Charging apparatus for wireless device with magnetic lead switch

• US 5,874,723 A
• Filed: 02/12/1997
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ALPS Electric Company Limited (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Kazuo, Ouchi, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Anita Pellman
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Application Number:
  US08/800,797
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472, 235/454, 235/383, 235/385, 235/439, 235/441, 320/106, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03

Abstract

A charging apparatus suitable for use with a wireless device, which is capable of eliminating the occurrence of an electric shock and an electrical short due to an operator'"'"'s contact with charging terminals of the wireless device upon non-charging of the wireless device. The charging apparatus comprises a charger including a wireless device placement portion, a pair of charging terminals exposed to the wireless device placement portion, a charging circuit portion for supplying power for charging the wireless device to the charging terminals, and a built-in magnet; and the wireless device including a secondary battery, a pair of power receiving terminals respectively provided at positions where they are brought into contact with the charging terminals when the wireless device is placed in the wireless device placement portion, and a magnetic switch. When the wireless device is placed in the wireless device placement portion and the magnetic switch detects magnetism of the magnet, the secondary battery is electrically connected to the pair of power receiving terminals so as to charge the secondary battery.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus suitable for use with a wireless device, comprising:

a charger including,

a wireless device placement portion;

a pair of charging terminals exposed to said wireless device placement portion;

a charging circuit portion for supplying power for charging said wireless device to said pair of charging terminals; and

a magnet incorporated therein; and

said wireless device including,

a secondary battery;

a pair of power receiving terminals respectively provided at positions where said terminals are brought into contact with said pair of charging terminals when said wireless device is placed in said wireless device placement portion; and

a magnetic switch,

wherein when said wireless device is placed in said wireless device placement portion and said magnetic switch detects magnetism of said magnet, said secondary battery is electrically connected to said pair of power receiving terminals so as to charge said secondary battery.

2. A charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic switch is a lead switch.

3. A charging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said charging circuit portion detects a non-connection of said pair of power receiving terminals on said wireless device side to said pair of charging terminals and interrupts the supply of charging power to said pair of charging terminals upon detection by said charging circuit portion.

4. A charging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said charging circuit portion detects a non-connection of said pair of power receiving terminals on said wireless device side to said pair of charging terminals and interrupts the supply of charging power to said pair of charging terminals upon detection by said charging circuit portion.

5. A charging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the detection of the non-connection of said pair of power receiving terminals on the wireless device side to said pair of charging terminals is performed by using a voltage applied across said pair of charging terminals and/or a current flowing therethrough and the interruption of the supply of the charging power to said pair of charging terminals is performed by switching means for interrupting the supply of the power to said pair of charging terminals.