Portable electronic equipment with attachment for supplying power and charging battery

• US 5,629,602 A
• Filed: 10/05/1994
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Makino, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOATLEY, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US08/318,257
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/56, 320/6, 429/96-100, 187/290, 307/10.7, 307/11, 307/20, 307/21, 307/22, 307/23, 307/25
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Electronic equipment includes a container unit for storing a battery or an AC adaptor which are detachable from the container unit and exchangeable with each other, an input port unit for receiving electric power from an external source, and a connection attachment unit for storing the battery and the AC adaptor which are detachable from the connection attachment unit, so that the AC adaptor can be stored in the connection attachment unit to supply DC power to the electronic equipment through the input port in order to charge the battery stored in the container unit, so that another battery can be stored in the connection attachment unit to supply DC power to the electronic equipment through the input port in order to serve as an expansion battery in addition to the battery stored in the container unit, or so that both the battery and the AC adaptor can be stored in the connection attachment unit to charge the battery.

Claims

1. Electronic equipment comprising:

a main device configured to receive power from one of a battery and an AC adaptor stored in a container of said main device;

attachment means for supplying power to said main device when one of said battery and said AC adaptor is stored in said attachment means, said attachment means comprising;

a battery container for storing said battery;

an AC-adaptor container for storing said AC-adaptor;

battery detecting means for detecting said battery in said battery container; and

switch means, responsive to said battery detecting means, for supplying power of said AC adaptor to said battery through electrodes of said battery container when both said battery and said AC-adaptor are stored in said attachment means, and for preventing said power of said AC adaptor from being exposed at said electrodes when said battery is not stored in said battery container.

2. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the battery container has a first pin which can fit in a first hole provided on said battery, and

the AC-adaptor has a second pin which can fit in a second hole provided on said AC-adaptor, said first pin being incapable of fitting in said second hole and said second pin being incapable of fitting in said first hole.

3. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery detecting means comprises:

a moving part moved by insertion movement of said battery into said battery container, and said switch means comprises electrodes moved by the movement of said moving part.

4. The electronic equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said battery detecting means comprises an electrical circuit and said switch means comprises a switch circuit controlled by said detection means.

5. A power supply system, comprising:

a connection device having two inputs each having terminals which receive power and an output which supplies power, one of the two inputs for receiving power from an AC adapter, another of the two inputs for receiving power from a battery, and the output being capable of outputting power from the AC adapter and the output also being capable of outputting power from the battery; and

a switch, connected to at least said another input, configured to prevent power from the AC adapter from passing from said one input to the terminals of said another input, when the battery is not connected to the terminals of said another input.

6. A power supply system according to claim 5, further comprising:

electronic equipment connected to the output of the connection device.

7. A power supply system according to claim 5, wherein:

the attachment is configured to supply power from the AC adapter to the output and simultaneously charge the battery from the power from the AC adapter.

8. A power supply system according to claim 5, wherein:

the attachment is configured to supply power from the battery through said another input to the output.

9. A power supply system according to claim 5, wherein:

the attachment is configured to supply power from the battery through said another input to the output when the AC adapter is not connected to said one input of the connection device.

10. A power supply system according to claim 5, wherein:

the attachment is configured to supply power from the battery through said another input to the output when the AC adapter is connected to said one input of the connection device.

11. A power supply system according to claim 5, wherein:

the connection device is a container for receiving both the AC adapter and the battery.

12. A power supply system according to claim 5, wherein:

the container is configured to receive the battery which fits inside of electronic equipment which is configured to receive power from the output of the connection device.

13. A power supply system according to claim 5, wherein:

the AC adapter is configured to fit into a receptacle of and power electronic equipment which is configured to receive power from the output of the connection device.

14. A power supply system according to claim 5, wherein:

the switch is a switch means for preventing power from the AC adapter from passing to the terminals of said another input, when the battery is not connected to the terminals of said another input.