Electrical charging devices and assemblies

• US 9,620,911 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William J. Warren
• Original Assignee: William J. Warren
• Inventors: Warren, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tulsidas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, TRAVIS SLOAN
• Application Number:
  US14/634,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20150380872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 439529, 439172, 439174, 439528, 439533, 439534, 439131, 439536, 439652, 439929, 320111, 320115, 174 66
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/44 Means for preventing access to live contacts making use of a switch actuated by engagement of counterpart H01R13/7036
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6675 with built-in power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/68 mounted on directly pluggable apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers

Abstract

Electrical charging devices and assemblies are provided herein. An example device includes a housing tray having a sidewall extending perpendicularly from the housing tray, the housing tray being configured to hold a personal electronic device, the housing tray including an electrical connector interface that couples with a charging connector of the personal electronic device. The device also includes a circuit mounted on the housing tray for converting alternating current received from an electrical outlet to direct current that charges the personal electronic device through the electrical connector interface. Also, the device includes an electrical connector for electrically coupling the circuit with the electrical outlet, the electrical connector capable of being placed in either a deployed configuration where the electrical connector can couple with the electrical outlet or a stored configuration where the electrical connector cannot couple with the electrical outlet.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a housing tray having a sidewall extending perpendicularly from the housing tray, the housing tray being configured to hold a personal electronic device, the housing tray comprising;

an electrical connector interface that couples with a charging connector of the personal electronic device, and

a stabilizer that pivotally extends from a lower part of the housing tray, the stabilizer contacting an electrical outlet or a wall of the electrical outlet;

a circuit mounted on the housing tray for converting alternating current received from the electrical outlet to direct current that charges the personal electronic device through the electrical connector interface; and

an electrical connector for electrically coupling the circuit with the electrical outlet, the electrical connector capable of being placed in either a deployed configuration where the electrical connector can couple with the electrical outlet or a stored configuration where the electrical connector cannot couple with the electrical outlet.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector interface can be selectively changed.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector is recessed within the housing tray when the electrical connector is in the stored configuration.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connector comprises a pair of pivoting prongs that selectively move into and out of contact with a pair of electrical posts of the circuit when the electrical connector is deployed or stored, respectively.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein each of the pair of electrical posts comprises a post interface that receives a prong interface of one of the pair of pivoting prongs when the electrical connector is in the deployed configuration.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the post interface comprises an aperture and the prong interface comprises a peg that is sized to matingly fit within the aperture.

7. A device, comprising:

a first housing tray comprising a sidewall extending perpendicularly from the first housing tray, the first housing tray being configured to hold a personal electronic device, the first housing tray further comprising;

a circuit for converting alternating current received from an electrical outlet to direct current that can be used to charge the personal electronic device, and

an electrical connector interface that couples with a charging connector of the personal electronic device;

a second housing tray comprising an electrical connector for electrically coupling the circuit with the electrical outlet, the electrical connector capable of being placed in either a deployed configuration or a stored configuration, the second housing tray being pivotally connected to the first housing tray; and

a third housing tray that comprises a stabilizer, the stabilizer contacting the electrical outlet or a wall of the electrical outlet to support a weight of the personal electronic device, the third housing tray being pivotally connected to the second housing tray.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the electrical connector translates from the deployed configuration to the stored configuration using a pushrod assembly.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein when the second housing tray and the third housing tray move away from one another the electrical connector is disposed in the deployed configuration and when the second housing tray and the third housing tray move towards one another the electrical connector is disposed in the stored configuration.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the electrical connector translates along a horizontal axis when moving between the deployed and stored configurations and the third housing tray pivots away from the second housing tray.

11. The device according to claim 7, wherein the third housing tray supports the weight of the personal electronic device by contacting the wall or the electrical outlet.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the stabilizer rotates when extended from the third housing tray such that a mating surface of the stabilizer rests flat against the wall or the electrical outlet.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the stabilizer includes an internal stabilizer flap that extends from the stabilizer.

14. The device according to claim 7, wherein the second housing tray comprises a pair of upper guides and the third housing tray comprises a pair of lower guides, each of the pair of upper guides comprising a wheel and each of the lower guides comprising a wheel, wherein a first wheel of the pair of upper guides is connected to a first wheel of the pair of lower guides with a first armature, further wherein a second wheel of the pair of upper guides is connected to a second wheel of the pair of lower guides with a second armature.

15. The device according to claim 14, further comprising a hinge coupling the second housing tray with the third housing tray.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein the first and second wheels of the pair of lower guides are confined such that they can rotate but not translate along the pair of lower guides.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the first and second wheels of the pair of upper guides can rotate and translate along the pair of upper guides allowing the electrical connector to slidingly translate between the deployed and stored configurations.

18. A device, comprising:

a first housing tray comprising a sidewall extending perpendicularly from the first housing tray, the first housing tray being configured to hold a personal electronic device, the first housing tray further comprising an electrical connector interface that couples with a charging connector of the personal electronic device;

a second housing tray comprising;

a circuit for converting alternating current received from an electrical outlet to direct current that can be used to charge the personal electronic device using the electrical connector interface; and

an electrical connector for electrically coupling the circuit with the electrical outlet, the electrical connector capable of being placed in either a deployed configuration or a stored configuration based on pivoting movement of a third housing tray relative to the second housing tray; and

the third housing tray that comprises a stabilizer, the stabilizer contacting the electrical outlet or a wall of the electrical outlet to support a weight of the personal electronic device.

19. A device, comprising:

a housing tray having a sidewall extending perpendicularly from the housing tray, the housing tray being configured to hold a personal electronic device, the housing tray comprising an electrical connector interface that couples with a charging connector of the personal electronic device;

a circuit mounted on the housing tray for converting alternating current received from an electrical outlet to direct current that charges the personal electronic device through the electrical connector interface; and

an electrical connector for electrically coupling the circuit with the electrical outlet, the electrical connector capable of being placed in either a deployed configuration where the electrical connector can couple with the electrical outlet or a stored configuration where the electrical connector cannot couple with the electrical outlet,

wherein the electrical connector comprises a pair of pivoting prongs that selectively move into and out of contact with a pair of electrical posts of the circuit when the electrical connector is deployed or stored, respectively,

wherein each of the pair of electrical posts comprises a post interface that receives a prong interface of one of the pair of pivoting prongs when the electrical connector is in the deployed configuration, and

wherein the post interface comprises an aperture and the prong interface comprises a peg that is sized to matingly fit within the aperture.