Cable management techniques for power converters

A variety of arrangements for management of DC power cords in AC-to-DC power converters. These arrangements include a frame for wrapping the cord around, in which the AC power plug may or may not be pivotably attached to the frame. The AC-to-DC power conversion circuitry may be miniaturized and contained within either the AC power plug or the frame. In addition, other arrangements include a retractable reel for the DC power cord that may be located within the frame or within the AC power plug.

BACKGROUND

Many modern consumer devices include a power converter associated with the power cable for converting AC outlet power to DC power used by the consumer device. This is particularly the case with portable and rechargeable consumer devices. These may typically include either (1) a converter located with the plug that interfaces with the AC wall outlet (e.g., occupying a volume of approximately 3″×2″×2″); or (2) a converter located at an intermediate position between the AC plug and the consumer device (e.g., occupying a volume of approximate 5″×2″×1″).

These large housings and the power cords associated with them are sometimes inconvenient for persons who need to use these consumer devices in mobile applications. Not only is the large volume of the housing undesirable, but the amount of loose cord is undesirable and burdensome to users.

Cellular telephones typically have a rechargeable battery that can be charged by a phone charger or power cord that includes a power converter therein, as described above. It is highly desirable to provide a more convenient phone charger for consumers.

SUMMARY

One aspect relates to an AC-to-DC power converter. The converter includes an AC power plug, adapted for mating engagement with an AC power outlet; a cord housing to which the AC power plug is attached; a DC power cord having a DC power plug at one end thereof, adapted for mating engagement with a DC power inlet; a retraction mechanism attached to the DC power cord that resiliently urges the DC power cord into the housing; and AC-to-DC power conversion circuitry electrically connected between the AC power plug and the DC power cord.

The AC power plug may be pivotably attached to the cord housing. The AC power plug may include a plurality of prongs, wherein the cord housing may include a frame defining a central void into which the prongs are received when the AC power plug is pivoted a sufficient amount. The AC power plug may be pivoted through an angular extent of 360 degrees. The AC power plug may be pivoted through an angular extent of approximately 180 degrees. The retraction mechanism may include retraction of the DC power cord through a pivot point for the AC power plug. The retraction mechanism may be separated from the AC power plug.

Another aspect relates to an AC-to-DC power converter that includes a housing; AC power prongs extending from the housing, the prongs adapted for mating engagement with an AC power outlet; a DC power cord having a DC power plug at one end thereof, adapted for mating engagement with a DC power inlet; a retraction mechanism within the housing that resiliently urges the DC power cord into the housing; and AC-to-DC power conversion circuitry located within the housing, the circuitry electrically connected between the AC power prongs and the DC power cord.

The housing may be generally box-shaped. The box-shaped housing may have six substantially equally-sized walls. The walls may generally solid, with an opening in one wall to allow the DC power cord to extend therethrough and openings in another wall to allow the AC power prongs to extend therethrough. The one wall and the another wall may be on opposite faces of the box-shaped housing.

Another aspect relates to an AC-to-DC power converter that includes an AC power plug, adapted for mating engagement with an AC power outlet; a frame to which the AC power plug is pivotably attached; a DC power cord having a DC power plug at one end thereof, adapted for mating engagement with a DC power inlet; and AC-to-DC power conversion circuitry electrically connected between the AC power plug and the DC power cord; wherein the frame is adapted for manually wrapping the DC power cord there around.

The frame may define a central void into which a plurality of prongs of the AC power plug can be received when the AC power plug is sufficiently pivoted. The frame may include raised features on outer opposite sides thereof to act as cord guides to aid in wrapping the DC power cord around the frame. The pivotable attachment of the AC power plug to the frame may allow the frame to hang downward in a generally vertical orientation when the AC power plug is engaged with a generally vertical AC power outlet. When the frame hangs downward in this fashion, it may be adapted for grasping by a user to engage or disengage the AC power plug from the AC power outlet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which assist in illustrating the various pertinent features of the present invention. Although the present invention will now be described primarily in conjunction with cell phone chargers, it should be expressly understood that the present invention may be applicable to other applications where cable management is required/desired. In this regard, the following description of a cell phone charger is presented for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein. Consequently, variations and modifications commensurate with the following teachings, and skill and knowledge of the relevant art, are within the scope of the present invention. The embodiments described herein are further intended to explain modes known of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such, or other embodiments and with various modifications required by the particular application(s) or use(s) of the present invention.

