Battery charger with night light for a cordless telephone

• US 5,587,645 A
• Filed: 03/09/1994
• Issued: 12/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sciammarella, Eduardo, Lang, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US08/208,540
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/48, D14/140, D14/142
• US Class Current: 362/253
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/19 Charger status, e.g. voltmeter

Abstract

A battery charger having a night light is described for use with a cordless telephone. The battery charger is energized by being plugged into a standard AC outlet and includes a cradle for receiving a cordless telephone handset having rechargeable batteries. The battery charger includes a phototransistor for detecting the level of light impinging on the battery charger and a lamp for providing illumination. When AC power is cut off and the phototransistor detects that the light level is below a predetermined level, the lamp is powered by the handset battery to provide illumination and to enable a user to locate the handset during low light conditions while it is being charged.

Claims

1. A battery charger, wherein said battery charger is energized by a power supply and said power supply is accessible through an electrical outlet having upper and lower receptacle pairs, comprising:

a housing having an aperture for receiving a cordless telephone handset having rechargeable batteries and handset contacts electrically connected to said batteries, wherein said housing includes charger contacts for forming an electrical connection with said handset contacts;

upper and lower prongs extending from said housing, said upper and lower prongs being adapted to be inserted into said upper and lower receptacle pairs, respectively, for removably securing said housing to said electrical outlet when said handset is positioned within said aperture;

said housing including;

charging means for charging said batteries, said charging means being electrically connected to said charger contacts and including an indicator disposed on said housing for indicating that said battery is being charged;

a phototransistor for detecting whether a level of light impinging on said housing is below a predetermined level;

a lamp disposed on said housing for providing illumination adjacent said housing;

first circuit means for supplying electrical power from said power supply to energize said charging means, said light sensing means and said lamp;

second circuit means for supplying electrical power from said battery to energize said lamp when said power supply is disconnected from said battery charger and when said light detection means detects a level of light below said predetermined level; and

a switch for turning said lamp on or off.

2. A battery charger according to claim 1, further including a power indicator means for indicating that said battery charger is energized.

3. A battery charger according to claim 1, wherein said indicator is an LED.