WO2010116053A2

WO2010116053A2 - Compact electric charger, in particular for a mobile telephone

Info

Publication number: WO2010116053A2
Application number: PCT/FR2010/000260
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cyril Castello; Charbel Makhlouf
Original assignee: Mayamax
Priority date: 2009-04-10
Filing date: 2010-03-26
Publication date: 2010-10-14
Also published as: EP2417688A2; WO2010116053A3; FR2944390B1; FR2944390A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a compact electric charger (60) comprising a plug block (10), a voltage converter arranged in the plug block, a manually controlled switch for activating the voltage converter, a timer system configured to deactivate the voltage converter at the end of a charging period, an electric cable and an end connector (50) for supplying continuous voltage to a rechargeable device. According to the invention, the charger (60) comprises an offset housing (30) separate from the plug block (10). The manually controlled switch is arranged in the offset housing (30) and the electric cable comprises a first section of cable (20) connecting the plug block (10) to the offset housing (30) and a shorter second section of cable (40) connecting the offset housing (30) to the end connector (50), such that the offset housing is located close to the end connector.

Description

COMPACT ELECTRIC CHARGER, IN PARTICULAR FOR TELEPHONE

PORTABLE

The present invention relates to a compact electric charger for rechargeable device, especially for mobile phone.

The present invention more particularly relates to a compact electric charger comprising a socket block comprising conductive plugs for receiving an alternating voltage, a voltage converter arranged in the socket block, for converting the AC voltage into a DC voltage, an electric cable and a connector. end to bring the DC voltage to a rechargeable device.

Compact electric chargers of the aforementioned type are widely used, and are for example used to charge mobile phones and other portable rechargeable electronic objects such as PDA (Personal Data Assistants), digital audio players, handheld consoles. video games, etc.

Mobile phone users often leave the charger of their phone plugged into their electrical outlet after the phone has been recharged, or even after the phone has been disconnected from the charger. This occurs, for example, when the charger is plugged into an electrical outlet located in a hard-to-reach location, behind a piece of furniture or under a table, or simply in a low wall outlet that requires a stoop to reach it. Some users even have multiple chargers they leave permanently connected in different locations ,, their office, home, etc. ,, so as to always have a ready hand IA charger to ¹ employment- At the end of the charge cycle or when the phone is no longer connected to the charger, the residual current consumption of a charger is very low but represents, on a collective scale, a waste of considerable electrical energy.

To overcome this drawback, it has already been proposed so-called "green" chargers including a timer system configured to automatically disable the charger at the end of a charging period of predetermined duration. The patent application GB 2,448,330 describes such a charger in connection with its figures 1 to 3. The charger comprises a manually operated switch (5) mounted on the socket block (1), to activate the charger, and a system to timer (8, 9) to deactivate it automatically at the end of a charging period.

A "green" charger has also been proposed by the company Nokia® under the name "Zero Waste Charger" (source: www.pocketpicks.com.uk: "Nokia eco-charger clocks"). This charger is equipped with a small green button and works in the manner of a circuit breaker. When the phone is charged, the charger "trips" automatically and the green button is pushed out of the "pops up" block so that the user can reset the charger by pressing this button. Despite the advantage of providing a switch to activate the charger and a timer to disable it automatically, it appears that this development is of little interest to users. Ergonomics studies show that the addition of a manually operated switch in the block requires the user to do what he did not do before, namely to manipulate the block taken to actuate the switch and activate the switch. loader, which is: binding when the block taken is difficult to access. To do this, the user could as well plug or unplug the socket block.

It may thus be desired to provide a compact charger which has an activation switch and a deactivation timer while being easier to use.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a compact electric charger comprising a plug-in unit comprising conductive plugs for receiving an alternating voltage, a voltage converter arranged in the socket block, for converting the AC voltage into a DC voltage, a power switch. manual control to activate the voltage converter, a timer system configured to turn off the voltage converter after a charging period, an electrical cable and an end connector, to bring the DC voltage to a rechargeable device. The charger also includes a remote box separate from the socket block. The manually operated switch is arranged in the remote housing and the power cable includes a first cable section connecting the socket block to the remote housing, and a second cable section connecting the remote housing to the end connector. In one embodiment, the first cable section includes at least a first pair of wires for carrying AC voltage to the manually operated switch, and at least a second pair of wires for carrying DC voltage, and the second cable section comprises at least one pair of wires for carrying the DC voltage.

