US20220376528A9 - Vehicle battery charging apparatus - Google Patents
Vehicle battery charging apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20220376528A9 US20220376528A9 US17/446,109 US202117446109A US2022376528A9 US 20220376528 A9 US20220376528 A9 US 20220376528A9 US 202117446109 A US202117446109 A US 202117446109A US 2022376528 A9 US2022376528 A9 US 2022376528A9
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- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
- G06F16/20—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of structured data, e.g. relational data
- G06F16/24—Querying
- G06F16/242—Query formulation
- G06F16/2425—Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/0042—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries characterised by the mechanical construction
- H02J7/0044—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries characterised by the mechanical construction specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J50/00—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
- H02J50/005—Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J50/00—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
- H02J50/10—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J50/00—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
- H02J50/40—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using two or more transmitting or receiving devices
- H02J50/402—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using two or more transmitting or receiving devices the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/0013—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/0029—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries with safety or protection devices or circuits
- H02J7/00309—Overheat or overtemperature protection
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K1/00—Printed circuits
- H05K1/02—Details
- H05K1/0201—Thermal arrangements, e.g. for cooling, heating or preventing overheating
- H05K1/0203—Cooling of mounted components
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
- H05K7/20—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
- H05K7/20009—Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating using a gaseous coolant in electronic enclosures
- H05K7/20136—Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans
- H05K7/20145—Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J50/00—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power
- H02J50/70—Circuit arrangements or systems for wireless supply or distribution of electric power involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H05K2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to printed circuits covered by H05K1/00
- H05K2201/10—Details of components or other objects attached to or integrated in a printed circuit board
- H05K2201/10007—Types of components
- H05K2201/10098—Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Mathematical Physics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Computational Linguistics (AREA)
- Data Mining & Analysis (AREA)
- Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Charge And Discharge Circuits For Batteries Or The Like (AREA)
- Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)
Abstract
A battery charging apparatus for device charging in a vehicle includes a charging device compartment, a housing, a blower, a charger, and a duct. The charging device compartment is configured to retain at least one device. The housing includes a top member, a bottom member, and an accommodating space. The housing further includes an air-return port. The blower is in the housing and has an input port and an output port. The charger is in the housing and between the top member of the housing and the blower. The duct has an input port and an output port. The input port of the duct is coupled to the output port of the blower, and the output port of the duct is coupled to the air-return port of the housing. The duct forms a barrier between the accommodating space and the air-return port of the housing.
Description
- This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/795,383, filed on Feb. 19, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/925,029, filed on Oct. 23, 2019, the entire contents of all of which are relied upon and incorporated herein by reference.
- The present disclosure relates to a battery charging apparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a wireless battery charging and cooling apparatus for a vehicle.
- Wireless chargers have been developed for charging batteries, and especially batteries that are used in portable devices such as smart phones. The wireless chargers typically include an enclosed charging device and a platform positioned on the outside of the charging device. The device being charged is placed on the platform, and power is wirelessly transmitted from the charging device to the battery being charged, through the battery enclosure and platform. However, those wireless chargers, as well as the battery being charged, generate a lot of heat during the charging process.
- An aspect of this disclosure is a battery charging apparatus for device charging in a vehicle that includes a charging device compartment, a housing, a blower, a charger, and a duct. The charging device compartment is configured to retain at least one device. The housing includes a top member, a bottom member, and an accommodating space between the top member and the bottom member. The housing further includes an air-return port. The blower is in the housing and has an input port and an output port. The charger is in the housing and between the top member of the housing and the blower. The duct has an input port and an output port. The input port of the duct is coupled to the output port of the blower. The output port of the duct is coupled to the air-return port of the housing. The duct forms a barrier between the accommodating space and the air-return port of the housing.
- In one example, the battery charging apparatus further comprises a pad in the charging device compartment and has a first plurality of openings.
- In another example, the first plurality of openings include slits.
- In some examples, the at least one device in the car includes a phone containing a battery; and the pad is an anti-skid pad configured to support the phone in the device compartment.
- In certain examples, the charging device compartment includes a tray having a second plurality of openings.
- In other examples, the top member includes a third plurality of openings at one or more periphery portions of the top member.
- In one example, the third plurality of openings at one or more periphery portions of the top member configured to operate as air inlet openings of the housing.
- In another example, the charger is a wireless charger.
- In some examples, the input port of the blower faces towards the charger.
- In certain examples, the input port of the duct encloses the output port of the blower and is configured to receive air from the output port of the blower.
- In other examples, the charger includes a first printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). The first PCBA includes a printed circuit board and at least one group of charge coils coupled to the first printed circuit board and configured to charge the at least one device in the vehicle.
- In one example, the first printed circuit board has one or more slots penetrating the first printed circuit board.
- In another example, the battery charging further comprises an antenna device between the top member of the housing and the charger. The antenna device includes a second printed circuit board assembly.
- In some examples, the battery charging apparatus further comprises a first air path in the housing and configured to, in response to the blower being on, guide air to flow along a first surface of a first printed circuit board of the charger and towards the input port of the blower, the first surface facing toward the blower.
- In certain examples, the battery charging apparatus further comprises a second air path in the housing and configured to, in response to the blower being on, guide air to flow along a second surface of the first printed circuit board of the charger, where the second surface of the first printed circuit board of the charger faces away from the blower; and guide air towards the input port of the blower via one or more slots penetrating the first printed circuit board of the charger.
- In other examples, the battery charging apparatus further comprises an antenna device between the top member of the housing and the charger, wherein the antenna device includes a second printed circuit board; and a second air path in the housing and configured to, in response to the blower being on, guide air to flow between a second surface of the first printed circuit board of the charger and a first surface of the second printed circuit board of the antenna device, the second surface of the first printed circuit board of the charger and the first surface of the second printed circuit board of the antenna device face towards each other; and guide air towards the input port of the blower via one or more slots penetrating the first PCB of the charger.
- Another aspect of this disclosure is a battery charging apparatus for device charging in a vehicle that comprises a charging device compartment, a housing, a blower, a charger, and a duct. The charging device compartment includes two portions configured to retain two devices respectively. The housing includes a top member, a bottom member, and an accommodating space between the top member and the bottom member, wherein the housing further includes an air-return port. The blower is in the housing and has an input port and an output port. The charger is in the housing and between the top member of the housing and the blower. The charger includes two groups of charge coils for charging the two devices respectively. The duct has an input port and an output port, the input port of the duct being coupled to the output port of the blower, and the output port of the duct being coupled to the air-return port of the housing. The duct forms a barrier between the accommodating space and the air-return port of the housing. The blower is configured to pull air from at least one of the two devices and from the charger and to push air away via the duct and the air-return port of the housing.
