US20200161882A1 - Charging device system - Google Patents

Abstract

A charging device may include a housing having a front portion and a rear portion coupled to the front portion, at least one support disposed within and coupled to the housing, an inductive charging mechanism disposed within and coupled to the housing, and at least one support that is disposed at an angle toward the inductive charging mechanism. The back surface of the front portion may contain an indentation, and the inductive charging mechanism may be disposed in the indentation. The housing may contain at least one opening to ventilate the housing. At least one support may be coupled to an interior surface of the housing. The charging device may include a means for providing power to the inductive charging mechanism and/or a means for coupling the housing to a surface.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD
• The present disclosure relates to charging devices.
BACKGROUND
• Technology is pervasive throughout society. Millions of people rely on the technology found in electronic devices for navigation, communication, and entertainment every day. These electronic devices require a power source but also need to be mobile, and as such, typically include a rechargeable battery. Charging the rechargeable battery of an electronic device typically includes either the use of a charging cord or an inductive charger connected to a source of electricity.
• Traditional inductive chargers include a flat surface containing an inductive charging device connected to a source of electricity. To use the inductive charger, the user must position the electronic device horizontally in contact with the flat surface of the inductive charger. Thus, when charging the electronic device using an inductive charging device, the user is limited in mobility and cannot readily use the electronic device for its intended purpose. Furthermore, if the user cannot find a flat surface to lay the electronic device on the inductive charging device, the user cannot charge the electronic device and risks completely running out of battery, which can result in the user being lost without navigation, communication, or entertainment in this technology dependent world.
SUMMARY
• In one implementation, the present disclosure is directed to a charging device including a housing configured to hold an electronic device. The housing may have a front portion and a rear portion coupled to the front portion. The charging device may further include an inductive charging mechanism configured to charge the electronic device in the housing, at least one opening in the front portion to ventilate the housing, and at least one support in the housing to place the electronic device in a proper charging position with respect to the inductive charging mechanism. In various arrangements, the front portion of the housing may contain an indentation to hold the inductive charging mechanism, the opening(s) may be through a base wall of the front portion, the support may be coupled to an interior surface of the front portion, and/or the rear portion may be removable from the front portion. In some implementations, the support may be triangular, rectangular, cylindrical, polygonal, or square in shape. The charging device may further include a means for providing power to the inductive charging mechanism, and/or a means of coupling the housing to a surface.
• In another implementation, the present disclosure is directed to a charging device including a housing having a front portion and a rear portion coupled to the front portion, at least one support disposed within and coupled to the housing, and an inductive charging mechanism disposed within and coupled to the housing. In some implementations, the support(s) is disposed at an angle toward the inductive charging mechanism. In various arrangements, the back surface of the front portion may contain an indentation, the inductive charging mechanism may be disposed in the indentation, the housing may contain at least one opening to ventilate the housing, the support(s) may be coupled to an interior surface of the housing, and/or the support(s) may be triangular, rectangular, cylindrical, polygonal, or square in shape. The charging device may further include a means for providing power to the inductive charging mechanism, and/or a means for coupling the housing to a surface.
• In yet another implementation, the present disclosure is directed to a charging device including a housing having a front portion, means for covering an exterior back surface of the front portion, means for holding an inductive charging mechanism in or on the exterior back surface, means for ventilating the housing, means for supporting an electronic device in a proper charging position within the housing, and means for inductively charging the device. The charging device may further include means for coupling the housing to a surface, and/or means for providing power to the inductive charging mechanism.
• The details of one or more implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the implementations will be apparent from the description and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• For a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its features, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
• FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a charging device system according to the present disclosure, with a housing of the charging device system shown holding an electronic device.
• FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the charging device system ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 illustrates an elevation view of a back surface of the front portion of the charging device ofFIG. 1, the back surface including an indentation.
• FIG. 4 illustrates an elevation view of the back surface ofFIG. 3, with the indentation shown holding an inductive charging mechanism.
• FIG. 5 illustrates a side cross-sectional view, taken along Section line5-5 ofFIG. 1, of the charging device holding an electronic device.
• FIG. 6 illustrates an environmental view of a charging device system holding an electronic device and coupled to a bed post surface.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a method for charging an electronic device.
• Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• FIG. 1-5 depict various views of acharging device system100 comprising ahousing200 and acharging mechanism400. Thecharging device system100 is designed to charge anelectronic device300, as shown inFIG. 1 andFIG. 5.
• FIG. 1 andFIG. 2 illustrate perspective views of thecharging device system100 with thehousing200 holding theelectronic charging device300. In one implementation, thehousing200 may comprise afront portion210 and arear portion220 coupled to saidfront portion210. In one implementation,rear portion220 may be detachable or removeable fromfront portion210. In another implementation,rear portion220 may be permanently affixed tofront portion210. In another implementation,rear portion220 may be de-coupled and re-coupled tofront portion210. In various implementations,rear portion220 may be coupled tofront portion210 using adhesion, chemical bonding, magnetism, rubber bands, Velcro, a ball and joint socket, and, or mechanical means such as a nail, hook, or bracket, or any other suitable means of coupling.Housing200 may be made of any material, including but not limited to, plastic, wood, metal, clay, glass, fabric, or any other suitable material.