In one embodiment, the second cable section has a shorter length than the first cable section, so that the remote housing is near the end connector. In one embodiment, the connector is integral with the remote box.

In one embodiment, the manual switch is a fugitive switch and is configured to provide the AC voltage to the voltage converter when in the closed state.

In one embodiment, the timer system comprises a static relay having a closed state where the relay provides the AC voltage to the voltage converter, and an open state where the relay does not provide the AC voltage to the voltage converter, the relay being configured to switch to the closed state when it receives a control voltage and switch to the open state when it does not receive the control voltage, and a timer configured to apply to the relay as a control voltage , the DC voltage supplied by the voltage converter, and no longer supply DC voltage to the relay at the end of said charging period. In one embodiment, the timer is a microcontroller comprising a port controlling the supply of DC voltage to the relay.

In one embodiment, the remote housing further comprises at least one LED configured to illuminate when the converter receives the AC voltage.

An exemplary embodiment of a charger according to the invention will be described in more detail in the following, without limitation and in connection with the attached figures, in which: FIGS. 1A, 1B are top views and in perspective of FIG. an embodiment of a charger according to the invention. FIG. 2 shows in more detail a remote housing present in the charger shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and

- Figure 3 is an electrical diagram of an embodiment of a charger according to the invention.

An exemplary embodiment of a charger 60 according to the invention is shown in Figures IA, IB. The charger 60 comprises a socket block 10, a first electrical cable section 20, a remote housing 30 separate from the socket block 10 and connected thereto by the first cable section 20, a second electrical cable section 40 and a connector. terminal 50 connected to the remote housing 30 by the second section of _; cable 40.

The socket block 10 comprises conductive plugs 11, 12 intended to be engaged in an electrical socket for receiving the alternating voltage of an electrical network. The end connector 50 here comprises two conductive contacts 51, 52, for example coaxial cylindrical contacts, intended to be engaged in a rechargeable device such as a mobile phone. An adapter may be provided to allow the connector 50 to cooperate with different types of rechargeable devices.

The remote housing 30 comprises a push button 31 with springback, to actuate a manually operated switch described below, arranged inside the housing 30 and not visible in Figures IA, IB and 2.

The charger is used as follows: the user plugs the socket 10 into a power socket, then presses the push button 31 of the remote box 30 to activate the charger 60. The charger then receives the AC voltage of the network and remains active during a charge period determined, for example 3 hours, during which the connector end ¹ 50 provides a DC voltage. When the charging period is When it is finished, the charger switches off automatically, no longer receives the AC voltage from the mains and no longer consumes any current.

In one embodiment of the invention, the cable section 40 is shorter than the cable section 20, and the remote housing 30 is near the end connector 50. Thus, the user can activate the charger easily and at will by exerting pressure on the push button 31, without having to manipulate the socket block 10.

Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the charger 60. The jack block 10 includes a VCV voltage converter and a timer system TS. The timer system TS includes a solid state relay SSR ("Solid State Relay") of the normally open type, a static switch PSW and a microcontroller MC.

The relay SSR is for example a relay marketed under the reference CPC1963G. The static switch PSW is for example an NMOS transistor. The microcontroller MC is for example an 8-bit microcontroller Flash memory marketed by Microchip Technology® under the reference PIC10F200T. The voltage converter VCV is for example a converter marketed under the reference "iW1690 Low-Power Digital Off-line PWM Controller" by the company iWatt®.

