MODULAR POWER SUPPLY

• US 20100033127A1
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vinci Brands LLC
• Original Assignee: Griffin Technology Inc (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Owens, David Arnold, Rowan, Mark David, Griffin, Paul P. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,054,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/111
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters

Abstract

A modular power supply that can be adapted to receive and charge practically any type or number of portable electronic devices includes a power converter that receives an AC wall voltage and converts the wall voltage to DC bus voltage. Each charging module has a pair of conductive rails and magnets positioned around the exterior of the module. The power converter has a connector that is physically and electrically coupled to a charging module through a pair of magnets and conductive rails such that the DC bus voltage is applied to the conductive rails of the module. Each charging module has a dock that physically couples to a portable electronic device and supplies a charging voltage produced from the DC bus voltage to the device. Additional charging modules can be physically and electrically coupled together by simply placing the modules adjacent one another through the interaction of the module'"'"'s conductive rails and magnets. Adapters can be inserted into the docks of the charging modules to reconfigure the docks stations to mate with different types of devices. An FM transmitter can be included in one of the modules to transmit audio from the charging device to a remote FM receiver.

Claims

1. A charger for charging at least two portable electronic devices, said charger comprising:

a power converter for receiving an AC voltage and converting the AC voltage to a DC bus voltage;

a first charging module comprising;

a dock for receiving a portable electronic device and supplying a charging voltage to the portable electronic device;

an external conductor adapted to be electrically connected to said power converter such that said bus voltage is applied to said external conductor,

a second charging module comprising;

a dock for receiving a portable electronic device and supplying a charging voltage to the portable electronic device;

an external conductor adapted to be electrically connected to said external conductor on said first charging module such that said DC bus voltage is received from said first charging module.

2. The charger of claim 1 wherein each dock is adapted to receive a portable electronic device such that a 30 pin electrical connector on said device is electrically coupled to a 30 pin electrical connector in said dock such that a DC voltage is applied to an electrical charging contact of said portable electronic device and such that a display of said device is visible and a user input of said device is accessible.

3. The charger of claim 1 wherein each of said charging modules further comprises a plurality of magnets positioned around a periphery of said charging module such that said magnets will physically and electrically couple said charging module to a second charging module placed adjacent said charging module.

4. The charger of claim 1 further comprising a dock adapter dimensioned to be inserted into one of said docks to configure said dock to receive a second type of portable electronic device having different dimensions than said portable electronic device for which said dock is configured.

5. The charger of claim 4 wherein said adapter includes a voltage converter for converting a first DC voltage to a second DC voltage.

6. The charger of claim 1 further comprising an FM transmitter for receiving an output signal from a device coupled to one of said docks and producing an FM broadcast signal based upon said output signal.

7. The charger of claim 6 further comprising a display for displaying a transmit frequency and user inputs that allow a user to alter said transmit frequency.

8. The charger of claim 1 wherein said external conductor of said charging modules further comprises a pair of conductive rails positioned around a periphery of said charging modules.

9. The charger of claim 1 wherein said power converter further comprises an external power supply connection and at least one magnet for coupling said power converter to one of said charging modules.

10. A power supply for receiving electrical power from a wall outlet and providing conditioned power to at least one portable electronic device, said power supply comprising:

a power converter wherein said power converter comprises;

a power plug and a cord adapted to be connected to a wall outlet and receive an AC voltage; and

an AC to DC converter for converting said AC voltage to a bus DC voltage;

a first module adapted to receive said DC bus voltage from said power converter wherein said first module includes a dock adapted to receive a portable device such that said portable electronic device receives a DC voltage from said first module and said portable device is physically held by said dock such that a display of said device is visible and a user input of said device is accessible; and

a second module adapted to couple to said first module such that said second module receives said DC bus voltage from said first module wherein said second module includes a dock adapted to receive a portable device such that said portable device receives a DC voltage from said second module and is physically held by said dock such that a display of said device is visible and a user input of said device is accessible.

11. The power supply of claim 10 wherein said first and second modules are electrically coupled to each other through a pair of conductive rails positioned on an exterior of each of said modules.

12. The power supply of claim 11 wherein said power converter has a connector for coupling said DC bus voltage to said conductive rails.

13. The power supply of claim 12 wherein said connector further comprises a magnet.

14. The charger of claim 10 wherein each of said modules further comprises a plurality of magnets positioned around a periphery of said modules such that said magnets physically and electrically couple said modules when said modules are placed adjacent one another.

15. The power supply of claim 10 wherein one of said modules has a rechargeable battery that is charged by said bus DC voltage such that said module can be used to charge a device when said module is decoupled from said power converter.

16. The power supply of claim 10 wherein one of said modules further comprises a processor for monitoring charge parameters for said module and a display that produces a charge status output.

17. The power supply of claim 10 wherein one of said modules further comprises an FM transmitter for receiving an output signal from a device coupled to said module and producing an FM broadcast signal based upon said output signal.

18. The power supply of claim 16 wherein a broadcast frequency of said broadcast frequency signal is selected by a user.

19. The power supply of claim 10 wherein each of said modules has a square external housing.

20. A charger for charging at least two portable electronic devices, said charger comprising:

a power converter comprising;

an external power supply connection for receiving an AC voltage from an external power supply;

an AC to DC converter for converting the AC voltage to a DC bus voltage; and

a module connector having at least one magnet and two output conductors;

a first charging module comprising;

a dock for receiving a portable electronic device and supplying a charging voltage to the portable electronic device;

a pair of conductive rails positioned around a periphery of said first charging module; and

a plurality of magnets positioned around a periphery of said first charging module;

a second charging module comprising;

a dock for receiving a portable electronic device and supplying a charging voltage to the portable electronic device;

a pair of conductive rails positioned around a periphery of said second charging module; and

a plurality of magnets positioned around a periphery of said second charging module;

wherein said power converter is physically and electrically coupled to said conductive rails and said peripheral magnets of said first charging module by said magnets and said conductors on said module connector such that said DC bus voltage is coupled to one of said conductive rails of said first charging module and a ground potential is electrically coupled to the other of said conductive rails of said first charging module; and

wherein said first charging module is physically and electrically coupled to said second charging module by said peripheral magnets and conductive rails such that said DC bus voltage is coupled from one of said conductive rails of said first charging module to one of said conductive rails of said second charging module and said ground potential is electrically coupled from the other of said conductive rails of said first charging module to the other of said conductive rails of said second charging module when said first and second charging modules are positioned adjacent one another.