Elimination of power consumption when charger/adaptor is not in use
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A mains-powered voltage adapter/charger for powering or charging an appliance defining electrodes by which power or charging current may be applied, said adaptor/charger comprising:
- a housing;
a transformer located within said housing, said transformer including a secondary winding and a primary winding defining first and second electrodes, for generating transformed voltage at said secondary winding when mains power is applied to said first and second electrodes of said primary winding;
a voltage conditioner located within said housing and coupled to said secondary winding, for generating conditioned voltage in response to said transformed voltage;
a mating socket-and-plug arrangement, said socket-and-plug arrangement including at least first, second and third mating contact sets, said socket of said socket-and-plug arrangement being affixed to said housing so that the mating plug can be mated and demated therewith, said first contact of said socket of said socket-and-plug arrangement being connected to said voltage conditioner for, when said voltage conditioner is supplied with said transformed voltage, receiving said conditioned voltage, said second contact of said socket being connected through said housing to said second electrode of said primary winding, said third contact of said socket being connected to a mains electrode of said housing by a conductive path extending at least partially through said housing;
a conductor interconnecting said second and third contacts of said plug of said plug-and-socket arrangement, and a conductor extending from said first contact of said plug to one of said electrodes of said appliance, whereby, (a) when said socket and plug are mated, and mains power is applied between said first electrode of said primary winding of said transformer and said mains electrode of said housing, conditioned voltage is applied to said appliance, and (b) when mains power is applied between said first electrode of said primary winding of said transformer and said mains electrode of said housing and said socket and plug are demated, said appliance is rendered independent of said housing and said primary winding of said transformer is decoupled from said mains.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plug-and-socket arrangement connects a portable appliance to a mains-powered battery charger/power supply. To avoid unwanted power consumption while the appliance is not connected, the plug-and-socket arrangement, when unplugged so that the appliance can be made portable, disconnects the mains power from the battery charger/power supply.
12 Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A mains-powered voltage adapter/charger for powering or charging an appliance defining electrodes by which power or charging current may be applied, said adaptor/charger comprising:
-
a housing; a transformer located within said housing, said transformer including a secondary winding and a primary winding defining first and second electrodes, for generating transformed voltage at said secondary winding when mains power is applied to said first and second electrodes of said primary winding; a voltage conditioner located within said housing and coupled to said secondary winding, for generating conditioned voltage in response to said transformed voltage; a mating socket-and-plug arrangement, said socket-and-plug arrangement including at least first, second and third mating contact sets, said socket of said socket-and-plug arrangement being affixed to said housing so that the mating plug can be mated and demated therewith, said first contact of said socket of said socket-and-plug arrangement being connected to said voltage conditioner for, when said voltage conditioner is supplied with said transformed voltage, receiving said conditioned voltage, said second contact of said socket being connected through said housing to said second electrode of said primary winding, said third contact of said socket being connected to a mains electrode of said housing by a conductive path extending at least partially through said housing; a conductor interconnecting said second and third contacts of said plug of said plug-and-socket arrangement, and a conductor extending from said first contact of said plug to one of said electrodes of said appliance, whereby, (a) when said socket and plug are mated, and mains power is applied between said first electrode of said primary winding of said transformer and said mains electrode of said housing, conditioned voltage is applied to said appliance, and (b) when mains power is applied between said first electrode of said primary winding of said transformer and said mains electrode of said housing and said socket and plug are demated, said appliance is rendered independent of said housing and said primary winding of said transformer is decoupled from said mains.
-
-
2. An energizing arrangement for electrically energizing from power mains a removable electrical appliance, where said appliance includes first and second electrodes by which direct current may be applied for energization, said energizing arrangement comprising:
-
one of a socket and a plug, said one of a socket and a plug including first, second, and third mutually isolated contacts; the other one of a socket and a plug, said other one of a socket and a plug being adapted for physical mating with said one of a socket and a plug, said other one of a socket and a plug including first, second, and third contacts, said third contact of said other one of said socket and plug being electrically common with said second contact of said other one of said socket and plug, and, when said one of said socket and plug is mated with said other one of said socket and plug, said first contact of said one of said socket and plug being connected to said first contact of said other one of said socket and plug, said second contact of said one of a socket and plug being connected to said second contact of said other one of said socket and plug, and said third contact of said other one of said socket and plug being connected to said third contacts of said one of said socket and plug; a voltage or current converter including first, second, third, and fourth electrodes, said converter being energized when mains power is applied to said first and third electrodes of said converter, and when so energized, producing energizing potential between said fourth and third electrodes of said converter; a first electrical conductor connected to said third contact of said one of a socket and plug and adapted to be connected to said power mains; a second electrical conductor connected to said first electrode of said converter and adapted to be connected to said power mains; a third electrical conductor connected to said second electrode of said converter and to said first contact of said one of said socket and plug; a fourth electrical conductor connected to said first contact of said other one of said socket and plug and to said first electrode of said appliance; a fifth electrical conductor connected to at least one of said second and third contacts of said other one of said socket and plug and to said second electrode of said appliance; a sixth electrical conductor connected to said third electrode of said converter and to said second contact of said one of said socket and plug, whereby, when said socket and plug are mated said second electrode and said third electrode of said converter are connected and said converter is energized, said first contact of said other one of said socket and plug is electrically connected to said first direct-current electrode of said appliance, and at least one of said second and third contacts of said other one of said socket and plug is electrically connected to said second direct-current electrode of said appliance, said converter applies energizing voltage to said appliance, and when said other one of said socket and plug is not mated with said one of said socket and plug said converter draws no current from said mains. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
