Universal Station for Organizing and Charging Multiple Electronic Devices

• US 20130113420A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jr., John L. Majoris
• Original Assignee: Jr., John L. Majoris
• Inventors: Majoris, John L. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US13/724,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20130113420A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A universal organizing and charging station apparatus an related method of use for organizing and charging electronic devices, comprising: a bottom surface plane; a substantially vertical rear surface; a top surface which is substantially horizontal running from front to back and side to side; a slanted front surface connecting a front of the bottom surface with a front of the top surface; left and right side surface planes; a plurality of charging cable slots originating on the rear surface, running vertically up the rear surface, continuing over the top surface from back to front, continuing down at least part of the slanted front surface, and terminating on the slanted front surface; a plurality of charger head apertures, one associated with each the slot, disposed upon the rear surface in continuous connection with the associated slot; and an interior access opening between an exterior and interior of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A universal organizing and charging station apparatus for organizing and charging electronic devices, comprising:

a bottom surface plane which is substantially horizontal running from front to back and side to side, with a bottom surface depth thereof as measured from front to back;

a substantially vertical rear surface;

a top surface which is substantially horizontal running from front to back and side to side, with a top surface depth thereof as measured from front to back, wherein said top surface depth is smaller than said bottom surface depth;

a slanted front surface connecting a front of said bottom surface with a front of said top surface, wherein said front surface is so-slanted because said top surface depth is smaller than said bottom surface depth and said rear surface is substantially vertical;

left and right side surface planes;

said rear, top and front surfaces, and said bottom and left and right side surface planes, defining an interior of said station;

a plurality of charging cable slots originating on said rear surface, running vertically up said rear surface, continuing over said top surface from back to front, continuing down at least part of said slanted front surface, and terminating on said slanted front surface, for sliding an electrical connector wire of said charging cable therethrough;

a plurality of charger head apertures, one associated with each said slot, disposed upon said rear surface in continuous connection with the associated slot, for threading a charging head therethrough; and

an interior access opening between an exterior and said interior of said station, for setting up a wiring configuration of said station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, at least one of said charging cable slots comprising a cable parking receptacle proximate its origination on said rear surface, for parking a cable charging head when the cable charging head is not connected to an electronic device associated therewith.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, said rear surface comprising said interior access opening thereon.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a power aggregation device situated in said interior, capable of receiving a plug section of a charging cable for an electronic device, said power aggregation device comprising a power cord for connecting said power aggregation device to a power source.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, said power aggregation device further comprising data connectors capable of transmitting data between the electronic device and a computer when the plug section is connected to said power aggregation device, when the electronic device is connected to a charging head of the charging cable, and when the power cord is is connected to a power and data port of the computer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, said charging cable slots comprising a retentive and protective material for retaining an electrical connector wire of a charging cable in position within said slots and protecting said connector wire from damage.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a slant angle of said slanted front surface is at most 45 degrees from vertical.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a slant angle of said slanted front surface is approximately 30 degrees from vertical.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a front support shelf along at least part of a lower length of said slanted front surface, for supporting an electronic device resting on said front surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one electronic device slot running through substantially an entirety of said top surface between front and back and substantially an entirety of said front surface between top and bottom, for storing an electronic device, while charging, in an upright “

folio”

orientation;

wherein;

electronic devices may be organized by said station in any of three dimensions defined by the plane of said slanted front surface, the plane of said top surface, and the plane created by insertion of a device into said electronic device slot.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a device penetration barrier running along the interior of said bottom surface plane, from side to side, located substantially beneath where said front surface meets said top surface, for limiting an electronic device placed into said electronic device slot from being inserted too far back into said electronic device slot.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of heat dissipation ribs on one or both of said top surface and said slanted front surface, for allowing heat to be dissipated when an electronic device placed upon said station is running.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lip selected from the group consisting of:

a rear lip running from side to side at the rear of said top surface; and

at least one side lip running from front to rear along the sides of the top surface, for preventing an electronic device from accidentally falling off the rear or side of the station.

14. A method for organizing and charging electronic devices using a universal organizing and charging station, comprising,

a) setting up a wiring configuration of said station for use via an interior access opening between an exterior and an interior of said station, by:

providing a power aggregation device situated in said interior, said interior defined by rear, top and front surfaces of said station, and by bottom, left and right side surface planes of said station;

connecting said power aggregation device to a power source;

plugging a plug section of a charging cable into a power outlet of said power aggregation device;

moving a charging head of said charging cable into said interior of said station; and

threading said charging head through a charger head aperture situated on said rear surface of said station, from said interior to an exterior of said station; and

b) using said station by;

if the electronic device associated with said charging cable is to be charged on said top surface, sliding an electrical connector wire of said charging cable through a charging cable slot of said station from said rear to said top surface of said station;

if the electronic device associated with said charging cable is to be charged on said front surface, sliding said electrical connector wire through said charging cable slot from said rear to said top surface of said station, and further to said front surface of said station;

providing charging power to said electronic device by plugging said charging head into the electronic device associated with said charging cable;

