Abstract:
A charger device for use with a handheld communication device, the charger device comprises a cable, a connector element and a support element affixed to the connector element. The connector element includes a connector for engagement with a port of the handheld communication device. The support element is configured to support the handheld communication device in either one of a portrait orientation and a landscape orientation, when the connector is engaged with the port of the handheld communication device.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The following relates to devices for charging and supporting a handheld communication device. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    It is well known to use a charger device to recharge the battery of a cable to connect a handheld communication device, such as a portable mobile device (e.g. a hand-held smart phone). In some cases, the charger device is provided as a simple cable assembly of the type illustrated in  FIG. 1   a . In this case, charger device  2  comprises a cable  6  terminated at one end with a standard plug connector  8  (such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or mini-USB, for example) designed to engage a port  10  of the handheld communication device  4 . An opposite end of the cable is terminated at a power source (not shown). In some cases, the power source may be a small transformer unit which may be plugged into a wall outlet to provide electrical power to the handheld communication device. In other cases, the power source may be a connector designed to engage a port of a computer, such as a desktop Personal Computer (PC), in which case the charger device  2  may be used to provide both electrical power and a data connection between the handheld communication device  4  and the PC. 
         [0003]      FIG. 1   b  illustrates an alternative arrangement, in which the connector is integrated into a “docking station”  12  which, in addition to providing a connector for electrical power and optionally a data connection, also serves to support the handheld communication device  4  in a position that makes it possible to read a screen  14  of the handheld communication device  4 . 
         [0004]    The foregoing arrangements suffer limitations in that the use of the simple cable of  FIG. 1   a  does not afford any means of supporting the hand-held device in a convenient orientation, whereas the docking station of  FIG. 1   b  can support the hand-held device in a readable orientation, but its size is inconvenient and limits its portability. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the appended drawings wherein: 
           [0006]      FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  illustrate respective handheld charging devices known in the art; 
           [0007]      FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  illustrate a charging device; 
           [0008]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  illustrate use of the charging device of  FIG. 2  to support a handheld communication device in a portrait orientation; 
           [0009]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  illustrate use of the charging device of  FIG. 2  to support a handheld communication device in a landscape orientation; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrate an alternative embodiment of a charging device. 
       
    
    
       [0011]    It will be noted that throughout the appended drawings, like features are identified by like reference numerals. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. Also, the examples provided in the description are for illustrative purposes only. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , there is shown a charging device  16  for a handheld communication device  4 , such as for example, a mobile phone. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the charging device  16  comprises a cable  6 , a connector element  18  and a support member  20 . 
         [0014]    In preferred embodiments, the cable  6  is provided as a conventional flexible cable of a type commonly used for connecting a handheld communication device to a source of electrical power. Accordingly, a free end of the cable (not shown), may terminate with any desired type of termination device, including, but not limited to: a wall plug for connection to a standard wall outlet; or a device plug for connection to a standard port (e.g. a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or mini-USB port) of a computer. In cables terminated by a wall plug, the cable may be limited to a single pair of electrical conductors, and the wall plug may include a transformer or other means for reducing mains power to a Direct Current (DC) voltage having current and voltage values appropriate for charging the battery of the handheld communication device. In cables terminated by a device plug, the cable may include multiple electrical conductors to enable exchange of data between the handheld communication device and the computer, in additional to a pair of electrical conductors for providing DC current to the handheld communication device for charging the battery of the handheld communication device 
         [0015]    The connector element  18  preferably comprises a substantially rigid body  22  and a standard plug-type connector  24  designed to engage a standard port  10  (e.g. a USB or mini-USB port) provided on a side of the handheld communication device  4 . The plug-type connector  24  includes contacts that are electrically connected to conductors of the cable  6  in a conventional manner. The body  22  may be formed of a plastic material, and serves to mechanically secure the connector  24  to an end of the support member  20 , while maintaining a predetermined orientation of the connector  24  relative to the support member  20 . 
         [0016]    The support member  20  is a substantially rigid structure extending from the connector element  18 . In preferred embodiments, the support member  20  is a hollow tubular structure, and has an interior diameter sized to receive the cable  6 . With this arrangement, the cable  6  can extend through the support member  20 , which contributes to a neat appearance of the charging device  16 . The support member  20  may be formed of any suitable material, including metals and plastics. 
         [0017]    In the illustrated embodiments, the support member  20  is shaped to define relatively straight base and riser portions  26  and  28  respectively, and head end  30  which defines a desired angle  32  between the riser portion  28  and the connector  24 . 
         [0018]    The base and riser portions  26  and  28  are separated by a curved portion  34 , the radius of which may be selected so as to be large enough to facilitate manufacture of the support member  20  and insertion of the cable  6  therethrough, while at the same time ensuring that the base portion  26  is approximately centered behind the handheld communication device  4  when the connector  24  is engaged with the port  10  on the side of the handheld communication device  4 . 
