Computing device inductive charging cases and methods of use

• US 10,063,088 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William J. Warren
• Original Assignee: William J. Warren
• Inventors: Warren, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/433,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

Electrical inductive charging device chassis and cases are provided herein. An example charging case includes a device receiving tray, a sliding tray having a charging interface and an inductive charging base, a stabilizer tray, and a gear having teeth that cooperate with a grooved track of the sliding tray such that when the gear is rotated, the teeth of the gear translate the sliding tray backwards and forwards to retract and extend the sliding tray and charging interface. Another example charging case includes a device receiving tray that protectingly surrounds a computing device, an inductive charging base, a charging interface selectively extendable from the charging case, and an extendable stabilizer that is translatable between a stored configuration and a deployed configuration.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus for a computing device, the charging apparatus comprising:

a device receiving tray disposed above a sliding tray, the device receiving tray for receiving and retaining a computing device;

the sliding tray comprising;

a charging interface that receives power from a power source;

an inductive charging base having a primary coil that generates a magnetic field, the inductive charging base coupled to the charging interface; and

a grooved track;

a stabilizer tray that is disposed underneath the sliding tray, the stabilizer tray also in sliding relationship with the sliding tray, the stabilizer tray further comprising a stabilizer; and

a gear having teeth that cooperate with the grooved track such that when the gear is rotated, the teeth of the gear translate the sliding tray backwards and forwards to retract and extend the sliding tray and the charging interface.

2. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a means for coupling the primary coil of the inductive charging base to a secondary coil of the computing device.

3. The charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the magnetic field generates current within the secondary coil, the current being converted to direct current (DC) to charge a battery of the computing device.

4. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizer is a plate that is hingedly associated with a stabilizer bar of the stabilizer tray.

5. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizer is a plate that can selectively slide along a stabilizer bar between a locked position and an unlocked position.

6. The charging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the stabilizer comprises a peg on an edge of the plate that engages with an aperture in a sidewall of the stabilizer tray to lock the plate in an extended configuration when the plate is slid into the locked position.

7. The charging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the stabilizer tray is hingedly coupled with the sliding tray.

8. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gear extends through and below an underside of the stabilizer tray.

9. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein rotation of the gear in a first direction causes the sliding tray to translate forwardly to extend the charging interface into a deployed position.

10. The charging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein rotation of the gear in a second direction causes the sliding tray to translate backwardly to retract the charging interface into a stored position.

11. The charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the charging interface comprises electrical prongs or a universal serial bus (USB) connector.

12. A charging case for a computing device, comprising:

a device receiving tray that protectingly surrounds a computing device in such a way that a touchscreen display or a keyboard is at least partially exposed to allow a user to utilize the touchscreen display or the keyboard;

an inductive charging base having a primary coil that generates a magnetic field, the inductive charging base being disposed within a middle compartment of the charging case, the middle compartment being disposed behind or below the device receiving tray;

a charging interface selectively extendable from the charging case, the charging interface being coupled to the inductive charging base; and

an extendable stabilizer disposed within a rearward compartment behind the middle compartment, the extendable stabilizer translatable between a stored configuration and a deployed configuration.

13. The charging case according to claim 12, further comprising a means for coupling the primary coil of the inductive charging base to a secondary coil of the computing device.

14. The charging case according to claim 13, wherein the magnetic field generates current within the secondary coil, the current being converted to direct current (DC) to charge a battery of the computing device.

15. The charging case according to claim 12, wherein the extendable stabilizer supports both the charging case and the computing device against a vertical surface when the charging interface is plugged into a charging port.

16. The charging case according to claim 12, wherein the charging interface slidingly translates between a deployed position and a stored position.

17. The charging case according to claim 12, wherein a divider that joins the middle compartment and the rearward compartment that houses the extendable stabilizer is notched to allow for a finger of the user when the finger is used to translate the charging interface and the extendable stabilizer.

18. The charging case according to claim 17, wherein the extendable stabilizer and the middle compartment are joined together by a linkage tab that can be pushed or pulled by the user.

19. The charging case according to claim 12, wherein the charging interface comprises any of electrical prongs and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

20. A case for a computing device, comprising:

a charging case that protectingly surrounds a computing device;

a first compartment coupled to a rearward portion of the charging case;

an inductive charging base having a primary coil that generates a magnetic field, the inductive charging base being within the first compartment;

a charging interface extendable from the charging case, the charging interface disposed within the first compartment and coupled to the inductive charging base;

a second compartment coupled to a rearward portion of the first compartment; and

a stabilizer that is extendable from the second compartment.

21. The case according to claim 20, further comprising a means for coupling the primary coil of the inductive charging base to a secondary coil of the computing device.

22. The case according to claim 21, wherein the magnetic field generates current within the secondary coil, the current being converted to direct current (DC) to charge a battery of the computing device.

23. The case according to claim 20, wherein the stabilizer slidingly translates between a deployed position and a stored position, and the stabilizer and the charging interface are coupled together is such a way that translation of the stabilizer causes a corresponding translation of the charging interface.

24. The case according to claim 23, further comprising a finger tab that extends from a connector bar that joins the stabilizer and the charging interface.

25. The case according to claim 20, further comprising one or more additional charging interfaces, wherein the charging interface comprises electrical prongs and the one or more additional charging interfaces comprise at least one or more of a vertically oriented USB interface and a horizontally oriented USB interface.