Supporting charger for rechargeable appliances

• US 6,677,726 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2002
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sunbeam Corporation Limited (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sunbeam Corporation Limited (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Hensel, Keith James
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US10/152,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20030098669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/22 with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 17/34 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 2204/002 using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable electric toothbrush 10 is received within a charger 11. The toothbrush 10 includes an outer body 12 that receives a toothbrush assembly 13. Within the body 12, there is located a secondary electric circuit 22 including a secondary coil 23. Upon the secondary coil 23 being energized, DC electric power is delivered to the batteries 21 for charging purposes. The socket 25 includes a primary circuit including a primary coil 31 that upon being energized causes the secondary coil 23 to produce an AC current, subsequently converted into a DC current for the purposes of charging the battery 21.

Claims

1. A battery charger for an article having a charging secondary circuit including a secondary coil, said charger including:

a body having a socket with a passage to receive said article so that said article is peripherally supported in said socket at said passage with said secondary coil of the article located at least partly in said socket;

a charging primary circuit in said body and including a primary coil, said primary coil being positioned so as to surround said passage so as to be adjacent to said secondary coil when the article is supported in said socket;

at least two connection pins rigidly mounted in said body to engage a wall-mounted AC power supply, said pins being electrically connected to said primary circuit; and

,

said body and pins being adapted to engage said power supply so that said body and said article supported in said socket of said body are supported from the wall-mounted AC power supply.

2. The battery charger for an article of claim 1 wherein said socket includes an open top and an open bottom to receive said article so that said article is generally vertically oriented.

3. The battery charger for an article of claim 1 wherein said body further includes a sleeve mounted in said socket, said sleeve having an open top and an open bottom to receive said article so that said article is generally vertically oriented.

4. The battery charger for an article of claim 1 wherein said article is a rechargeable tooth brush including rechargeable batteries electrically associated with said secondary circuit.

5. In combination, a battery charger and an article to be charged thereby:

said article having an extremity with a charging secondary circuit including a secondary coil located therein;

said charger including;

a body having a socket with a passage to receive the extremity of said articles so that said article is supported by said socket with said secondary coil located at least partly in said socket;

a charging primary circuit in said body and including a primary coil, said primary coil being positioned so as to surround said passage so as to be adjacent said secondary coil when located in said socket;

at least two connection pins rigidly mounted in said body to engage a wall-mounted AC power supply, said pins being electrically connected to said primary circuit; and

wherein;

said body and pins are adapted to engage said power supply so that said body is supported thereby together with said article supported in said socket.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said extremity is a lower extremity and said socket includes an open top and an open bottom to receive said article so that said article is generally vertically oriented with respect to said extremity.

7. The combination of claim 6 where said body further includes a sleeve mounted in said socket, said sleeve having an open top and open bottom to receive said article so that said article is generally vertically oriented.