-
-
5. An energizing arrangement for electrically energizing from power mains a removable electrical appliance, where said appliance includes first and second electrodes by which direct current may be applied for energization, said energizing arrangement comprising:
-
One of a socket and a plug, said one of a socket and a plug including first, second, third, and fourth mutually isolated contacts; the other one of a socket and a plug, said other one of a socket and a plug being adapted for physical mating with said one of a socket and a plug, said other one of a socket and a plug including first, second, third, and fourth contacts, said third contact of said other one of said socket and plug being electrically common with said second contact of said other one of said socket and plug, and, when said one of said socket and plug is mated with said other one of said socket and plug, said first contact of said one of said socket and plug being connected to said first contact of said other one of said socket and plug, said second contact of said one of a socket and plug being connected to said second contact of said other one of said socket and plug, said second and third contacts of said other one of said socket and plug being connected to said second and said third contacts of said one of said socket and plug, and said fourth contact of said one of said socket and plug being connected to said fourth contact of said other one of said socket and plug; a current converter including first, second, third, fourth, and fifth electrodes, said converter being energized when mains power is applied to said first and third electrodes of said converter, and when so energized, producing energizing potential between said fourth and fifth electrodes of said converter; a first electrical conductor connected to said third contact of said one of a socket and plug and adapted to be connected to said power mains; a second electrical conductor connected to said first electrode of said converter, and adapted to be connected to said power mains; a third electrical conductor connected to said fourth electrode of said converter and to said first contact of said one of said socket and plug; a fourth electrical conductor connected to said fifth electrode of said converter and to said fourth contact of said one of said socket and plug; a fifth electrical conductor connected to said first contact of said other one of said socket and plug and to said first electrode of said appliance; a sixth electrical conductor connected to at said fourth contact of said other one of said socket and plug and to said second electrode of said appliance; a seventh electrical conductor connected to said third electrode of said converter and to said second contact of said one of said socket and plug, whereby, when said socket and plug are mated said second electrode and said third electrode of said converter are connected and said converter is energized, said first contact of said other one of said socket and plug is electrically connected to said first direct-current electrode of said appliance, and said fourth contact of said other one of said socket and plug is electrically connected to said second direct-current electrode of said appliance, said converter applies energizing voltage to said appliance, and when said other one of said socket and plug is not mated with said one of said socket and plug said converter draws no current from said mains.
-
-
6. A charger or power source for an appliance, which appliance is energized or charged by application of conditioned voltage across first and second electrodes, said charger or power source comprising:
-
a housing containing a transformer, said transformer including a primary winding defining first and second electrodes, for generating secondary power when said first and second electrodes of said transformer are energized from alternating-current power mains, said housing also including at least one contact adapted to be connected to one side of said power mains, said housing also including a socket of a plug-and-socket arrangement, said socket also including at least first, second, and third contacts, said second contact of said socket being connected to said second electrode of said primary winding of said transformer, said third contact of said socket being connected to said one contact of said housing whereby, when said one contact is connected to said one side of said power mains and said first electrode of said primary winding of said transformer is connected to the other side of said power mains, said one side of said power mains is also connected to said third contact of said socket and said transformer is energized, said housing also containing a power conditioner coupled to a secondary winding of said transformer, for, when said transformer is energized, generating said conditioned voltage and applying said conditioned voltage to said first contact of said socket; a plug of said plug-and-socket arrangement, said plug also including at least first, second, and third contacts, which first, second, and third contacts mate with said first, second, and third contacts of said socket, respectively, when said plug-and-socket are mated, said first contact of said plug being connected to said first electrode of said appliance, said second contact of said plug being connected to said third contact of said plug, whereby, when said socket and plug are mated, said one side of said power mains is connected to said second electrode of said primary winding of said transformer, for generating and applying said conditioned voltage to said appliance. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
-
-
9. A mains-powered converter including:
-
a housing enclosing a transformer including a primary and secondary winding, which transformer when energized by application of power mains voltage to said primary winding, generates transformed power at its secondary winding, said housing also enclosing a voltage conditioner coupled to said secondary winding for generating conditioned power in response to said transformed power, said housing also supporting a socket of a mating set of socket and plug, where said socket includes first, second, and third contacts, and an electrical connection between said voltage conditioner and at least said first contact of said socket, said housing further enclosing a first conductor extending from said second contact of said socket to a second electrode of said primary winding, and a second conductor extending from said third contact of said socket to a mains contact; said plug including a first contact adapted, when said plug is mated to said socket to connect with said first contact of said socket and to couple said conditioned voltage to said appliance, a second contact adapted to connect with said second contact of said socket, and a third contact adapted to connect with said third contact of said socket, said plug including a connection between said second and third contacts, whereby, when said plug and said socket are mated, said mains contact is connected to said second electrode of said primary winding; one side of said mains being adapted to be connected to one side of said primary winding and the other side of said mains being adapted to be connected to said mains contact, whereby, when said mains connections are made and said plug and socket are mated, said conditioned voltage is applied to said appliance, and when said socket and plug are unmated, said mains power is decoupled from said primary winding of said transformer.
-
Specification