- In one example, the charging device compartment includes a ridge that separates the two portions of the charging device compartment.
- In another example, the battery charging apparatus of claim further comprises a first air path in the housing (340) and configured to, in response to the blower being on, guide air to flow along a first surface of a first printed circuit board of the charger and towards the input port of the blower. The first surface faces toward the blower.
- Another aspect of this disclosure is a battery charging apparatus for device charging in a vehicle that comprises a pad, a charging device compartment, a housing, a blower, a wireless charger, and a duct. The pad has a first plurality of openings. The charging device compartment includes two portions configured to retain two phones respectively. The charging device compartment includes a tray having a second plurality of openings, and the pad is in the tray of the charging device compartment. A housing includes a top member, a bottom member, and an accommodating space between the top member and the bottom member. The top member of the housing includes a third plurality of openings at one or more periphery portions of the top member and the housing further includes an air-return port. The blower is in the housing and has an input port and an output port. The wireless charger is in the housing and between the top member of the housing and the blower. The charger includes two groups of charge coils for charging the two devices respectively. The duct has an input port and an output port. The input port of the duct is coupled to the output port of the blower. The output port of the duct is coupled to the air-return port of the housing. The duct forms a barrier between the accommodating space and the air-return port of the housing, and the blower is configured to pull air from at least one of the two phones and from the wireless charger and to push air away via the duct and the air-return port of the housing.
- This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended to provide an overview or framework to understand the nature and character of the disclosure.
- The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. It is to be understood that the drawings illustrate only some examples of the disclosure and other examples or combinations of various examples that are not specifically illustrated in the figures may still fall within the scope of this disclosure. Examples will now be described with additional detail through the use of the drawings, in which.
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FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an interior vehicle compartment showing a battery charging apparatus built-in to the vehicle dashboard; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery charging apparatus ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is side cross-sectional view of the battery charging apparatus ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the tray with cooling vents; -
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the battery charging apparatus; -
FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of another battery charging apparatus for portable-device charging in a vehicle according to one example; -
FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a device pad in a charging device compartment of the battery charging apparatus shown inFIG. 6 ; -
FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of a device pad, a charging device compartment, and an assembled housing of the battery charging apparatus shown inFIG. 6 ; -
FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the assembled housing of the battery charging apparatus shown inFIG. 6 ; -
FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of a blower and a duct assembled in a bottom member of the housing of the battery charging apparatus shown inFIG. 6 ; and -
FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the battery charging apparatus ofFIG. 6 according to another example. - An example disclosed is a vehicle battery charging apparatus for wirelessly charging a device, the apparatus comprising a charging device compartment having a platform for retaining the device, a battery charger housing for retaining a wireless battery charger, one or more housing vents in the battery charger housing; and a blower in air communication with the battery charger housing for communicating air with the battery charger housing through the one or more housing vents to cool the wireless battery charger.
- Another example disclosed is a vehicle dashboard having a dashboard housing, a battery charging device compartment built-in to the dashboard, the battery charging device having a platform for retaining a device to be charged. The dashboard also has a battery charger housing built-in to the dashboard, the battery charger housing retaining a wireless battery charger.
- Turning to the drawings,
FIG. 1 shows the interior of a vehicle having adashboard 20, control panel 22, and a storage compartment such as a glove box 24. Thedashboard 20 has a housing with an outer surface. The storage compartment 24 is positioned in thedashboard housing 20 at the passenger side of the vehicle and substantially flush with the dashboard housing outer surface. The control panel 22 is positioned in thedashboard housing 20 at the center of the vehicle between the driver and the passenger and substantially flush with the outer surface of the dashboard housing. The control panel 22 includes a variety of instrument controls, such as a radio, air conditioner, heater, blower, navigation unit with GPS (Global Positioning System), and rear camera. - In accordance with one example embodiment of the present disclosure, a
battery charging apparatus 100 is built-in to thedashboard 20 above or below the control panel 22 and air vents of the vehicle. As shown, thebattery charging apparatus 100 is positioned inside thedashboard 20 at the center of the vehicle between the passenger and the driver; though thebattery charging apparatus 100 can be at any suitable position such as in the storage compartment 24 or at the rear seats or in the roof. In addition, though thebattery charging apparatus 100 is shown built-in to thedashboard housing 20 and flush with the outer surface of thedashboard housing 20, it can be a separate component that is attached to thedashboard 20 or other vehicle component. -
FIGS. 2, 3 show thebattery charging apparatus 100 in greater detail. Theapparatus 100 has a charger compartment 110, a charging device compartment orstorage compartment 150, and atray 180 therebetween. The chargingdevice compartment 150 retains the device being charged, such as a smart phone or other portable device. The charger compartment 110 encloses the power supply that provide power to device being charged. When used with a wireless charging device, the charger compartment 110 is immediately adjacent to thecharging device compartment 150, so that the wireless charger is as close as possible to the battery of the device being charged. The charger compartment 110 is located beneath the chargingdevice compartment 150, as illustrated, though other suitable arrangements can be provided such as that thecompartments 110, 150 are side-by-side. Thetray 180 has acentral platform 181 with a top surface 182 and abottom surface 184 opposite the top surface 182. - Referring to