The SSR relay has two terminals T1, T2, two control inputs C1, C2. The microcontroller MC has power terminals Vin, GND, a port Pl and a port P2. The VCV converter has inputs IN1, IN2 and outputs OUT1, OUT2. The input IN1 is connected to the terminal T1 of the relay SSR, whose terminal T2 is connected to the conductive plug 11 of the socket block. The input IN2 of the VCV converter is connected to the conductive plug 12 of the socket block. When the plugs 11, 12 are engaged in an electrical socket, the plug 11 provides an AC phase voltage Vac and the plug 12 supplies an alternating voltage of neutral VO, or vice versa, in the direction of insertion of the block 10 taken in the electric plug. When the voltages V0, V0 are applied to the inputs IN1, IN2 of the converter VCV, the latter supplies a direct voltage Vcc on its output OUT1, while its output OUT2 provides a ground potential GND.

The DC voltage Vcc is used as the power supply voltage of the timer system TS and is thus applied to the input Vin of the microcontroller MC. The DC voltage Vcc is also used as the control voltage of the solid state relay SSR and is applied to the control input C1 of the latter via a high-bias resistor ri (pull-up resistor). . Furthermore, the C2 input of the relay SSR is connected to ground via the switch PSW, here via the source and drain terminals of the NMOS transistor. The control terminal of the switch PSW, here the gate of the NMOS transistor, is connected to the port P1 of the microcontroller MC. The port P1 is biased high by a resistor r2 (pull-up resistor), a terminal receives the voltage Vcc.

The first electric cable section 20 here comprises four wires W1, W2, W3, W4 and optionally at least one fifth wire W5. The second section of electrical cable 40 includes the wires W3, W4. The wire W3 connects the contact 51 of the end connector 50 to the output OUT1 ^" of the voltage converter VCV, and thus conveys the voltage Vcc The wire W4 connects the contact 52 of the connector 50 to the output OUT2 of the voltage converter VCV ₁ , and carries the mass potential (GND), The remote housing 30 includes a manually operated switch MSW, actuated by the push button 31 previously described. The switch MSW has a first terminal connected to the terminal T1 of the relay SSR via the wire W1 and a second terminal connected to the terminal T2 of the relay SSR via the wire W2.

The remote housing 30 may optionally include one or more LEDs arranged behind colored transparent areas 32 of the push-button 31 (see Fig. 2). In the embodiment shown, the housing 30 comprises a LED DL1 luminescence diode whose anode receives the voltage Vcc provided by the wire W3 and whose cathode is connected to the port P2 of the microcontroller MC via the wire W5 . The charger 60 operates as follows. Since the solid state relay SSR is of the normally open type, the terminals T1, T2 are not electrically connected in the absence of a control voltage Vcc between the control inputs C1, C2. Thus, when the socket block 10 is inserted into an electrical outlet, the voltage converter VCV is not connected to the plug 11 and the input IN1 does not receive the phase voltage Vac or the neutral voltage VO. The VCV converter therefore does not provide the voltage Vcc. The SSR relay remains in the open state, the timer system TS is not activated and the charger remains fully disabled.

When the user manually and momentarily closes one switch ^'MSW by exerting pressure on the push button 31, the input converter INL receives the phase voltage Vac or the neutral voltage VO via the switch MSW , while the input IN2 receives the neutral voltage VO or the phase voltage Vac. The VCV converter then supplies the DC voltage Vcc The microcontroller MC is activated, sets the port P1 to 1 (voltage Vcc) and starts a loop of count that has been programmed in its program memory, for example a flash memory included in the microcontroller (not shown in Figure 3).

At the same time, the change to 1 of the port P1 puts the switch PSW in the on state. The control terminal C1 of the relay SSR receives the voltage Vcc while the control terminal C2 is connected to ground by the switch PSW. The SSR relay thus switches to the closed state so that the terminals T1 and T2 are electrically connected. Optionally, the microcontroller MC puts the port P2 at 0 (ground), the diode DL1 is energized and illuminated.

When the user releases the push button 31, the switch MSW returns to the open state but the relay SSR remains in the closed state (terminals T1, T2 electrically connected) because the voltage Vcc is present, so that the converter VCV voltage continues to receive the phase voltage Vac or neutral VO and continues to supply the voltage Vcc. Thus, after being activated by means of the MSW switch, the charger is in a stable state regardless of the open or closed state of the MSW switch.