if the electronic device associated with said charging cable is to be charged on said top surface, resting said electronic device on said top surface; and

if the electronic device associated with said charging cable is to be charged on said front surface, resting said electronic device on said front surface;

wherein;

said bottom surface plane is substantially horizontal running from front to back and side to side, with a bottom surface depth thereof as measured from front to back;

said rear surface is substantially vertical;

said top surface is substantially horizontal running from front to back and side to side, with a top surface depth thereof as measured from front to back, wherein said top surface depth is smaller than said bottom surface depth;

said front surface is slanted, connecting a front of said bottom surface with a front of said top surface, wherein said front surface is so-slanted because said top surface depth is smaller than said bottom surface depth and said rear surface is substantially vertical;

wherein;

said station comprises a plurality of said charging cable slots, each said slot originating on said rear surface, running vertically up said rear surface, continuing over said top surface from back to front, continuing down at least part of said slanted front surface, and terminating on said slanted front surface; and

said station further comprises a plurality of said charger head apertures, one associated with each said slot, disposed upon said rear surface in continuous connection with the associated slot.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

setting up said wiring configuration for at least two different electronic devices;

plugging the charging head for each of said electronic devices into said devices; and

resting said electronic devices upon said surface while connected to their charging cables such that for each of said electronic devices, no more than one inch of said charging cable extends to said exterior of said station.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, placing the electronic device in its intended location at its intended orientation upon said station, to guide said setting up said wiring configuration.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, when said electronic device is not being charged:

sliding said electrical connector wire through the charging cable slot in which it is situated, to the rear surface of said station; and

parking said charger head on the rear surface at the bottom of said charging cable slot.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising, when said electronic device is not being charged:

sliding said electrical connector wire through the charging cable slot in which it is situated, to the rear surface of said station; and

parking said charger head in a cable parking receptacle at the bottom of said cable slot proximate said slot'"'"'s origination on said rear surface.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

connecting said power aggregation device to a power source simultaneously with establishing data connectivity with a computer, by plugging a feed cord of said power aggregation device into a computer port providing both power and data connectivity;

providing data connectivity between said electronic device and said computer simultaneously with providing said charging power by plugging said charging head into said electronic device associated with said charging cable;

simultaneously using said electronic device to transmit data between said electronic device and said computer while said electronic device is charging and is resting upon said station, by virtue of said data connectivity between said electronic device and said computer;

wherein;

said charging cable is configured to simultaneously provide power and data connectivity for electronic devices to which it is connected.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising retaining an electrical connector wire of said charging cable in position within its charging cable slot and protecting said connector wire from damage, using a retentive and protective material as part of said charging cable slot.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising resting said electronic device on said front surface at an angle at most 45 degrees from vertical, by virtue of a slant angle of said slanted front surface being at most 45 degrees from vertical.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising resting said electronic device on said front surface at an angle of approximately degrees from vertical, by virtue of a slant angle of said slanted front surface being approximately 30 degrees from vertical.

23. The method of claim 14, for an electronic device resting on said front surface, supporting said electronic device upon a front support shelf along at least part of a lower length of said slanted front surface.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising at least one electronic device slot running through substantially an entirety of said top surface between front and back and substantially an entirety of said front surface between top and bottom;

wherein;

if the electronic device associated with said charging cable is to be charged in said electronic device slot, storing said electronic device, while charging, in an upright orientation in said electronic device slot;

electronic devices may thereby be organized by said station in any of three dimensions defined by the plane of said slanted front surface, the plane of said top surface, and the plane created by insertion of the device into said electronic device slot.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising to limiting an electronic device placed into said electronic device slot from being inserted too far back into said electronic device slot, using a device penetration barrier running along the interior of said bottom surface plane, from side to side, located substantially beneath where said front surface meets said top surface.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing heat to be dissipated when an electronic device placed upon said station is running, using a plurality of heat dissipation ribs on one or both of said top surface and said slanted front surface.

27. The method of claim 14, further comprising preventing an electronic device from accidentally falling off the rear or side of the station, using a lip selected from the group consisting of:

a rear lip running from side to side at the rear of said top surface; and

at least one side lip running from front to rear along the sides of the top surface.

28. A method for organizing and charging electronic devices, comprising, for a plurality of electronic devices and their associated charging cables:

setting up a plurality of charging cables in an interior of a universal organizing and charging station, wherein any entangling of said charging cables cannot be viewed from an exterior of said station;

providing power to said charging cables from a power aggregation device in said interior;

threading charging heads of said charging cables through charger head apertures of said station, from said interior to an exterior of said station;

positioning said cable heads for use by moving them through elongated slots of said station, said slots originating on a rear surface of said station, continuing over a top surface of said station from back to front, continuing down at least part of a slanted front surface of said station, and terminating on said slanted front surface;

plugging said electronic devices into said cable heads;

resting said electronic devices while powered by said cable heads on said top and slanted front surfaces.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

when they are not plugged into said electronic devices, moving said cables heads to said rear of said station, through said elongated slots.