Patent Application
20110084660
1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a wall charger and, more particularly, to a dual Universal Serial Bus (USB) wall charger with a removable USB 12V charger.
2. Description of Related Art
Separate USB AC wall chargers, USB DC 12V chargers, and 12V AC wall chargers are known in the art. However, there is a need for a more compact travel charger that provides USB AC wall, USB DC 12V, and 12V AC wall charging capabilities.
In one aspect of the disclosure, a wall charger includes a body that has at least one prong configured to be connected to an alternating current (AC) power source, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection port, the USB connection port being electrically connected to the at least one prong, and a docking port, and a removable charger, wherein the docking port is configured to slidably receive the removable charger, the docking port being electrically connected to the at least one prong.
In another aspect of the disclosure, the removable charger comprises a second USB connection port configured to receive a USB plug, the second USB connection port being electrically connected to the at least one prong.
In yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method for charging at least one portable electronic device with a wall charger comprising a body having at least one prong configured to be connected to an AC power source, a USB connection port, and a docking port, the USB connection port and the docking port being electrically connected to the at least one prong, includes connecting the at least one prong to an AC power source and connecting a portable electronic device (PED) to the USB connection port.
Another aspect of the disclosure includes a method for supplying power to charge at least one PED through a USB port by configuring a wall charger to connect to an AC power source and providing an electrical connection from the AC power source to a USB connection port and a second USB connection port in a removable charger.
It is understood that other aspects of a wall charger will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein it is shown and described only exemplary configurations of a wall charger. As will be realized, the invention includes other and different aspects of a wall charger and the various details presented throughout this disclosure are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and the detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The present invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various aspects of a wall charger are shown. This invention, however, may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited by the various aspects of the wall charger presented herein. The detailed description of the wall charger is provided below so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.
The detailed description may include specific details for illustrating various aspects of a wall charger. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known elements may be shown in block diagram form, or omitted, to avoid obscuring the inventive concepts presented throughout this disclosure.
Various aspects of a wall charger may be illustrated by describing components that are coupled together. As used herein, the term “coupled” is used to indicate either a direct connection between two components or, where appropriate, an indirect connection to one another through intervening or intermediate components. In contrast, when a component referred to as being “directly coupled” to another component, there are no intervening elements present.
Relative terms such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or “top” may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of a wall charger in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. By way of example, if a wall charger in the drawings is turned over, elements described as being on the “bottom” side of the other elements would then be oriented on the “top” side of the other elements. The term “bottom” can therefore encompass both an orientation of “bottom” and “top” depending on the particular orientation of the apparatus.
Various aspects of a wall charger may be illustrated with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments of a wall charger disclosed herein.
The wall charger is compact and portable so that it can easily be stowed for transport, greatly enhancing a consumer's ability to use the wall charger to recharge or power one or more portable electronic devices (PEDs) that rely on a USB port for power and recharging. The wall charger is configured to provide up to two USB 5V ports for connecting to one or more PEDs when plugged into an AC circuit. A removable 12V charger may be disconnected from the 12V docking port and used separately to connect to a 12V DC circuit for use with generators or vehicles, for example, such as automobiles, trucks, and boats.
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Another variation in accordance with aspects of the present invention may be a Light Emitting Diode (LED) on one or both of the removable charger 100 and the body 20 to indicate that one or both of the USB 5V connection ports, 30 and 130, are receiving power. In another variation in accordance with aspects of the present invention, one or both of the removable charger 100 and the wall charger 10 may be provided with a built-in light. Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology, for example, may be used in the light because of the reduced current requirements and the lower level of lighting generally desirable in a light that may be used at night. But any soft glow lighting mechanism may be incorporated.
The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61249933 | Oct 2009 | US |
