Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Cell or battery charger structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-10
2004-07-13
Tso, Edward H. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Cell or battery charger structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06762583
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a charger, and more particularly to a nightlight battery charger that provides illumination and battery charging functions.
2. Description of Related Arts
Typical disposable batteries have been used extensively for varieties of electronic or electrical product such as portable fans, walkmans, CD-players, mini electronic game devices and the likes. Users are required to put one or more disposable batteries for power supply.
Almost all disposable batteries contain some substances that are harmful to environment and cause different degrees of hazardous effects to human beings. Also, each time when a disposable battery is used up, the user has to buy a new one to replace the old one. It is no doubt not very economical in long-term as compared with using an A.C. power supply. Thus, rechargeable batteries have been developed to provide D.C. power supply for electrical and electronic devices. Those rechargeable batteries, however, can be charged up by typical A.C. power supply by means of a charger. Therefore, they can be reused for a considerable period of time. What is needed is to charge up the used rechargeable battery. In light of this, a battery charger for charging up such rechargeable battery is required. For the sake of convenience and saving of valuable time, many people who have rechargeable batteries choose to recharge them at night, and more specifically, during they are sleeping. In doing so, they can have enough charged batteries in daytime and let their electrical and electronic devices function properly without being halted by out-of-battery problem.
Nowadays, each of the kids and teenagers owns a portable electronic game device such as the “Game Boy Advance”, which is generally powered by batteries. However, since there is no specific location where a battery charger should be stored, nearly every kid has a problem of locating the battery charger when he or she needs to charge his or her batteries.
On the other hand, a lot of people, especially children, require nightlight at their bedrooms to provide dim illumination at night or in a dark environment when they are sleeping. Various nightlights have been commercially available to meet this demand. However, typical nightlights can only provide illumination and no more. Also, most nightlights are manufactured in a simple structure and shape without any decorative feature, and are not specifically designed to cater for children.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It would be a great idea to provide a battery charger that can also be used as a nightlight. Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a nightlight battery charger which can charge up at least one rechargeable battery and provide nightlight in a dark environment at the same time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery charger which is constructed to be normally plugged in a wall socket to function as a nightlight, so that the user can easily find and locate the battery charger anytime whenever the user needs it. At the same time, the battery charge of the present invention can be fully functioned at all time while a conventional battery charger can do nothing when it is not being used to charge.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a nightlight battery charger which can be circuited to function as a nightlight device either when it is not functioned as a battery charger or while it is charging batteries.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a nightlight battery charger which is a portable device adapted for an interstate or oversea traveling young user to carry along with his or her electronic game device, so that he or she not only can charge his or her batteries elsewhere but also has a portable nightlight device to provide illumination by plugging the battery charger into the wall socket.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a nightlight battery charger which comprises a foldable plug unit which pair of plug pins are constructed to be foldable so that when it is not plugged to the wall socket, the plug unit can be folded up to electrically disconnect with the electric circuit and charge batteries inside the battery charger to prevent unwanted electrical contact with outside. Moreover, the projecting plug pins can be inwardly folded up to hide in a plug chamber to facilitate storage and carrying purposes. When the nightlight battery charger is in use, the lug unit can be unfolded out that electrically connects the plug pins with the electric circuit inside for plugging into the wall socket.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a nightlight battery charger wherein a concave surface of the light cavity functioned as a reflecting surface for the illuminator connected in the light cavity to enhance its illumination, wherein a lens card is positioned on top of the light cavity to cover and protect the illuminator, wherein the lens card detachably attached to the main casing so that it can selectively provide different interchangeable lens cards so as to enhance entertainment, decorative and lighting effects of the nightlight battery charger.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a nightlight battery charger which is easy to use, compact in size and safe for carry.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a nightlight battery charger comprising:
a charger casing having a main casing and a battery cover, wherein the main casing has at least one battery compartment for at least a rechargeable battery to be disposed therein;
a nightlight system which comprises at least one illuminator for generating illumination;
a plurality of battery terminals adapted for electrically connecting at least one rechargeable battery;
a power input supplying power to light up the illumination unit;
a recharging electric circuit electrically connected to the battery terminals and the power input for transmitting power to charge up the rechargeable battery; and
an exchangeable lens card for protecting the illumination unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4611264 (1986-09-01), Bradley
patent: 4812827 (1989-03-01), Scripps
patent: 6312271 (2001-11-01), Tseng
Ho Shu Ming
Kidakarn Michael
Li William Guo
ADS Enterprise Inc.
Chan Raymond Y.
David and Raymond Patent Group
Tso Edward H.
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