Charging Cradle

• US 20120133328A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: CHEN, Chao
• Granted Patent: US 8,610,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/115
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A charging cradle for a rechargeable medium having a charging contact. The charging cradle including a cradling-body, which includes a receiving area shaped to receive the rechargeable medium; a charging circuit having a charging and a non-charging state; a charging contact electrically coupled to the charging circuit and positioned to be alignable with the charging contact of the rechargeable medium; and a switch coupled to the cradling-body for interacting with the rechargeable medium to place the charging circuit in the charging state or the non-charging state. When the rechargeable medium is fully inserted into the receiving area such that the charging contact of the rechargeable medium is aligned with the charging contact of the cradling-body, the rechargeable medium, via the switch, places the charging circuit in the charging state, and when the rechargeable medium is not fully inserted, the switch places the charging circuit in the non-charging state to prevent short-circuiting of the charging circuit.

Claims

1. A charging cradle for a rechargeable medium having a charging contact, the charging cradle comprising:

a cradling-body comprising;

a receiving area shaped to receive the rechargeable medium;

a charging circuit having a charging and a non-charging state;

a charging contact electrically coupled to the charging circuit and positioned to be alignable with the charging contact of the rechargeable medium; and

a switch coupled to the cradling-body for interacting with the rechargeable medium to place the charging circuit in the charging state or the non-charging state;

wherein when the rechargeable medium is fully inserted into the receiving area such that the charging contact of the rechargeable medium is aligned with the charging contact of the cradling-body, the rechargeable medium, via the switch, places the charging circuit in the charging state, and when the rechargeable medium is not fully inserted, the switch places the charging circuit in the non-charging state to prevent short-circuiting of the charging circuit.

2. The charging cradle according to claim 1, wherein the switch is an actuator having a first end and a second end, the first end being positioned in the receiving area to interact with the rechargeable medium such that when the rechargeable medium is fully inserted into the receiving area, the rechargeable medium urges the second end of the actuator, via the first end of the actuator, to place the charging circuit in the charging state.

3. The charging cradle according to claim 2, wherein the actuator is pivotally coupled to the cradling-body and the second end of the actuator is coupled to the charging contact of the cradling-body.

4. The charging cradle according to claim 3, wherein the charging contact of the cradling-body is movable between a first position and a second position by the actuator, the second end of the actuator moving the charging contact of the cradling-body to the first position to place the charging circuit in the charging state and moving the charging contact of the cradling-body to the second position to place the charging circuit in the non-charging state.

5. The charging cradle according to claim 4, wherein at the first position of the charging contact of the cradling-body, the charging contact of the cradling-body is electrically coupled to the charging contact of the rechargeable medium, and at the second position of the charging contact of the cradling-body, the charging contact of the cradling-body is electrically decoupled from the charging contact of the rechargeable medium.

6. The charging cradle according to claim 2, the charging circuit further comprising an electrical switch, the electrical switch closeable and openable by the second end of the actuator such that the electrical switch is closed when the charging circuit is in the charging state, and the electrical switch is open when the charging circuit is in the non-charging state.

7. The charging cradle according to claim 1, wherein the rechargeable medium is a mobile electronic device.

8. The charging cradle according to claim 1, wherein the rechargeable medium is a battery.

9. The charging cradle according to claim 1, wherein the switch is a magnetic switch.

10. A charging cradle for a rechargeable medium with a charging contact, the charging cradle having a cradling-body with a receiving area shaped to receive the rechargeable medium, the charging cradle comprising:

a charging circuit having a charging state and a non-charging state;

an actuator pivotally mounted to the cradling-body, the actuator having a first end and a second end with the first end being positioned in the receiving area for interacting with the rechargeable medium; and

a charging contact electrically coupled to the charging circuit and coupled to the second end of the actuator;

wherein, when the rechargeable medium is fully inserted into the receiving area such that the charging contact of the rechargeable medium aligns with the charging contact of the charging cradle, the rechargeable medium urges the second end of the actuator, via the first end of the actuator, to place the charging circuit in the charging state, and when the rechargeable medium is not fully inserted, the actuator places the charging circuit in the non-charging state to prevent short-circuiting of the charging circuit.

11. The charging cradle according to claim 10, wherein the charging contact is movable between a first position, where the charging contact of the charging cradle is electrically coupled to the charging contact of the rechargeable medium, and a second position, where the charging contact of the charging cradle is electrically decoupled to the charging contact of the rechargeable medium, the first position being associated with the charging state and the second position being associated with the non-charging state.

12. The charging cradle according to claim 10, wherein the rechargeable medium is a mobile electronic device.

13. The charging cradle according to claim 10, wherein the rechargeable medium is a battery.

14. A charging cradle for a rechargeable medium with a charging contact, the charging cradle having a cradling-body with a receiving area shaped to receive the rechargeable medium, the charging cradle comprising:

a charging circuit having a charging and a non-charging state, the charging circuit comprising an electrical switch;

a charging contact electrically coupled to the charging circuit and coupled to the charging cradle and positioned to protrude into the receiving area; and

an actuator coupled to the cradling-body, the actuator having a first end and a second end, the first end of the actuator positioned in the receiving area and the second end of the actuator positioned such that the electrical switch is closeable and openable by the second end of the actuator;

wherein, when the rechargeable medium is fully inserted into the receiving area such that the charging contact of the rechargeable medium aligns with the charging contact of the charging cradle, the rechargeable medium urges the second end of the actuator, via the first end of the actuator, to close the electrical switch to place the charging circuit in the charging state, and when the rechargeable medium is not fully inserted, the actuator places the charging circuit in the non-charging state, by opening the electrical switch, to prevent short-circuiting of the charging circuit.

15. The charging cradle according to claim 14, wherein the rechargeable medium is a mobile electronic device or a battery.