• Thefront portion210 may include afront wall212, afirst side wall214, asecond side wall216, aback wall218, and abase wall219, which may be interconnected. In one implementation, thefront wall212 is coupled to afirst side wall214 and asecond side wall216 along opposite edges in a parallel manner; and theback wall218 is coupled to thefirst side wall214 and thesecond side wall216 along opposite edges in a parallel manner, thereby forming a rectangle with a hollow interior. In one implementation,base219 couples to the bottom of the rectangle to each of thefront wall212, thefirst side wall214, thesecond side wall216, and theback wall218 to close the bottom of the hollow interior of rectangle. In one implementation,front wall212 may include frontwall interior surface212aand front wallexterior surface212b. In one implementation,first side wall214 may include first sidewall interior surface214aand first sidewall exterior surface214b. In one implementation,second side wall216 may include second sidewall interior surface216aand second sidewall exterior surface216b. In one implementation,back wall218 may include backwall interior surface218aand back wallexterior surface218b. In one implementation,back wall218 may be solid or it may contain openings.Back wall218 may be of any thickness. In one implementation,front portion210 may include more or less than afirst side wall214 and asecond side wall216, or no side walls at all. In another implementation, thefront portion210 may not contain afront wall212, or aback wall218. In another implementation,front portion210 may not include abase wall219. In one implementation,rear portion220 is coupled to the back wallexterior surface218bofback wall218. In various implementations, thefront portion210 may be rectangular, cylindrical, triangular, square, polygonal, or any other shape.
• In one implementation,front wall212 may containcutout section213. In yet another implementation,front wall212 may not contain acutout section213.Cutout section213 may be curved, rectangular, straight, or any other shape.Cutout section213 may be a design etched on, through, or partially through thefront wall212. In operation,cutout section213 may allow a user to view a portion of theelectronic device300 when placed in thehousing200. In operation,cutout section213 may provide additional ventilation tohousing200. In operation,cutout section213 may also be used for identification and personalization.
• In one implementation, thehousing200 contains one ormore ventilation openings230.Ventilation openings230 may be rectangular, square, circular, or any other shape.Ventilation openings230 may be on any surface of thehousing200, and in one implementation,ventilation openings230 may be formed in a side wall, such assecond side wall216. In one implementation,ventilation openings230 may include afirst vent232, asecond vent234, and a plurality of base vents236.Ventilation openings230 may include all or none of thefirst vent232, thesecond vent234, and the base vents236.Ventilation openings230 may be of any shape or size. In one implementation, the base vents236 are horizontal openings in thebase wall219 that extend from thefront wall212 to theback wall218, spaced equidistantly from thefirst side wall214 to thesecond side wall216. In one implementation,ventilation openings230 extend through thehousing200. In another implementation,ventilation openings230 may protrude inward or outward from thesecond side wall216, thefirst side wall214, and/or thebase wall219. In yet another implementation,ventilation openings230 may not protrude and may instead be flush with thesecond side wall216, thefirst side wall214, and/or thebase wall219.Ventilation openings230 may also be the absence of material or the presence of a different material such as a porous substance. In operation,ventilation openings230 may be used to allow heat to escape thehousing200.
• In one implementation,housing200 includesinterior supports240 on either end ofbase wall219 in the bottom ofhousing200. In one implementation, interior supports240 includefirst support242 andsecond support244 on one end ofbase wall219 nearestfirst side wall214, andthird support246 andfourth support248 on the opposite end ofbase wall219 nearestsecond side wall216. Interior supports240 may be triangular, rectangular, cylindrical, polygonal, square or any other shape. Interior supports240 may include only one or multiple supports. In one implementation,first support242 may be adjacent tosecond support244, andthird support246 may be adjacent tofourth support248. In one implementation,first support242 may be adjacent to first side wallinterior surface214a, front wallinterior surface212a, andbase wall219. In one implementation,second support244 may be adjacent to first side wallinterior surface214a, back wallinterior surface218a, andbase wall219. In one implementation,first support242 andsecond support244 may be adjacent such that together, they form a substantially “V” shape. In one implementation,third support246 may be adjacent to second side wallinterior surface216a, front wallinterior surface212a, andbase wall219. In one implementation,fourth support248 may be adjacent to second side wallinterior surface216a, back wallinterior surface218a, andbase wall219. In one implementation,third support246 andfourth support248 may be adjacent such that together, they form a substantially “V” shape. In one implementation,first support242,second support244,third support246, andfourth support248 are triangles, and thefirst support242 andsecond support244 are in different orientations. In one implementation, thethird support246 and thefourth support248 are in different orientations. In one implementation,first support242 andsecond support244 are triangles adjacent to first side wallinterior surface214asuch that the shortest side of each triangularfirst support242 andsecond support244 are adjacent. In another implementation, interior supports240 are coupled to an interior surface ofhousing200. In one implementation, interior supports240 are extruded or molded portions offront wall212,first side wall214,second side wall216, orback wall218. In one implementation, as a replacement forfirst support242 andsecond support244, asingle support240 is provided which may be triangular in shape and extend acrossback wall218, and upward frombase wall219. In one implementation, interior supports240 may be the same size and shape. In another implementation, interior supports240 may be of a different size and shape. In one implementation, interior supports240 are configured to dispose anelectronic device300 at an angle toward back wallinterior surface218a. In operation, interior supports240 may be used to properly orient anelectronic device300 for charging. In one implementation,electronic device300 may or may not be present, andelectronic device300 may be positioned inhousing200 in any orientation. In operation, chargingdevice system100 may be used to charge any electronic device that has a rechargeable battery and that fits withinhousing200.
