Lockers with charging power

• US 10,135,268 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digilock Asia Limited
• Original Assignee: Digilock Asia Limited
• Inventors: Gokcebay, Asil T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cruz, Dimary Lopez
• Application Number:
  US15/071,129
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 174 72 A, 174 70 R, 174135, 361826
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2097/003 Cable holders; cable organisers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0083 Cable or current inlet for drawer or shelf
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/00 Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/22 The load being a portable electronic device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/04 Supports for telephone transmitters or receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1449 with connections to the back board

Abstract

In a stack or matrix of lockers, typically in two, three or more tiers or rows and in multiple columns, charge power strips are secured at the back sides of the lockers and exposed through openings in the back walls of the lockers so as to provide line power and also low-voltage DC charging power for smartphones and other portable devices, with a plurality of different charge port fittings provided. The power strips are of a length to extend to two or more lockers and preferably are installed vertically, but could be installed horizontally. The lockers have a protected channel at rear, within which the power strip is installed.

Claims

1. In a bank of lockers for storage of users'"'"' articles, including an integral series of lockers stacked vertically within a locker unit structure having exterior walls common to and continuous through the integral series of lockers and with a series of compartments with doors defining the series of lockers within the exterior walls, and the bank of lockers including a series of said locker unit structures positioned side by side, the improvement comprising:

each locker unit structure including at least one modular charging power strip connected to a rear side of the locker unit structure, having a length that extends vertically to the series of lockers, wherein the modular charging power strip provides charging power for smartphones or other portable electronic devices at said series of lockers within each locker unit structure,

the modular charging power strip comprising a linear and elongated housing structure enclosing an electric cord within the housing and having charging terminals at fixed spaced intervals corresponding to spacing between the lockers of the series in each locker unit structure, each charging terminal including a line power socket and a plurality of low-voltage DC power cords extending from the charging terminal with end connectors configured for insertion into at least two different configurations of charging port on the smartphones or other portable electronic devices,

the charging terminals being exposed to locker interiors in the series of lockers by alignment of the charging terminals with holes in the rear side of each locker unit structure, each locker unit structure having a series of said holes, one hole for each locker of the series of lockers, and wherein in each locker unit structure the series of said holes are spaced apart equally to said fixed spaced intervals of the charging terminals, each power strip being retained to the rear side of each locker unit structure via fastener holes in the power strip, with machine screws extending from inside each locker of the series of lockers through said rear side and secured into the fastener holes of the power strip,

the charging power strip including an external line-voltage plug connected to a cord which extends from said electric cord and a power supply receiving line power and delivering to the charging terminals low-voltage DC power, and

the series of side by side locker unit structures being serially connected for line power, each charging power strip having at one end a line-voltage socket and also said cord and line-voltage plug, so that charging power strips obtain power in serial manner from charging power strips at adjacent locker unit structures.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1, wherein each locker unit structure includes a vertical protective channel comprising an elongated channel extending vertically and secured at the rear side of each locker unit structure and within which the charging power strip is positioned.

3. The improvement defined in claim 2, wherein each vertical protective channel comprises an elongated three-sided U-shaped metal channel member forming an elongated vertically extending rectangular enclosure against the rear side of each locker unit structure, one side of the channel member positioned as an extension of a side wall of each locker unit structure.

4. The improvement defined in claim 1, wherein the charging terminal further includes an LED to indicate power status.

5. The improvement defined in claim 1, wherein the charging terminal further includes an LED to provide light illuminating an interior space of each said locker of the series of lockers.

6. The improvement defined in claim 1, wherein the charging terminal further includes a USB port to receive a user'"'"'s own charging cable.