The counting loop of the microcontroller is for example designed to last 3 hours, corresponding to the average charging time of a mobile phone. When this counting loop is completed, the microcontroller sets the port P1 to 0 (mass). The static switch PSW then stops driving, the control input C2 is then in the high impedance state. The voltage Vcc is still present on the control input Cl but no longer acts on the SSR relay because the input C2 is disconnected from the mass. The relay SSR therefore switches to the open state., The converter VCV stops receiving the phase voltage Vac or the neutral voltage VO and no longer supplies the DC voltage Vcc ~ The charger returns therefore in the disabled state, until the user presses the MSW switch again.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the charger which has just been described is capable of various alternative embodiments, in particular as regards the arrangement of its constituent means or the choice of components used to achieve these means. . In particular, the microcontroller MC could be replaced by a wired logic timer. Also, depending on the model of the voltage converter used, the deactivation of the voltage converter could be obtained differently, for example by means of a deactivation signal applied directly to the voltage converter by the timer. A voltage converter including a microcontroller or a timer could also be provided. Also, the timer system TS could be arranged in the remote housing 30. In a variant, the end connector 50 is mounted directly in the remote housing 30, which implies the removal of the second cable section 40, at any other time. the less its apparent part. In yet another variant, a setting means such as a multi-position switch is provided in the remote housing 30 or in the socket block 10, to allow the user to adjust the charging time or to choose between several times preprogrammed charge.

Claims

A compact electric charger (60) comprising:

a socket block (10) comprising conductive plugs (11, 12) for receiving an alternating voltage (Vac, VO),

a voltage converter (VCV) arranged in the socket block, for transforming the AC voltage (Vac, VO) into a DC voltage (Vcc),

- a manually operated switch (MSW) to activate the voltage converter (VCV),

a timer system (TS) configured to turn off the voltage converter (VCV) after a charging period, and an electrical cable (20, 40) and an end connector (50), for supplying the voltage continues to a rechargeable device, characterized in that it comprises a remote housing (30) separate from the socket block (10), and in that:

the manually operated switch (MSW) is arranged in the remote housing (30), and

the electrical cable comprises a first cable section (20) connecting the socket block (10) to the remote housing

(30), and a second cable section (40) connecting the remote housing (30) to the end connector (50).

2. The charger of claim 1, wherein: - the first cable section (20) comprises at least a first pair of son (Wl, W2) for carrying the alternating voltage (Vac, VO) to the switch to manual control (MSW), and at least a second pair of wires

(W3, W4) for conveying the DC voltage (Vcc, GND), and the second cable section (40) comprises at least one pair of wires (W3, W4) for conveying the DC voltage.

3. Charger according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the second cable section has a length less than that of the first cable section, so that the remote housing is close to the end connector.

4. Charger according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the connector is integral with the remote housing.

The charger according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the manually operated switch is a fugitive switch and is configured to supply the AC voltage (Vac, VO) to the voltage converter (VCV) when is in the closed state.

The charger of claim 5, wherein the timer system (TS) comprises:

a static relay (SSR) having a closed state where the relay supplies the AC voltage (Vac, VO) to the voltage converter (VCV), and an open state where the relay does not supply the AC voltage to the voltage converter; relay being configured to switch to the closed state when it receives a control voltage (Vcc) and switch to the open state when it does not receive the control voltage,

- a timer (MC) configured to apply to the relay, as control voltage, the DC voltage

(Vcc) provided by the voltage converter, and no longer supply the DC voltage (Vcc) to the relay at the end of said charging period.

The charger of claim 6, wherein the timer is a microcontroller (MC) comprising a port controlling the supply of DC voltage (Vcc) to the relay (SSR).

8. The charger according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the "remote" housing (30) further comprises at least one LED configured to illuminate when the converter (VCV) receives the alternating voltage (Vac, VO) .