Patent Publication Number: US-2010108120-A1

Title: Multi-stage folding portable solar charging apparatus

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a solar charging apparatus, and more particularly to a multi-stage folding portable solar charging apparatus. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     At present, solar power generation technologies are used extensively in our daily life, and portable solar charging apparatuses are applied commonly in portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDA). 
     A traditional portable solar charging apparatus applied in a portable electronic device generally includes a body, a circuit board, a connector and a solar power generation unit, and the circuit board is installed in the body, and the connector is connected to an end of the body and electrically coupled to the circuit board, and the solar power generation unit is generally a sheet attached onto a distal surface of the body and electrically coupled to the circuit board. 
     When the traditional portable solar charging apparatus is used, the charging device is placed under sunlight, and the connector is plugged into a power slot of the portable electronic device for charging the portable electronic device. 
     However, the aforementioned traditional portable solar charging apparatus still has the following drawbacks. In a convenient portable design, the length, width and thickness of the body are generally not too large, or else the volume of the body will be too large and inconvenient to carry. However, if the surface area of the body is not large enough, the body can attach a limited number of solar power generation units only, and thus the solar charging apparatus has a too-small electric power generation area, and the electric power generation efficiency cannot be improved. 
     Therefore, some manufacturers introduced a folding portable solar charging apparatus to the market, and the body of such solar charging apparatus can be folded to increase the electric power generation area of the apparatus. However, the increase of electric power generation area of this structure is still very limited, and the electric power generation efficiency of this solar charging apparatus cannot be improved effectively. 
     Finding a way to improve and overcome the foregoing drawbacks is the subject of this invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a multi-stage folding portable solar charging apparatus, wherein a second photoelectric conversion module and a third photoelectric conversion module can be folded and unfolded with respect to the first photoelectric conversion module to increase the electric power generation area of the solar charging apparatus when unfolded, so as to improve the power generation effect. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-stage folding portable solar charging apparatus, wherein a second photoelectric conversion module and a third photoelectric conversion module can be folded onto the top and the bottom of a first photoelectric conversion module to decrease the volume of the solar charging apparatus when folded. 
     To achieve the foregoing objectives, the present invention provides a multi-stage folding portable solar charging apparatus comprising a first photoelectric conversion module, a second photoelectric conversion module, a third photoelectric conversion module and a connector, wherein the second photoelectric conversion module is pivotally coupled to an end of the first photoelectric conversion module and can be folded or unfolded with respect to an upper surface of the first photoelectric conversion module, and the third photoelectric conversion module is pivotally coupled to another side of the first photoelectric conversion module and can be folded or unfolded with respect to a lower surface of the first photoelectric conversion module, and the photoelectric conversion modules are electrically coupled with each other, and the connector is fixed and electrically coupled to one of the photoelectric conversion modules. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-stage folding portable solar charging apparatus, wherein the connector is a USB connector used for improving the applicability and practicability of the solar charging apparatus. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of operations of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of another form of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view of the invention applied in a portable electronic device; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of operation of another preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 7  a schematic view of another preferred embodiment of the invention applied in a portable electronic device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The technical characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the preferred embodiments are used for illustrating the present invention only, but not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3  for a perspective view of the invention, a perspective view of operations of the invention, and a perspective view of another form of the invention respectively, the invention provides a multi-stage folding portable solar charging apparatus comprising a first photoelectric conversion module  10 , a second photoelectric conversion module  20 , a third photoelectric conversion module  30  and a connector  40 . 
     The first photoelectric conversion module  10  forms a first pivoting section  11  and a second pivoting section  12  on both ends of the first photoelectric conversion module  10  respectively, and the first pivoting section  11  and the second pivoting section  12  are disposed at corresponding diagonally opposite positions, and the photoelectric conversion module  10  includes a body  13 , a circuit board  14  installed in the body  13  and a solar power generation unit  15  attached onto a surface of the body  13  and electrically coupled to the circuit board  14 . 
     The second photoelectric conversion module  20  is pivotally coupled to a side of the first  10  photoelectric conversion module  10  and can be folded or unfolded with respect to an upper surface of the first photoelectric conversion module  10 . Further, the second photoelectric conversion module  20  is pivotally coupled to the first pivoting section  11 . 
