Magnetically attachable battery recharging

• US 7,741,806 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meridian Design Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Meridian Design Incorporated
• Inventors: Matthews, Dan R., Kuhlmann, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMADAN, RAMY O
• Application Number:
  US11/467,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 320/110, 320/162, 439/38, 439/39, 439/40
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

A charging device for transferring electrical charge between a variety of sources and clients comprising charging circuitry and electrical leads with magnetically attaching connectors is disclosed. The magnetically attachable leads are used to connect to external batteries or other sources or clients. The charging circuitry may be a buck, boost, or boost/buck switching ASIC or may be a micro-controller.

Claims

1. A method of transferring electrical charge comprising:

attaching a first magnetic connector directly to a first contact of a first source, said first magnetic connector being connected to a first flexible and exposed electrical lead;

attaching a second magnetic connector directly to a second contact of said first source, said second magnetic connector being connected to a second flexible and exposed electrical lead;

drawing charge from said first source through said first and second magnetic connectors, and a charging circuit; and

sending said charge from said charging circuit to a first electrical charge storage device,

wherein said first and second magnetic connectors comprise permanent magnets, and are capable of directly connecting to a second source and drawing charge from said second source, said second source having a different size or shape than said first source.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first source is a battery.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first source is a photo-voltaic cell.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first source is an AC current.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said first source is a DC current.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

detaching said first magnetic connector from said first contact of said first source,

detaching said second magnetic connector from said second contact of said first source,

attaching said first magnetic connector directly to a first contact of a second electric charge storage device,

attaching said second magnetic connector directly to a second contact of said second electric charge storage device, and

sending said charge from said first electrical charge storage device to said second electric charge storage device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said charging circuit is a buck circuit.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said charging circuit is a boost/buck circuit.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said first electrical charge storage device is a battery.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said first electrical charge storage device is a capacitor.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

detaching said first magnetic connector from said first contact of said source,

detaching said second magnetic connector from said second contact of said source,

attaching said first magnetic connector directly to a first contact of a second electric charge storage device,

attaching said second magnetic connector directly to a second contact of said second electric charge storage device, and sending said charge from said first electrical charge storage device to said second electric charge storage device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising powering a portable electronic device with said first electrical charge storage device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

attaching a third magnetic connector directly to a first contact of said first electrical charge storage device prior to sending said charge from said charging circuit to said first electrical charge storage device, said third magnetic connector being connected to a third electrical lead, and

attaching a fourth magnetic connector directly to a second contact of said first electrical charge storage device prior to sending said charge from said charging circuit to said first electrical charge storage device, said fourth magnetic connector being connected to a fourth electrical lead.

14. A method of transferring electrical charge comprising:

attaching a first magnetic connector directly to a first contact of a first source, the first magnetic connector being connected to a first flexible and exposed electrical lead;

attaching a second magnetic connector directly to a second contact of the first source, the second magnetic connector being connected to a second electrical lead;

drawing charge from the source through the first and second magnetic connectors, and a charging circuit; and

sending the charge from the charging circuit to a first electrical charge storage device,

wherein the first and second magnetic connectors comprise permanent magnets, and are capable of directly connecting to a second source and drawing charge from the second source, the second source having a different size or shape than the first source.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second electrical lead is flexible and exposed.

16. A charge transfer device comprising:

a housing;

a charging circuit positioned within the housing and configured to operatively connect to a plurality of different types of charge source, each of the plurality of different types of charge source comprising a first contact and a second contact;

a first electrical lead operatively connected to the charging circuit, the first electrical lead extending from the housing and being flexible;

a first magnetic connector comprising a permanent magnet, the first magnetic connector being operatively connected to the first electrical lead and being configured to directly connect to the first contact;

a second electrical lead operatively connected to the charging circuit;

a second magnetic connector comprising a permanent magnet, the second magnetic connector being operatively connected to the second electrical lead and being configured to directly connect to the second contact;

wherein the charging circuit is configured to operatively connect to an electrical charge storage device, and is configured to transfer charge from the plurality of different types of charge source, through the first and second magnetic connectors, to the electrical charge storage device, and

wherein the plurality of different types of charge source include types of charge source with different shapes or sizes.

17. The charge transfer device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of different types of source comprise a battery, a capacitor, a photo-voltaic cell.

18. The charge transfer device of claim 16, wherein the second electrical lead is flexible and extends from the housing.

19. The charge transfer device of claim 16, wherein the electrical charge storage device is operatively connected to the charging circuit though a third electrical lead and a fourth electrical lead and is positioned within the housing.