Mobile electronic equipment and battery charger cradle

• US 7,830,116 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakasho, Toshiki, Terao, Kyozo, Mizoguchi, Yasunari, Toya, Shoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAO, M BAYE
• Application Number:
  US12/385,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries

Abstract

Mobile electronic equipment incorporating an induction coil and a battery; and a battery charger cradle for recharging the battery in the mobile electronic equipment. Regarding the charger cradle, a bottom surface of a mounting portion is curved in a U-grooved shape, and a primary coil is incorporated inside the U-grooved bottom surface, with the primary coil being connected to a power source. Regarding the mobile equipment, its rear surface placed on the mounting portion of the charger cradle is curved to match with the U-grooved bottom surface, and the induction coil is incorporated inside the curved rear surface. When the mobile equipment is placed on the mounting portion of the charger cradle, the electric power is carried from the primary coil to the induction coil which are electromagnetically coupled with each other, and the battery in the mobile equipment is recharged by the electric power induced to the induction coil.

Claims

1. Mobile electronic equipment and a battery charger stand for recharging the mobile electronic equipment, the mobile electronic equipment comprising:

an incorporated induction coil; and

an incorporated battery rechargeable by electric power being induced to the induction coil,

the battery charger stand recharging the battery contained in the mobile electronic equipment when the mobile electronic equipment is detachably placed on the battery charger stand,

wherein the battery charger stand is so constructed and arranged that a bottom surface of a mounting portion is a curved bottom surface being curved in a U-grooved shape and that a primary coil electromagnetically coupled to the induction coil of the mobile electronic equipment is incorporated inside the curved bottom surface, with the primary coil being connected to an electric power source,

wherein the mobile electronic equipment is so constructed and arranged that a rear surface thereof to be placed on the mounting portion of the battery charger stand is a curved rear surface being in a curved shape of matching with the curved bottom surface being U-grooved and that the induction coil is incorporated inside the curved rear surface, and

wherein when the mobile electronic equipment is placed on the mounting portion, the electric power is carried from the primary coil to the induction coil being electromagnetically coupled with each other, and the battery contained in the mobile electronic equipment is recharged by the electric power being induced to the induction coil.

2. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic equipment is a remote controller for operating an electronic device.

3. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the induction coil is a coil wound on a curved surface matching with the curved rear surface.

4. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic equipment is covered with a detachable cover, and the mounting portion of the battery charger stand is internally profiled to enable the mobile electronic equipment covered with the cover to be placed thereon.

5. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting portion of the battery charger stand is postured to be inclined upwardly toward a rear side in a longitudinal direction of the curved bottom surface being U-grooved and has a stopper wall provided at a bottom end of the mounting portion, and a bottom end of the mobile electronic equipment is placed and mounted on the stopper wall in a posture of being inclined upwardly toward a rear side in a longitudinal direction of the mobile electronic equipment which is to be placed on the mounting portion.

6. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic equipment incorporates the induction coil wound in a state of a curved surface matching with the curved rear surface, and the induction coil is in a loop elongated in a longitudinal direction of the curved bottom surface being curved in the U-grooved shape.

7. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile electronic equipment comprises:

an electronic device having a battery storage for accommodating a plurality of cylindrical batteries in a mutually parallel relationship at a rear surface; and

a battery pack detachably accommodated in the battery storage of the electronic device, wherein the battery pack incorporates the induction coil and the batteries.

8. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the battery charger stand has an upper casing defining the mounting portion, and the bottom surface of the mounting portion at the upper casing is a curved bottom surface being curved in a U-grooved shape.

9. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 8, wherein the mounting portion at the upper casing is so constructed and arranged that the longitudinal direction of the curved bottom surface being U-grooved is postured to be inclined upwardly toward the rear direction, that a stopper wall is provided at the bottom end of the mounting portion, and that a light guide is exposed on the stopper wall to irradiate a light of an LED to the outside.

10. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 9, wherein the light guide is made of a translucent plastic material and guides the light of the LED, disposed on a circuit board fixed in a casing, to an exposure portion at a tip thereof, and the light is irradiated from the exposure portion to the outside.

11. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 10, wherein the tip of the exposure portion of the light guide is exposed on an outer surface side of the stopper wall and on an inner surface side of the stopper wall, and the light emitted from the LED is irradiated to the outer surface of the stopper wall and to the inner surface of the stopper wall.

12. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary coil is a flat coil wound in a planar state and is wound in a loop elongated in the longitudinal direction of the U-shaped groove so as to enable the electric power to be carried to an area elongated along the longitudinal direction.

13. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the primary coil has a shield layer provided at a side opposite to the induction coil.

14. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 13, wherein the shield layer is a layer composed of metal or ferrite having high magnetic permeability and shields the side of the primary coil opposite to the induction coil.

15. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 14, wherein the shield layer and the primary coil are fixed to a plastic-made support platform incorporated in the casing.

16. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 15, wherein the support platform has a circuit board fixed to the casing, and the shield layer and the primary coil are disposed in place at the casing.

17. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 16, wherein the support platform has a slanted surface matching with the curved bottom surface, and the shield layer and the primary coil are fixed to the slanted surface in a layered state.

18. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the battery charger stand has a connection portion allowing the adjacent battery charger stand to be detachably interconnected.

19. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 18, wherein the connection portion is connected to a bottom surface of a casing such that the connection portion is retractable inside by pivotal motion of 90 degrees in a horizontal plane.

20. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 18, wherein the connection portion has a first end thereof connected pivotably to a casing, while the connection portion has at a second end thereof a fitting-on protrusion projecting upwardly to be guided into a fitting-in recess defined at a lower casing of the adjacent battery charger stand.

21. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 20, wherein the casing has at its bottom the fitting-in recess to guide the fitting-on protrusion of the connection portion into the fitting-in recess, and the connection portion is refracted inside when not in use.

22. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 1, wherein the battery charger stand comprises:

a power source connector to which the electric power is inputted by an AC adaptor; and

an exterior inputting connector to which the electric power is inputted by the adjacent battery charger stand, and in order to recharge the battery contained in the mobile electronic equipment, the power source switches the electric power inputted from the power source connector and the electric power inputted from the exterior inputting connector.

23. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 18, wherein the battery charger stand has a power source cord for supplying the electric power to the adjacent battery charger stand.

24. The mobile electronic equipment and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 23, wherein the battery charger stand has a storage recess defined at the bottom surface of a casing so as to allow the power source cord to be fitted in the storage recess.

25. A battery pack and a battery charger stand for recharging a battery in the battery pack, the battery pack comprising:

an induction coil; and

the battery rechargeable by electric power induced to the induction coil,

wherein the battery charger stand is capable of recharging the battery contained in the battery pack when a mobile electronic equipment which contains the battery pack is detachably placed on the battery charger stand,

wherein the battery charger stand is so constructed and arranged that a bottom surface of a mounting portion is a curved bottom surface being curved in a U-grooved shape and that a primary coil electromagnetically coupled to the induction coil of the battery pack is incorporated inside the curved bottom surface, with the primary coil being connected to an electric power source,

wherein the battery pack is so constructed and arranged that a rear surface thereof to be placed on the mounting portion of the battery charger stand is a curved rear surface being in a curved shape of matching with the curved bottom surface being U-grooved and that the induction coil is incorporated inside the curved rear surface, and

wherein when the battery pack is placed on the mounting portion, the electric power is carried from the primary coil to the induction coil being electromagnetically coupled with each other, and the battery contained in the battery pack is recharged by the electric power being induced to the induction coil.

27. The battery pack and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 25, wherein the induction coil is a coil wound on a curved surface matching with the curved rear surface.

28. The battery pack and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 25, wherein the mobile electronic equipment is covered with a detachable cover, and the mounting portion of the battery charger stand is internally profiled to enable the mobile electronic equipment covered with the cover to be placed thereon.

29. The battery pack and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 25, wherein the battery pack incorporates the induction coil wound in a state of a curved surface matching with the curved rear surface, and the induction coil is in a loop elongated in a longitudinal direction of the curved bottom surface being curved in the U-grooved shape.

30. The battery pack and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 25, wherein the battery charger stand has an upper casing defining the mounting portion, and the bottom surface of the mounting portion at the upper casing is a curved bottom surface being curved in a U-grooved shape.

31. The battery pack and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 25, wherein the primary coil is a flat coil wound in a planar state and is wound in a loop elongated in the longitudinal direction of the U-shaped groove so as to enable the electric power to be carried to an area elongated along the longitudinal direction.

26. A battery pack and a battery charger stand for recharging a battery in the battery pack, the battery pack comprising:

an induction coil; and

the battery rechargeable by electric power induced to the induction coil,

wherein the battery charger stand is capable of recharging the battery contained in the battery pack when the battery pack is detachably placed on the battery charger stand,

wherein the battery charger stand is so constructed and arranged that a bottom surface of a mounting portion is a curved bottom surface being curved in a U-grooved shape and that a primary coil electromagnetically coupled to the induction coil of the battery pack is incorporated inside the curved bottom surface, with the primary coil being connected to an electric power source,

wherein the battery pack is so constructed and arranged that a rear surface thereof to be placed on the mounting portion of the battery charger stand is a curved rear surface being in a curved shape of matching with the curved bottom surface being U-grooved and that the induction coil is incorporated inside the curved rear surface, and

wherein when the battery pack is placed on the mounting portion, the electric power is carried from the primary coil to the induction coil being electromagnetically coupled with each other, and the battery contained in the battery pack is recharged by the electric power being induced to the induction coil.

