Charge clip

• US 8,686,683 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Audiovox Corporation (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Caskey, Henry Dale, Benedetti, David Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Application Number:
  US13/065,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20110227535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/111, 320112-114, 439171-173
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/04 Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

A charge clip having a main body and plug received through an aperture therein includes a cradle for holding a personal electronic instrument (PEI) thereon. The plug is inserted into a wall outlet and the main body is selectively rotationally moveable with respect to the plug so that the main body is maintained in a vertical orientation regardless of the orientation of the wall outlet. The plug includes at least one rib that is selectively engageable with at least one notch formed in the aperture, preventing rotational movement of the main body with respect to the plug. The plug further includes an AC/DC conversion circuit that converts standard AC power from the wall outlet to DC power for charging the PEI. The charge clip further includes at least one USB port in electrical communication with the AC/DC conversion circuit that receives a USB plug in electrical communication with the PEI.

Claims

1. A charge clip for charging and supporting an electrical device thereon, the charge clip being pluggable into an AC wall outlet having power slots, which comprises:

a main body, the main body having an upper portion defining a cradle for at least partially receiving and supporting therein the electrical device, the main body having a continuous internal wall completely encircled within the main body and further having formed therein an aperture defined by the completely encircled internal wall; and

a power plug, the power plug including an outer housing having a rear surface and a front surface situated opposite the rear surface, and a continuous side wall extending between the rear surface and the front surface, the power plug having AC power prongs extending from the rear surface thereof which are receivable by corresponding power slots of the AC wall outlet so that the charge clip is mountable to the AC wall outlet in a desired orientation, the power plug further having a power outlet situated on the front surface thereof on which power is provided for providing the power to the electrical device, the aperture formed in the main body being dimensioned and shaped to fully receive the outer housing of the power plug such that the continuous internal wall of the main body fully encircles and faces the continuous side wall of the outer housing of the power plug, the outer housing of the power plug being fully receivable by the aperture of the main body and being repositionable with respect to the main body between at least a first orientation and a second orientation, the power plug being removable from and reinsertable in the aperture of the main body in order to reposition the power plug with respect to the main body between the at least first orientation and the second orientation;

wherein at least one of the internal wall of the main body defining the aperture and the side wall of the outer housing of the power plug includes four ribs extending outwardly therefrom, adjacent ribs being spaced apart from one another by ninety degrees, and wherein at least the other of the internal wall of the main body defining the aperture and the side wall of the outer housing of the power plug includes four notches formed therein, adjacent notches being spaced apart from one another by ninety degrees, the ribs being receivable by corresponding notches to selectively maintain the position of the power plug with respect to the main body in at least one of the at least first orientation and the second orientation and to prevent the rotation of the power plug within the aperture of the main body in a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction.

2. A charge clip as defined by claim 1, wherein the power plug has formed therein an internal cavity, and wherein the charge clip further comprises a power conversion circuit, the power conversion circuit being disposed within the internal cavity of the power plug and being in electrical communication with the AC power prongs and the power outlet respectively situated on the rear surface and front surface of the power plug.

3. A charge clip as defined by claim 2, wherein the power outlet situated on the front surface of the power plug includes at least one USB port.

4. A charge clip as defined by claim 2, wherein the power conversion circuit includes an AC-to-DC converter circuit.

5. A charge clip as defined by claim 1, wherein the main body includes a back portion and a front portion situated adjacent to the back portion, each of the front portion and the back portion having an upper segment, the upper segment of the front portion diverging from the upper segment of the back portion to define the electrical device supporting cradle between the upper segment of the front portion and the upper segment of the back portion.

6. A charge clip as defined by claim 5, wherein the upper segment of the front portion diverges from the upper segment of the back portion at an acute angle measured between the upper segments of the front portion and the back portion.

7. A charge clip as defined by claim 5, wherein the height of the upper segment of the front portion is less than the height of the upper segment of the back portion to facilitate the placement of an electrical device in the cradle and the removal of the electrical device from the cradle.

8. A charge clip as defined by claim 5, wherein the main body includes opposite lateral side walls, each lateral side wall having a groove formed therein for receiving a portion of an electrical cable used for charging an electrical device.