’ lying within borders of its curvature. The shielding tape 16 here still is able to form a flat upper surface which shields of the wires 12, 13 inside the curved carrier tape 15’.

Fig. 4 and 5 show a variant having a cylindrical housing 18 with a central winding reel 19. A power socket plug 20 has now been provided at one of the side walls of the housing 18. The housing 18 has a diameter which substantially correspond to the maximum diameter at which poles of the plug 20 are distanced from each other, in particular approximately 4cm. Thus the housing 18 has been minimalized as much as possible, making the entire charging unit very compact and lightweight. Furthermore an assembly of carrier tape, wires and shielding tape together form an elongate connection organ 21 with one specific type of connector 22 fixedly arranged at its free outer end. The carrier and shielding tape have been made somewhat smaller compared to the embodiment of fig. 1-3. This makes it possible to also make the housing 18 somewhat smaller, which further adds to making the unit compact and lightweight.

Besides the embodiment shown numerous variants are possible. For example the various components can have all kinds of shapes and dimensions. Also the power socket plug can be of other types and it is even possible to provide a plug adapter for other kinds of power sockets in other countries. This plug adapter then can also be housed inside the storage space if desired. It is also possible to equip the unit with a fixed connector and without the storage space. The unit can then be made somewhat more compact.

Thus a battery charging unit is provided which is multifunctional and robust, and which furthermore can easily be adapted to getting connected to all kinds of devices and batteries, while taking a minimum amount of space both during use and during storage.

Claims

A battery charging unit comprising: - a housing; - a power adapter / inverter provided within the housing; - a power plug provided on an outside of the housing and connected to the power adapter / inverter; - a multi-wire connector having inner ends and outer ends, the inner ends being connected to the power adapter / converter and the outer ends being connected to a connector adapted to be coupled to a rechargeable battery of an apparatus, in particular a mobile phone; and - a winding reel provided within the housing around which the connecting member is wound while being extendable therefrom; characterized in that the connecting member comprises a carrier tape along which the plurality of wires extend.

The battery charging unit according to claim 1, wherein the carrier tape is a steel tape.

3. Battery charging unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier tape is flexible / flexible in only one direction.

Battery charging unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier tape has a curved shape in the width direction.

The battery charging unit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of wires are formed as a plasticized flat wire harness with the respective wires positioned side by side.

The battery charging unit according to claim 5, wherein a protective tape is provided, with the plurality of wires enclosed between the carrier tape and the protective tape.

Battery charging unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the multiple wires are fixedly connected to the carrier tape.

A battery charging unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier tape and / or protective tape are provided with a print.

The battery charging unit according to claim 8, wherein the printing forms a scale of a measuring tape.

A battery loading unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein spring means are provided for biasing the winding reel in a winding direction after a length of carrier tape has been pulled out thereof.

A battery loading unit according to claim 10, wherein the spring means comprise a spiral spring with one end mounted on the housing and another end on the winding reel.

12. Battery charging unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a controllable brake member is provided for exerting a braking force on the winding reel or carrier tape.

A battery charging unit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connector is releasably connected to the connector.

A battery charging unit according to claim 13, wherein the housing is provided with a storage space for holding a plurality of different types of connectors.

Battery charging unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier tape has a width of at least 5 mm and a thickness of at most 1 mm.