Induction charger for portable battery-powered devices

• US 8,026,693 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WIU LLC
• Original Assignee: WIU LLC
• Inventors: Burley, Cameron D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES RUIZ, JOHALI ALEJANDRA
• Application Number:
  US11/907,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20090102416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A charging apparatus for a portable battery-powered device, including one or more of the following: a receiver that inserts into a charging jack of the portable battery-powered device, an outer casing that removably receives the portable battery-powered device and the receiver, and a battery cell contained within the outer casing that inductively charges the portable battery-powered device through the receiver. In various exemplary embodiments, the charging apparatus includes a charging base that inductively charges the battery cell when the outer casing is placed upon the charging base.

Claims

1. A charging apparatus for a portable battery-powered device, comprising:

a receiver that inserts into a charging jack of the portable battery-powered device;

an outer casing that removably receives the portable battery-powered device and the receiver;

a battery cell contained within the outer casing that inductively charges the portable battery-powered device through the receiver; and

a charging base that inductively charges the battery cell when the outer casing is placed upon the charging base.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the charging base inductively charges the battery cell through a variable inductor in the charging apparatus, the variable inductor activated in response to a user actuating an opposite activation mechanism on the charging apparatus.