Portable power supply
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A portable electrochemical power supply, comprising:
- (a) a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein said housing comprises at least two sections joined to one another, and wherein the housing includes a cavity adapted to removably receive an electrochemical cell;
(b) an electrical connector disposed through said housing, said connector having a first end accessible from said exterior surface;
(c) a circuit board disposed within said housing, said circuit board in electrical connection with both the electrochemical cell and the connector, said circuit board receiving an input voltage from said cell less than 1.90V and providing an output voltage through said connector greater than 3.00V;
wherein said two sections comprise a first section and a second section, wherein said first section comprises said connector and defines a first end of said housing, wherein said second section is tubularly shaped and includes an open end and a closed end, and wherein said first section is removably joined to the open end of said second section.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable electrochemical power supply for handheld electronic devices, such as cellular telephones, is disclosed. The power supply includes a housing with an electrical connector, a circuit board, and a removable electrochemical cell disposed therein. The circuit board carries power supply circuitry which receives electrical energy from the electrochemical cell and provides a power supply output for powering an external device.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A portable electrochemical power supply, comprising:
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(a) a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein said housing comprises at least two sections joined to one another, and wherein the housing includes a cavity adapted to removably receive an electrochemical cell; (b) an electrical connector disposed through said housing, said connector having a first end accessible from said exterior surface; (c) a circuit board disposed within said housing, said circuit board in electrical connection with both the electrochemical cell and the connector, said circuit board receiving an input voltage from said cell less than 1.90V and providing an output voltage through said connector greater than 3.00V; wherein said two sections comprise a first section and a second section, wherein said first section comprises said connector and defines a first end of said housing, wherein said second section is tubularly shaped and includes an open end and a closed end, and wherein said first section is removably joined to the open end of said second section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A portable electrochemical power supply, comprising:
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(a) a housing having an interior surface and an exterior said housing comprises at least two sections joined to one another, and wherein the housing includes a cavity adapted to removably receive an electrochemical cell; (b) an electrical connector disposed through said housing, said connector having a first end accessible from said exterior surface; (c) a circuit board disposed within said housing, said circuit board in electrical connection with both the electrochemical cell and the connector, said circuit board receiving an input voltage from said cell less than 1.90V and providing an output voltage through said connector greater than 3.00V; and wherein said housing is cylindrically shaped, said cavity is cylindrically shaped and said electrochemical cell is cylindrically shaped, said cavity has an inside diameter that is at least 5% larger than the outer diameter of said cell thereby creating an air gap between the interior surface of said housing, and wherein at least 95% of the exterior circumferential surface area of said cell does not contact an interior circumferential surface of the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A process for providing an electric current to a battery powered device, comprising;
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(a) providing a battery powered device having at least one port physically and electrically configured to receive an electric current from an external power supply; (b) selecting an electrochemical cell having a first terminal, a second terminal and an initial unaltered open circuit voltage less than 1.90 V; (c) providing a housing for at least one circuit board and said electrochemical cell, said housing comprising an open end, a sidewall and a closed end, said circuit board capable of transforming an the electrochemical cell'"'"'s voltage from a first voltage to a second higher voltage, said housing comprising an electrically nonconductive first section defining the closed end of the housing and through which said electrical connector is disposed and an electrically conductive second section comprising said sidewall; (d) disposing said cell inside said housing; (e) securing a cover over the open end of the housing; (f) providing an elongated electrically conductive connector; (g) securing said elongated connector to said housing and to said device'"'"'s port thereby establishing an electrical connection between said housing and said device; and (h) allowing the assembled housing, elongated connector and device to remain connected while said circuit board receives an input voltage from said cell and provides an output voltage to said device, wherein said input voltage is less than 1.90V and said output voltage is greater than 3.00V. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A portable battery powered power supply comprising:
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(a) a first housing portion having a first end which includes a first comprising and a second end; (b) second housing portion having third and fourth ends and a battery receiving region disposed therebetween; (c) a circuit board; (d) a power supply circuit carried by the circuit board and including an input which receives electrical energy from a first battery and an output which provides electrical energy to a battery powered device; a first battery contact carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the input of the power supply circuit, wherein the first battery contact is adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a first end of a battery received in the battery receiving region; (f) an electrical connector carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the power supply output, wherein the electrical connector is accessible to an exterior of the power supply through the first opening; (g) a second battery contact adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a second end of the battery; wherein the second housing portion forms at least a portion of an electrically conductive path between the second battery contact and the input of the power supply circuit; and wherein the second housing portion is fabricated from an electrically conductive material. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 42, 43)
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31. A portable battery powered power supply comprising:
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(a) a first housing portion having a first end which includes a first opening and a second end; (b) a second housing portion having third and fourth ends and a battery receiving region disposed therebetween; (c) a circuit board; (d) a power supply circuit carried by the circuit board and including an input which receives electrical energy from a first battery and an output which provides electrical energy to a battery powered device; (e) a first battery contact carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the input of the power supply circuit, wherein the first battery contact is adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a first end of a battery received in the battery receiving region; (f) an electrical connector carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the power supply output, wherein the electrical connector is accessible to an exterior of the power supply through the first opening; (g) a second battery contact adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a second end of the battery; and
a cover threadedly joined to the fourth end. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A portable battery powered power supply comprising:
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(a) a first housing portion having a first end which includes a first opening and a second end; (b) a second housing portion having third and fourth ends and a battery receiving region disposed therebetween; (c) a circuit board; (d) a power supply circuit carried by the circuit board and including an input which receives electrical energy from a first battery and an output which provides electrical energy to a battery powered device; (e) a first battery contact carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the input of the power supply circuit, wherein the first battery contact is adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a first end of a battery received in the battery receiving region; (f) an electrical connector carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the power supply output, wherein the electrical connector is accessible to an exterior of the power supply through the first opening; (g) a second battery contact adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a second end of the battery; and wherein the second housing portion includes a first cover portion and a second cover portion snappingly connected to the first cover portion, and wherein the first housing portion is snappingly connected to the second housing portion.
