In line manually actuated battery charger for tactical radio

• US 10,270,281 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Combat Power Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Combat Power Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Priest, Edward Johnson, Cline, Samuel Dwight
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Viet P
• Application Number:
  US16/037,995
• Time in Patent Office: 280 Days
• Field of Search: 290 1 R, 290 4 C, 3405731, 307 68, 320114
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/12 Stationary parts of the magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 21/12 with stationary armatures and rotating magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1861 driven by animals or vehicles H02K7/1853 takes precedence

Abstract

According to aspect, the subject matter described herein includes an in line manually actuated charging device for a tactical radio. The charging device includes a housing enclosing the charger for charging a battery of the tactical radio. A manual actuator is coupled to the housing for actuating the charger to charge the battery. A first mechanical connector is located on a first surface of the housing for detachably connecting to a battery connector of the tactical radio. The second mechanical connector is located on a second surface of the housing opposite a first surface for detachably connecting to the battery of the tactical radio. The first and second mechanical connectors are configured such that the housing fits in line between the tactical radio and the battery during use of the tactical radio.

Claims

1. An in line manually actuated charging device for charging a battery of a tactical radio, the charging device comprising:

a housing enclosing a charger for charging a battery of a tactical radio;

a manual actuator coupled to the housing for actuating the charger to charge the battery of the tactical radio;

a first mechanical connector located on a first surface of the housing for connecting the first surface of the housing to a battery connector of the tactical radio; and

a second mechanical connector located on a second surface of the housing opposite the first surface for detachably connecting to the battery of the tactical radio, wherein the first and second mechanical connectors are configured such that the housing fits in line between the tactical radio and the battery.

2. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 1 wherein the housing has a form factor that conforms to form factors of the tactical radio and the battery.

3. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 1 wherein the first and second mechanical connectors each comprise twist lock connectors.

4. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 1 wherein the charger comprises a linear charger including an armature, stator laminations, and coils, and rotation of the manual actuator moves the armature linearly with respect to the stator laminations and coils to generate a current.

5. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 4 comprising at least one gear assembly, a scotch yoke, and a yoke block, wherein the at least one gear assembly is rotationally coupled to the manual actuator, the scotch yoke is rotationally coupled to the at least one gear assembly, and the yoke block is mounted on the scotch yoke at a radial offset from an axis of rotation of the gear assembly such that rotation of the manual actuator rotates the at least one gear assembly, which causes the scotch yoke to rotate the yoke block in a circular path.

6. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 5 wherein the armature includes a yoke block channel in which the yoke block moves linearly in a first direction causing linear movement of the armature in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

7. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 5 wherein the at least one gear assembly is configured to produce producing N rotations of the scotch yoke for every M rotations of the manually actuated, wherein N and M are integers and N is greater than M.

8. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 5 wherein the at least one gear assembly comprises a planetary gear assembly.

9. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 5 wherein the at least one gear assembly comprises a spur gear assembly.

10. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 4 wherein the current comprises an alternating current and further comprising at least one rectifier for rectifying the alternating current to create a direct current suitable for charging the battery.

11. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 1 wherein the charger comprises a rotary charger including a magnetic armature cup, alternator coils, and stator laminations, and rotation of the manually actuator rotates the magnetic armature cup with respect to the alternator coils and stator laminations to generate a current.

12. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 11 comprising at least one gear assembly rotationally coupled to the manual actuator and to the magnetic armature cup for producing N rotations of the magnetic armature cup for every M rotations of the manual actuator, wherein N and M are integers and N is greater than M.

13. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 12 wherein the at least one gear assembly comprises a planetary gear assembly.

14. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 12 wherein the at least one gear assembly comprises a spur gear assembly.

15. An in line manually actuated charging device for charging a battery of a tactical radio, the charging device comprising:

a housing enclosing a charger for charging a battery of a tactical radio;

a manual actuator coupled to the housing for actuating the charger to charge the battery of the tactical radio;

a first mechanical connector located on a first surface of the housing for detachably connecting the first surface of the housing to a battery connector of the tactical radio, wherein housing enclosing the charger rotates from a first position in which the first mechanical connector connects with a corresponding mechanical connector on the tactical radio to rotationally lock the housing enclosing the charger to the tactical radio and to a second position for disengaging the first mechanical connector from the corresponding mechanical connector on the tactical radio; and

a second mechanical connector located on a second surface of the housing opposite the first surface for detachably connecting to the battery of the tactical radio, wherein battery rotates from a first position in which a connector on the battery connects with the second mechanical connector to rotationally lock the battery to the housing enclosing the charger and to a second position for disengaging the battery from the second mechanical connector and the first and second mechanical connectors are configured such that the housing fits in line between the tactical radio and the battery.

16. The manually actuated charging device of claim 15 wherein the charger comprises at least one gear assembly, at least one magnet, stator laminations, at least one coil, a scotch yoke coupled to the at least one gear assembly, and a yoke block mounted on the scotch yoke and coupled to the at least one magnet, wherein the manual actuator produces rotational movement of the scotch yoke and the yoke block causes linear movement of the at least one magnet with respect to the stator laminations and the at least one coil.

17. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 15 wherein the charger comprises at least one gear assembly, at least one magnet, stator laminations, and at least one coil, wherein the manual actuator rotates the at least one gear assembly and the gear assembly causes the at least one magnet to move rotationally with respect to the stator laminations and the at least one coil.

18. An in line manually actuated charging device for charging a battery of a tactical radio, the charging device comprising:

a housing enclosing a charger for charging a battery of a tactical radio;

a manual actuator coupled to the housing for actuating the charger to charge the battery of the tactical radio;

a first mechanical connector located on a first surface of the housing for connecting the first surface of the housing to a battery connector of the tactical radio; and

a second mechanical connector located on a second surface of the housing opposite the first surface for detachably connecting to the battery of the tactical radio, wherein the first and second mechanical connectors are configured such that the housing fits in line between the tactical radio and the battery, wherein the charger comprises at least one magnet, stator laminations, at least one coil, and at least one gear assembly rotationally coupled to the manual actuator and to the at least one magnet such that M rotations of the manual actuator produces N movements of the at least one magnet with respect to the stator laminations and coils, N and M being integers and N>

M, to produce a current in the at least one coil.

19. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 18 comprising a scotch yoke coupled to the at least one gear assembly and a yoke block mounted on the scotch yoke and coupled to the at least one magnet, wherein the manually actuator produces rotational movement of the scotch yoke, and the yoke block causes linear movement of the at least one magnet.

20. The in line manually actuated charging device of claim 18 wherein the at least one magnet includes an armature cup formed of a magnetic material that moves rotationally with respect to the stator laminations and the at least one coil.