Universal battery charger/adapter unit

• US 4,232,260 A
• Filed: 04/19/1978
• Issued: 11/04/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fred M. Lambkin
• Original Assignee: Fred M. Lambkin
• Inventors: Lambkin, Fred M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hickey, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/897,938
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2-5, 320/6, 320/15, 320/16, 320/48, 320/22, 429/1, 429/9, 429/99, 429/100, 336/107, 336/137, 339/18 P, 339/31 R, 339/31 M
• US Class Current: 320/110
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/29 Transformer having plural secondaries

Abstract

A universal battery charger/adapter unit is disclosed comprising a wall power unit and a separate cable which may be plugged into an appliance. The wall unit makes available different AC and DC voltages. A selected pluggable cable section is wired to selectively connect appropriate AC or DC voltages to the appliance being powered. The cable section has the further characteristic that current limiting or current regulating elements may be incorporated therein to improve the particular AC or DC voltage or current characteristics of the power unit with respect to that particular load. A battery nest can be permanently connected to a special bifurcated plug allowing the recharging of rechargeable AA, C or D size batteries in addition to 9 volt batteries. Interchangeable shims are used to compensate for various battery sizes.

Claims

1. An improved power unit which includes a transformer with a secondary having multiple taps, a rectifier means and a first one-half of a connector having a plurality of pins, the secondary taps are connected to selected pins on the one-half of a connector, the improvement comprising:

an input terminal and output terminals for the rectifier means are connected to other pins on the first one-half of a connector;

a second one-half of a connector having a plurality of plugs is connected to an output cable and selected plugs of said second one-half of a connector are connected together so that when the two parts of the connector are plugged together a selected secondary terminal of the transformer is connected to the input terminal of the rectifying means and the output terminals of the rectifying means are connected to the output cable.

2. In a power supply module containing a transformer with a secondary that has a series of voltage taps, and a means for rectification with a pair of input terminals and a pair of output terminals, an improvement comprising:

a two-part means for connection and a low voltage power cable;

a first part of said means for connection is attached to the power supply module and includes a first selectively arranged plurality of contacts;

the members of the series of voltage taps on the secondary of the transformer are connected to selected members of said first plurality of contacts;

at least one input terminal and the output terminals of the means for rectification are connected to other selected members of said first plurality of contacts such that power is not supplied from the transformer to the means for rectification;

a second part of said means for connection includes a second selectively arranged plurality of contacts;

selected members of said second plurality of contacts are electrically shorted together and form a first group,

the output power cable is connected to a second group of other selected members of said second plurality of contacts;

said first and second parts of said means for connection are adapted to be plugged together;

when said first and second parts of said two part means for connection are plugged together, members of said first plurality of contacts electrically engage members of said second plurality of contacts whereby

said first group of contacts electrically connects a selected transformer secondary tap to the input terminal of said means for rectification thereby permitting power to be applied by the transformer to the means for rectification; and

said second group of contacts electrically connects the output terminals of said means for rectification to the output power cable, thereby permitting low voltage power to be applied by the means for rectification to the output cable.

3. A universal battery charger adapter unit comprising:

a power unit;

said power unit having an input port for electrical power and a plurality of output means for electrical power;

said power unit containing a means for electrical conversion operably connected to said input port and said plurality of output means so as to provide a plurality of output voltages, a selected one of which is applied to a member of said plurality of output means, when a selected voltage is applied to said input port;

a means for electrical connection including a cable for transmission of electrical energy;

said cable being connectable at a first end to said plurality of output means as well as

connected at a second end to a battery nest for charging rechargeable batteries and operable to connect selected members of said plurality of output means so as to apply a selected output voltage to said battery nest;

said battery nest having means whereby a plurality of variable size batteries may be simultaneously charged;

said means whereby a plurality of variable size batteries may be simultaneously charged comprising at least one shim insertable into said battery nest and operable to compensate for the varying physical dimensions of a corresponding member of the plurality of variable size batteries being charged; and

wherein said shim includes an electrical means operable to limit the charging rate of a corresponding member of the plurality of variable size batteries being charged.

4. A universal battery charger adapter unit comprising:

a power module;

means for electrical connection;

said power module having input means and a plurality of output terminals;

said power module containing an electrical means, for converting electrical energy, connected to said input means and said plurality of output terminals;

said electrical means for converting electrical energy being operable to convert voltage applied to said input means to a plurality of output voltages, a selected one of which is applied to a member of said plurality of output terminals;

said means for connection being operable to connect a selected subset of said members of said plurality of output terminals to a battery nest and to modify the selected output voltage before applying it to said battery nest;

said battery nest having means whereby a plurality of variable size batteries may be charged;

said means whereby a plurality of variable size batteries may be charged comprising means for shimming insertable into said battery nest and operable to compensate for the varying physical dimensions of a corresponding member of the plurality of variable size batteries charged; and

wherein said means for shimming includes electrical means operable to limit the charging rate of the corresponding member of the plurality of variable size batteries being charged.