Electronic Device Charging Station Assembly

An electronic device charging station assembly for charging cellular phones includes a housing, which is attached to and which extends axially from a base plate. The housing is polygonal prism shaped and has a handle attached to its top. A supply battery is attached to and positioned in the housing. Each holding element of a plurality of holding elements is attached to one of the base plate and the housing and defines a respective charging position. The holding element retains an electronic device within the respective charging position. Each charging element of a plurality of charging elements is attached to one of the base plate and the housing, is operationally engaged to the supply battery, and can operationally engage an internal battery of an electronic device. The charging elements thus can charge the internal batteries of a set of electronic devices that is retained in the charging positions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to charging stations and more particularly pertains to a new charging station for charging cellular phones. A charging station having a plurality of connecting options for electrically coupling electronic devices to be charged and a handle allowing for repositioning would be advantageous.

The prior art relates to charging stations which typically do not provide a variety of connecting options to engage electronic devices for charging and which do no physically attach to the electronic devices so that the charging station and attached electronic devices can be moved as one.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing, which is attached to and which extends axially from a base plate. The housing is polygonal prism shaped. A handle is attached to a top of the housing. A supply battery is attached to the housing and is positioned in an interior space that is defined by the housing. Each holding element of a plurality of holding elements is attached to one of the base plate and the housing and defines a respective charging position. The holding element is configured to retain an electronic device within the respective charging position. Each charging element of a plurality of charging elements is attached to one of the base plate and the housing. The charging element is operationally engaged to the supply battery and is configured to operationally engage an internal battery of an electronic device. The plurality of charging elements thus is configured to charge the internal batteries of a set of electronic devices that is retained in the charging positions by the retaining elements.

Another embodiment of the disclosure includes an electronic device charging system, which comprises an electronic device charging station assembly, as per the disclosure above, and a set of electronic devices. Each electronic device has an internal battery and is held within a respective charging position by a respective the holding element. Each charging element is operationally engaged to the internal battery of a respective electronic device so that the internal battery is charged.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As best illustrated inFIGS.1through6, the electronic device charging station assembly10generally comprises a housing12, which is attached to and which extends axially from a base plate14. The housing12is polygonal prism shaped. An upper facet16of the base plate14is even numbered polygonal shaped. The housing12has a plurality of faces18, with each face18being perpendicular to the upper facet16. The plurality of faces18is numbered one half that of edges20of the upper facet16. As is shown inFIG.1, the upper facet16is octagonal and has eight edges20. The housing12thus is cuboid and has four faces18, with the electronic device charging station assembly10being designed to hold four electronic devices22, as will become apparent below. The present invention also anticipates the upper facet16being hexagonal, decagonal, or the like. A handle24is attached to a top26of the housing12and is used to transport the electronic device charging station assembly10.

A supply battery28, which is rechargeable, is attached to the housing12and is positioned in an interior space30that is defined by the housing12. A charging port32is attached to the housing12and is operationally engaged to the supply battery28. The charging port32is configured for insertion of a first plug34of a charging cord36. A second plug38of the charging cord36is configured to engage an electrical circuit to charge the supply battery28.

Each holding element40of a plurality of holding elements40is attached to one of the base plate14and the housing12and defines a respective charging position42. The holding element40is configured to retain an electronic device22within the respective charging position42. Each holding element40may comprise a retaining plate44and a retention element46. The retaining plate44is hingedly attached to and extends from the upper facet16proximate to a respective edge20of the upper facet16. The retaining plates44are alternately positioned along the edges20of the upper facet16. The retention element46is operationally engaged to the retaining plate44and is configured to retain the retaining plate44in a hinged configuration. The retaining plate44is configured to retain an electronic device22within a respective charging position42and substantially parallel to a respective face18of the housing12.

The retention element46may comprise a strap48, which is attached to and which extends from the housing12, and a clip50, which is attached to the strap48distal from the housing12. The clip50is positioned to be selectively attached to the retaining plate44to hold the retaining plate44in the hinged configuration. The strap48may be fixedly attached to the housing12, or, as is shown inFIG.3, the strap48may be removably attachable to the housing12by means of an alligator clip52, thereby enabling a user to selectively position the strap48relative to the housing12and the electronic device22. The present invention also anticipates the strap48comprising elastic. Additionally, the retention element46may comprise other retention means, such as, but not limited to, springs attached to and extending between the retaining plate44and the housing12, spring-loaded hinges biasing the retaining plate44to the hinged configuration, or the like.

A cap plate54is attached to and extends radially from the top26of the housing12. The cap plate54has sides56equivalent in number to the faces18of the housing12. Each bar58of a plurality of bars58is attached to a respective side56and extends coplanarly from the cap plate54. Each corner60of the cap plate54thus is fitted with a respective bar58, which is configured to abut a sidewall62of an electronic device22that is positioned in a respective charging position42. Each spacer64of a plurality of spacers64is attached to the upper facet16of the base plate14and abuts a respective face18of the housing12. The spacer64is configured to stabilize an electronic device22substantially parallel to the respective face18.

Each charging element66of a plurality of charging elements66is attached to one of the base plate14and the housing12. The charging element66is operationally engaged to the supply battery28and is configured to operationally engage an internal battery68of an electronic device22. The plurality of charging elements66thus is configured to charge the internal batteries68of a set of electronic devices22that is retained in the charging positions42by the holding elements40.

Each charging element66comprises a wireless charger70, a recharger plug72, or a recharger port74. The wireless charger70is attached to the housing12proximate to the top26of the housing12and is configured to wirelessly charge the internal battery68of an electronic device22. The recharger plug72is attached to and extends perpendicularly from the upper facet16of the base plate14and is configured for insertion into an integral port76of an electronic device22to charge the internal battery68of the electronic device22. The recharger port74is attached to the top26of the housing12or, as is shown inFIG.1, to the cap plate54. The recharger port74is configured to operationally engage a charger cord86of an electronic device22to charge the internal battery68of the electronic device22. The present invention anticipates the charging elements66and the supply battery28being operationally engaged to a circuit board78that is programmed to control charging of the supply battery66and the internal batteries68.

The base plate12also may have a plurality of feet86attached to its lower facet88, as is shown inFIG.2. The feet86would comprise rubber, silicone, or the like, and thus be resiliently compressible, thereby providing for frictional coupling of the base plate12to a surface to deter slippage of the electronic device charging station assembly10upon the surface.

The present invention also includes an electronic device charging system80, which comprises an electronic device charging station assembly10, as per the specification above, and a set of electronic devices22. Each electronic device22has an internal battery68and is held within a respective charging position42by a respective holding element40. Each charging element66is operationally engaged to the internal battery68of a respective electronic device22so that the internal battery68is charged. The electronic device22typically would comprise a cellular phone82but also could comprise other handheld electronic devices, such as tablet computers, or the like.

In use, each charging position42is available for insertion of a respective electronic device22, which then is held in place with a holding element40. When charging of the internal battery68is to be performed without the charger cord86of the electronic device22, the integral port76can be attached to the recharger plug72. If charging using the charger cord86, the integral port76is positioned upwardly and the charger cord86is attached to the integral port76and a respective recharger port74. For electronic devices22that are configured to be wirelessly charged, charging can be accomplished using the wireless charger70. Should a user need to reposition or transport the electronic device charging station assembly10, the handle24can be grasped to lift the electronic device charging station assembly10and any attached electronic devices22.