     The third photoelectric conversion module  30  is pivotally coupled to another side of the first photoelectric conversion module  10  and can be folded or unfolded with respect to a lower surface of the first photoelectric conversion module  10 . Further, the third photoelectric conversion module  30  is pivotally coupled to the second pivoting section  12 , and the photoelectric conversion modules  10 ,  20 ,  30  are electrically coupled with each other, and the connector  40  is electrically coupled to one of the photoelectric conversion modules  10 ,  20 ,  30 . In this preferred embodiment, the connector is electrically coupled to the first photoelectric conversion module  10 . 
     Each of the first pivoting section  11  and the second pivoting section  12  forms a first protruding ear  111 ,  121 , and the second photoelectric conversion module  20  forms a second protruding ear  21  corresponding to the first protruding ear  111 , and the third photoelectric conversion module  30  forms a first protruding ear  111  and a second protruding ear  31  corresponding to the first protruding ear  121 , and the second protruding ear  21  is provided for passing a pivotal shaft  51 , and the first protruding ear  121  and the second protruding ear  31  are provided for passing a pivotal shaft  51 . 
     The second photoelectric conversion module  20  and the third photoelectric conversion module  30  can be rotated with respect to the first photoelectric conversion module  10  and stacked onto the first photoelectric conversion module  10 , so as to increase the electric power generation area of the solar charging apparatus  1  when unfolded, and also improve the electric power generation. The second photoelectric conversion module  20  and the third photoelectric conversion module  30  can be folded onto the top and the bottom of the first photoelectric conversion module  10  respectively to reduce the volume of the solar charging apparatus  1  when folded. When the second photoelectric conversion module  20  and the third photoelectric  10  conversion module  30  are folded as shown in  FIG. 3 , only the thickness of the solar charging apparatus  1  is increased, but the volume is reduced significantly. 
     The solar charging apparatus  1  further comprises a fourth photoelectric conversion module  70  and a fifth photoelectric conversion module  80 , and the fourth photoelectric conversion module  70  is pivotally coupled to the second photoelectric conversion module  20 , and the fifth photoelectric conversion module  80  is pivotally coupled to the third photoelectric conversion module  30 . The pivoting position of the fourth photoelectric conversion module  70  and the second photoelectric conversion module  20  and the pivoting position of the second photoelectric conversion module  20  and the first photoelectric conversion module  10  are disposed at corresponding diagonally opposite positions. The pivoting position of the fifth photoelectric conversion module  80  and the third photoelectric conversion module  30  and the pivoting position of the third photoelectric conversion module  30  and the first photoelectric conversion module  10  are disposed at corresponding diagonally opposite positions 
     The solar power generation units  15  of the photoelectric conversion module  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  70  and  80  are disposed on a same surface of the photoelectric conversion module  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  70  and  80  when unfolded. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4  for a preferred embodiment to the present invention applied in a portable electronic device  90  including but not limited to a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA), the electronic device  90  includes a power input slot  91  corresponding to the connector  40 . When the solar charging apparatus  1  is used, the photoelectric conversion modules  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  70 ,  80  are unfolded, and the connector  40  is plugged into the power input slot  91  of the electronic device  90  for charging the electronic device  90 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 to 7  for a perspective view, a side view of operations, and a schematic view of the invention applied to a portable electronic device in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention respectively, the photoelectric conversion modules  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  70 ,  80  are pivotally coupled by a plurality of hinges  72 , such that the photoelectric conversion modules  20 ,  30 ,  70 ,  80  can be folded or unfolded with respect to the first photoelectric conversion module  10 . 
     The solar charging apparatus  1  further comprises a cell  60  installed in one of the photoelectric conversion modules  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  70 ,  80  and electrically coupled to the photoelectric conversion modules  10 ,  20 ,  30 ,  70 ,  80  and the connector  40 . With the installed cell  60 , the solar charging apparatus  1  can convert light energy into electric energy to be stored in the cell  60  first, and then stored into the electronic device  90  through the connector  40 . 
     In this preferred embodiment, the connector  40  is a USB connector  41  that can be used in different electronic devices  90 , and the type of the connector  40  is not limited to any particular type but depends on the electronic device  90 . 
     In summation of the description above, the invention complies with patent application requirements, and is duly filed for patent application. While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.