Charger plug with improved package

• US 9,024,581 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: VoltStar Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VoltStar Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: McGinley, James W., Rimdzius, Donald, Marcusen, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Muralidar, Richard V
• Application Number:
  US12/124,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,540 Days
• Field of Search: 320/111, 439/49, 439/59, 439/63, 439/620.01, 439/620.15, 439/638
• US Class Current: 320/111
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/24 resilient; resiliently-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A reduced plug-size charger plug for power conversion is disclosed utilizing a pair of blades that are slidably mounted into a charger housing, obviating the need for insertion molding. To promote and maintain electrical contact while minimizing package size and charger plug cost, a pair of spring contacts are provided for electrically connecting the blades with internal circuitry.

Claims

1. A charger plug capable of connecting with a two or three receptacle power source to convert 120V input power received from the power source to DC output power, the charger plug being electrically connectable to a rechargeable electronic device via a power cord for providing the DC output power thereto, the charger plug including a housing, the charger plug comprising:

first and second separate blade members secured within the housing so as to have prong portions of the blade members positioned in order to extend in a first direction from a front wall of the housing, the prong portions adapted to be received in the receptacle openings of the power source;

the charger plug including a DC connector having an aperture adapted to removably receive a corresponding power cord plug end for transmitting DC power to the rechargeable electronic device;

the charger plug housing forming a) a charger plug face area defined by the front wall b) an outer profile defined by a perimeter of the front wall and defined by a plug body extending rearward from the front wall and c) a rear end opposite the front wall;

the charger plug configured to be capable of plugging into a standard wall outlet and further;

i) being sized so that the charger plug housing comprises a longitudinal length extending between the front wall and the rear end and the longitudinal length is equal to or less than 2.0 inches and

ii) the outer profile having no interference with an adjacent receptacle of the power source located on all sides of the first receptacle when a like charger plug is mounted in all available orientations in any of the other receptacles,

so that when space is limited by an obstacle adjacent or in front of the power source the charger plug is capable of being conveniently mounted to one of the receptacles, the power cord plug end may be conveniently received by the DC connector and the power cord plug end can be conveniently removed from the DC connector while leaving the charger plug connected to the receptacle.

2. The charger plug of claim 1 wherein the charger plug face area has a perimeter that defines generally one of a polygonal, squared-off circle, ovoid or circular shape and the receptacle face area has a periphery that defines generally one of a polygonal, squared-off circle, ovoid or circular shape.

3. The charger plug of claim 2 wherein the perimeter of the charger plug defines a footprint that is not the same shape as the periphery of the receptacle.

4. The charger plug of claim 2 wherein the periphery of the receptacle surrounds less than all sides of a group of the receptacles.

5. The charger plug of claim 4 wherein the power source comprises a receptacle having two or three groups of receptacle openings disposed in a single continuous plate comprising the first and second receptacles.

6. The charger plug of claim 1 wherein the power source comprises four receptacles disposed in the wall outlet.

7. The charger plug of claim 1 wherein the power source includes three receptacle openings disposed in each of the first, second and third receptacles.

8. The charger plug of claim 1, further comprising the housing having a tapered portion at a rear end thereof, the tapered portion having an opening, and the connector being accessible through the tapered portion opening.

9. The charger plug of claim 1, further comprising a supporting substrate on which internal circuitry for converting power is mounted, the supporting substrate being a board extending in a lateral direction relative to the prong portions, and the housing has a shape to provide a tactile indication of an orientation of the connector.

10. The charger plug of claim 1 wherein the housing forms an outer profile having a longitudinal length of the housing outer profile being less than approximately 2.0 inches and a width of the housing outer profile being less than approximately 1.7 inches.

11. The charger plug of claim 1, wherein the connector is USB receptacle.

12. The charger plug of claim 1, wherein the aperture of the connector for receiving the power cord plug end has an insertion depth that is less than an insertion depth of the receptacle of the power source, the insertion depth of the receptacle being defined by the blade members of the charger plug being measured between an exit point where the blade member exits the housing and a terminal point on the blade member furthest from the exit point, so that the power cord plug end can be conveniently removed in a small space leaving the charger plug connected to the receptacle.

13. The charger plug of claim 1 wherein the connector is positioned on the housing so that a second direction of insertion of the connector aperture is substantially in-line with the first direction of the blade members of the charger plug to provide a shorter travel path for inserting and removing the power cord plug end when space is limited by an adjacent obstacle.

14. The charger plug of claim 1 wherein the charger plug includes a rear end on a side opposite the front wall and the connector is positioned on the housing so that a second direction of insertion of the connector aperture is substantially perpendicular with the first direction of the blade members of the charger plug to provide a shorter travel path for inserting and removing the power cord plug end when space is limited by an obstacle adjacent the rear end of the charger plug.

15. The charger plug of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a power strip having multiple receptacles aligned side by side along the power strip.

16. The charger plug of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a wall outlet.

17. The charger plug of claim 1, wherein the charger plug includes the DC connector oriented in order to provide a first removal force to remove the power cord plug end from the DC connector that is less than a second removal force to remove the blade members from the receptacle openings of the power source.

18. The charger plug of claim 1, wherein the DC connector has an aperture adapted for removably receiving a corresponding power cord plug end for transmitting DC power to the electronic device, the power cord plug end insertable within the aperture along a second longitudinal insertion axis of the connector aperture that is substantially in-line with the first direction.

19. The charger plug of claim 1, wherein the blade members are non-movably mounted to the housing.