         [0019]    The length of the base and riser portions  26  and  28  may be selected as desired. Preferably, the length of the base portion  26  is selected such that, when the connector  24  is engaged with the port  10  on the side of the handheld communication device  4 , the base portion  26  will extend across less than the entire width of the handheld communication device  4 . Preferably, the length of the riser portion  28  is selected such that a distance between the connector  24  and the base portion  26  is approximately equal to a distance between the port  10  on the side of the handheld communication device  4  and an end  36  of the handheld communication device  4 . 
         [0020]    The head end  30  may define any desired angle  32  between the riser portion  28  and the connector  24 . The angle  32  is preferably selected such that, when the connector  24  is engaged with the port  10  on the side of the handheld communication device  4 , the base portion  28  extends parallel to the end  26  of the handheld communication device  4  and separated therefrom by a desired distance. In some embodiments, an angle of about 30° is satisfactory, but other angles may equally be used, as desired. 
         [0021]      FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  respectively show side and perspective views of the charging device  16  of  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , in use for supporting a handheld communication device  4  in a portrait orientation. As may be seen in  FIG. 3   a , when the connector  24  is engaged with the port  10  on the side of the handheld communication device  4 , the connector  24  provides both an electrical connection between handheld communication device  4  and the cable  6 , and a mechanical connection between the handheld communication device  4  and the connector body  22 , and thus the support member  20 . The handheld communication device  4  can thus be placed on a horizontal surface  38  (e.g. a desk or table), with the end  36  of the hand-held device  4  and the base portion  26  of the support member  20  resting on the surface  38 . In this orientation, a display screen  14  of the handheld communication device  4  is held in a portrait orientation, and tilted upwards for easy viewing by a user. The mechanical strength and rigidity of the support member  20 , connector element  18 , and the port  10  in the side of the handheld communication device  4  are sufficient that the handheld communication device  4  can be securely supported in this position. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  respectively show side and perspective views of the charging device  16  of  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , in use for supporting the handheld communication device  4  in a landscape orientation. As may be seen in  FIG. 4   a , the handheld communication device  4  can thus be placed on a horizontal surface  38  (e.g. a desk or table), with the side  40  of the handheld communication device  4  opposite that of the connector element  18  resting on the surface  38 . In this case, the base portion  26  of the support member  20  is oriented approximately vertically, so that the cable  6  extends from the base portion  26  and projects towards the surface  38 . Because the cable  6  is flexible, it can easily be turned to lay on the surface  38 . However, the natural resilience of the cable  6  ensures that the cable  6  can contact the surface  38  and thereby stabilize the handheld communication device  4  to prevent its tipping over. Thus the handheld communication device  4  is supported with its display screen  14  held in the landscape orientation. The mechanical strength and rigidity of the support member  20 , connector element  18 , and the port  10  in the side of the handheld communication device  4  are sufficient that the handheld communication device  4  can be securely supported in this position. 
         [0023]    In the embodiments described above with reference to  FIGS. 2-4 , the support member  20  is provided as a substantially rigid hollow structure that surrounds the cable  6 . However, it will be appreciated that this arrangement is not essential. In general, the support member  20  may be provided as any desired structure having suitable properties of strength and stiffness. For example, the support member  20  may be constructed by suitably stiffening a portion of the cable  6  extending from the connector element  18 . In fact, the embodiment of  FIG. 2  may be seen as an example of this approach, in which the cable is stiffened by means of a metal or plastic tube that surrounds the cable.  FIG. 5  illustrates an alternative embodiment, in which the cable is stiffened by means of a stiffener element  42  that is incorporated within the cable, and secured to the connector element  18 . If desired, the stiffener element  42  could equally be incorporated within a jacket of the cable, or secured to the outer surface of the cable (for example by means of suitable adhesives). 
         [0024]    The stiffener element  42  may be formed of any desired material having suitable strength and stiffness, including metals or plastics. In some embodiments, the stiffener element  42  is substantially rigid, so that the cable is held in a fixed shape to define the support member  20 . In other embodiments, the stiffener element  42  may be pliable, so that a user can bend support member  20  into any desired shape, which will then be maintained by the stiffener element  42 . Thus, for example, a user may distort the shape of the support member  20  when “coiling-up” the cable  6  to facilitate transport of the charger device  16 . When the user wishes to use the charger device  16 , the proper shape of the support member  20  may be restored by straightening the base and riser portions  26  and  28 , and manipulating the head portion  30  to define a desired angle between the riser portion  26  and the connector element  18 . In some embodiments, restoration of the proper shape of the support member  20  can be facilitated by forming the stiffener element  42  of a shape memory alloy. In this case, the user may quickly and easily restore the support member  20  to its proper shape by applying heat to the cable near the connector element  18 . Known shape memory alloys are commercially available with transition temperatures low enough that this operation can be safely performed by a user without risk of burning themselves or damaging the cable  6 . 
         [0025]    Although the above has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claims appended hereto.