Solar charger

• US 7,679,312 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toya, Shoichi, Fukukawa, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): OMAR, AHMED H
• Application Number:
  US11/907,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 320/101, 320/103, 323/906
• US Class Current: 320/101
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2020/186 allowing change of position for optimization of heat collection
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/38 Energy storage means, e.g. batteries, structurally associated with PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin

Abstract

The solar charger is provided with a case 1 that can hold a rechargeable battery 5 in a removable fashion, and a solar cell 4 to supply charging power to the rechargeable battery 5 loaded in the case 1. The case 1 is formed in a shape having a bottom surface 2 and at least two tapered surfaces 3 with different slope angles α with respect to the bottom surface 2, and the solar cell is disposed on the bottom surface 2. The angle of inclination θ of the solar cell 4 provided on the bottom surface 2 of the solar charger is changed by disposing a tapered surface 3 having a different slope angle α on a flat surface.

Claims

1. A solar charger comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

a case having a bottom surface and at least two tapered surfaces having different slope angles with respect to the bottom surface, the case holding the rechargeable battery in a removable fashion; and

a solar cell, disposed on the bottom surface, for supplying charging power to the rechargeable battery loaded in the case, wherein

an angle of inclination of the solar cell provided on the bottom surface can be changed by disposing one of the tapered surfaces having different slope angles on a flat surface,

the case is provided with at least a summer tapered surface, having n angle of inclination for summer, and a winter tapered surface having an angle of inclination for winter.

2. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein the case is formed in the shape of a pyramid or a hipped roof with a polygonal bottom surface and a plurality of tapered surfaces around a perimeter of the bottom surface.

3. The solar charger as recited in claim 2, wherein the pyramid or hipped roof shape has a polygonal bottom surface and a cross-section surface area that decreases towards the vertex region.

4. The solar charger as recited in claim 2, wherein the case is formed in a pyramid or hipped roof shape with four sides around the bottom surface.

5. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein a rechargeable battery compartment is provided in a vertex region of the case opposite from the bottom surface.

6. The solar charger as recited in claim 5, wherein

the vertex region of the case is cut in a planar fashion to form an opening for the rechargeable battery compartment;

a removable cap closes off the opening; and

the removable cap has a shape that is coplanar with the tapered surfaces of the case.

7. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein the case is also provided with a spring and fall tapered surface having an angle of inclination for spring and fall.

8. The solar charger as recited in claim 7, wherein

the spring and fall tapered surface has a slope angle equal to a north latitude at a point of use,

the summer tapered surface has a slope angle equal to a sum of the north latitude at the point of use minus 23.4°

, and

the winter tapered surface has a slope angle equal to the sum of the north latitude at the point of use plus 23.40°

.

9. The solar charger as recited in claim 7, wherein

the spring and fall tapered surface has a slope angle ranging from a north latitude at a point of use to the north latitude at a point of use plus 15°

,

the summer tapered surface has a slope angle ranging from the north latitude at the point of use to the north latitude at a point of use minus 25°

, and

the winter tapered surface has a slope angle ranging from the north latitude at the point of use plus 15°

to the north latitude at a point of use plus 30°

.

10. The solar charger as recited in claim 7, wherein

the spring and fall tapered surface has a slope angle from 35°

to 50°

,

the summer tapered surface has a slope angle from 10°

to 35°

, and

the winter tapered surface has a slope angle from 50°

to 65°

.

11. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein the case is formed in a prism or a truncated prism shape, having a bottom surface with a rectangular shape, and two tapered surfaces provided at the perimeter of the bottom surface.

12. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein the summer tapered surface has a slope angle of 40°

, and the winter tapered surface has a slope angle of 50°

.

13. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein the summer tapered surface has a slope angle ranging from 15°

to 45°

, and the winter tapered surface has a slope angle ranging from 45°

to 60°

.

14. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein the case is also provided spring and fall tapered surface, and

a vertex region of the case serves as a third tapered surface, which is the summer tapered surface.

15. The solar charger as recited in claim 14, wherein

the spring and fall tapered surface has a slope angle ranging from 35°

to 50°

,

the summer tapered surface has a slope angle ranging from 10°

to 35°

, and

the winter tapered surface has a slope angle ranging from 50°

to 65°

.

16. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein

an internal battery, which is charged by the solar cell, is provided inside the case, and

the rechargeable battery is charged with the internal battery.

17. The solar charger as recited in claim 16, wherein the internal battery is a lithium ion rechargeable battery.

18. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein the case houses a charging circuit to charge the rechargeable battery with output from the solar cell.

19. The solar charger as recited in claim 18, wherein

an internal battery, which is charged by the solar cell, is provided inside the case, and

the charging circuit charges the rechargeable battery using both the solar cell and the internal battery.

20. A solar charger as recited in claim 1 wherein the case includes

an internal battery, which is charged by the solar cell,

a push-button, and

LEDs to indicate the remaining battery capacity and the charging state of the internal battery, and the remaining battery capacity and the charging state of the rechargeable battery, when the push-button is pressed.

21. The solar charger as recited in claim 20, wherein the case is made of a material that passes light and the LEDs are disposed inside the case.

22. The solar charger as recited in claim 1, wherein the case is provided with a USB terminal, and power is supplied, to electronic equipment provided with a USB connector, via a connection to the USB terminal.