FIGS. 3, 5 , the charger compartment 110 has ahousing 120, abattery charger 114, and a blower or fan 116. Thebattery charger 114 can be a wireless battery charger and/or a wired battery charger, and can be electrically coupled with the vehicle power supply (e.g., the vehicle battery) to generate power that is used to charge the battery being charged. As shown, thebattery charger 114 has a rectangular cuboid shape with a rectangular cross-section. Thebattery charger 114 has a flat top surface and a flat bottom surface. The blower 116 is also electrically coupled to the vehicle power supply or thebattery charger 114 to power the blower 116. A sensor or processing device is provided to turn the blower ON and OFF as needed, depending on the temperature inside thehousing 120. For example, the sensor detects the temperature inside thehousing 120 or the temperature of thecharging device 114, and turn ON the blower 116 when the sensed temperature exceeds a threshold value. Or the processing device can control operation of the blower based on the sensed temperature and other conditions, such as the status of thebattery charger 114 and the temperature on the inside of the vehicle. The processing device can be a separate component, or can be part of the vehicle control panel 22 and general HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) operation. - The
housing 120 is a thin sheet that forms an airtight enclosure that houses thebattery charger 114 and the blower 116. Thehousing 120 is made of rigid plastic and molded. Thehousing 120 has a batterycharger housing section 122 that receives thebattery charger 114, and a blower housing section 124 that receives the blower 116. Thehousing 120 is rectangular or square shaped, and has an intake end 125, an exhaust end 127 opposite the intake end 125, two sides, and a bottom. The top of thehousing 120 is formed by thebottom surface 184 of theplatform 181, or thehousing 120 can have a separate top or a combination of theplatform 181 and a separate partial top. Thus, the flat top surface of thebattery charger 114 contacts theflat bottom surface 184 of theplatform 181, or the flat bottom surface of the top of thehousing 120, which in turn contacts theflat bottom surface 184 of theplatform 181. Thus, thebattery charger 114 is positioned as closely as possible to any device to be charged that is placed on the top surface 182 of theplatform 181, to maximize the efficiency of the power transfer from thebatter charger 114 to the device being charged. - The blower housing section 124 extends outward away from the
battery charger 114 and batterycharger housing section 122, at the bottom of thehousing 120 to accommodate the added size of the blower 116 that is received therein. The batterycharger housing section 122 and the blower housing section 124 together form a single integral unit defining an interior space that includes a battery charger interior space that receives thebattery charger 114 and a blower interior space that receives the blower. The battery charger interior space is contiguous and in air flow communication with the battery charger interior space. - One or more intake openings or vents 126 are located at the intake end 125 of the
housing 120, and one or more exhaust openings orvents 128 are located at the exhaust end 127 of thehousing 120. More specifically, thevents 126, 128 are provided in the batterycharger housing section 122 of thehousing 120. Still further, an intake vent can be provided at the rear of the housing 120 (e.g., in the battery charger section 122). Accordingly, when the blower 116 is turned ON, it pulls air into thehousing 120 through the intake vents 126, across thebattery charger 114, and out through the exhaust vents 128. As the air is drawn across thebattery charger 114, it is heated by thebattery charger 114, which cools thebattery charger 114, and the heated air is exhausted. In one example of the disclosure, thebattery charger 114 is spaced apart from theplatform 181 or top of thehousing 120, so that air flows across the top of thebattery charger 114 in the space between theplatform 181 and thebattery charger 114 to further cool thebattery charger 114. - Referring to
FIGS. 2, 4 , the chargingdevice compartment 150 is shown in further detail. Thecompartment 150 includes thetray 180 and a protective cover or shield 152. In the example embodiment shown, the protective cover 152 extends at the top of thecharging device compartment 150, and the front facing side is open to form a front opening 156 and define a protected interior space 154. Accordingly, the protective cover 152 extends over thetray 180 and creates the protected space 154 that is accessible through the front opening 156. Thetray 180 is at least partly covered by the cover 152 and at least partly within the protected space 154 and accessible through the front opening 156. The cover 152 is opaque to provide protection from the sun and conform with the color scheme for the rest of thedashboard 20. The cover 152 also prevents the devices held in thetray 180 from escaping due to motion of the vehicle, and protect the devices against other objects inadvertently coming into contact with them. - The
tray 180 is a flat surface. In addition, as best illustrated in the example embodiment ofFIGS. 2, 4 , one or more tray vents including one or more tray intake vents 186 and one or more tray exhaust vents 188, is provided in thetray 180. For example, thevents 186, 188 are provided in theplatform 181 or at one or more sides of thetray 180 at the periphery of thetray 180 and about thecentral platform 181, including at the longitudinal sides and/or the lateral transverse sides of thetray 180 orplatform 181. However, thevents 186, 188 need not be at the periphery of the tray or platform, but can be inside the periphery of the tray or platform. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , Thevents 186, 188 allow air from the interior of the vehicle to enter thedashboard 20 and communicate with the batterycharger housing section 122 in the space beneath or behind thetray 180. Thus, the blower 116 pulls cool air in through the tray intake vent 186 and through the battery charger intake vent 126, and forces heated air out through the batterycharger exhaust vent 128 and thetray exhaust vent 188. In one example of the disclosure, baffles or plenums are placed on the outside of thehousing 120 to direct air from the tray intake vent 186 to the storage intake vent 126, and from thestorage exhaust vent 128 to thetray exhaust vent 188. - In one example, the
tray 180 is a flat top surface 182 that forms aplatform 181, and the tray vents 186, 188 are formed in the flat top surface 182 of theplatform 181. Still further, the tray or platform vents 186, 188 optionally have baffles or fins that direct air out of thecharging device compartment 150, so that the intake vent 186 pulls air from the passenger compartment through the front opening 156 and theexhaust vent 188 expels air into the passenger compartment through the front opening 156. - In another example, as shown, the
tray 180 has one or more raised walls 190 positioned at the outer periphery of theplatform 181 at the one or more sides of theplatform 181, including at the front side, back side, left side, and right side. The walls 190 extend upward from the top surface 182 of thecentral platform 181. The walls 190 define a central receiving area 191 of theplatform 181, and the walls 190 are formed about the sides of theplatform 181. However, the walls 190 need not be at the periphery of the tray or platform, but instead are inside the periphery of the tray or platform. - In one example embodiment shown, the raised walls 190 have an inwardly-facing
side 192 and an outwardly-facing side 194, and a flat or curved top therebetween, forming an elongated pyramid-like shape with a triangular cross-section. The inwardly-facingside 192 are substantially straight, or slightly angled outward, and prevents the device being charged from inadvertently falling out of theplatform 181 andtray 180. The outwardly-facing side 194 are angled more sharply inward to provide a more ergonomic shape, or are substantially vertical, both of which are shown inFIG. 4 . The tray vents 186, 188 need not be provided in theplatform 181, but instead are formed as wall vents 186, 188 in the outwardly-facingsides 192 of the raised walls 190. Thus, the wall vents 186, 188 face outwardly away from thecentral platform 181 and away from any devices to be charged that are in theplatform 181. Accordingly, hot air from the exhaust wall vents 188 is directed away from thetray 180 and the devices being charged. Still further, the wall vents 186, 188 have baffles or fins that direct air out of thecharging device compartment 150, so that the intake vent 186 pulls air from the passenger compartment through the front opening 156 and theexhaust vent 188 expels air into the passenger compartment through the front opening 156. - In one example embodiment, the top surface 182 of the
