Power adapters for powering and/or charging peripheral devices

• US 8,674,558 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: De Iuliis, Daniele, Hodge, Andrew Bert, Robbin, Jeffrey L., Ng, Stanley Carl, Anderson, Eric W., Fadell, Anthony M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAVALLARI, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US13/549,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20120275206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 307/150, 307/151
• US Class Current: 307/150
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• 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: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A power adapter for a peripheral device such as portable electronics device is disclosed. The power adapter includes a housing that contains electrical components associated with the power adapter. The power adapter also includes a data port provided at a surface of the housing. The data port is configured to provide external power to the peripheral device.

Claims

1. A power adapter, comprising:

a rectangular body having top and bottom faces and four side faces extending between the top and bottom faces, the top and bottom faces being larger than the side faces, the four side faces including a first side face extending between second and third side faces, the third side face extending between a fourth side face and the first side face, the rectangular body having a transformer for converting electrical power housed therein;

a plug body having spaced-apart prongs capable of extending in a direction perpendicular to the second or the fourth side face and adapted to mate with slots of an electrical outlet, the prongs electrically coupled to the transformer, the plug body removably attached to the rectangular body, the plug body having an exterior surface that extends between the second and fourth side faces of the rectangular body when the plug body is attached to the rectangular body; and

an electrical connection on one of the four side faces, the electrical connection coupled to the transformer.

2. The power adapter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the spaced-apart prongs pivot between a recessed position substantially within the plug body and an extended position extending outwardly from the plug body.

3. The power adapter as set forth in claim 2, wherein the plug body includes spaced-apart channels for receiving the spaced-apart prongs when in the recessed position.

4. The power adapter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plug body includes a holding mechanism for mechanically fitting and retaining the plug body on the rectangular body.

5. The power adapter set forth in claim 1 wherein the top face is parallel to the bottom face, wherein the top and bottom faces are substantially flat, wherein the rectangular body includes rounded edges and rounded corners where the top, bottom and side faces meet, and wherein the second side is parallel to the first side.

6. The power adapter as set forth in claim 5, wherein the rounded edges have the same radius of curvature, and wherein the rounded corners have the same radius of curvature.

7. The power adapter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electrical connection comprises a power transmission line.

8. A power adapter, comprising:

a transformer for converting electrical power;

a housing configured to enclose the transformer, the housing having a plug region, a connection opening, top and bottom faces and four side faces extending between the top and bottom faces, the top and bottom faces being larger than the side faces, the housing having rounded edges and rounded corners where the top, bottom and side faces meet;

a power cable disposed at an exterior surface of the housing;

contact pins positioned within the connection opening and operatively coupled to the transformer;

a detachable plug having a plug body that is received by the plug region of the housing, prongs configured for insertion into slots of an electrical outlet, and a plug connector operatively coupled to the prongs, the plug region positioned on the housing where the top, bottom and two sides faces meet, the plug connector extending from the plug body and including electrical contacts operatively coupled to the prongs, the plug connector being insertable into the connection opening disposed in the housing so as to electrically engage the contact pins and electrical contacts thereby making an operable power connection between the transformer and the prongs; and

a holding mechanism for releasably holding the plug body within the plug region, the holding mechanism including a notch formed of the plug body adapted for slidably engaging a protrusion that extends from a surface of the housing.

9. The power adapter set forth in claim 8 wherein the detachable plug is an AC power plug and the prongs comprise two flat parallel blades adapted for insertion into a standard U.S. AC outlet.

10. The power adapter set forth in claim 8 wherein the detachable plug includes two prongs and the plug body includes two parallel channels exposed at an outer surface of the plug body.

11. The power adapter set forth in claim 10 wherein the prongs are pivotably coupled to the plug body so that they are moveable between an extended position that allows the prongs to be inserted into an electrical outlet and a recessed position in which each of the prongs is positioned within one of the parallel channels.

12. The power adapter set forth in claim 8 wherein, when the detachable plug is attached to the housing, the power adapter has a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners.

13. The power adapter set forth in claim 8 wherein, when the detachable plug is attached to the housing, the housing and the detachable plug form flush peripheral surfaces of the power adapter.

14. The power adapter set forth in claim 8 wherein the exterior surface of the housing that the power cable is accessible at is opposite the plug region.

15. A power adapter, comprising:

electrical components configured to convert AC power received by the power adapter into external DC power;

a housing configured to enclose the electrical components, the housing having a plug region, a connection opening, top and bottom faces and four side faces extending between the top and bottom faces, the top and bottom faces being larger than the side faces, the four side faces including a first side face extending between second and third side faces, the third side face extending between a fourth side face and the first side face;

a power cable disposed at a first side of the side faces of the housing;

contact pins positioned within the connection opening and operatively coupled to the electrical components;

a detachable plug having a plug body that is received by the plug region of the housing, prongs configured for insertion into slots of an electrical outlet, and a plug connector operatively coupled to the prongs, the plug connector extending from the plug body and including electrical contacts operatively coupled to the prongs, the plug connector being insertable into the connection opening disposed in the housing so as to electrically engage the contact pins and electrical contacts, thereby making an operable power connection between the electrical components and the prongs; and

a holding mechanism for releasably holding the plug body within the plug region,

wherein the detachable plug includes an exterior surface that extends between the second and fourth side faces of the rectangular body when the plug body is attached to the housing.

16. The power adapter set forth in claim 15 wherein the holding mechanism includes a notch formed of the plug body adapted for slidably engaging a protrusion that extends from a surface of the housing.

17. The power adapter set forth in claim 15 wherein the plug connector is a one-piece integral unit that has a figure eight shaped cross section.

18. The power adapter set forth in claim 17 wherein the plug connector has an outer peripheral surface that generally matches in shape and fits within an interior surface of the connection opening.

19. The power adapter set forth in claim 15 wherein when the detachable plug is attached to the housing, the power adapter has a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners and the housing and the detachable plug form flush peripheral surfaces of the power adapter, wherein the detachable plug includes two prongs and the plug body includes two parallel channels exposed at the exterior surface of the plug body, and wherein the prongs are pivotably coupled to the plug body so that they are moveable between an extended position that allows the prongs to be inserted into an electrical outlet and a recessed position in which each of the prongs is positioned within one of the parallel channels.

20. The power adapter set forth in claim 19 wherein the prongs in the detachable plug comprise two flat parallel blades.

21. A power adapter, comprising:

a rectangular body having top and bottom surfaces and four side surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces, the top and bottom surfaces being larger than the side surfaces, the four side surfaces including a first side surface extending between second and third side surfaces, the third side surface extending between a fourth side surface and the first side surface, the rectangular body carrying an transformer for converting electrical power, the rectangular body including a plug body removably attached to the rectangular body, the plug body including an exterior surface that extends between the second and fourth side surfaces of the rectangular body when the plug body is attached to the rectangular body, the plug body having spaced-apart prongs electrically coupled to the transformer and capable of extending in a direction perpendicular to one of the side surfaces and adapted to mate with slots of an electrical outlet, and the rectangular body including an electrical connection electrically coupled to the transformer and located on one of the side surfaces.