Wireless charger for an electronic device

• US 9,608,475 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Karanikos, Demetrios B., Thompson, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhou, Zixuan
• Application Number:
  US14/946,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 307/104, 320/108, 320113-115
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A wireless charger includes a base having a base opening and an interior cavity defined by upper and lower shells and an inner sidewall extending between the upper and lower shells to define the base opening. An aperture is formed through the inner sidewall between the interior cavity and the base opening and a hinge is connected to the base within the interior cavity and extends through the aperture. The charger further includes a wireless charging assembly pivotably attached to the base by the hinge and moveable between a down position in which the wireless charging assembly is disposed within the base opening and an up position in which the wireless charging assembly extends outside the base. The charging assembly is configured to wirelessly transmit power across the charging surface to a power receiving unit of a portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A wireless charger for an electronic device, the wireless charger comprising:

a base having a base opening and an interior cavity defined by an upper shell, a lower shell and an inner sidewall extending between the base opening and interior cavity and between the upper and lower shells to define the base opening;

an aperture formed through the inner sidewall between the interior cavity and the base opening;

a hinge having a rotational axis within the interior cavity, the hinge extending from the interior cavity through the aperture into the base opening;

a wireless charging assembly pivotably attached to the base by the hinge and moveable between a down position in which the wireless charging assembly is disposed within the base opening and an up position in which the wireless charging assembly extends outside the base, the charging assembly having a charging surface and a power transmitting unit disposed adjacent to the charging surface, the power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit power across the charging surface to a power receiving unit of a portable electronic device.

2. The wireless charger set forth in claim 1 wherein the hinge includes a u-shaped stem that extends through the aperture, the stem having a first end connected to a structure within the interior cavity of the base, a second end connected to the wireless charging assembly and a u-shaped portion between the first and second ends.

3. The wireless charger set forth in claim 2 wherein the stem includes a covered groove extending through the u-shaped portion, the groove including a groove opening at the second end.

4. The wireless charger set forth in claim 3 further comprising a wire that passes through the covered groove and electrically couples the power transmitting unit with circuitry within the base, and wherein the housing of the wireless charging assembly includes a housing opening aligned with the groove opening enabling the wire to pass directly from the stem into the housing.

5. The wireless charger set forth in claim 4 wherein the upper and lower shells are formed from a nonconductive material and the charger further comprises:

a conductive shield disposed between the upper and lower shells;

a connector having a connector opening at an exterior surface of the base to mate with a corresponding plug connector;

a metal bracket having an opening aligned with the connector, wherein the metal bracket is electrically connected to the conductive shield.

6. The wireless charger set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the hinge includes a pin block positioned within the interior cavity of the base, the pin block having a groove formed therein and a rotatable pin rotatably positioned within the groove; and

the first end of the stem is attached to the rotatable pin enabling the wireless charging assembly to pivot around a longitudinal axis that bisects the center of the rotatable pin.

7. The wireless charger set forth in claim 1 wherein when the charging assembly is in the down position, the charging surface is parallel to the bottom surface of the base and when the charging assembly is in the up position, the charging surface is inclined with respect to the bottom surface.

8. The wireless charger set forth in claim 1 wherein the base has a circular shape and the base opening is a circular opening.

9. The wireless charger set forth in claim 1 wherein the base includes a top shell and a bottom shell connected together at a rim along an outer perimeter of the wireless charger, the top shell including an upper surface that has a continuous contour from of the opening to the rim.

10. A wireless charger for an electronic device, the wireless charger comprising:

a donut-shaped base having an upper surface, a planar bottom surface and an inner sidewall extending between the upper surface and the bottom surface that defines a central base opening through the base, the base further including an interior cavity defined at least in part by the upper surface, the bottom surface and the inner sidewall positioned between the interior cavity and the base opening;

an aperture formed through the inner sidewall between the interior cavity and the central base opening;

a hinge having a rotational axis within the interior cavity and extending from the interior cavity through the aperture into the base opening;

a wireless charging assembly pivotably attached to the base by the hinge and moveable between a down position in which the wireless charging assembly is disposed within the central base opening and an up position in which the wireless charging assembly is disposed outside the central base opening, the charging assembly having;

a housing;

a charging surface; and

a power transmitting unit disposed within the housing and adjacent to the charging surface, the power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit power across the charging surface to a power receiving unit of a portable electronic device.

11. The wireless charger set forth in claim 10 wherein the charging surface has a concave shape.

12. The wireless charger set forth in claim 10 wherein the wireless charging assembly includes at least one magnet to assist with alignment of the power transmitting unit to the power receiving unit of a portable electronic device.

13. The wireless charger set forth in claim 10 wherein the power transmitting unit is moveable within housing.

14. The wireless charger set forth in claim 10 wherein the when the wireless charging assembly is in the up position, the charging surface is angled between 80-89 degrees with respect to the bottom surface.

15. The wireless charger set forth in claim 10 wherein the hinge includes a u-shaped stem that extends through the aperture, the stem having a first end connected to a structure within the interior cavity of the base, a second end connected to the wireless charging assembly and a u-shaped portion between the first and second ends.

16. The wireless charger set forth in claim 10 wherein the hinge includes:

a pin block positioned within the interior cavity of the base, the pin block having a groove formed therein and a rotatable pin rotatably positioned within the groove; and

a stem that extends through the aperture, the stem having a first end connected to the rotatable pin within the interior cavity of the base and a second end connected to the wireless charging assembly enabling the wireless charging assembly to pivot around a longitudinal axis that bisects the center of the rotatable pin.

17. The wireless charger set forth in claim 10 further comprising a receptacle connector attached to the base and a wire that electrically couples one or more contacts in the receptacle connector to the power transmitting unit.

18. A wireless charger for an electronic device, the wireless charger comprising:

a circular base having an interior cavity defined by an upper shell, a lower shell and a ring extending between the upper and lower shells to define a base opening through the circular base, wherein;

the upper shell includes a first central circular opening, a first rim formed around a perimeter of the upper shell and a continuously curved surface extending from the first rim to the first central circular opening;

the lower shell includes a second central circular opening, a second rim spaced adjacent to and attached to the first rim and formed around a perimeter of the lower shell, a substantially planar surface surrounding the second central circular opening and a curved surface extending between the substantially planer surface and the second rim; and

the ring includes an interior sidewall surface positioned between the interior cavity and the base opening, and wherein the base opening is concentric with the first and second central circular openings and an upper annular surface adjacent to the upper shell;

an aperture formed through the interior sidewall of the ring between the interior cavity and the opening through the base;

a hinge having a rotational axis within the interior cavity and extending from the interior cavity through the aperture into the base opening;

a wireless charging assembly pivotably attached to the base by the hinge and moveable between a down position in which the wireless charging assembly is disposed within the base opening parallel with the upper annular surface of the ring and an up position in which the wireless charging assembly is disposed outside the base opening, the charging assembly having;

a housing;

a concave charging surface; and

a power transmitting unit disposed within the housing and adjacent to the concave charging surface, the power transmitting unit configured to wirelessly transmit power across the concave charging surface to a power receiving unit of a portable electronic device.

19. The wireless charger set forth in claim 18 wherein the wireless charging assembly includes a plurality of alignment features to facilitate proper alignment between the power transmitting unit of the wireless charger and the power receiving unit of a portable electronic device, the plurality of alignment features including a concave shaped charging surface and at least one alignment magnet positioned within the housing.

20. The wireless charger set forth in claim 19 wherein the power transmitting unit is moveable within housing.