Dual input charger with cable storing mechanism

• US 7,011,538 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elementech International Co., Ltd. (Nam Liong International Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Elementech International Co., Ltd. (Nam Liong International Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chang, Chi-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US10/857,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 439/135, 439/4, 439/501, 439/218, 439/171, 439/172, 439/131, 362/258
• US Class Current: 439/172
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/60 Means for supporting coupling part when not engaged
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/68 mounted on directly pluggable apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/06 Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/94
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/04 Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members

Abstract

A charger capable of converting either alternating current or direct current power source, with a cable storing mechanism, is disclosed. The device includes a main body to incorporate other components, an in-car connecting component which can be connected to the cigarette lighter of a car, a house connecting component which can be connected to the AC receptacle, and a cable storing device having a spiral structure to smoothly store the charging cable. Because the dual input charger is so compact that a consumer can carry easily the charger and to choose either the in-car connecting component or the house connecting component, depending on the conditions he faces with. When the charging is finished, a consumer can readily grasp and rotate the charger to sequentially wind the charging cable into the continuous spiral groove of the cable storing device.

Claims

1. A dual input charger, comprising:

a main body with a charging circuit;

an in-car connecting component installed on the main body, connected with the charging circuit;

a house connecting component installed on the main body, connected with the charging circuit;

a cable storing device installed on the main body, having a cable storage reel built directly on an external surface of the main body and a sleeve component sleeved onto the cable storage reel and rotated freely; and

a charging cable connected to the charging circuit at one end of the cable storage reel.

2. The dual input charger of claim 1, further comprising a grasping and rotating cap engaged with the main body to provide a first storeroom formed inside for storing the in-car connecting component.

3. The dual input charger of claim 2, wherein the grasping and rotating cap provides two opposite concave grasping portions which can be grasped by a consumer to rotate the grasping and rotating cap together with the main body to wind the charging cable.

4. The dual input charger of claim 1, further comprising a flat cap engaged with the main body to provide a second storeroom formed inside for storing the house connecting component.

5. The dual input charger of claim 4, further comprising a concave receptacle formed on the main body and located in the second storeroom, which includes a pair of parallel slide track along which the house connecting component can be slid in or out.

6. The dual input charger of claim 5, wherein the concave receptacle has a front positioning point provided to locate the house connecting component in a stored condition, and a rear positioning point provided to locate the house connecting component in an utilized condition.

7. The dual input charger of claim 6, wherein the house connecting component has a base with two metal blades and a positioning hole bored through the base to fit with the front and rear positioning points.

8. The dual input charger of claim 7, wherein the house connecting component has a push button installed into the positioning hole, matching with and slightly protruding above the flat cap.

9. The dual input charger of claim 8, wherein the flat cap has a slot opening formed thereon to match with the push button and to confine the push button slid back and forth within by pressing the push button in discharge the positioning hole from the front or the rear positioning points.

10. The dual input charger of claim 1, wherein the main body 1 includes a shell body formed directly into a cylinder so that a hollow inner space is provided to install the charging circuit and a cylindrical external surface is provided to accommodate the cable storing device to proceed winding and storing of the charging cable.

11. The dual input charger of claim 10, wherein the in-car connecting component is installed at one distal end of the shell body and the house connecting component is installed at the other distal end of the shell body.

12. The dual input charger of claim 1, wherein the charging cable has one end connected to the cable storage reel and the other end formed an end terminal, the cable storage reel adapts a single thread screw structure to has a continuous spiral groove formed on the external surface of the main body, and the sleeve component has a guidance slot to fit a lateral displacement of the end terminal when the charging cable is pulled out from the cable storage reel for charging and to permit only one thread of the charging cable to be winded into the cable storage reel so as to provide a guiding effect for winding.

13. A dual input charger, comprising:

a main body with a charging circuit;

an in-car connecting component installed on the main body, connected with the charging circuit;

a house connecting component installed on the main body, connected with the charging circuit;

a cable storing device installed on the main body, having a cable storage reel and a sleeve component sleeved onto the cable storage reel;

a charging cable connected to the charging circuit at one end of the cable storage reel;

a flat cap engaged with the main body to provide a first storeroom formed inside for storing the house connecting component; and

a concave receptacle formed on the main body and located in the first storeroom, which includes a pair of parallel slide track along which the house connecting component can be slid in or out

wherein the concave receptacle has a front positioning point provided to locate the house connecting component in a stored condition, and a rear positioning point provided to locate the house connecting component in an utilized condition, and

wherein the house connecting component has a base with two metal blades and a positioning hole bored through the base to fit with the front and rear positioning points.

14. The dual input charger of claim 13, wherein the house connecting component has a push button installed into either the front or the rear positioning hole, matching with and slightly protruding above the flat cap.

15. The dual input charger of claim 13, wherein the flat cap has a slot opening formed thereon to match with the push button and to confine the push button slid back and forth within.

16. A dual input charger, comprising:

a main body with a charging circuit;

an in-car connecting component installed on the main body, connected with the charging circuit;

a house connecting component installed on the main body, connected with the charging circuit;

a cable storing device installed on the main body, having a cable storage reel and a sleeve component sleeved onto the cable storage reel; and

a charging cable connected to the charging circuit at one end of the cable storage reel,

wherein the main body comprises a shell body formed directly into a cylinder so that the in-car connecting component is installed at one distal end of the shell body and the house connecting component is installed at the other distal end of the shell body.

17. The dual input charger of claim 16, wherein the shell body includes a hollow inner space to install the charging circuit and a cylindrical external surface to accommodate the cable storing device to proceed winding and storing of the charging cable.

18. The dual input charger of claim 16, wherein the cable storage reel is built directly on an external surface of the main body and a sleeve component sleeved onto the cable storage reel and rotated freely with respect to the main body.

19. The dual input charger of claim 16, wherein the charging cable has one end connected to the cable storage reel and the other end formed an end terminal, the cable storage reel adapts a single thread screw structure to has a continuous spiral groove formed on an external surface of the main body, and the sleeve component has a guidance slot to fit a lateral displacement of the end terminal when the charging cable is pulled out from the cable storage reel for charging and to permit only one thread of the charging cable to be winded into the cable storage reel so as to provide a guiding effect for winding.

20. The dual input charger of claim 16, wherein the in-car connecting component is located along an axial direction of the cylindrical shell body and the house connecting component can slidably move along a radial direction of the cylindrical shell body.