Wireless charger having moveable transmitter coil

• US 9,627,918 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Foxconn Interconnect Technology Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ren, Wei, Chen, Cheng-Pang, Zhou, Feng, Chen, Chi-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun
• Application Number:
  US14/583,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20150188356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 320108
• 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 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A wireless charger used for charging a portable electronic device with a receiver coil includes a wireless charging body, a transmitter coil, and a shaft. The charging body has a front body to support the portable electronic device and a rear body coordinated with the front body to form a receiving cavity for receiving transmitter coil. The rear body defines a track for the shaft disposing therein and moving the transmitter coil to align with the receiver coil. The wireless charger could align with receiver coils of different portable electronic devices.

Claims

1. A wireless charger used for charging a portable electronic device with a receiver coil, comprising:

a wireless charging body having a front body to support said portable electronic device and a rear body coordinated with the front body to form a receiving cavity, said rear body defining therein a track in a form of a sliding slot with alternately arranged notched portions and toothed portions along a corresponding sliding edge thereof;

a transmitter coil received in the receiving cavity; and

a shaft transversely snugly disposed within the track and connected with the transmitter coil, said shaft being moveable to align the transmitter coil with the receiver coil.

2. The wireless charger claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear body has an inner face and an outer face, said track extend through the rear body along a direction perpendicular to the outer face, and said track has a plurality of serrated structures for mating with the shaft.

3. The wireless charger claimed in claim 2, further including a moving tray connected between the transmitter coil and the shaft.

4. The wireless charger claimed in claim 3, wherein said transmitter coil has a planar magnetic core and a plurality of spiral coils retained thereon, said planar magnetic core is retained to the moving tray, and said shaft is engaged with the moving tray.

5. The wireless charger claimed in claim 4, wherein said shaft includes a disk-shaped main body, a grip portion extending backwardly from the main body, and a mating block extending forwardly from the main body, said grip portion operable to move the mating block along the track.

6. The wireless charger claimed in claim 5, wherein said track is defined by two sliding edges, each of the sliding edges having said plurality of staggered notched portions and toothed portions.

7. The wireless charger claimed in claim 6, wherein said mating block includes a sliding body located within the track, a pair of positioning blocks respectively projecting toward the sliding edges, and a pair of locking hooks extending oppositely from a top edge and a bottom edge of the sliding body.

8. The wireless charger claimed in claim 7, wherein said moving tray has a pair of retaining hooks protruding backwardly therefrom to lock with the locking hooks.

9. The wireless charger claimed in claim 8, wherein said positioning blocks are retained in two opposing notched portions.

10. A standing wireless charger for use with a portable electronic device defining a long side and a short side, comprising:

a body having a front side defining an upward receiving slot and a charging area which is located behind the receiving slot and is adapted to be intimately confronted by said portable electronic device;

a transmitter coil located behind the charging area and moveable linearly relative to the receiving slot;

a moving tray carrying the transmitter coil to move;

a shaft operating said moving tray to move; and

a track formed on the body in a form of an elongated sliding slot to guide movement of the shaft;

wherein

the shaft is transversely snugly disposed in and moveable along the sliding slot to drive the transmitter coil to a position for having the transmitter coil transversely aligned with a receiving coil in the portable electronic device corresponding to an orientation of the portable electronic device in the receiving slot.

11. The upstanding wireless charger as claimed in claim 10, wherein said shaft is discrete from while being engaged with the moving tray.

12. The upstanding wireless charger as claimed in claim 10, wherein said track is linear.

13. The upstanding wireless charger as claimed in claim 10, wherein the track forms a series of notched portions, and the shaft includes a pair of positioning blocks moveably received within the notched portions.

14. The upstanding wireless charger as claimed in claim 10, wherein said body further includes a rear side to support the front side in an upstanding manner.

15. The upstanding wireless charger as claimed in claim 10, wherein said receiving slot is dimensioned to be adapted to retain either said short side or said long side of the portable electronic device.

16. The upstanding wireless charger as claimed in claim 10, wherein the shaft includes a gripping portion exposed on a rear side of the body for manually operating the transmitting coil.

17. A method of charging a portable electronic device defining a long side and a short side thereof, comprising steps of:

providing a front body with an upward receiving slot and a transversely exposed charging area on a front face thereof; and

providing a transmitting coil disposed in the front body and moveable up and down linearly with regard to the front body;

wherein

the receiving slot is dimensioned to be adapted to receive either the long side or the short side of the portable electronic device when the portable electronic device is either vertically or laterally positioned upon the front body in different orientations, so as to have the transmitting coil transversely aligned with a receiving coil of the portable electronic device.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, further providing a tray carrying said transmitting coil and associated with a shaft, and a track on the front body along which the shaft is moveable up and down linearly.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the track forms a series of notched portions, and the shaft forms a pair of positioning blocks moveably received within the notched portions.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said shaft includes a gripping portion exposed upon a rear face of the front body opposite to said charging area.