platform 181 have a rubber coating that grips the device being charged so that the device does not slide around on thetray 180 as the vehicle is in motion. - Thus, the entire
battery charging apparatus 100 is formed integral with thedashboard housing 20 and substantially flush with the outer surface of thedashboard housing 20. The chargingdevice compartment 150 is exposed at thedashboard 20 so that the user can place a device to be charged on the top surface 182 of theplatform 181 of thetray 180. The charger compartment 110 is recessed inside thedashboard 20 below the chargingdevice compartment 150. Thetray 180 separates thecharging device compartment 150 and the charger compartment 110. The blower 116 draws air from the interior of the vehicle into thecharging device compartment 150 at the interior of thedashboard 20 to cool thebattery charging device 114, and expels heated air from chargingdevice compartment 150 out of thedashboard 20 into the interior of the vehicle. Still further, air need not be pulled in and expelled into the vehicle interior, but can be communicated from other locations, such as the exterior of the vehicle. - In addition, the charging
device compartment 150 includes other features. For example, one or more side compartments or holders 158 are provided. InFIG. 1 , the holders are shown on each side of thetray 180, and are smaller recessed compartments that hold miscellaneous items such as change, keys, and electronic items. - In addition, it is noted that the cover 152 is fixed and provides an opening 158 at the front of the charging device compartment 158. That opening 158 grants access to the
tray 180 so that users can readily insert and remove devices to be charged. In addition, the open front allows heated air from the blower to communicate air with the vehicle interior to receive cooler air from the vehicle interior and pass heated air to the vehicle interior. However in one example of the disclosure, the cover 152 completely closes the charging device compartment 158, or a separate movable cover is provided that is opened and closed by the user to gain access to the charging device compartment 158. In one example, the movable cover has vents that permit air to communicate with the blower, or the vents in thetray 180 are instead provided in the movable cover and plenums are provided to communicate the air to the cover vents. In addition, one or more vehicle HVAC blowers are provided in the chargingdevice storage area 150 to provide cooled air to thecharging device compartment 150. - Still further, the blower need not communicate air through the
tray 180 or the moveable cover. Instead, the blower an communicate air to the interior of the dashboard, or directly with the vehicle air conditioning and/or heater blower or plenums. Or, the blower communicates air directly with the vehicle interior through vents provided in the front face of the dashboard. For example, thetray 180 extends downward to form the chargingdevice housing 120 and enclose thecharger 114 and blower 116, as well as have a front face with an outer surface that forms a surface of the dashboard that faces the user. One or more vents are provided in that front surface and the blower 116 communicates air directly to/from the vehicle interior (i.e., passenger compartment). - It is further noted that, as shown in
FIG. 2 , the platform intake vent 186 is provided on the driver side and rear of theplatform 181, and theplatform exhaust vent 188 is provided toward the passenger side of theplatform 181. Thus, a vent or wall 190 is not provided at the front of theplatform 181 so that it does not obstruct the user from placing devices on theplatform 181 for charging. However, in one example, a vent and/or wall 190 is also provided at all four sides of theplatform 181, including the front of theplatform 181 to prevent devices placed on theplatform 181 from falling forward out of theplatform 181. And, vents and/or walls are provided at any suitable locations and more or fewer vents and/or walls can be provided. For example, in one embodiment, vents and/or walls are provided at all four sides of theplatform 181, or only at the left and right sides (driver side and passenger side) of theplatform 181, and not at the front or rear of theplatform 181. And, all walls need not include a vent, but can just provide protection against the devices being charged from inadvertently falling off theplatform 181 or out of thetray 180. And the intake vent need not be on the passenger side and the exhaust vent on the driver side, but arranged in other configurations, such as being switched. Though the walls 190 are shown as separate elements positioned at one or more sides of theplatform 181, in one example a single contiguous wall is provided about the entire periphery of theplatform 181. Still further dividing walls are provided to separate theplatform 181 into multiple platforms each holding one device to be charged. - The
battery charging apparatus 100, including the charging device storage compartment 158 and the charger compartment 110, is integrally formed as a single unitary piece, such as by molded plastic. It will be recognized in one example, however, that the various components, including the charging device storage compartment 158 and the charger compartment 110, are separate pieces that are coupled together. The entirebattery charging apparatus 100 is built-in to the vehicle dashboard, such as above the control panel 22 and between the passenger and the driver. The disclosure shows and describes abattery charging apparatus 100. The disclosure further includes a vehicle dashboard having an integratedbattery charging apparatus 100. The disclosure further includes a vehicle having abattery charging apparatus 100 integrated into the vehicle, such as at the vehicle dashboard, though thebattery charging apparatus 100 can be integrated at other locations in a vehicle or other non-vehicle device. The battery charging apparatus is configured so that the battery charger housing is sufficiently close to the platform so that the wireless battery charger wirelessly charges the device in the platform. -
FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of another embodiment of abattery charging apparatus 300 for portable-device charging (such as mobile phone charging) in a vehicle according to one example.FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a device pad in a charging device compartment of thebattery charging apparatus 300.FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of a device pad, a charging device compartment, and an assembled housing of thebattery charging apparatus 300.FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the assembled housing of thebattery charging apparatus 300.FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of a blower and a duct assembled in a bottom member of the housing of thebattery charging apparatus 300. Theapparatus 300 includes a pad 320 (such as a phone pad) and acharging device compartment 330 configured to retain at least one portable device. The at least one portable device in the car may include a mobile phone containing a rechargeable battery. In some examples, the at least one portable device can include two mobile phones or other electronic devices with rechargeable batteries. Theapparatus 300 further includes ahousing 340, anantenna device 350, abattery charger 360, ablower 370, and a plenum orduct 380. - The
housing 340 includes atop member 341 and abottom member 342 configured to be coupled to each other and define an accommodatinginterior space 344 of thehousing 340 between thetop member 341 and thebottom member 342. Thehousing 340 further includes an air-return port 346. Thecharger 360 is in thehousing 340 and is between thetop member 341 of thehousing 340 and theblower 370.FIG. 6 also shows a coordinate system including X, Y, Z, axes. The X axis is perpendicular to the Y axis, and the X and Y axes define an X-Y plane. The Z axis is perpendicular to the X and Y axes and the X-Y plane. In the example ofFIG. 6 , the X-Y plane and the X and Y axes are parallel to asurface plane 343 of thetop member 341, and the Z axis is perpendicular to thesurface plane 343 of thetop member 341. - Referring to
FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 , thepad 320 can be arranged in thecharging device compartment 330 and has a first plurality ofopenings 321. The first plurality ofopenings 321 may include slits arranged in a 2-dimensional array and each extending along the Y direction. In the example ofFIG. 8 , thepad 320 has a length along the Y direction and a width along the X direction. Thepad 320 further includes aslot 322 located for example in a middle portion of thepad 320 along the width of thepad 320, and theslot 322 extends in parallel to a direction of the length of thepad 320 along Y direction. The first plurality ofopenings 321 can have other suitable sizes and shapes according to various application scenarios. Thepad 320 may be an anti-skid pad configured to support one or more portable devices in thedevice compartment 330, such that the portable devices on thepad 320 may not skid regardless of the respective vehicle being moving or not. - The charging
device compartment 330 includes atray 331. Thetray 331 has abase 332 and has a second plurality ofopenings 333 extending through thebase 332 of thetray 331. Each of theopenings 333 includes a slit extending in parallel to the X direction, and perpendicular to extending directions of theslot 322 of thepad 320. Various shapes, sizes, extending directions, and locations of openings (such as 333 and 321) may be chosen according to various application scenarios. - The
tray 331 further has one ormore walls 334 and aridge 335 on thebase 332. Thewalls 334 define space for retaining one or more portable devices. In the examples ofFIGS. 6 to 8 , theridge 335 divides or separates the space defined or surrounded by thewalls 334 into two retaining spaces (e.g., two retaining portions) 338 a and 338 b, and each of the two retaining spaces can retain a portable device such as a mobile phone. Accordingly, theridge 335 separates the two retaining spaces (e.g., two retaining portions) of thecharging device compartment 330. Each of the two retaining spaces can retain a portable device, and accordingly, two portable devices, such as two mobile phones with two batteries, can be charged together as needed, e.g., either by asingle charger 360 or by a separate charger. Thesingle charger 360 may include two groups of charging coils aligned with or corresponding to the first and second retaining portions 338 a, 338 b, respectively. Theridge 335 can be aligned with and be inserted into theslot 322 of thepad 320, such that thepad 320 can be arranged on and in contact with thebase 332 of thetray 331 stably. Theblower 370 may be configured to pull air from portable devices situated on thepad 320 in one or both of the portions 338 a, 338 b, from thecharger 360, and/or from theantenna device 350; and may be further configured to push air away or out via theduct 380 and the air-return port 346 of thehousing 340. - Referring to
FIGS. 6, 8, and 9 , thetop member 341 of thehousing 340 includes a third plurality ofopenings 345 that extend through thetop member 341 or thesurface plane 343 of thetop member 341, such as at one or more periphery portions of thetop member 341. The third plurality ofopenings 345 may be configured to operate as air inlet openings or vents of thehousing 340. - Referring to
FIGS. 6, 8, and 9 , thecharger 360 is between thetop member 341 of thehousing 340 and theblower 370. In one example, thecharger 360 may include or be a wireless charger configured to wirelessly charge batteries of the portable devices retained in thecharging device compartment 330. In other examples, thecharger 360 may include a wired charger configured to charge batteries of the portable devices retained in the charging device compartment via cables such as universal-serial-bus (USB) cables. - Referring to
FIGS. 6 and 10 , theblower 370 is in thehousing 340 and includes aninput port 371, anoutput port 372, and afan 373 configured to pull air in from theinput port 371 and push air out via theoutput port 372 to theduct 380 and the air-return port 346. Theinput port 371 of theblower 370 faces towards thecharger 360. Theduct 380 has aninput port 381 and anoutput port 382. Theinput port 381 of theduct 380 is coupled to theoutput port 372 of theblower 370 so that theinput port 381 of theduct 380 is in air flow communication with theoutput port 372 of theblower 370. And theoutput port 382 of theduct 380 is coupled to the air-return port 346 of thehousing 340 so that theoutput port 382 of theduct 380 is in air flow communication with the air-return port 346 of thehousing 340. Theduct 380 is configured to guide air from theoutput port 372 of theblower 370 to air-return port 346 of thehousing 340. - The
input port 381 of theduct 380 encloses or surrounds theoutput port 372 of theblower 370 and is configured to receive air from theoutput port 372 of theblower 370. Theduct 380 can form or operate as a barrier between theaccommodating space 344 and the air-return port 346 of thehousing 340 when the blower is on, so as to block air in the air-return port 346 from flowing to theaccommodating space 344, or reduce the amount of air flowing from the air-return port 346 to theaccommodating space 344. Accordingly, efficiency of theblower 370 in driving air from theaccommodating space 344 to the air-return port 346 and to an external space of thehousing 340 can be improved. - Referring to
FIGS. 7, 8, and 11 , the chargingdevice compartment 330 further includes an air-return opening 336 configured to receive return air from the air-return port 346 and an air-directingmember 337 with a curved inner surface configured to direct return air from the air-return port 334 of thehousing 340 towards the at least one portable device. The air-directingmember 337 and the air-return opening 336 are configured to provide recirculated air over the portable devices being charged, which assists in the cooling. Port-air-divider 347 of the air-return port 346 can divide the air-return port 346 into two portions, and duct-air-divider 383 ofair duct 380 can divide theair duct 380 into two portions, and the port-air-divider 347 and the duct-air-divider 383 can incorporate or define air direction veins for thehousing 340. The forced convection of air across the portable devices can improve the cooling of the portable devices being charge. Additionally, cooler air may be introduced by the vehicle heating and cooling system to further improve cooling of the portable devices, for example a further duct can connect the vehicle cooling system to theaccommodating space 344 or theduct 380 to introduce cool air into theduct 380. The air-directingmember 337 may be adjacent to or integrated with awall 334 of thecharging device compartment 330. - Referring back to
FIG. 6 , thecharger 360 includes or is a first printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 361. Thefirst PCBA 361 includes a first printed circuit board (PCB) 362 and at least one group of charge coils 364 on and coupled to the first printedcircuit board 362 and configured to charge the at least one portable device in thecharging device compartment 330, and one ormore coil plates 363. In the example ofFIG. 6 , thecoils 364 may include a first group of charge coils 364 a configured to charge a first portable device, and a second group of charge coils 364 b configured to charge a second portable device. Thefirst PCBA 361 further includes aconnector 365 configured to communicate with the vehicle system and receive power from the vehicle system and provide power to thecharger 360, such as a 6-pin input/output connector. Thebattery charging apparatus 300 further includes one or more electromagnetic-interference (EMI) shields 367 coupled to thefirst PCBA 361 of thecharger 360. Theshield 367 includes aframe 368 and acover 369. Thecover 369 may have holes to provide improvement or assistance for system thermal performance, e.g., facilitating dissipation of heat from components of thefirst PCBA 361 covered by theshield 367. The EMI shields 367 provides EMI shielding to meet EMI requirements and improve EMI shielding for electronic systems, such as electronic components of thefirst PCBA 361. - The
