Patent Publication Number: US-2013234650-A1

Title: Charger having a retractable seat

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a charger having a retractable seat and more particularly to a charger having a retractable seat for an electronic device to be charged to rest on the seat and allowing the seat to be pulled out a length by users based on the size of the electronic device. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Due to prevalence of portable electronic devices, such as smart phones, tablet personal computers and the like, almost everyone carries at least one portable electronic device. As current battery technology is still infeasible to implement a battery with compact size but durable battery life, most portable electronic devices at present tend to have batteries embedded therein so as to eliminate the trouble of battery replacement and directly charge the portable electronic devices by chargers instead. Hence, the power of the batteries can be supplemented and the portable electronic devices can be still operated when the batteries therein are being charged. 
     Chargers in the market can be roughly classified as accessory chargers and power banks. The accessory chargers are the charging devices coming with portable electronic devices when the portable electronic devices are bought. Each accessory charger has a power input port and a power output port. The power output port serves to be electrically connected with a corresponding portable electronic device. When the power input port is connected to the AC mains, the portable electronic device is charged by the mains power. Each power bank also has a power input port and a power output port. The power input port serves to acquire power and charge a rechargeable battery pack in the power bank. When a corresponding portable electronic device is connected to the power output port of the power bank, the rechargeable battery pack of the power bank charges the portable electronic device through the power output port. 
     Most new portable electronic devices are equipped with functions for users to easily browse information or surf the Internet. However, as the portable electronic devices must be connected with chargers during the charging process, it is inconvenient for users to hold the portable electronic devices and operate them to browse information and surf the Internet. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An objective of the present invention is to provide a charger for an electronic device to be rested on a retractable seat so that the electronic device can be operated without requiring a hand to hold the electronic device. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the charger has a body and a seat. 
     The body has a power input port, a power output port, a receiving slot and an opening. The power input port is adapted to connect to and acquire power from the AC mains. The power output port is adapted to connect to an electronic device. The receiving slot is formed in and recessed from one side of the body and has a first multi-sectional position limiting member formed in at least one inner wall of the receiving slot. The opening is formed through the side of the body to communicate with the receiving slot. 
     The seat is movably and retractably mounted in the receiving slot, and has a blocking portion and a second multi-sectional position limiting member. The blocking portion is formed on and protrudes upwardly from one end of the seat extendable beyond the opening of the body. The second multi-sectional position limiting member slidably engages the first multi-sectional position limiting member at multiple positions of the first multi-sectional position limiting member. 
     With the charger having a retractable seat, when an electronic device is to be charged by the charger, the seat can be pulled out of the receiving slot for the electronic device to be rested on the seat. Furthermore, the seat of the charger can be pulled out a length in response to a size or a shape of the electronic device so that the electronic device can be firmly rested on the seat. To facilitate users&#39; browsing and viewing a display of the electronic device, the seat can be also adjustably pulled out of the receiving slot for the electronic device to be oriented in an intended direction. 
     Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a charger having a retractable seat in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partially exploded perspective view of the charger in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view in partial section of the charger in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an operational perspective view of the charger in  FIG. 1  when an electronic device is rested on a retractable seat of the charger; 
         FIG. 5  is another operational perspective view of the charger in  FIG. 1  when another electronic device is rested on the retractable seat of the charger; 
         FIG. 6  is an operational side view in partial section of the charger in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a charger having a retractable seat in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view in partial section of the charger in  FIG. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a partially exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of a charger having a retractable seat in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The charger having a retractable seat in accordance with the present invention may be a charger of a regular electronic device or a power bank whose difference lies in that the charger has a charging circuit mounted therein and the power bank has a rechargeable battery pack mounted therein and is not further described here for being common knowledge known to persons in the related technical field. Power banks are employed to describe the following embodiments of the present invention. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a first embodiment of a charger having a retractable seat in accordance with the present invention has a body  10  and a seat  20 . 
     The body  10  has a power input port  11  and a power output port  12 . The power input port  11  serves to connect to and acquire power from the AC mains. With reference to  FIG. 2 , the body further has a receiving slot  13 , an opening  14  and a depressed portion  15 . The receiving slot  13  is formed in and recessed from one side of the body  10  and has a first multi-sectional position limiting member. In the present embodiment, the first multi-sectional position limiting member has multiple notches  131  respectively formed in two opposite inner walls of the receiving slot  13 . At least two of the notches  131  are formed in each of the opposite inner walls of the receiving slot  13 , and the notches  131  in the opposite inner walls of the receiving slot  13  are symmetrical to each other with respect to a center line a-a of the receiving slot  13 , which is parallel to the opposite inner walls of the receiving slot  13 . The opening  14  is formed through the side of the body  10  to communicate with the receiving slot  13 . The depressed portion  15  is formed in and recessed from one edge of the opening  14 . 
