Battery charging equipment for a cordless telephone

Abstract: A charging equipment comprising a portable apparatus charging portion (6, 7, 9 and 12) for receiving a portable apparatus (11) containing a cell pack (10) to be charged, and a simple cell pack charging portion (6, 7, 8 and 13) for receiving a simple cell pack separated from the portable apparatus and charging the same, whereby said charging equipment is able to charge not only a portable charging apparatus (11) containing a cell pack (10), but also a separated simple space cell pack (10).

Description: The present invention relates to a charging device for a portable apparatus containing an electric cell pack such as a cordless telephone. For example, when a cordless telephone 3, containing, as shown in Fig. 4, a separable secondary cell pack 10, is to be charged, the telephone 3 containing the cell pack 10 is moved in a direction indicated by an arrow in Fig. 4 to be received in a charging portion 2 of the charging device 1, and the cell pack in the cordless telephone is electrically charged. However, although a conventional charging device such as the one mentioned above is able to electrically charge a portable apparatus equipped with an electric cell pack when positioned in the charging portion thereof, it is not possible with the device to charge a simple spare cell pack separated from the portable apparatus. EP-A-0150376 discloses a charging device for charging a portable apparatus containing a separable cell pack therein. The charging device comprises: a portable apparatus charging portion including charging terminals which receives said portable apparatus containing a separable cell pack for charging said cell pack; and a simple cell pack charging portion including charging terminals which receives a simple cell pack separated from an apparatus body for charging said simple cell pack. The present invention is characterised over the device of EP-A-0150376 in that the charging terminals of the portable apparatus charging portion and the charging terminals of the simple cell pack charging portion are located in a charging base portion of the charging device, and are arranged in the same plane. The foregoing and further features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings, of which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a charging device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a charging device according to the present invention mounting a cordless telephone containing a cell pack, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a charging device according to the present invention mounting a simple cell pack separated from a portable apparatus body, and Fig. 4 is a combination of a perspective view of a cordless telephone containing a secondary cell pack and a perspective view of a conventional charging device. The present invention will now be described by referring to an embodiment which is used for charging a cordless telephone. A charging device 4 according to the present invention comprises a charging base portion 6 formed with a substantially U-shaped recess portion 5 and a square pillar portion 7 projecting upwards from and perpendicularly to the recess portion 5. The square pillar portion 7 has, at an upper portion thereof, a flange 8 having a cut-out 9 at a front portion thereof. When a cordless telephone containing a secondary cell pack 10 or a simple secondary cell pack 10 separated from the telephone body is to be charged, the cordless telephone 11 containing the secondary cell pack 10 or the simple secondary cell pack 10 is mounted on the recess portion 5 of the charging base portion 6 as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, respectively. In detail, the cordless telephone charging portion is constituted by the cut-out portion 9 formed at the front portion of the flange 8, the front portion of the square pillar portion 7 and the front portion of the charging base portion 6. The cell pack charging portion is constituted by the left and right side portions of the flange 8, the left and right side surfaces of the square pillar portion 7 and the left and right portions of the charging base portion 6. In the recess portion 5 of the charging base portion 6 are arranged charging terminals 12 for the cordless telephone and charging terminals 13 for the secondary cell pack. Consequently, when a cordless telephone 11 containing a secondary cell pack 10 is intended to be charged, the cordless telephone 11 is disposed, as shown in fig. 2, against the cut-out portion 9, the front portion of the square pillar portion 7 and the front portion of the charging base portion 6, whereby the bottoms of the secondary pack 10 and the cordless telephone body 11 are received in the recess portion 5 of the charging base portion 6 with the terminals of the secondary cell pack 10 contacting with the charging terminals 12. On the other hand, when a simple secondary cell pack 10 is intended to be charged, the secondary pack 10 is disposed, as shown in Fig. 3, below the left or right portions of the flange 8, whereby the bottom of the secondary cell pack is received in the recess portion 5 of the charging base portion 6 with the terminals of the secondary cell pack 10 contacting with the charging terminals 13 and a charging operation is started.

Claims: A charging device (4) for charging a portable apparatus (11) containing a separable cell pack (10) therein, comprising: a portable apparatus charging portion (6, 7, 8, 9 and 12) including charging terminals (12) which receives said portable apparatus (11) containing a separable cell pack (10) for charging said cell pack (10); and a simple cell pack charging portion (6, 7, 8 and 13) including charging terminals (13) which receives a simple cell pack (10) separated from an apparatus body for charging said simple cell pack; characterised in that the charging terminals (12) of the portable apparatus charging portion (6, 7, 8, 9, 12) and the charging terminals (13) of the simple cell pack charging portion (6, 7, 8, 13) are located in a charging base portion (6) of the charging device (4), and are arranged in the same plane. A charging device (4) as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that it includes two simple cell charging portions (6, 7, 8, 13). A charging device (4) as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the simple cell charging portions (6, 7, 8, 13) locate one on each side of the portable apparatus charging portion (6, 7, 8, 9, 12). A charging device as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the charging base portion (16) includes a recess portion (5) in which the charging terminals (12, 13) are located and the charging device (4) is arranged such that, when a portable apparatus (11) is received in the portable apparatus charging portion (6, 7, 8, 9, 12), the bottoms of the portable apparatus (11) and its separable cell pack (10) are together received in the charging base portion (6). A charging device (4) according to claim 4, characterised in that the recess portion (5) is U-shaped and said charging equipment includes a square pillar portion (7) projecting upwards from and perpendicularly to said recess portion (5) and formed with a flange (8) at an upper portion of the pillar portion (7), said flange (8), said square pillar portion (7) and said charging base portion (6) constituting said portable apparatus charging portion (6, 7, 8, 9, and 12) and said simple cell pack charging portion (6, 7,8 and 13).

Inventors: IIDA SHINOBU, IIDA, SHINOBU
Applicants: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC IND CO LTD, MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: H04M1
IPC codes: H04B1, H04M1, H02J7