battery charging apparatus 300 further includes anantenna device 350 between thetop member 341 of thehousing 340 and thecharger 360. Theantenna device 350 includes a second printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 351. Theantenna device 350 may be configured to communicate with the portable devices such as mobile phones. The second printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 351 includes a second printed circuit board (PCB) 352 with components attached thereto. The second printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 351 may include or be provided with an antenna coupler, an EMC grid, a near-field-communication (NFC) antenna, and/or other suitable components. -
FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of thebattery charging apparatus 300 ofFIG. 6 according to another example.FIG. 11 shows the assembledbattery charging apparatus 300 and air paths of thebattery charging apparatus 300. Thebattery charging apparatus 300 includes or has air paths to guide air flows in response to theblower 370 being turned on. Referring toFIGS. 6-9 and 11 , when theblower 370 is on, air (such as cool air from the vehicle compartment which is cool in winter or with the air conditioner of the vehicle on, etc.) may be pulled through theopenings 321 of thepad 320 and through theopenings 333 of thecharging device compartment 330, and may be further pulled into thehousing 340 via the openings 345 (not shown inFIG. 11 , seeFIGS. 8 and 9 ) in periphery portions (or regions) R1 of thetop member 341 of thehousing 340. - The
battery charging apparatus 300 may further include one or more air paths to pull air (such as cool air from the vehicle compartment which is cool in winter or with the air conditioner of the vehicle on, etc.) to cool the portable devices and thecharger 360. In the example embodiment shown, one or more first, second and/or third air paths P1, P2, P3 are shown. The one or more first air paths P1 are positioned in thehousing 340. The air paths P1 are formed in the open space or clearance between the bottom of thePCB 362 and the areas around theblower 370 and the top of theduct 380. The first air paths P1 may be configured to, in response to theblower 370 being turned on, guide air from theopenings 345 in periphery portions (or regions) R1 of thetop member 341 of thehousing 340 towards side regions R2 of accommodating space of thehousing 340 that is at a vertical level (along Z direction) between theblower 370 and the first printed circuit board (PCB) 362 of thecharger 360, and guide air to flow along a first surface (362-SA) of thefirst PCB 362 of thecharger 360 and further flow towards theinput port 371 of theblower 370. The second printed circuit board (PCB) 352 has notches at the sides and/or periphery portions of the top of the PCB 352 (e.g.,notches 353 shown inFIG. 6 ), and the first printed circuit board (PCB) 362 hasnotches 366B in its periphery portions (seeFIGS. 6 and 11 ), such that air can flow from the periphery portions (or regions) R1 of thetop member 341 of thehousing 340 to side regions R2 of accommodating space of thehousing 340. Accordingly, air cooling of the first printedcircuit board 362 and the first printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 361 may be improved. The first surface (362-SA) of thefirst PCB 362 faces toward theblower 370. - In some examples, the
battery charging apparatus 300 may further include one or more second air paths (P2) in thehousing 340. The second air paths P2 are formed in the open space or clearance between the top of thefirst PCB 362 and the bottom of thesecond PCB 352. The second air paths (P2) may be configured to, in response to theblower 370 being turned on, guide air to flow from theopenings 345 in periphery portions (or regions) R1 of thetop member 341 of thehousing 340 into thehousings 340, and guide air (e.g., laterally) along a second surface (362-SB) of thefirst PCB 362 of thecharger 360 toward an inner portion (such as a central portion) of thehousing 340, and guide air (e.g., vertically) towards theinput port 371 of theblower 370 via one ormore slots 366A penetrating thefirst PCB 362 of thecharger 360. The second surface (362-SB) of thefirst PCBA 361 of thecharger 360 faces away from or is opposite with respect to theblower 370. - In some examples, the
battery charging apparatus 300 may further include anantenna device 350 between thetop member 341 of thehousing 340 and thecharger 360; and the second air paths (P2) may be configured to, in response to theblower 370 being turned on, guide air to flow (e.g., laterally) between a second surface (362-SB) of thefirst PCB 362 of thecharger 360 and a first surface (352-SA) of thesecond PCB 352 of theantenna device 350; and guide air (e.g., vertically) towards the input port (371) of theblower 370 via one or more slots (366A) penetrating or extending through thefirst PCB 362 of the charger. The second surface (362-SB) of thefirst PCBA 361 of thecharger 360 and first surface (352-SA) of thesecond PCB 352 of theantenna device 350 face towards each other. - In certain examples, the
battery charging apparatus 300 may further include a third air path (P3) in thehousing 340. The third air path (P3) may be configured to, in response to theblower 370 being turned on, guide air from theoutput port 372 of theblower 370 towards the air-return opening 336 of thecharging device compartment 330 via theduct 380 and the air-return port 346 of thehousing 340, and guide circulated or recirculated air from the air-return opening 336 of thecharging device compartment 330 towards the one or more portable devices with the curved air-directingmember 337 and further to the external space of thebattery charging apparatus 300. The circulated or recirculated air guided (or directed) to flow over the portable devices being charged provides forced convection cooling to the portable devices, and accordingly cooling performance is improved according to thermal analysis. Air is circulated from fan of theblower 370 back over top of the portable devices to create a more turbulent air flow over and around the portable devices that further assists in cooling the portable devices. Air exiting the air-return port 346 and the air-return opening 336 mixes with the ambient air in the vehicle compartment, and flows over and around the portable devices to cool the portable devices. - In another example, the air-directing
member 337 may be configured to have a different shape to guide air from the air-retum opening 336 of thecharging device compartment 330 directly towards the external space of thebattery charging apparatus 300 without having to flow towards the one or more portable devices. In another embodiment, the air-directingmember 337 can be integral with saidduct 380. The above-described air paths (such as P1, P2, P3) are merely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Thebattery charging apparatus 300 may include other suitable paths according to various application scenarios. The various components and housings of thecharger 360 are not airtight, and accordingly air is pulled through and around the electronic components that generate heat during use, such as for example thecoils 364 and theshields 367. - In the example of
