DOCKING STATION FOR INDUCTIVELY CHARGED PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20130049682A1
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: L&P Property Management Company (Leggett & Platt Incorporated)
• Inventors: NIEC, MILOSZ ZBIGNIEW, COLJA, RENATO, MCMILLEN, ROBERT JAMES, LIANG, XINDE
• Granted Patent: US 9,059,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/02 continuously variable, e.g. variometers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/04 by relative movement of turns or parts of windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/06 Mounting, supporting or suspending transformers, reactors or choke coils not being of the signal type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

A docking station that securely holds a portable electronic device in a desired location with respect to a primary power coil for inductive charging of a battery of the portable electronic device is provided. In one embodiment the docking station includes a pair of opposed end stops spaced apart longitudinally along a base and a primary coil of an inductive charging system positioned below the base. The end stops are longitudinally adjustable to properly align a secondary coil of the portable electronic device with a primary coil. A flexible retention wall may be deflected to provide a biasing force on the portable electronic device. Walls of the end stops are generally curved toward each other and provide downward pressure to prevent vertical and horizontal movement. In another embodiment, a retainer clip is movably coupled with and selectively slides along the base to securely hold the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A docking station for securely holding a portable electronic device in a desired location above a primary coil of an inductive charger such that a secondary coil associated with a battery of the portable electronic device is aligned with the primary coil to facilitate inductive charging of the battery, the docking station comprising:

a first end stop having a flexible retention wall;

a second end stop opposite the first end stop and spaced longitudinally therefrom, wherein the second end stop has a generally rigid retention wall; and

a means for adjusting a distance between the first and second end stops.

2. The docking station of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the flexible retention wall comprises a plurality of grooves to provide a surface for engaging the portable electronic device.

3. The docking station of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the generally rigid retention wall comprises a plurality of grooves to provide a surface for engaging the portable electronic device.

4. The docking station of claim 1, wherein a portion of the flexible retention wall is bowed toward the second end stop and wherein a portion of the generally rigid retention wall is bowed toward the first end stop, whereby upper portions of the opposed walls are closer to each other than lower portion of the opposed walls.

5. The docking station of claim 4, wherein the means for adjusting is operable to position the walls at locations where the upper portions of the opposed walls are spaced apart a distance that is less than a length dimension of the portable electronic device to be charged, wherein the flexible retention wall may be flexed away from the second stop by a longitudinal force applied to the flexible retention wall by a user via a first end of a portable electronic device a distance large enough to permit a second opposite end of the portable electronic device to pass by the upper portion of the generally rigid retention wall, and wherein flexing of the flexible retention wall away from the second stop results in a biasing longitudinal force in the direction of the second end stop.

6. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the generally rigid retention wall of the second stop is curved toward the first stop such that outer portions of the generally rigid retention wall are longitudinally closer to the first end stop than a central portion of the generally rigid retention wall.

7. A clipping mechanism for securely holding a portable electronic device in a desired location above a base of an inductive charger having a primary coil therein such that a secondary coil associated with a battery of the portable electronic device is aligned with the primary coil to facilitate inductive charging of the battery, the clipping mechanism comprising:

a first end stop having a retention wall;

a pair of flexible extension arms oriented generally parallel to each other and generally perpendicularly to the first end stop, wherein the arms have hold down portions for engaging the portable electronic device; and

a means for adjusting a location of the end stop longitudinally along the base of the inductive charger to permit alignment of the secondary coil with the primary coil.

8. The clipping mechanism of claim 7, wherein the retention wall comprises a plurality of grooves to provide a surface for engaging the portable electronic device.

9. The clipping mechanism of claim 7, wherein the first end stop is centrally located along a lateral end wall, wherein the flexible extension arms are coupled at proximal ends with outer portions of the lateral end wall, and wherein the hold down portions are located at distal ends of the flexible arms.

10. The clipping mechanism of claim 9, wherein the arm first end stop, the lateral end wall, and the flexible arms are all integrally formed as a single unitary piece.

11. The clipping mechanism of claim 7, wherein the hold down portions are distal ends of the flexible arms, wherein the hold down portions are curved toward each other to engage an upper surface of the portable electronic device when it is placed on the base, and wherein lower edges of the flexible arms in the hold down portions are normally positioned a distance from the base that is less than a thickness of the portable electronic device to be charged, whereby positioning of the portable electronic device on the base and below the arms deflects the arms away from the base thereby causing the arms to exert a biasing force downwardly on an upper surface of the portable electronic device to press it into abutting engagement with the base.

12. A portable inductive charger for a portable electronic device having a secondary coil associated with a battery thereof, the charger comprising:

a base housing having a primary coil of an inductive charger therein, the base housing having an upper outer surface for supporting the portable electronic device to be charged; and

a clipping mechanism for securely holding the portable electronic device in a desired location on the upper outer surface of the base such that the secondary coil associated with a battery of the portable electronic device is aligned with the primary coil to facilitate inductive charging of the battery, wherein the clipping mechanism is movably coupled with the base housing, and wherein the clipping mechanism includes a first end stop having a retention wall and a pair of flexible extension arms oriented generally parallel to each other and generally perpendicularly to the first end stop.

13. The charger of claim 12, wherein the base includes a pair of longitudinal tracts on opposite sides of the housing and wherein the clipping mechanism rides along the tracts to permit adjustment of a location of the first end stop longitudinally along the upper outer surface of the base.

14. The charger of claim 12, further comprising a car charging plug having a wire extending therefrom, wherein the wire is electronically coupled with the primary coil to provide power thereto when the car charging plug is received in a power outlet of an automobile.