• FIG. 3 andFIG. 4 illustrate elevation views of the backwall exterior surface218bof thefront portion210 of thehousing200. The backwall exterior surface218bmay include anindentation250 configured to house chargingmechanism400. Referring now toFIG. 3, in one implementation, theindentation250 includes adisc portion252, aboard portion254, and apower cord portion256. Theindentation250 may be pressed, carved, extruded, molded, or otherwise formed into the depth of theback wall218 of thefront portion210 of thehousing200. In one implementation, theindentation250 has a depth less than the thickness ofback wall218; in other implementations, the depth ofindentation250 is equal to or greater than the thickness ofback wall218. In one implementation, theindentation250 includes all, one, some, or none of thedisc portion252,board portion254, andpower cord portion256. In one implementation,power cord portion256 includes an opening to the external atmosphere.FIG. 3 further illustrates base vents236, as in one implementation, extending throughback wall218 and exposing the inside of thehousing200 to the atmosphere. In one implementation,indentation250 does not recess intoback wall218, but protrudes outward from, or is flush with,back wall218.
• Referring now toFIG. 4, in one implementation,indentation250 is shaped tohouse charging mechanism400.Charging mechanism400 may be any kind of charging mechanism that may be used to charge an electronic device. In one implementation, thecharging mechanism400 is an inductive charger, such as a Qi charger. A Qi charger is a standard inductive charger established by the Wireless Power Consortium. In one implementation, thecharging mechanism400 may be connected to a power source usingpower cord402. The power source may be an electrical outlet, a battery, a chemical means of power, or any other kind of power source. In one implementation,power cord portion256 ofindentation250 includes anopening258 to the external atmosphere such thatpower cord402 may connect to thecharging mechanism400.Power cord402 may be a micro USB cord, a USB cord, HDMI cord, or any other power cord that can be used to provide power to a charging device. In one implementation,indentation250 is the shape of a Qi charger and thecharging mechanism400 is a Qi charger such that thecharging mechanism400 fits withinindentation250 and is flush or recessed to the backwall exterior surface218b.
• FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of thecharging device system100 when charging anelectronics device300, the cross-sectional view taken along Section line5-5 ofFIG. 1.FIG. 5 illustrates how, in one implementation, interior supports240 function to holdelectronic device300 in a proper charging position with respect to chargingmechanism400. In one implementation,first support242 andsecond support244 contactelectronic device300 such thatelectronic device300 is angled slightly backward toward back wallinterior surface218aand closer to chargingmechanism400 at the top of thehousing200 than the bottom, when the bottom of thehousing200 isbase wall219. In one implementation, interior supports240 are disposed at an angle toward chargingmechanism400. In other implementations, interior supports240 may be in a different orientation, andfirst support242 orsecond support244 may both, one, or neither physically contactelectronic device300. In one implementation, as a replacement forfirst support242 andsecond support244, asingle support240 is provided which may be triangular in shape, extend across back wallinterior surface218a, and extend upward frombase wall219 to the top ofback wall218. In one implementation, interior supports240 may contain additional charging mechanisms, or magnetic material suspending the device in the proper position. In operation, chargingdevice system100 may be used to charge an electronic device, such aselectronic device300. In operation, interior supports240 properly position theelectronic device300 with respect to thecharging device400 to ensure charging regardless of the orientation of theelectronic device300 inhousing200.
• FIG. 6 illustrates an environmental view showing how the chargingdevice system100 may be used to charge anelectronic device300 while coupling thehousing200 to asurface500. In one implementation,surface500 may be the vertical post of a bunk bed, as shown inFIG. 6, butsurface500 may be any surface, andsurface500 may be in any orientation, vertical, horizontal, or otherwise.Housing200 may be coupled tosurface500 in any manner. In one implementation,housing200 may be coupled tosurface500 using adhesion, chemical bonding, rubber bands, Velcro, a ball and joint socket, or mechanical means such as a nail, hook, or bracket, or any other suitable means of coupling.Housing200 may be coupled tosurface500 in any orientation, andhousing200 may be coupled tosurface500 with or withoutelectronic device300.
• FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of amethod700 for charging an electronic device. In one implementation,method700 includes the steps702-708. Step702 comprises placing an inductive charging mechanism in a housing. Instep702, the inductive charging mechanism may be a Qi charger or any other inductive charging mechanism. Instep702, the inductive charging mechanism may be placed in any housing, which can include, but is not limited to, thehousing200 depicted inFIGS. 1-2 of the present application. Step704 comprises connecting the inductive charging mechanism to a power source. Instep704, the inductive charging mechanism may be connected to the power source using a power cord, which can include, but is not limited to,power cord402 depicted inFIG. 4 of the present application. Instep704, the power source may be an electrical outlet, a battery, a chemical means of power, or any other kind of power source. Step706 comprises placing an electronic device in the housing on at least one support. Instep706, the electronic device may be any electronic device that is capable of being charged, and the at least one support may be anything in or on the housing that provides support, which can include, but is not limited to, the interior supports240 disclosed in the present application. Step708 comprises charging the electronic device with the inductive charging mechanism.Method700 may be repeated to achieve the desired level of charging by returning to step702 after completing steps702-708.Method700 may include all or only some ofsteps702,704,706, and708. In one implementation,method700 may include more steps than those disclosed in the present application.
• It is to be understood the implementations are not limited to particular systems or processes described which may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only, and is not intended to be limiting. As used in this specification, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly indicates otherwise. As another example, “coupling” includes direct and/or indirect coupling of members.
• Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular implementations of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding implementations described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

