Nightlight battery charger

• US 6,762,583 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADS Enterprise Inc.
• Original Assignee: ADS Enterprise Inc.
• Inventors: Kidakarn, Michael, Ho, Shu Ming, Li, William Guo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US10/007,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20030107345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/111, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115, 362/253, 362/365, 362/801
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A nightlight battery charger is constructed to be normally plugged in a wall socket to function as a nightlight so that the user can easily find and locate the battery charger anytime whenever the user needs it. The nightlight battery charger includes a charger casing having a main casing and a battery cover, wherein the main casing has at least one battery compartment for at least a rechargeable battery to be disposed therein, an nightlight system which includes at least one illuminator for generating illumination, a plurality of battery terminals adapted for electrically connecting at least one rechargeable battery, a power input supplying power to light up the illumination unit, a recharging electric circuit electrically connected to the battery terminals and the power input for transmitting power to charge up the rechargeable battery t, and an exchangeable lens card for protecting the illumination unit.

Claims

1. A nightlight battery charger, comprising:

a charger casing having an interior cavity and at least a battery compartment defined therein;

a nightlight system, which is supported in said charger casing, comprising at least an illuminator for generating illumination;

a plurality of battery terminals provided in said battery compartment respectfully for electrically contacting with terminal ends of a rechargeable battery disposed in said battery compartment;

a power input supplying power to light up said illuminator; and

a recharging electric circuit provided in said charger casing and electrically connected with said terminals and said power input for supplying electricity power to charge up said rechargeable battery in said battery compartment, wherein said charger casing comprises a main casing defining said central interior cavity between a front wall and a bottom wall thereof for storing and supporting said electric circuit and said battery compartment is formed at one side of said central interior cavity while another battery compartment is formed at another side of said central interior cavity, wherein said main casing has a pair side ridges frontwardly and integrally extended at two side edges of said front wall of said main casing and a pair of U-shaped panels integrally provided at two side portions thereof to define said two battery compartments respectively.

2. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 1, wherein said charger casing further comprises a battery cover detachably attached to a bottom side of said main casing so as to cover bottom openings of said two battery compartments and said electric circuit supported within said central interior cavity of said main casing.

3. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 2, wherein a first pair of said battery terminals, which are electrically connected with each other, is respectively provided at two ends of said battery cover and facing said two battery compartments after said battery cover is mounted to said bottom side of said main casing.

4. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 3, wherein on said front wall of said main casing further forms a lighting cavity defined by a concave surface indented on said front wall and a central hole provided thereon for communicating said central interior cavity with said lighting cavity, wherein said illuminator is securely mounted at said central hole to electrically connect with said power input, wherein a light reflection material is coated on said concave surface of said lighting cavity to render said concave surface forming a reflecting surface for said illuminator supported in said light cavity.

5. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 4, wherein said nightlight system further comprises an exchangeable lens card detachably attached to cover and protect said illuminator, wherein said two U-shaped panels defining said two battery compartments are respectively extended to in front of said two side ridges respectively, so as to define two holding slots between front edges of said two U-shaped panels and said front wall of said main casing, wherein a perpendicular distance between said front wall of said main casing and said two front edges of said U-shaped panels is slightly larger than a thickness of said exchangeable lens card, wherein said pair of side ridges acts as side boundaries of said two holding slots while a distance between said two side ridges is slightly larger than a width of said exchangeable lens card, so as to allow said exchangeable lens card to smoothly slide along said two holding slots to cover said illuminator.

6. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 3, wherein a second pair of said battery terminals are provided to two ends of said two battery compartments respectively, whereby each of said first and second pairs of said battery terminals is adapted to contact with two electrode terminals of each rechargeable battery, wherein said second pair of said battery terminals are electrically connected to said electric circuit whereby electricity is transmitted from said electric circuit to said rechargeable batteries for charging up said rechargeable batteries.

7. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 5, wherein a second pair of said battery terminals are provided to two ends of said two battery compartments respectively, whereby each of said first and second pairs of said battery terminals is adapted to contact with two electrode terminals of each rechargeable battery, wherein said second pair of said battery terminals are electrically connected to said electric circuit whereby electricity is transmitted from said electric circuit to said rechargeable batteries for charging up said rechargeable batteries.

8. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 5, wherein said power in put comprises a power unit and said charger casing further comprises a power casing to install said power unit,

wherein said power casing is detachably connected to a top side of said main casing and includes a battery head cover constructed to be detachably attached to said top side of said main casing so as to cover two top openings of said two battery compartments and said central interior cavity of said main casing,

wherein said plug unit includes a plug base pivotally mounted to said power casing and a pair of plug pins extended from said plug joint,

wherein said power casing has a plug housing which has a plug chamber provided thereon and said plug base is pivotally connected at a top portion of said plug chamber, so that when said plug unit is capable of inwardly folding up to hide within said plug chamber said plug unit is not in use.

9. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 8, wherein said power input further comprises a power switch and said power casing has a switch housing provided at a top front portion thereof to receive said power switch, wherein said power switch comprises a pair of power contacts which are disposed and supported inside said power housing and electrically connected with said electric circuit, wherein said two power contacts are positioned respective to said locations of said two switch terminal contact heads,

wherein when said plug unit is not in use, said plug unit is able to be inwardly folded up to hide within said plug chamber, and said two switch terminal heads are positioned at an upper position and have no physical contact with said two power contacts, so that said plug unit is electrically disconnected with said electric circuit;

wherein when said nightlight battery charger of said present invention is in use, said plug unit of said power input is able to be unfolded out from said plug chamber to a connecting position that said plug pins are turned to bias against said two power contacts so that said two plug pins are electrically connected with said electric circuit inside said main casing.

10. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 7, wherein said power in put comprises a power unit and said charger casing further comprises a power casing to install said power unit,

wherein said power casing is detachably connected to a top side of said main casing and includes a battery head cover constructed to be detachably attached to said top side of said main casing so as to cover two top openings of said two battery compartments and said central interior cavity of said main casing,

wherein said plug unit includes a plug base pivotally mounted to said power casing and a pair of plug pins extended from said plug joint,

wherein said power casing has a plug housing which has a plug chamber provided thereon and said plug base is pivotally connected at a top portion of said plug chamber, so that when said plug unit is capable of inwardly folding up to hide within said plug chamber said plug unit is not in use.

11. The nightlight battery charger, as recited in claim 10, wherein said power input further comprises a power switch and said power casing has a switch housing provided at a top front portion thereof to receive said power switch, wherein said power switch comprises a pair of power contacts which are disposed and supported inside said power housing and electrically connected with said electric circuit, wherein said two power contacts are positioned respective to said locations of said two switch terminal contact heads,

wherein when said plug unit is not in use, said plug unit is able to be inwardly folded up to hide within said plug chamber, and said two switch terminal heads are positioned at an upper position and have no physical contact with said two power contacts, so that said plug unit is electrically disconnected with said electric circuit;

wherein when said nightlight battery charger of said present invention is in use, said plug unit of said power input is able to be unfolded out from said plug chamber to a connecting position that said plug pins are turned to bias against said two power contacts so that said two plug pins are electrically connected with said electric circuit inside said main casing;

wherein said two power contacts are electrically connected with said second pair of said battery terminals through two wire holes provided on said battery head cover to communicate said switch housing with said battery compartments.

12. A nightlight battery charger, comprising:

a charger casing having an interior cavity and at least a battery compartment defined therein;

a nightlight system, which is supported in said charger casing, comprising at least an illuminator for generating illumination and an exchangeable lens card detachably attached to cover and protect said illuminator,

a plurality of battery terminals provided in said battery compartment respectfully for electrically contacting with terminal ends of a rechargeable battery disposed in said battery compartment;

a power input supplying power to light up said illuminator; and

a recharging electric circuit provided in said charger casing and electrically connected with said terminals and said power input for supplying electricity power to charge up said rechargeable battery in said battery compartment, wherein said charger casing comprises a main casing defining said central interior cavity between a front wall and a bottom wall thereof for storing and supporting said electric circuit and said battery compartment is formed at one side of said central interior cavity while another battery compartment is formed at another side of said central interior cavity, wherein on said front wall of said main casing further forms a lighting cavity defined by a concave surface indented on said front wall and a central hole provided thereon for communicating said central interior cavity with said lighting cavity, wherein said illuminator is securely mounted at said central hole to electrically connect with said power input, wherein a light reflection material is coated on said concave surface of said lighting cavity to render said concave surface forming a reflecting surface for said illuminator supported in said light cavity;

wherein two U-shaped panels defining said two battery compartments are respectively extended to in front of two side ridges, which are frontwardly and integrally extended at two side edges of said front wall of said main casing, respectively, so as to define two holding slots between front edges of said two U-shaped panels and said front wall of said main casing, wherein a perpendicular distance between said front wall of said main casing and said two front edges of said U-shaped panels is slightly larger than a thickness of said exchangeable lens card, wherein said pair of side ridges acts as side boundaries of said two holding slots while a distance between said two side ridges is slightly larger than a width of said exchangeable lens card, so as to allow said exchangeable lens card to smoothly slide along said two holding slots to cover said illuminator.