FIG. 11 , theopenings 333 of thecharging device compartment 330 each may include a first partial-depth opening 333 a that extend a fraction of thickness of the base 332 from a top surface the ofbase 332 of thecharging device compartment 330 into thebase 332, and a second partial-depth opening 333 b that extend another fraction of thickness of the base 332 from a bottom surface ofbase 332 of thecharging device compartment 330 into thebase 332, so as to be coupled to the first partial-depth opening 333 a and thus allow air to flow through theopening 333 of thebase 332. The first partial-depth opening 333 a may have a lateral offset (e.g., along X direction) with respect to the second partial-depth opening 333 b, and accordingly a lateral overlap width (e.g., along X direction) of the first partial-depth opening 333 a and the second partial-depth opening 333 b may be reduced, so as to reduce the risk of undesired foreign items passing through theopening 333 of thebase 332 and entering thehousing 340. In another example, theopenings 333 of thecharging device compartment 330 may each include a slit penetrating through the depth of thebase 332 along Z direction without having the lateral offset between the first partial-depth opening 333 a and the second partial-depth opening 333 b. Various parameters such as sizes and shapes of theopenings 333 of thecharging device compartment 330 can be chosen according to actual application scenarios. - Referring back to
FIGS. 6, 9, and 10 , thetop member 341 of thehousing 340 includes a third plurality ofopenings 345 arranged at one or more periphery portions of thetop member 341, and includes a solid portion in the middle portion of thetop member 341. Accordingly, any liquids (e.g., due to condensation) such as water, are directed through the third plurality ofopenings 345 and reach the bottom of the accommodating space (344), e.g., via, notches at sides of thesecond PCB 352 andnotches 366B in the periphery portions of the first printed circuit board (PCB) 362. Thus, any fluid is prevented from interfering with the operation of thecharger 360. Thebottom member 342 of the housing (340) further includes exit holes 348 that allow condensation or water to exit to, e.g., a reservoir of the vehicle. - The
bottom member 342 of the housing (340) further includespegs 349, and theblower 370 is mounted to thepegs 349 and attached to thebottom member 342. Theblower 370 may be arranged or positioned, such that the input port (371) of theblower 370 faces towards the space or clearance between two (EMI) shields 367, so as to improve performance of drawing air through the components of thecharger 360. There is clearance between the top of theblower 370 and the bottom of theshields 367. - The
battery charging apparatus 300 can further include or be provided with a sensor and/or a processing device to turn theblower 370 ON and OFF as needed, e.g., depending on the temperature inside thehousing 340. For example, the sensor detects the temperature inside thehousing 340 or the temperature of thecharger 360, and turn ON theblower 370 when the sensed temperature exceeds a threshold value. - In addition, as noted above, the system and method of the present disclosure can optionally include operation by one or more processing devices, such as to control when to turn the blower ON and OFF, and the blower level (high, low). It is noted that the processing device can be any suitable device, such as a computer, microprocessor, or vehicle control system. Or, the processing device can be controlled remotely such as on a smartphone, tablet, or the like. The processing devices can be used in combination with other suitable components, such as a display device (monitor, LED screen, digital screen, etc.), memory or storage device, input device (touchscreen, keyboard, pointing device such as a mouse), wireless module (for RF, Bluetooth, infrared, WiFi, etc.). The information may be stored on a computer medium such as a computer hard drive, on a CD ROM disk or on any other appropriate data storage device, which can be located at or in communication with the processing device. The entire process is conducted automatically by the processing device, and without any manual interaction. Accordingly, unless indicated otherwise the process can occur substantially in real-time without any delays or manual action.
- The operation of the processing device(s) is implemented by computer software that permits the accessing of data from an electronic information source. The software and the information in accordance with the disclosure may be within a single, free-standing computer or it may be in a central computer networked to a group of other computers or other electronic devices. The information may be stored on a computer hard drive, on a CD ROM disk or on any other appropriate data storage device. The system can also be implemented on the cloud and comprise a cloud computing system which provide access via the Internet to shared computing resources, such as servers, storage devices, networks, and/or applications on demand or in real time without regard to the location of those resources.
- It will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings that modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and variations can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Likewise, the various examples described may be used individually or in combination with other examples. Those skilled in the art will appreciate various combinations of examples not specifically described or illustrated herein that are still within the scope of this disclosure. In this respect, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the specific examples set forth and the examples of the disclosure are intended to be illustrative, not limiting.
- As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Similarly, the adjective “another,” when used to introduce an element, is intended to mean one or more elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having” and similar terms are intended to be inclusive such that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
- Additionally, where a method described above or a method claim below does not explicitly require an order to be followed by its steps or an order is otherwise not required based on the description or claim language, it is not intended that any particular order be inferred. Likewise, where a method claim below does not explicitly recite a step mentioned in the description above, it should not be assumed that the step is required by the claim.
- It is noted that the description and claims may use geometric or relational terms, such as cuboid, rectangular cuboid, flush, ergonomic, pyramid, curved, elongated, opposite, transverse, flat, vertical, lateral, horizontal, periphery, upward, raised, top, bottom, left, right, up, down, inner, and outer. These terms are not intended to limit the disclosure and, in general, are used for convenience to facilitate the description based on the examples shown in the figures. In addition, the geometric or relational terms may not be exact. For instance, walls may not be exactly perpendicular or parallel to one another because of, for example, roughness of surfaces, tolerances allowed in manufacturing, etc., but may still be considered to be perpendicular or parallel.
- The foregoing description and drawings should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure, which may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not intended to be limited by the embodiment herein described. Numerous applications of the disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure.
Claims (22)
1. A battery charging apparatus for device charging in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
a charging device compartment configured to retain at least one device;
a housing including a top member, a bottom member, and an accommodating space between the top member and the bottom member, wherein the housing further includes an air-return port;
a blower in the housing and having an input port and an output port;
a charger in the housing and between the top member of the housing and the blower; and
a duct having an input port and an output port, the input port of the duct being coupled to the output port of the blower, and the output port of the duct being coupled to the air-return port of the housing,
wherein the duct forms a barrier between the accommodating space and the air-return port of the housing.
2. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pad in the charging device compartment and having a first plurality of openings.
3. The battery charging apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first plurality of openings include slits.
4. The battery charging apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one device in the car includes a phone containing a battery; and
the pad is an anti-skid pad configured to support the phone in the device compartment.
5. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the charging device compartment includes a tray having a second plurality of openings.
6. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the top member includes a third plurality of openings at one or more periphery portions of the top member.
7. The battery charging apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the third plurality of openings at one or more periphery portions of the top member configured to operate as air inlet openings of the housing.
8. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the charger is a wireless charger.
9. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input port of the blower faces towards the charger.
10. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the input port of the duct encloses the output port of the blower and is configured to receive air from the output port of the blower.
11. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the charger includes a first printed circuit board assembly (PCBA); and
the first PCBA includes a printed circuit board and at least one group of charge coils coupled to the first printed circuit board and configured to charge the at least one device in the vehicle.
12. The battery charging apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first printed circuit board has one or more slots penetrating the first printed circuit board.
13. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an antenna device between the top member of the housing and the charger, wherein the antenna device includes a second printed circuit board assembly.
14. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first air path in the housing and configured to, in response to the blower being on:
guide air to flow along a first surface of a first printed circuit board of the charger and towards the input port of the blower, the first surface facing toward the blower.
15. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second air path in the housing and configured to, in response to the blower being on:
guide air to flow along a second surface of the first printed circuit board of the charger, wherein the second surface of the first printed circuit board of the charger faces away from the blower; and
guide air towards the input port of the blower via one or more slots penetrating the first printed circuit board of the charger.
16. The battery charging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an antenna device between the top member of the housing and the charger, wherein the antenna device includes a second printed circuit board; and
a second air path in the housing and configured to, in response to the blower being on:
guide air to flow between a second surface of the first printed circuit board of the charger and a first surface of the second printed circuit board of the antenna device, the second surface of the first printed circuit board of the charger and the first surface of the second printed circuit board of the antenna device face towards each other; and
guide air towards the input port of the blower via one or more slots penetrating the first PCB of the charger.
17. A battery charging apparatus for device charging in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
a charging device compartment including two portions configured to retain two devices respectively;
a housing including a top member, a bottom member, and an accommodating space between the top member and the bottom member, wherein the housing further includes an air-return port;
a blower in the housing and having an input port and an output port,
a charger in the housing and between the top member of the housing and the blower, wherein the charger includes two groups of charge coils for charging the two devices respectively; and
a duct having an input port and an output port, the input port of the duct being coupled to the output port of the blower, and the output port of the duct being coupled to the air-return port of the housing,
wherein the duct forms a barrier between the accommodating space and the air-return port of the housing, and the blower is configured to pull air from at least one of the two devices and from the charger and to push air away via the duct and the air-return port of the housing.
18. The battery charging apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the charging device compartment includes a ridge that separates the two portions of the charging device compartment.
19. The battery charging apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:
a first air path in the housing and configured to, in response to the blower being on:
guide air to flow along a first surface of a first printed circuit board of the charger and towards the input port of the blower, the first surface facing toward the blower.
20. A battery charging apparatus for device charging in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
a pad having a first plurality of openings;
a charging device compartment including two portions configured to retain two phones respectively, wherein the charging device compartment includes a tray having a second plurality of openings, and the pad is in the tray of the charging device compartment;
a housing including a top member, a bottom member, and an accommodating space between the top member and the bottom member, wherein the top member of the housing includes a third plurality of openings at one or more periphery portions of the top member and the housing further includes an air-return port;
a blower in the housing and having an input port and an output port,
a wireless charger in the housing and between the top member of the housing and the blower, wherein the charger includes two groups of charge coils for charging the two devices respectively; and
a duct having an input port and an output port, the input port of the duct being coupled to the output port of the blower, and the output port of the duct being coupled to the air-return port of the housing,
wherein the duct forms a barrier between the accommodating space and the air-return port of the housing, and the blower is configured to pull air from at least one of the two phones and from the wireless charger and to push air away via the duct and the air-return port of the housing.
21. A wireless battery charging apparatus for a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
a tray with a plurality of tray openings;
a pad positioned on top of the tray, said pad having a plurality of pad openings, said pad receiving a device having a battery to be charged;
a housing coupled to said tray;
a wireless battery charger enclosed inside said housing;
a blower inside said housing and aligned with said wireless battery charger and having an outlet port, said blower pulling air through said tray openings, said pad openings, and through said wireless battery charger to the outlet port; and
a duct attached to the outlet port of said blower and having and exhaust, said duct directing air from the outlet port of said blower to said pad to provide air circulation about the pad.
22. The wireless battery charging apparatus of claim 21 , wherein air from the exhaust mixes with ambient air and flows around a device received at said pad.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US17/446,109 US20220376528A9 (en) | 2019-10-23 | 2021-08-26 | Vehicle battery charging apparatus |
EP22192322.0A EP4142105A1 (en) | 2021-08-26 | 2022-08-26 | Vehicle battery charging apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US201962925029P | 2019-10-23 | 2019-10-23 | |
US16/795,383 US11482870B2 (en) | 2019-10-23 | 2020-02-19 | Vehicle battery charging apparatus |
US17/446,109 US20220376528A9 (en) | 2019-10-23 | 2021-08-26 | Vehicle battery charging apparatus |
Related Parent Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US16/795,393 Continuation-In-Part US11561982B2 (en) | 2020-02-19 | 2020-02-19 | Intelligent and automatic exception handling |
US16/795,383 Continuation-In-Part US11482870B2 (en) | 2019-10-23 | 2020-02-19 | Vehicle battery charging apparatus |
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US20210391734A1 US20210391734A1 (en) | 2021-12-16 |
US20220376528A9 true US20220376528A9 (en) | 2022-11-24 |
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US17/446,109 Pending US20220376528A9 (en) | 2019-10-23 | 2021-08-26 | Vehicle battery charging apparatus |
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US11476706B2 (en) * | 2019-08-16 | 2022-10-18 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Wireless device charger with cooling device |
TWI830370B (en) * | 2022-09-12 | 2024-01-21 | 致伸科技股份有限公司 | Wireless charging device |
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