Rechargeable flameless candle systems and methods

• US 8,579,461 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sterno Home Inc. (Sterno LLC)
• Original Assignee: Winvic Sales Incorporated
• Inventors: Fournier, Bernard, Boucher, Frederic, Carpintero, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US13/096,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20110317403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 362/183, 362/392, 362/393, 362/184, 362/234, 362/253, 362/447, 362/362, 362/249.02, 362/810, 320/108, 439123-124, 431/295
• US Class Current: 362/183
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 2/00 Systems of electric lighting devices systems employing both electric and non-electric light sources or exchangeable light sources F21L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/02 characterised by the provision of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/04 simulating flames
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/001 being candle-shaped with varying lighting effect of simulating flames F21S10/04; string of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for decorative purposes, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• 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 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present invention, a recharging device includes a recharging port that receives a flameless candle and recharges a battery in the candle. The recharging device includes a first stacking structure that has a top portion and a bottom portion. There is a top stacking contact on the top portion. The electrical power bus is connected with the top stacking contact. The top portion of the first stacking structure is configured to mate with a bottom portion of a first stacking structure of another recharging device. In an embodiment, the bottom portion of the first stacking structure has a bottom stacking contact electrically connected with the electrical power bus. The bottom stacking contact may have a pogo spring. The recharging device may also have a second stacking structure having a top portion without an electrical contact. The second stacking structure is configured to mate with a bottom portion of another second stacking structure. In an embodiment, the device has two first stacking structures and two second stacking structures.

Claims

1. A recharging device for recharging flameless candles, the recharging device comprising:

a recharging port configured to receive a flameless candle and recharge a battery of the flameless candle;

a first stacking structure including a top portion and a bottom portion;

a top stacking contact on the top portion; and

an electrical power bus electrically connected with the recharging port and with the top stacking contact,

wherein the top portion of the first stacking structure is configured to mate with a bottom portion of first stacking structure of another recharging device.

2. The recharging device of claim 1, wherein the recharging port further comprises an inner recharging contact and an outer recharging contact.

3. The recharging device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the inner recharging contact and the outer recharging contact comprises a pogo spring.

4. The recharging device of claim 1, wherein the recharging port comprises a cylindrical recessed region.

5. The recharging device of claim 1, wherein the recharging port comprises at least one magnet arranged to improve an electrical connection between the recharging port and the flameless candle.

6. The recharging device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of recharging ports each electrically connected with the electrical power bus.

7. The recharging device of claim 6, further comprising a recharging controller configured to separately control current supplied to each of the plurality of recharging ports.

8. The recharging device of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of visual indicators corresponding to the plurality of recharging ports and configured to indicate a recharging state of a corresponding plurality of flameless candles.

9. The recharging device of claim 1, wherein the recharging port is configured to receive the flameless candle and recharge the battery of the flameless candle after the flameless candle is dropped on the recharging port.

10. The recharging device of claim 9, wherein the recharging port is configured to permit a rotation of the flameless candle across a plurality of rotational angles and recharge the battery of the flameless candle when the flameless candle is at each of the rotational angles.

11. The recharging device of claim 1, wherein the bottom portion of the first stacking structure comprises a bottom stacking contact electrically connected with the electrical power bus.

12. The recharging device of claim 11, wherein the bottom stacking contact comprises a pogo spring.

13. The recharging device of claim 1, further comprising a second stacking structure comprising a top portion without an electrical contact, wherein the second stacking structure is configured to mate with a bottom portion of another second stacking structure.

14. The recharging device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of recharging ports are arranged within a tray.

15. The recharging device of claim 14, wherein the tray comprises at least one handle.

16. The recharging device of claim 15, wherein the tray comprises a left lateral portion including a left handle and a right lateral portion including a right handle.

17. The recharging device of claim 13, further comprising two first stacking structures and two second stacking structures.

18. A method for recharging a flameless candle, the method comprising:

stacking a first recharging device with a second recharging device;

dropping at least one flameless candle into a corresponding recharging port in the first recharging device;

recharging a battery of the flameless candle through the recharging port;

unstacking the first recharging device from the second recharging device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said dropping the flameless candle with a recharging port further comprises dropping a plurality of flameless candles into a corresponding plurality of recharging ports in the first recharging device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said dropping at least one flameless candle into a corresponding recharging port further comprises sequentially dropping the at least one flameless candle into the corresponding recharging port at a plurality of different rotational angles of the at least one flameless candle.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising indicating through a visual indicator a recharging state of the battery of the at least one flameless candle.