Claims (20)

1. A charging device, comprising:

a housing configured to hold an electronic device, said housing having a front portion and a rear portion coupled to said front portion; and

an inductive charging mechanism configured to charge said electronic device in said housing;

wherein said front portion includes at least one opening configured to ventilate said housing; and

wherein said housing contains at least one support configured to place said electronic device in a proper charging position with respect to said inductive charging mechanism.

2. The charging device ofclaim 1, wherein said front portion contains an indentation configured to hold said inductive charging mechanism.

3. The charging device ofclaim 1, wherein said at least one opening is through a base wall of said front portion.

4. The charging device ofclaim 1, wherein said support is coupled to an interior surface of said front portion.

5. The charging device ofclaim 1, wherein said rear portion is removable from said front portion.

6. The charging device ofclaim 1, wherein said at least one support is triangular, rectangular, cylindrical, polygonal, or square in shape.

7. The charging device ofclaim 1, further comprising:

means for providing power to said inductive charging mechanism.

8. The charging device ofclaim 1, further comprising:

a means of coupling said housing to a surface.

9. A charging device, comprising:

a housing, having a front portion and a rear portion coupled to said front portion;

at least one support disposed within and coupled to said housing; and

an inductive charging mechanism disposed within and coupled to said housing;

wherein said at least one support is disposed at an angle toward said inductive charging mechanism.

10. The charging device ofclaim 9, wherein a back surface of said front portion contains an indentation.

11. The charging device ofclaim 10, wherein said inductive charging mechanism is disposed in said indentation.

12. The charging device ofclaim 9, wherein said housing contains at least one opening configured to ventilate said housing.

13. The charging device ofclaim 9, wherein said at least one support is coupled to an interior surface of said housing.

14. The charging device ofclaim 9, wherein said at least one support is triangular, rectangular, cylindrical, polygonal, or square in shape.

15. The charging device ofclaim 9, further comprising:

means for providing power to said inductive charging mechanism.

16. The charging device ofclaim 9, further comprising:

a means for coupling said housing to a surface.

17. The charging device ofclaim 9, wherein the rear portion is removable from said front portion.

18. A charging device, comprising:

a housing, having a front portion;

means for covering an exterior back surface of said front portion;

means for holding an inductive charging mechanism in or on said exterior back surface;

means for ventilating said housing;

means for supporting an electronic device in a proper charging position within said housing; and

means for inductively charging said device.

19. The charging device ofclaim 18, further comprising:

means for coupling said housing to a surface.

20. The charging device ofclaim 18, further comprising:

means for providing power to said inductive charging mechanism.

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