Charging station for electric candles and other devices

• US 9,755,438 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2013
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L&L Candle Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Luminara Worldwide LLC
• Inventors: Thompson, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US13/963,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20140042962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 320107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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

Abstract

Various embodiments of charging stations are described that are configured to charge a plurality of electric lights or other devices. The charging stations can be multi-level to allow for charging of many candles while limiting the space required by the stations. The charging stations can be modular to allow them to be dynamically adapted to the varying needs of a user.

Claims

1. A charging station for electric lights, comprising:

a base;

first and second trays electrically coupled to the base and comprising first and second sets of physical couplings, wherein the first and second sets of physical couplings are configured to allow charging of first and second sets of electric lights, respectively, wherein each electric light of the first set of electric lights comprises a lighting program receiver and a memory configured to store a lighting program that specifies an operation of the electric light, wherein the second tray is removably coupled to the base such that the second tray is permitted to slide horizontally away from the base; and

a lighting program transmitter coupled to the base and configured to transmit a revised lighting program to the lighting program receiver of one or more of the electric lights when the electric lights are charging via one or more of the physical couplings.

2. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the second tray is disposed above the first tray.

3. The charging station of claim 1, wherein the first and second trays are electrically coupled to the base in parallel.

4. A charging station for electric lights, comprising:

a base;

first and second trays electrically coupled to the base and comprising first and second sets of physical couplings, wherein the first and second sets of physical couplings are configured to allow charging of first and second sets of electric lights, respectively, wherein each electric light of the first set of electric lights comprises a lighting program receiver and a memory configured to store a lighting program that specifies an operation of the electric light, wherein the first set of electric lights comprises a first and a second electric light, and wherein a footprint of the first electric light is smaller than a footprint of the second electric light; and

a lighting program transmitter coupled to the base and configured to transmit a revised lighting program to the lighting program receiver of one or more of the electric lights when the electric lights are charging via one or more of the physical couplings.

5. A charging station for electric lights, comprising:

a base;

first and second trays electrically coupled to the base and comprising first and second sets of physical couplings, wherein the first and second sets of physical couplings are configured to allow charging of first and second sets of electric lights, respectively, wherein each electric light of the first set of electric lights comprises a lighting program receiver and a memory configured to store a lighting program that specifies an operation of the electric light, wherein the first set of electric lights are each configured to receive the revised lighting program when the electric lights are electrically coupled to the first tray; and

a lighting program transmitter coupled to the base and configured to transmit a revised lighting program to the lighting program receiver of one or more of the electric lights when the electric lights are charging via one or more of the physical couplings.

6. A charging station for electric lights, comprising:

a base;

first and second trays electrically coupled to the base and comprising first and second sets of physical couplings, wherein the first and second sets of physical couplings are configured to allow charging of first and second sets of electric lights, respectively, wherein each electric light of the first set of electric lights comprises a lighting program receiver and a memory configured to store a lighting program that specifies an operation of the electric light, wherein at least one of the first and second trays comprises a metal strip configured to extend across at least a portion of the tray, and wherein at least two of the electric lights receive current via the metal strip when the at least two electric lights contact the metal strip; and

a lighting program transmitter coupled to the base and configured to transmit a revised lighting program to the lighting program receiver of one or more of the electric lights when the electric lights are charging via one or more of the physical couplings.