One technique for managing the power cable associated with a cell phone charger30is shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. In this technique, the AC-to-DC power converter circuitry for converting AC wall power to the DC power required by a cell phone has been miniaturized and placed into a wall plug32that is only slightly oversized from a standard two-pronged wall plug. Such circuitry is well known to those of skill in the art. A small, light-weight, relatively inexpensive, cable management frame34is pivotably mounted to the wall plug32as seen inFIG. 1. The frame34may be composed of plastic, for example.FIG. 1shows one scenario in which the plug32is in a position with the prongs extending therefrom so as to be in position to mate with a wall outlet.FIG. 2shows another scenario in which the plug32has been pivoted relative to the frame34so that the prongs are within the interior of the frame34. The arrow35inFIG. 1shows the direction the power plug32can be pivoted in to move it relative to the frame34. In either scenario, the remaining DC power cable36can be wrapped around the frame as shown in one of the drawings ofFIG. 1. The frame34may include features or arms38that extend out from the main frame so as to make it easier to wrap the cable36around the frame and keep it in place.

FIGS. 3-6show an alternative embodiment of a power converter40that can be engaged with a wall outlet42. In this case, the pivotable mounting of the frame44to the wall plug46is located relatively closer to the prongs48of the wall plug. Rather than pivoting the wall plug46180 degrees so that the prongs48are within the interior of the frame44, the pivotable nature allows the frame44to drop into a vertical position while the wall plug46is plugged into the vertically-oriented wall outlet42. This may assist the user by providing the user with more convenient surfaces to grasp in sorting and removing the plug46from the wall outlet42. This may be helpful, as consumer devices are often plugged into power strips or outlets that may be in difficult to reach positions. The converter40ofFIG. 2includes features50on the frame44that can retain the wrapped cable52in position and the prongs48of the plug46can be used to retain the wrapped coils of the cable52in position on an opposite end of the frame44.

As can be appreciated, there are many possible alternatives and modifications of the designs described inFIGS. 1-6. For example, the housing could take nearly any other shape, be composed of different suitable materials, and/or have other features that would make the housing convenient and useful.

Another technique for managing the cable associated with the cell phone charger is shown inFIGS. 7 and 8. In this case, a power converter is again contained with a slightly-oversized housing60associated with the wall plug62. A cable retraction device64, such as a cable reel, is located on a DC power cable66as shown. The spring-loaded cable reel64can retract any unused portion of cable66so as to minimize the amount of loose cable when transporting the device as well as to reduce the amount of loose cable when the device is in use.

FIGS. 9-12show an alternative embodiment of the cable management retraction device ofFIGS. 7 and 8. In this case, the differences between the two embodiments are largely cosmetic.

FIGS. 13-16show another embodiment of a power converter70. In this converter70, a frame72has a retraction device built therein (such as a spring or a conventional retraction reel) that is attached to a DC power cord74. The DC power cord74has a DC power plug76at an end thereof, the DC power plug being suitable for connection to a mobile device such as a mobile telephone or laptop computer. The frame72also has an AC power plug78pivotably attached thereto. This pivotable mounting allows the AC power plug78to be pivoted between an extended position in which the prongs80of the plug face outward (FIG. 14) (for engagement with an AC power outlet) and a retracted position in which the prongs of the plug face inward (FIG. 16). In this embodiment, the retracted DC power cord74may pass through the pivot point of the AC power plug78.

In another embodiment somewhat similar to that shown inFIGS. 13-16, a converter90includes a frame92in which a retraction mechanism94is contained therein for resiliently urging a DC power cord96into the housing. The cord96has a DC power plug98at one end thereof. An AC power plug100is pivotable mounted to the frame92and is pivotable in the direction shown by the arrow102. The plug100is electrically connected to the retraction mechanism94by another cord104. AC-to-DC power conversion circuitry may reside in the AC power plug100, the retraction mechanism94, the DC power plug98, and/or elsewhere in the converter90. In this case, the retraction mechanism94and DC power cord96are separate from the AC power plug100and are located in a position to allow the plug100to pivot without interaction therewith.

Another embodiment of a power converter110is shown inFIGS. 18 and 19. This converter is formed as a six-sided box-shaped housing112having an opening114formed in one wall thereof to allow a DC power cord116to pass therethrough. The cord116has a DC power plug118on one end thereof. Inside of the housing112is a retraction mechanism120that resiliently urges the DC power cord116into the housing. An opposite wall of the housing112has at least two AC power prongs122extending therethrough for mating with an AC power outlet. Internally in the housing112, the prongs122are electrically connected to AC-DC power conversion circuitry124, which is in turn connected to the DC power cord116within the retraction mechanism120.

It is believed that the techniques disclosed herein for managing the power cable associated with cell phone chargers have not previously been employed for several reasons. First of all, cell phone chargers are very aggressively priced. Excess materials and features are not typically introduced. In this case, because of the extensive cost savings realized by containing a power converter within the AC wall plug, the possibility of adding convenience features such as those disclosed herein is now possible. Second, previous cell phone chargers included large housings to contain the power converter and on a relative basis, the power cord may not have presented as much of a nuisance as did the large housing. Now that the large housing has been virtually eliminated, the relative nuisance of the power cable has increased and is now addressed.

The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. 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 without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereafter introduced are interpreted to include all such variations, modifications, permutations, additions, and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.