     The seat  20  is movably mounted in the receiving slot  13 , and has a blocking portion  21  and a second multi-sectional position limiting member. The blocking portion  21  is formed on and protrudes upwardly from one end of the seat  20  extendable beyond the opening  14  of the body  10 . The second multi-sectional position limiting member slidably engages the first multi-sectional position limiting member at multiple positions of the first multi-sectional position limiting member. The blocking portion  21  takes the form of a hook. One free end of the blocking portion  21  is bent toward the body  10 . In the present embodiment, the second multi-sectional position limiting member has multiple ridges  22 . The ridges  22  are respectively formed on and protrude from two opposite sides of the seat  20 , are symmetrical to each other with respect to a center line b-b of the seat  20 , which is parallel to the opposite sides of the seat  20 , and slidably engage the respective notches  131 . The seat further has multiple through slots  23  formed through the seat and adjacent to the respective ridges  22 . 
     The seat  20  is operated to be retractable within the receiving slot  13  as follows. 
     1. When the seat  20  is fully inserted into the receiving slot  13 , the ridges  22  engage the respective innermost notches on the two opposite walls of the receiving slot  13  so as to position the seat  20 . 
     2. If intending to pull the seat  20  out of the receiving slot  13 , users can use a finger to exert a force on the seat  20  through the depressed portion  15  of the body  10  so that the seat  20  is partially moved out of the receiving slot  13  for users to easily pull the seat  20  out. In the present embodiment, the body  10  has only one depressed portion  15 . The body  10  having multiple depressed portions  15  can achieve the same and is not further described here. 
     3. When the seat  20  is moved in a direction away from the receiving slot  13 , the ridges  22  on two sides of the seat abut against the respective inner walls of the receiving slot having no notches  131  formed therein and the ridges  22  are resiliently squeezed toward a central portion of the seat  20  so that the seat  20  is movable inside the receiving slot  13 . 
     4. When the seat  20  keeps moving in the direction away from the receiving slot  13 , the ridges of the seat  20  further engage other notches  131  on the respective inner walls of the receiving slot  13  to position the seat  20  again. 
     When using the first embodiment of the charger, users can connect the power output port  12  and an electronic device to be charged with a connection wire to charge the electronic device. With reference to  FIG. 4 , the seat  20  that is movably mounted inside the receiving slot  13  is pulled out from the receiving slot  13  so that an electronic device  30  can be rested on the seat  20 . The electronic device  30  is held and fixed between the blocking portion  21  and the body  10 . With reference to  FIG. 5 , The slidable engagement provided by the first multi-sectional position limiting member formed in the inner walls of the receiving slot  13  and the second multi-sectional position limiting member formed on the seat  20  renders a multi-sectional position limiting function. Based on a different demand, such as an electronic device  30 ′ having a different size, a length of the seat  20  pulled out of and extending outwardly from the opening  14  of the body  11  is adjusted so that the electronic device  30 ′ can be firmly rested on the seat  20 . With reference to  FIG. 6 , the movably adjustable seat  20  allows users to adjust the orientation or angle of the electronic device  30  when the electronic device  30  is rested on the seat  20 , so as to deliver a desirable view of a display of the electronic device  30 ,  30 ′. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 7 and 9 , a second embodiment and a third embodiment of a charger having a retractable seat differ from the first embodiment in the first multi-sectional position limiting member and the second multi-sectional position limiting member. The first multi-sectional position limiting member has multiple dimples  131  formed in a bottom wall of the receiving slot  13  and arranged in the form of at least one straight line. With reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the first multi-sectional position limiting member in the second embodiment of the charger has eight dimples  131  arranged in the form of two parallel lines. The dimples  131  of the two parallel lines are symmetrical to each other with respect to a center line a′-a′ of the receiving slot  13 , which is parallel to the opposite inner walls of the receiving slot  13 . With reference to  FIG. 9 , the first multi-sectional position limiting member in the third embodiment of the charger has four dimples  131  arranged in the form of a straight line parallel to the two opposite inner walls of the receiving slot  13 . 
     The second multi-sectional position limiting member in the second embodiment and the third embodiment has at least one bump  22  formed on a top surface of the seat  20 , and the at least one bump  22  selectively engages the respective dimples in the bottom wall of the receiving slot  13 . The second multi-sectional position limiting member has two bumps  22  being symmetrical to each other with respect to a center line b′-b′ of the seat  20 , which is parallel to the opposite sides of the seat  20 , in the second embodiment and one bump  22  in the third embodiment. 
     Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.