32. The battery pack and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 26, wherein the induction coil is a coil wound on a curved surface matching with the curved rear surface.

33. The battery pack and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 26, wherein the battery pack incorporates the induction coil wound in a state of a curved surface matching with the curved rear surface, and the induction coil is in a loop elongated in a longitudinal direction of the curved bottom surface being curved in the U-grooved shape.

34. The battery pack and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 26, wherein the battery charger stand has an upper casing defining the mounting portion, and the bottom surface of the mounting portion at the upper casing is a curved bottom surface being curved in a U-grooved shape.

35. The battery pack and the battery charger stand as recited in claim 26, wherein the primary coil is a flat coil wound in a planar state and is wound in a loop elongated in the longitudinal direction of the U-shaped groove so as to enable the electric power to be carried to an area elongated along the longitudinal direction.

36. A battery charger stand for recharging a mobile electronic equipment, the mobile electronic equipment comprising:

an incorporated induction coil; and

an incorporated battery rechargeable by electric power being induced to the induction coil,

the battery charger stand recharging the battery contained in the mobile electronic equipment when the mobile electronic equipment is detachably placed on the battery charger stand,

wherein the battery charger stand is so constructed and arranged that a bottom surface of a mounting portion is a curved bottom surface being curved in a U-grooved shape and that a primary coil electromagnetically coupled to the induction coil of the mobile electronic equipment is incorporated inside the curved bottom surface, with the primary coil being connected to an electric power source,

wherein the mobile electronic equipment is so constructed and arranged that a rear surface thereof to be placed on the mounting portion of the battery charger stand is a curved rear surface being in a curved shape of matching with the curved bottom surface being U-grooved and that the induction coil is incorporated inside the curved rear surface, and

wherein when the mobile electronic equipment is placed on the mounting portion, the electric power is carried from the primary coil to the induction coil being electromagnetically coupled with each other, and the battery contained in the mobile electronic equipment is recharged by the electric power being induced to the induction coil.

37. A battery charger stand for recharging a battery in a battery pack, the battery pack comprising:

an induction coil; and

the battery rechargeable by electric power induced to the induction coil,

wherein the battery charger stand is capable of recharging the battery contained in the battery pack when a mobile electronic equipment which contains the battery pack is detachably placed on the battery charger stand,

wherein the battery charger stand is so constructed and arranged that a bottom surface of a mounting portion is a curved bottom surface being curved in a U-grooved shape and that a primary coil electromagnetically coupled to the induction coil of the battery pack is incorporated inside the curved bottom surface, with the primary coil being connected to an electric power source,

wherein the battery pack is so constructed and arranged that a rear surface thereof to be placed on the mounting portion of the battery charger stand is a curved rear surface being in a curved shape of matching with the curved bottom surface being U-grooved and that the induction coil is incorporated inside the curved rear surface, and

wherein when the battery pack is placed on the mounting portion, the electric power is carried from the primary coil to the induction coil being electromagnetically coupled with each other, and the battery contained in the battery pack is recharged by the electric power being induced to the induction coil.

38. A battery charger stand for recharging a battery in a battery pack, the battery pack comprising:

an induction coil; and

the battery rechargeable by electric power induced to the induction coil,

wherein the battery charger stand is capable of recharging the battery contained in the battery pack when the battery pack is detachably placed on the battery charger stand,

wherein the battery charger stand is so constructed and arranged that a bottom surface of a mounting portion is a curved bottom surface being curved in a U-grooved shape and that a primary coil electromagnetically coupled to the induction coil of the battery pack is incorporated inside the curved bottom surface, with the primary coil being connected to an electric power source,

wherein the battery pack is so constructed and arranged that a rear surface thereof to be placed on the mounting portion of the battery charger stand is a curved rear surface being in a curved shape of matching with the curved bottom surface being U-grooved and that the induction coil is incorporated inside the curved rear surface, and

wherein when the battery pack is placed on the mounting portion, the electric power is carried from the primary coil to the induction coil being electromagnetically coupled with each other, and the battery contained in the battery pack is recharged by the electric power being induced to the induction coil.