Charging system

• US 9,331,505 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Lambert, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US13/412,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20130234656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/134, 320/150
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A charging system for regulating the temperature of an electronic device. The charging system includes a base having a top surface configured to support the electronic device. The base is configured to draw heat away from the electronic device. The base may include at least one channel disposed along the top surface. A charger is operable to electrically charge the electronic device and a blower is configured to blow air along the channel so as to facilitate cooling of the electronic device during charging operations.

Claims

1. A charging system for charging an electronic device, the charging system comprising:

a base having a bottom surface disposed on a generally horizontal plane and top surface raised with respect to the bottom surface so to form a channel having a longitudinal axis, the top surface configured to support the electronic device;

a charger operable to electrically charge the electronic device; and

a blower configured to blow air coaxially along the longitudinal axis so as to blow air along a back side of the electronic device and along the channel to facilitate cooling of the electronic device during charging operations.

2. The charging system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the base includes a plurality of top surfaces, each of the plurality of top surfaces raised with respect to the base so as to form a plurality of channels between each of the top surfaces, each of the plurality of channels extending along a respective longitudinal axis, the blower configured to blow air along at least one of the plurality of channels.

3. The charging system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the top surface includes at least one pair of angled walls, one of the at least one pair of angled walls is angled relative to the other one of the at least one pair of angled walls, so as to form at least one of the plurality of channels.

4. The charging system as set forth in claim 1, further including a first sensor operable to detect the temperature of the electronic device.

5. The charging system as set forth in claim 4, further including a processor configured to receive a signal from the first sensor, the processor configured to process the sensor and actuate the blower when the electronic device reaches a predetermined temperature.

6. The charging system as set forth in claim 1, further including a first actuator configured to actuate the blower.

7. The charging system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the charger is an inductive charging unit disposed beneath the base, the inductive charging unit operable to deliver an inductive charge to the electronic device.

8. The charging system as set forth in claim 7, further including a second actuator configured to actuate the charger.

9. The charging system as set forth in claim 5, further including a second sensor operable to detect the presence of an electronic device on the base, the processor further operable to actuate the charger when the electronic device is detected on the base.

10. The charging system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the charger is an inductive coil disposed beneath the base, the inductive charging coil operable to deliver an inductive charge to the electronic device.