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34. A portable battery powered power supply comprising:
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(a) a first housing portion having a first end which includes a first opening and a second end; (b) a second housing portion having third and fourth ends and a battery receiving region disposed therebetween; (c) a circuit board; (d) a power supply circuit carried by the circuit board and including an input which receives electrical energy from a first battery and an output which provides electrical energy to a battery powered device; (e) a first battery contact carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the input of the power supply circuit, wherein the first battery contact is adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a first end of a battery received in the battery receiving region; (f) an electrical connector carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the power supply output, wherein the electrical connector is accessible to an exterior of the power supply through the first opening; (g) a second battery contact adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a second end of the battery; and
a light pipe disposed in the first housing portion, andwherein the circuit board carries a first light emitting diode, a first light receiving portion of the light pipe is in optical communication with the light emitting diode, and light emitted by the light pipe is visible through the first housing portion. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. A portable battery powered power supply comprising
(a) a first housing portion having a first end which includes a first opening and a second end; -
(b) a second housing portion having third and fourth ends and a battery receiving region disposed therebetween; (c) a circuit board; (d) a power supply circuit carried by the circuit board and including an input which receives electrical energy from a first battery and an output which provides electrical energy to a battery powered device; (e) a first battery contact carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the input of the power supply circuit, wherein the first battery contact is adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a first end of a battery received in the battery receiving region; (f) an electrical connector carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the power supply output, wherein the electrical connector is accessible to an exterior of the power supply through the first opening; (g) a second battery contact adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a second end of the battery; and
a third battery contact carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the input of the power supply circuit, and wherein the battery receiving region is adapted to receive a second battery. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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44. A portable battery powered power supply, wherein the power supply is adapted to selectively receive first and second generally cylindrical batteries and supply electrical energy to an external portable battery powered device through an electrical connector, the power supply consisting essentially of:
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(a) first, second, and third cover portions which lockingly engage so as to form a unitary assembly having a battery receiving region; (b) a circuit board, wherein the circuit board carries power supply circuitry, the electrical connector, a first battery contact adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a first end of the first battery, and a second battery contact adapted to make electrical contact with a terminal located at a first end of the second battery, (c) a fourth cover portion; (d) first and second user operable attachment members carried by the fourth cover portion and adapted to removably attach the fourth cover portion to the unitary assembly; (e) a mechanically resilient, electrically conductive member carried by the fourth cover portion, wherein the mechanically resilient, conductive member is adapted to provide an electrical connection between terminals located at a second end of the respective first and second batteries, and wherein the mechanically resilient conductive member is in operative mechanical communication with the latch members. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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47. A portable battery powered power supply comprising:
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(a) a first polymeric cover portion; (b) a second polymeric cover portion which lockingly engages the second cover portion so as to form a unitary assembly which includes a cavity adapted to receive a battery; (c) a circuit board; (d) power supply circuitry carried by the circuit board and having an input which receives electrical energy from a battery and an output for providing electrical energy to an external device; (e) a first electrical connector carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the output of the power supply circuitry, wherein the first electrical connector is adapted to provide a removable electrical connection to a corresponding external connector; (f) a first battery contact carried by the circuit board and in electrical communication with the input of the power supply circuitry, wherein the first battery contact is adapted to provide an electrical contact with a terminal located at a first end a battery received in the cavity; (g) a third polymeric cover portion which latchingly engages the unitary assembly so as to allow a user to selectively access the cavity; (h) a second battery contact carried by the third cover portion, wherein the second battery contact is adapted to provide an electrical contact with a terminal located at a second end of the battery.
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48. A method of assembling a battery powered power supply, the method including:
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(a) installing first and second human operable attaching members and a mechanically resilient, electrically conductive member in a first cover portion so that the conductive member urges the attaching members toward an interior surface of the first cover and provides a first battery contact; (b) snappingly attaching a second cover portion to a third cover portion to form a housing having first and second ends and a battery receiving region disposed therebetween; (c) inserting a circuit board which carries an electrical connector, a second battery contact, and electrical circuitry which receives electrical energy from a battery and generates a power supply output for providing electrical energy to an external device in a fourth cover portion so that the electrical connector aligns with a first opening in the fourth cover portion; (d) snappingly attaching the fourth cover portion to the first end of the housing; (e) using the attaching members to removably attach the first cover portion to the second end of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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Specification