Battery charger having moving door housing for a battery

• US 6,049,192 A
• Filed: 03/18/1999
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amperex Technology Limited (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Powell, Andrew A., Hertlein, Robert, Godston, Jon, Kfoury, Tony N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/271,831
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/110, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, D13/103, D13/107, D13/108, 429/99, 429/100
• US Class Current: 320/113
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A battery charger includes a main housing (103). A well (108) in the main housing is for receipt of an electronic device (102) including a battery. A door housing (104) is movably carried on the main housing. At least one contact (422) is carried on the main housing for connection to a battery (200, 300) inserted between the door housing and the main housing, wherein the door housing is movable between an open position for receipt of a battery and a compact closed position. A circuit is positioned in the main housing for electrical connection to the electronic device and the contacts for charging a battery.

Claims

1. A battery charger comprising:

a main housing;

a well in said main housing for receipt of an electronic device including a battery;

a door housing slidably carried on said main housing, said door housing including arm beams sliding in said main housing, said door housing movable between open positions for receipt of a battery and a compact closed position, sid door housing sliding to different open positions to create different sized pockets to receive different sized batteries;

at least one contact carried on said main housing for connection to a battery inserted between said door housing and said main housing; and

a circuit positioned in said main housing, said circuit coupled to said at least one contact for charging a battery and said circuit for electrical connection to the electronic device for providing power to the electronic device.

2. The battery charger as defined in claim 1, wherein said door housing includes a lip positioned on said door housing and said main housing includes an angled surface, wherein said angled surface and said lip are sloped to ease insertion of a battery when said door housing is in a closed position.

3. The battery charger as defined in claim 1, further including at least one recess for receipt of at least one projection on a battery inserted into the battery charger.

4. The battery charger as defined in claim 3, wherein said at least one recess is spaced from said at least one contact.

5. The battery charger as defined in claim 4, wherein said at least one contact extends through an aperture in one surface and said at least one recess is in another surface.

6. The battery charger as defined in claim 1, wherein said main housing includes a spring arm positioned in a spring well, said finger sliding in said spring well when the door housing moves on said main housing.

7. The battery charger as defined in claim 6, further including a coil spring positioned in said spring well, said coil spring biasing said door housing into the closed position to position a battery received in the charger.

8. A battery charger comprising:

a main housing;

a well in said main housing for receipt of an electronic device including a battery;

a door housing movably carried on said main housing, wherein said door housing includes a door housing wall and at least one arm beam extending outwardly from said door housing wall, said at least one arm beam for insertion into the main housing, said at least one arm beam including a base on which a battery can sit when inserted between said door housing wall and said main housing;

at least one contact carried on said main housing for connection to a battery inserted between said door housing and said main housing, wherein said door housing is movable between an open position for receipt of a battery and a compact closed position; and

a circuit positioned in said main housing for electrical connection to the electronic device and said contacts for charging at least one battery.

9. The battery charger as defined in claim 8, further including a finger on the end of said at least one arm beam to engage a spring arm on said main housing to provide a first position index in a first position for a thin battery and a second position index in a second position for a thick battery.

10. The battery charger as defined in claim 9, further including a spring well in said main housing for receipt of a spring, said spring positioned between said at least one arm of said door housing and a wall in said main housing such that said spring biases said door housing into a closed position.

11. The battery charger as defined in claim 9, wherein each of said at least one arm beams includes a base and a side wall, said base and said side wall of each at least one arm beam sliding into a respective channel in said main housing.

12. The battery charger as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one of said at least one arm beams includes a finger which engages said main housing at a plurality of index positions.

13. The battery charger as defined in claim 12, wherein said main housing includes a spring arm having projections providing said index positions.

14. The battery charger as defined in claim 9, wherein said spring arm is positioned in a spring well, said finger sliding in said spring well when the door housing moves on said main housing.

15. The battery charger as defined in claim 14, further including a coil spring positioned in said spring well, said coil spring biasing said door housing into the closed position to position a battery received in the charger.

16. The battery charger as defined in claim 8, wherein said at least one arm beam includes two arm beams, each of the two arm beam including a base on which a battery can sit when inserted between said door housing wall and said main housing.

17. The battery charger as defined in claim 16, wherein each of said two arm beams includes a finger which engages said main housing at a plurality of index positions.

18. The battery charger as defined in claim 17, wherein said main housing includes a respective spring arm associated with each of said fingers, each of said spring arms having projections providing said index positions.

19. A battery charger for a communication device, comprising:

a main housing;

a well in said main housing for receipt of a communication device having a chargeable battery;

a connector in said well for electrical connection to the communication device;

a door housing including a plurality of arms for moving connection to said main housing, said door housing for providing a variable sized battery pocket remote from said well;

a plurality of contacts positioned in a wail of said main housing for connection to contacts of a battery inserted in said variable sized battery pocket; and

a circuit in said main housing, said circuit for connection to an external power supply and providing energizing power to the communication device and said contacts, energizing power for charging the communication device battery when the communication device is received in said well and a battery connected to said contacts when positioned between said door housing and said main housing.

20. The battery charger as defined in claim 19, wherein at least two of said arm beams include a base for supporting a battery during charging.