Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Serially connected batteries or cells – With discharge of cells or batteries
Patent
1996-02-16
1997-11-25
Tso, Edward
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Serially connected batteries or cells
With discharge of cells or batteries
429 99, H01M 1046, H01M 210
Patent
active
056916183
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a charging device for charging battery packs used as power sources in communication devices such as portable telephones, cordless telephones and the like, and in particular relates to a charging device that can charge a battery pack while the battery pack remains housed within a communication device.
BACKGROUND ART
Rechargeable battery packs are used in the power supplies of communication devices such as portable telephones, cordless telephones and the like. To charge such a battery pack, it is removed from the communication device in which it is housed and placed into a charging device. However, because of the hassle of having to remove and then reinsert such battery packs, charging devices which allow the communication device itself to be inserted into the charging device have been developed to enable the battery pack to be charged while it remains housed within the communication device. With this type of charging device there is no need to remove and reinsert the battery pack, and therefore the battery back can be charged when the communication device is not being used, such as when the communication device is on standby.
One example of such a battery pack charging device is shown in FIG. 1, in which a battery pack 2 is housed within a communication device 1. In this construction, the communication device 1 is provided with external charging terminals 3 at an external portion thereof, and these external terminals 3 enable electric current to flow to the battery pack via an electrical circuit not shown in the drawing.
A charging device 4 for charging the battery pack 2 of the communication device 1 is provided with exposed charging terminals 6 located within a depression 5 provided in a top portion of the charging device 4. In addition to these elements, a charging circuit not shown in the drawing is provided in the charging device 4 to allow electrical current from a commercial power source to flow to the charging terminals 6.
Now, when the battery pack 2 is to be charged, the section of the communication device 1 which is provided with the external terminals 3 is placed into the depression 5 of the charging device 4. This placement results in the establishment of an electrical connection between the external terminals 3 and the charging terminals 6, which in turn allows an electrical current from the commercial power source to be supplied to the battery pack 2 via the charging circuit. In this way, the battery pack becomes charged.
As is further, the charging device 4 may also be provided with charging terminals 7 for charging a reserve battery pack 9 as a single unit separate from the communication device 1.
Now, as communication devices have become smaller and thinner, they are no longer able to stand up on their own. In response to this problem, the top of the charging device 4 is provided with a back support portion 8 which protrudes upwards and forms a continuous surface with a side surface of the depression 5 so as to make contact with the back surface of the communication device 1 in order to support the communication device 1 in an upright position.
Consequently, it becomes impossible to construct a thin-shaped charging device 4 due to the provision of the back support portion 8. Namely, even though the miniaturization of the communication devices of portable telephones and the like makes it possible to make such communication devices thinner, it is not possible for the charging devices thereof to be made thinner, and this results in a poor overall portability. Furthermore, this problem becomes more important as the development of even thinner communication devices takes place.
Moreover, because the charging terminals 6, 7 lie exposed in top portions of the charging device 4, it is possible for malfunctions to arise due to the presence of dust, moisture or the like.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a battery pack charging device which can be made compact and thin so as to have exce
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patent: 4588938 (1986-05-01), Liataud et al.
patent: 4629962 (1986-12-01), Arakawa
patent: 4829224 (1989-05-01), Gandelman et al.
patent: 5347208 (1994-09-01), Lida
patent: 5525888 (1996-06-01), Toya
Aramaki Tomomi
Kobayashi Masahiko
Shinozaki Tadao
Gershman Arthur P.
Law Patrick
Tso Edward
Yupiteru Industries Co., Ltd.
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